joele552
Hello All, I have multi-track recorded a practice session with our Behringer Xair18 with the software that came with it, Tracktion 5. Now I imported the tracks into sonar x3 and would like to use it to split the tracks into separate song files, keeping the tracks. Does anyone here know how to do that in Sonar, so that it does not make a copy of the full tracks for every song, it is a waste of disk space. I should have asked this question years ago when I first encountered it.
 
 
 
Sonar X3e
HP Pavilion P7-1233w 16G Memory
Windows 10 Pro
1 Plextor 128 SSD as StartUp
2 Seagate 1 TB Drives
M-Audio 1814
Peavey StudioMix
Behringer Xair18
Event BAS 20/20 Old style

There are several ways to do this, but I highly recommend starting a separate thread titled "How to Divide a Single Recording into Multiple Songs?" because people won't think of this thread as a place to answer your question. Also, consider adding the final form you want these songs to take - individual two track files? Separate tracks in the same project? What you you want to end up with will in large part determine how to go about what you want to do.
 
If you post a new thread, I'll delete this post so any answers aren't split between the two threads.

Bristol_Jonesey

Anderton

rbecker
I responded to a post a while back with a trick I use to combat fatigue, but will repeat it here because it might also help with the head game. I will often not record a tune in a linear manner. Here is how I may record "Row, Row, Row Boat" as the backing track is playing in the background:
 
TAKE1:
"Row, row, row your boat"
<no singing, only backing track>
"Merrily, merrily, merrily merrily"
<no singing>
TAKE2:
<no singing, only backing track>
"Gently down the stream"
<no singing>
"Life is but a dream"
 
I then stitch them together to get the complete tune.
This helps me catch my breath, but also allows a couple seconds to think about the next phrase.

 
This is something I do as well, and I find it useful.
 

Likewise.
 
I build up harmonies and/or double tracks using a similar system.

Well that's all well and good for you guys, but I just don't think that song is gonna' sell down here, harmonies or not! 

tenfoot wrote:
"Well that's all well and good for you guys, but I just don't think that song is gonna' sell down here, harmonies or not!" 
 
My apologies...That was insensitive of me....Maybe my example should have been "Horse With No Name" 

Waltzing Matilda would be more appropriate

skinnybones lampshade
How come, when I'm finally ready to record, do I make so many mistakes?

 
 
When that happens too me it may mean that I need to practice more and be better prepared .
 
The other thing is I may have very high expectations of my self that I may not be able too meet at that moment in time .
 

skinnybones lampshade
 
I mess up take after take, although I wrote the @#$% song myself, and you'd think I'd have a clue about how to play and/or sing it.
 
 

 
Just because a person writes a song  , doesn't mean they may know how to interpret the songs emotional message during their first attempts at recording the song .. the song may just be way too new . 
 
Also it is important to have the muscle memory and nerve synapse's firing on the all correct neurological path ways .
A good example of this concept is learning a new dance step .It takes time to get the moves down .
This is something we all need at one time or another to be able to have a level of consistency in expressing ourselves in our Music.
 
To be able to interpret the songs emotional message with absolute freedom of expression , a song has to be lived with long enough for the artist to have an emotional history of performing and playing around with the song itself …
 

skinnybones lampshade
 
Then every confusing technical difficulty possible seems to leap into play (and record), causing every bit of inspiration to drain away while I try to figure out what's wrong now so that I can get on with it.
 

 
Been there often enough too have learned the hard way too just give myself a break for not being
"The  Genius I  Wish I Was " in all aspects of my Music Creation and Guitar Playing ….
 
Working alone for long hours in front of a computer like many of us here on the forum do , does bring up it's own set of issues and complexities .
After spending a lifetime learning how to play an instrument while having a high level / degree of freedom and self expression it may be asking a lot way too soon to be able too have Transparent Monster Production Chops On Tap .
 
Sometimes Ya just got too give time time when it comes to learning The Craft of Recording .
It is a craft and it can be learned 
 
As far as The Muse goes , sure we all know The Muse is gonna throw you a whiff and a taste here and there of her Rapture …
Be grateful The Muse baited your hook with the right bait just for you and tried to throw you a bone ….
 
