Punch Recording on the fly

Hopefully not a dumb question regarding punch recording, but I did some bass session work yesterday at a studio with what must have been ProTools and we did some punch recording on the fly where the engineer would just hit a key on the keyboard to punch me in and hit another one to punch me out. So we weren't setting punch in spots ahead of time - we were just rolling and he would punch me in and out on the fly. One additional cool feature was that wherever he punched the recording actually had a few seconds of recording ahead of the punch and behind the punch so he could scroll edit if his punch wasn't clean.  I was just wondering if Sonar had something like this. Thanks

Thanks so much. It seems everything I've ever done in Sonar has been from transport in the stop mode and just pressing record and starting. That's great to know that I can just press R with the "tape rolling" so to speak and the recording will start there. I'm assuming the best way to do this is to have the record mode setting as comping?

Kalle Rantaaho
Wasn't this feature introduced just a few years ago, or does my memory fail? Before that you had to arm the track and you could not start recording on the fly (?).

I know that starting with the X series (Sonar X1) R could be used while transport was running.
Cant remember if 8.5 did or not.
 
You can also use Punch in recording which in my opinion is a great tool.
Very easy to set up as well. I made this video a while ago but it still pertains.

I'm pretty sure 8.5 did as I will  stand there with my wireless keyboard in my hand while tweeking vocal parts. 
The computer is out of reach. 
I also have a usb footswitch that I assigned the W  R and spacebar to. 
$20-$ 40 

 

How it works now, You set punch points / the transport needs to be "Stopped" before you can use punch recording.
That's a PIA. I would like to see a way to hit the R button while the transport is rolling then have it use my punch points. The same way Analog Recorders used to punch in/punch out.

chuckebaby
How it works now, You set punch points / the transport needs to be "Stopped" before you can use punch recording.
That's a PIA. I would like to see a way to hit the R button while the transport is rolling then have it use my punch points. The same way Analog Recorders used to punch in/punch out.

This ^
All in all, SONAR's approach is fine and I use it/get along with it. Still find many occasions where loop recording and autopunch can be useful when combined. I'm just a bit envious of that PT feature that records a bit extra on the front and back end of your punch for the occasion when it is handy ( like voiceover stuff..sometimes the punch in sounds incongruous but the live material the talent was rolling into the punch is actually better...boom..you roll that in to the edit and everyone's happy....cool feature)

Anderton

dcmg

toastjam
...One additional cool feature was that wherever he punched the recording actually had a few seconds of recording ahead of the punch and behind the punch so he could scroll edit if his punch wasn't clean.  I was just wondering if Sonar had something like this. Thanks

I'm really not happy with myself when I have Pro Tools envy, but I really wish SONAR did have that feature. Would be really useful. I also covet their Elastic Audio, but that's another thread :)

Why not just record on a different track, then shift+drag over the place where you punched?
 
As to Elastic Audio, you will not covet it if you try Ableton Live's stretching options. Just saying.'

yep..that's what I do now in that situation, works fine
Re Ableton Live, haven't tried it thus far, but sounds like I should check it out :)

Yes, it does that here too. This is an excerpt from the article I referenced previously:
 
Manual punching offers two main options. You can punch in and out on record-enabled tracks with the Transport’s record button. If the metronome is enabled for playback while recording but not playback, it will sound only when you’re actually recording — a useful audible confirmation.
 
In Preferences, you can specify Allow Arm Changes During Playback/Record. The default is to let you record-enable/disable a track only when the Transport is stopped, but ticking this preference allows punching in or out with the record-enable button, assuming you had initiated recording by clicking on the transport’s record button. Note that when punching in and out using the record-enable button, if enabled for recording the metronome will always play back — even when not recording — because the Transport recording button will still be enabled. Sometimes this can be very handy.
 
The recording modes affect punching differently; the following applies to manual punching.
 
Overwrite mode: It may appear the waveform is not being overwritten as you record, but it is. When you open up the Take Lanes after punching, you’ll see the overwritten areas were removed from the original take, and a new Take Lane contains the punched material. You won’t hear the original take while recording because it has been overwritten.
 
Comping mode: When you open the Take Lanes after punching, the punched material will be in a new Take Lane. In the original Take Lane, the section you punched over will still be intact, but it will be muted, and splits will be added at the beginning and end of the punched material. You do not hear the original Take Lane while punching.
 
Sound on Sound mode: You hear the original Take Lane while punching; when you open Take Lanes after punching, the original Take Lane is as it was previously (ie. no splits or muting), and the new material is in a new Take Lane.
 
 

dcmg
If I'm reading chuckebaby's comment closely, he's referring to the specific way AUTO PUNCH works in that it needs to have the transport stopped, then R to proceed with executing his auto-punch region....not the basic functionality of simply punching in on the fly manually.

Well there's kind of a way to do that, but you have to set it up while the transport is stopped.
 
1. In Preferences, check "Allow Arm Changes During Playback/Record."
2. Set the metronome for a count-in and turn on the track's R button.
3. Click the Transport record button and during the count-in, turn off the track's R button.
 
Now when you go over the punch point, recording will not happen unless you turn on the R button sometime before the transport arrives at the punch area.