Trimming the length of a song

[64Guitars]

I'm missing something.  After you've mastered to a pair of v-tracks, you then export to a WAV or MP3 file.  When you move the data in those tracks, your WAV or MP3 doesn't change. (Does it?)  Wouldn't you have to re-master and re-export, but using only those v-tracks?

I think 64 meant that you trim or move the track 3sec ahead BEFORE actually mastering (still in standard recording mode) Once you've fixed or trimmed the song, then you master to wave or mp3. If it's already been mastered, you would have to use something like Audacity or Garageband or whatever for further editing...

Actually, I meant after mastering. Mastering (on the Micro BR only) creates a final 2-track mix to a pair of v-tracks. Optionally, it also allows you to export this final mix to a WAV or MP3 file. But, unless I'm mistaken, this export process does not erase the v-track pair containing the final mix. So, you can use the method I described to trim the mastered final mix, then you can re-export it using the procedure on page 112/113 of the Micro BR manual, 3rd edition. Obviously, if you know ahead of time that you'll be trimming your final mix, you can skip the export step of the mastering process since you'll be exporting separately after trimming anyway. No sense exporting twice.

Alternatively, you can make your final 2-track mix using bounce mode. In fact, for all of the BRs except the Micro BR, this is the only way to create your final 2-track mix because you must specify a pair of source v-tracks for mastering. With the Micro BR, Boss changed the mastering process slightly. Instead of making you pre-mix and specify the pair of source v-tracks, it takes the mix of the four currently-selected v-tracks, applies the Mastering Tool Kit effects to it, and writes it to the specified destination v-track pair. In this way, it combines mixing and mastering into a single process. But you're still free to separate mixing and mastering if you choose. Just create your final 2-track mix using bounce mode. Then you can trim the 2-track mix before mastering it. Don't forget that the Micro BR masters a mix of all 4 tracks. So you should minimize the track levels of the two tracks that you don't want to include when mastering.

[Ted]

Actually, I meant after mastering. Mastering (on the Micro BR only) creates a final 2-track mix to a pair of v-tracks. Optionally, it also allows you to export this final mix to a WAV or MP3 file. But, unless I'm mistaken, this export process does not erase the v-track pair containing the final mix. So, you can use the method I described to trim the mastered final mix, then you can re-export it using the procedure on page 112/113 of the Micro BR manual, 3rd edition. Obviously, if you know ahead of time that you'll be trimming your final mix, you can skip the export step of the mastering process since you'll be exporting separately after trimming anyway. No sense exporting twice.

Ah ha! Pages 112/113!

You are correct, 64, that the "export process does not erase the v-track pair containing the final mix."  I had always assumed that if you canceled the export, you also canceled the mixdown as well, but apparently not.

I think I'll continue to use LP Ripper for trimming, but it's good to know that I have an on-board option.

[64Guitars]

Sure, you can fade in and out.

• Bounce all your tracks to a stereo mix.
• Still in Bounce mode, press the Track 1 button and cursor left until the track volume is showing and the cursor is below one of the two stereo tracks you've bounce to.
• Bounce these two track again to two other tracks with the volume set to zero.
• After the song starts press the + button to fade in.
• Towards the end of the song, press - to start fading out.

Correct. However, you don't have to bounce twice. When you bounce to create your final 2-track mix, press [UTILITY], then CURSOR < > to select MasterLevel. You can then use the VALUE - / + buttons to control your fades. In fact, you don't have to use bounce mode at all since you can do the same thing while mastering.

A useful analogy to bouncing is to imagine that you have an old-fashioned 4-track cassette recorder which can record four separate tracks but has no way of mixing them. So, to create a 2-track mix, you have to connect the four outputs from the cassette recorder to the four inputs of a 4-channel stereo mixer. You would then connect the left/right stereo output of the mixer to the input of another tape recorder (stereo 2-track) to record the final mix.

The 2-track stereo master is recorded in real time from the 4-track cassette via the mixer. Any changes you make to the settings of the 4-track recorder or the mixer while the recording is in progress will be recorded to the 2-track master. So, to fade out the song, you'd gradually reduce the output level of the mixer at the end of the song.

