Joy of Synths #25 Recording and Sampling
Synth recording and DaVinci Resolve 96kHz sample workflow in this non-musician’s guide to creating sounds for podcasts, videos, and sampling for music using analog synthesizers.
ARPS FOR ALL
Week long Residency with travel stipend and access to ARP synth collection at The Recording Co, Boston. Open to all. Deadline Monday September 16, 2024. Visit site (link: https://alanrpearlmanfoundation.org/future-projects/resident/ ) for submission info and application.
STUDIO RECORDING OF SYNTHS
Let’s be clear. You don’t need a proper audio studio and audio engineer to record a synth over the long-term, once you learn the basics of audio recording a synth.
BASIC SYNTH RECORDING
First, connect direct-in from synth to audio recorder with a TS or TRS cable (depends on synth so read the manual). Set up the Audio Recorder’s recording format. 96kHz/24bit wav file in Mono Mix is one option. Set levels coming out of synth and input audio recording levels. Gain stage by making synth louder than input audio levels gain dial/numbers, which is to say, start with input audio dial/fader at unity, meaning no gain is added then turn up the synth to get the audio meters to respond. (With my recorder, I’m no louder than 25 on the recorder input level and about mid-way on the synth audio output dial. However, depends on the synth, so I control volume with synth dials rather than recorder.) Connect headphones or monitor to the audio recorder, not the synth. Be careful with your hearing. Press record and start performing. Turn down the synth dial if the audio meters start peaking. Meters will show you the audio signal in deciBels, which are on a negative scale. Record at -18 to -12dB so there’s enough headroom before the audio signal hits -2dB.
STUDIO INSTRUMENTS
While you don’t need a proper audio studio to record a synth, the audio studio may have a collection of analog electronic instruments that are available to recording guests. Not unlike the Melrose Center Audio Studio in Orlando, FL or the ARP instrument collection at The Recording Co. in Boston, MA. (See ARPS FOR ALL above).
The studio may require an engineer to be present so their recording gear isn’t destroyed and the session actually yields a recording. Gaining knowledge to working in a studio takes time and money, at times a greater expense than hiring an audio engineer.
In that case, if you want to do it yourself, see if there’s a rehearsal room that allows for instrument rental and bring your own complete recording setup of a portable audio recorder and cables. Of course, test your setup before going in. The first day you receive a recorder is not the day to visit a studio. You want to focus on performance and not lose the day due to poor capture.
POST PERFORMANCE CRITIQUES
I made the mistake of listening to the recordings on the portable Zoom H4n recorder. This has a horrible headphone jack, so while it’s good enough for setting audio levels, it’s not great for detailed evaluation.
As a result, the file sounded not great. I despaired. I attempted to listen again 3 days later, same H4n playback with headphones, same negative impression.
I finally transferred the audio files from the recorder’s SD card to the external hard drive for working in software. I playback audio using QuickTime Player normally. So I listened through the laptop speakers and lo behold, all the information I thought I recorded returned! Next stop, audio editing software.
Don’t be too harsh on yourself. There’s probably something you can sample from any recording. It takes time to listen to the recorded file in an audio editing application, but it’s worth it to extract some gold from the mud.
SAMPLING SAMPLES
The next step is to begin pulling samples from the audio file. I am careful to not say edit the audio because I do NOT want to cut up the audio file, at least not a first. I want an assembly timeline per audio recording that has markers telling me where I feel something useful starts.
This requires attentive listening, so do it in a quiet environment with minimal distractions. You want to hear what’s there, not what you think was there. Where you hear a good sound, stop playback, rewind to the start and add a marker by pressing m on your keyboard.
DaVinci Resolve 19 and Fairlight Page
DaVinci Resolve 19 is now out of beta as a stable release. Free Resolve is a fully capable video and audio editor for mono recordings and output. If you want to do stereo mixes then set aside $299 for the paid DaVinci Resolve Studio version. Add about $2,000 for a laptop that can run DaVinci Resolve properly.
While there are other free software for working with audio, DaVinci Resolve combines multiple software under one roof, allowing you to move your timeline between the software without exporting first. You simply press an icon and you move from Edit page to Fairlight audio editor to Color page to Deliver page for final export.
AUDIO RECORDING SAMPLE RATE
You have to create a new Resolve project from the start up Project Manager screen and then go to the gear icon on the lower right. The settings screen will pop up. Select Fairlight on the left tab and change the Audio Sample Rate to match the recorder (9600 if recorder was set to 96kHz).
The default for video is 48kHz, 16 bit, so if you recorded at this setting, then skip the above step.
You need to set the 9600 before importing recordings. And you should verify this upon export with the Deliver page.
AUDIO EXPORT SAMPLE RATE
You’ll export a video file and an audio-only file. Export the video file from Deliver Page using “YouTube 1080p” preset. Give the file a unique descriptive name, set the export the location, then press “Add to Render Queue” button.
As you are sampling samples, you want the exported audio only samples to have a sample rate of 9600 to match the project rate. In the Deliver page, select “Custom Export” on the upper left corner. Leaving this at YouTube or H.264 presets may limit your audio export options. Uncheck Export Video, then move to Audio tab. Set Format: Wave; Codec: Linear PCM; Sample Rate: 96000; Bit Depth: 24. The remainder settings can be left as is.
Give the file a unique descriptive name, then press “Add to Render Queue” button. In the Render Queue, select Render All button. The audio should export fairly quickly.
INBETWEEN WORK
I add titles in the Edit page to match the duration of audio that follows the marker. Where there isn’t a title on the video track, that audio won’t be exported. Now this is manual and tedious but I find it the most direct to stay organized.
The title will have a description of the audio and source file name. Again, it’s only as long as the sample. It may help to cut the audio to match the title duration and add a fade in and fade out.
Once you’ve completed titling the sample sections, you’ll export. Move the playhead over the title and press x on your keyboard. This will set an in and out point around the title. From here, select the Deliver page icon and follow the steps above to export a YouTube 1080p video file and an audio only file. If they share the same name with a different suffix, it’ll make it easier to keep them together and swap the compressed H.264 YouTube file with the .wav file in the future.
SAMPLES FOR SAMPLERS
Read the manual for your hardware sampler. It may only take 44.1kHz samples, which is considered CD (compact disc, now a legacy format) quality. You can do this out of Resolve’s Deliver page, as well, following the above instructions and adjusting Format and Codec and the settings that emerge for that format.
If you know this sample is for samplers, then make sure to start the sample on the attack and end it on silence. This means adding edits to the start and end and using a crossfade as needed to end a continuous sound. You may want to gain up the sound to -1 dB (normalize peak to -1dB) so it matches the level of other samples in the hardware sampler.
END NOTE
Happy Labor Day/September! I planned for this to be released on the 8/31/2024, alas, I did a total rewrite from memory this morning (9/2) and like this total rewrite/rewire more.
Twenty five newsletters and here we are! Thanks for reading this far!
Next issue of Joy of Synths releases on September 15, 2024, most likely in video form with transcript.
All Content Copyright 2024 Anthony Torres, All Rights Reserved.