Recording drums on a track

[64Guitars]

So you basically bounce the rhythm track by itself to a stereo V-track and then apply effects to it? I have not tried bouncing yet, can I bounce just the drum track?

Bouncing always includes a mix of all four tracks plus the input and the rhythm. The only way to bounce just the rhythm is to lower all of the track levels and input level to minimum in the mix.

But you don't need to bounce the drums alone to a pair of v-tracks in order to apply effects to them. Instead, you can set the Insert Location to RHYTHM (see pages 64 and 65 of the Micro BR manual), select the desired insert effect, then bounce the entire mix (all four tracks plus the rhythm) to a pair of v-tracks as your final stereo mix. If you're happy with the sound of the mix, you can then export those two v-tracks directly to a wave file. Or, if you think it needs some compression and/or EQ, you can master the two v-tracks containing your final mix.

With all of the other BR models (BR-600, BR-900, BR-864, etc.), you always create a 2-track final mix in bounce mode, because mastering mode requires that you specify, at most, two source v-tracks. With the Micro BR, Roland has changed this. You no longer specify the source v-tracks. Instead, it masters from a mix of all four tracks. So, if you want to master from just two v-tracks, you'll have to set the levels of the other two tracks to minimum, or select an empty v-track on each of the unwanted tracks.

[Mach]

Hey thanks for the tip 64Guitars, this makes a big difference in the sound of the drums.

So, if you want to master from just two v-tracks, you'll have to set the levels of the other two tracks to minimum, or select an empty v-track on each of the unwanted tracks.

If Roland has plans for future updates on the MBR a mute & solo function for tracks would be nice.

[Indiana]

If Roland has plans for future updates on the MBR a mute & solo function for tracks would be nice.

On the Track screen, ■ and □ could be implemented with successive press of the track buttons.  ■ = solo track  □ = mute track  blank = normal. 
ex.    100   90  □100    85   mute track 3, other tracks normal
ex.  ■100  ■90   100   85    solo trk 1 & 2


This would make it just a software change, hardware would not have to be modified. Also we're use to pressing track buttons multiple times; like in Input mode to change Upper/lower case to activate/de-activate an input (gtr MIC lin ext ).

[Mach]

Looks like a fine idea you have there Ind. Make sure you get your cut if a patent is negotiated   

[64Guitars]

On the Track screen, ■ and □ could be implemented with successive press of the track buttons.  ■ = solo track  □ = mute track  blank = normal. 
ex.    100   90  □100    85   mute track 3, other tracks normal
ex.  ■100  ■90   100   85    solo trk 1 & 2

The display is character based and only allows for 16 characters per line. So, your examples would actually look more like this:

  |Track Level     |
  | 100  90□100  85|     mute track 3, other tracks normal

  |Track Level     |
  |■100■ 90 100  85|     solo trk 1 & 2

It's a bit crowded and could be confusing.

The effect of soloing a track is to mute all the others. So, you really only need one indicator rather than two (■ and □). Perhaps, a better way would be to mark the muted tracks with the three characters "mut". That way, there will always be at least one space between tracks.

  |Track Level     |
  | 100  90 mut  85|     mute track 3, other tracks normal

  |Track Level     |
  | 100  90 mut mut|     solo trk 1 & 2

I'm not sure that the solo option is necessary since the Micro BR only has four tracks and you could easily solo any track by muting the other three. None of the BR series recorders have the ability to solo tracks directly. However, all except the Micro BR and BR-532 have the ability to mute tracks. This is implemented with a separate Mute button which is used like a Shift key. You hold down the Mute button while pressing the Track button of the track you want to mute. Repeating the procedure on the same track un-mutes it. The mute status is indicated by a light in the track button. It will blink green or orange (depending on whether the track is empty or not) when the track is muted.

Of course, the Micro BR doesn't have a Mute button and track button lights. But your idea of using multiple presses of the track buttons and displaying the mute status in the Track Level screen might be a reasonable compromise.

P.S. - I've created a new topic called "Designing the next Micro BR". Please add any further comments about new features there so that this thread can get back to its original topic of "Recording drums on a track".

[Indiana]

The effect of soloing a track is to mute all the others. So, you really only need one indicator

I agree. And one or the other might be less confusing.