When recording a live band without click what is the best way to set up your project?

[skylar_battles]

Is "Time" the best timebase to use so it would be easy to map the tempo after?

Are there any other settings that can optimize this?

Are there any other considerations if you want to leave the live recording completely unedited for example?

[serr]

Keep the project timebase settings on 'time'. The 'beats' mode lets Reaper stretch recorded audio to the tempo map. Useful when you want that for clicktrack/grid recording.

For normal audio recording, keep the project timebase settings to 'time' and just ignore the transport, tempo setting, and grid (and leave that off). That crap is only there if someone wants to go out of their way and use a clicktrack or grid.

Your "timebase" for normal recording is the audio sample rate.

[DVDdoug]

so it would be easy to map the tempo after?

Unless the drummer (or conductor/band leader) has a click-track in his headphones, the tempo will drift.

You should be able to map the actual-varying tempo later or quantize to "fix" it, if that's necessary for some reason, but I don't know how to do that.

...In the analog days click tracks were rare (and they are still rare live) and it was up to the band to keep the tempo, or to speed-up and slow-down as desired. And of course it was "imperfect".

It was only a problem if you wanted to drop-in a track from a different/independent take. It's not a problem if you're recording a new track with the existing track as a backing-track because the musician/singer can just play/sing in-time.

[serr]

Originally Posted by skylar_battles

so it would be easy to map the tempo after?

Just saw this part.

Nope! That might be a nightmare.

What is the click needed for after the fact? Is this is something that needs to sync up to some pre-produced video or something? I'd rehearse with the drummer working with a clicktrack live. That's how live performances work that out with pre-produced elements.

What's the focus? Music performance or multimedia event that includes music elements?

Music performance:
Don't let ANYTHING else get in the way! Music first. Sync any other elements to the music after the fact. Variable tempo? Tough shit!

Multimedia event:
Slave to the more stubborn element. Usually the video elements. That means compromise the 'vibe' of the music performance by slaving to a click. Probably no 'vibe' there anyway!

[skylar_battles]

How is the beats (position only) different than beats (position, length, rate)?

Since beats (position, length, rate) is the default, what about beats (position only) could make it potentially a better choice for standard tracking to a click? I may have misunderstood, so please correct me if so.

What do you mean by "normal recording?"

Also just to be clear, what I mean is to apply no editing at all to the audio but just for the grid and tempo changes to conform to what was played by the musicians live.

There is a video I watched that explains how to do what I'm referring to, I was just curious if there are other settings to optimize this.

In my situation, I'd be recording a live band without click for rehearsal purposes. Potentially going about this process would make it easier to have bars be in the right places, so that markers can be aded in the correct spots if I wanted to go back to specific sections with ease.

[serr]

Wanting a live unaltered recording is good.

(Lots of approaches are good mind you.)

You want to make the grid and tempo map and all conform to the live performance after?
That's kind of a lot of work! That's why I'd ask what that is for after that? What do you need to have the matching ruler and grid for?

Unless you have something like video to sync to. If you are making a live (ie not clicktrack) recording, just record and ignore the grid. Put the project settings timebase settings on 'time' to keep them out of your way.

You can always edit things. It would be a live slip edit anyway. No need to make the grid match that for extra work. The sample rate of the audio is your "grid" for live work.


If this is the other direction and you need a final product to be grid consistent. Maybe it's for DJs requesting that or whatever. You can alter things after the fact. Might be easier to record with a click to begin with though.


Anyway, figure out which direction this is. Only mess with the grids if you need them. Otherwise get them out of the way.

[skylar_battles]

It's truly not necessary at the moment for me, but I am just trying to arm myself with the knowledge to do anything I'd potentially need to do on Reaper.

I guess all that matters is to put the project timebase to time and to turn off and ignore the grid. Thanks for the advice!