The Muse may simply want you to "want it real bad and work for it "…..
 

skinnybones lampshade
 
Next, I become a nasty old dog who barks at my poor cat who only wanted to help out by swatting my (computer) mouse dead as ... as a dormouse (and stepping on the computer power button in the process)!
 

 
 
Smart Cat . Your adorable furry friend is trying to show you some Love.
 
My dog does the same type of thing when I'm getting frustrated .lol
 

skinnybones lampshade
 
Finally, I write my tale of woe to the forum instead of sucking it up and getting on with the song like any worthwhile person would do.
 
Sheesh ... and this is more than likely in the wrong forum.
 
This is my tale of woe. Now I have nowhere to go.
 

 
Your tale of woe was a pretty good read . 
 
If we held a show of hands here on the forum with the condition that all the folks that have felt that way one time or another  raised their hands , I'm sure somebody here could make a fortune selling underarm deodorant 
 
All frustrations aside , it is nice to have a safe place to let it out ..
 

skinnybones lampshade
 
Except .... Maybe back to try again ... But the General Question remains, Why DO I make so many mistakes when I have done everything I can to be prepared to record? 
 

Yeah , Go back and try again ….
Don't worry about the inspiration ..Phone the performance in if you have too ..
That will give you the opportunity too be able to listen to "the placeholder performance " from a detached emotional state of being …
 
I've had it happen where I was pushing to make one thing happen and it just wasn't happening no matter how much I wished it would be musically happening ..
 
An elemental attribute of creative expression is destruction , 
To illustrate that concept ,   
I have found it too be very satisfying and quite liberating to make a bold stroke of the sword by eliminating  anything in my musical creative endeavors that will cause me emotional distress … 
In plain simple English ,
If the musical part sucks …the part goes …something better musically will come along ..it always does …
 
all the best ,
 
Kenny
 

Thank you, Kenny.
 
Your posts are always very thoughtful and I always end up learning something from them that I didn't even realize I was missing. Great tips and insights. :)
 
LJ 

Kenny's post triggered another thought...
 
I have a wall between "writing" and "recording." I write most of my songs in the studio, but they're drafts, and they usually aren't very good. But that's okay, they're not supposed to be...I'm writing the song, not recording it.
 
Once the song is written, sometimes I'll start over from scratch. Sometimes there are some cool moments in there that are worth keeping, so I replace the scratch tracks. But the important point is that in the process of writing the song, I end up practicing it a lot. By the time I want to record it, I know the words, I know the chords, I know where the song wants to go.
 
In a way, this is like the old days where we'd play songs on tour night after night, six nights a week for six weeks. When we went into the studio, not only could we play without having to think too much, we also knew which songs caused people to clap and which caused them to go to the bathroom... Good for the song selection process!
 
I think people are too concerned with getting things right when they go into the studio. Two nights ago I was playing a chord progression I really liked, and came up with a melody line I also liked...but had no words. Nothing. Zero level of word inspiration. So I wrote these really bad words (not intentionally, they just sucked) although they gave a reason for the melody line to exist. 
 
I ended up playing the song over and over and over again as I experimented with other parts, like bass and guitar. Meanwhile, the melody line was being etched into my brain, and next day it was still running around in my brain because I hadn't listened to anything else to replace it. And then out of nowhere, I had an idea for a title, and that created more words, and that turned into a story, and now the words that sucked have been replaced by words I like for the first verse and part of the chorus...I'm sure the rest will come along soon.
 
[Another interesting point: When writing I'll often take the easy way out and use Melodyne to create a harmony. Many times it's not something I can sing because it's out of range. However after hearing it a lot, 9 times out of 10 when I go to actually record the song, somehow I'm able to sing the harmony part. I'm still trying to figure out how that works.
 
In a similar vein, years ago I never was able to do vibrato so I started adding it electronically. But when I sang along with the parts that had vibrato, my voice started following along and started mimicking the vibrato! Somehow that taught my voice how to have vibrato, and after that I didn't need the electronic vibrato any more.]
 

When playing and recording guitar, bass or anything else, I always find that I can either play with accurate timing or clearly defined notes & phrases, but not both. When I'm in rhythmic mode a lot of notes get fluffed. When I play clearly and precisely the timing drifts off.