The Micro BR has a 4-channel mixer built in and you use a pair of v-tracks to record the final 2-track mix instead of using a separate 2-track recorder. But, otherwise, the process of bouncing or mastering is pretty much the same. The output level of the mixer is controlled by the MasterLevel parameter in the UTILITY menu. So, you can fade in or out while bouncing or mastering by gradually changing the MasterLevel value using the VALUE - / + buttons.

The same idea can be applied to other settings that you manipulate while bouncing or mastering. For example, you could gradually alter the Pan setting during a guitar solo so that it moves between the left and right channels.

By the way, this brings to mind an important point about MasterLevel that isn't clearly stated in the manual, and which some of you may not be aware of. Since the MasterLevel controls the output of the mixer, it also controls the recording level during bouncing or mastering. If the MasterLevel is set too high, your 2-track master will be distorted. If MasterLevel is set too low, your 2-track master will be quieter than it needs to be and the signal-to-noise ratio and dynamic range will be less than optimal. So it's very important to set the MasterLevel properly according to the L/R level meter in the Micro BR's display when bouncing or mastering.

[tom r]

Thanks  for all the suggestions. I'm not very technically minded but have surprised myself as i had been pondering the very suggestion you had made. I'm used to an oldish zoom 8 track with faders etc and i'm finding it difficult to keep track of my track as it were!!!!
anyway i'm in the process of moving the track as i type.

Tom

[tom r]

Ahh i've made a right mess of it now i have a song which stops after a few seconds and then starts again!!!! I think i will just wipe it and start all over again. I wonder if exporting and trimming as an mp3 might be the better option for a technophobe like me?
Tom

[64Guitars]

Ahh i've made a right mess of it now i have a song which stops after a few seconds and then starts again!!!! I think i will just wipe it and start all over again. I wonder if exporting and trimming as an mp3 might be the better option for a technophobe like me?

You don't have to wipe your song and start over. You can simply UNDO the last operation you performed (hopefully, that was the Track Move in this case). See page 49 of the Micro BR manual, 3rd edition.

Even if you've performed other operations since the Track Move and now you can't undo it, your original tracks are still there so you can simply remix/master the song from those tracks instead of starting over.

Many BR users (myself included) prefer to trim songs in Audacity or some similar program. The advantage is that you can actually see the waveform so it's easy to precisely delete the unwanted ends. However, some technophobes might be equally perplexed by computer programs as they are by the Micro BR. So, whether that's the better option for you depends on how comfortable you are with computers and how readily you can learn new programs.

I'd recommend that you learn how to do it both ways -- on the Micro BR and on the computer. You may not always have access to a computer, especially with an ultra-portable recorder like the Micro BR which you can take anywhere. You'll probably prefer using the computer when it's available. But, when it's not, you'll be glad you learned how to trim on the Micro BR too.

When learning how to use new features of the Micro BR, it's best to experiment with a throw-away song in case you make a horrible mistake. Just create a new song (see page 38) and record any old rubbish. Then try moving it with the Track Move feature. Once you're satisfied that you know how to use the feature correctly, you can return to your other song and trim it with the Track Move feature.

[tom r]

Thanks for that. I have since downloaded Audacity and hey presto trimmed the completed song in minutes. I've used similar programmes in the past. I've only had the BR for a few weeks and hav't had the chance to sit down with it and try all the features. Very good idea to practice on a throwaway peice of music. Just out of interest do you or anyone else know how to save the trimmed music as an mp3. i had to save it as a WAV file? can i export a WAV into the br or must it be converted back to an mp3?

Sorry if this is all basic stuff!!!!

Tom

[Geir]

Just out of interest do you or anyone else know how to save the trimmed music as an mp3. i had to save it as a WAV file? can i export a WAV into the br or must it be converted back to an mp3?

If you mean save from Audacity you can install the lame encoder and then be able to export to mp3
(see here: https://songcrafters.org/community/general-discussion-b8/audacity)

And yes you can use the BR wave converter prog to export the wave files to your BR.

Cheers