MACKIE HDR24/96 - Manual (Page 219)

HDR 24/96
on the recorder and your computer has a sound card with only analog and/or S/PDIF I/O,
obviously this method isn’t going to work for you. But multi-channel Lightpipe computer audio
interfaces are quite popular and you can transfer multiple tracks in the time it takes to play the
song. If your computer has 24 channels of I/O that match your HDR24/96’s I/O, making a direct
transfer of 24 tracks in one pass is almost always faster than Ethernet, and it has the added benefit
of bringing them directly into the DAW program without having to import them from another
directory – no timing problems, and rendering isn’t necessary since you’re playing the HDR24/96
tracks in real time.
Don’t think that just because this is a digital recorder, you can’t use an analog connection to copy
a track to your DAW. Many users are reluctant to do this because they’re concerned about
degrading the audio quality with another round trip through D/A and A/D converters. Modern
converters are pretty darn good, so let your ears be the final judge. Don’t reject a simple solution
based solely on principle.
Remember, though, that when recording through your DAW’s analog inputs, proper level setting
is important. Watch the meters on your DAW and be sure that you’re neither clipping nor
recording at too low a level. In the best of all possible worlds, the operating level of your DAW
(the digital level represented by the nominal analog level of +4 dBu) will be the same as that of
the HDR24/96, meaning that unity gain on your DAW input is the correct setting. Lacking an
industry standard for this, however, you must pay attention to recording levels and adjust the
DAW’s input gain as required, just as if you were making an original recording.
Making a digital transfer between the recorder and computer is just like any other digital
interconnection – you’ll need do deal with word clock synchronization to avoid clicks and pops in
your workstation tracks. Using the HDR24/96 as the word clock source for the computer audio
interface usually works best.
OK, so you have 24 tracks to transfer and you have only an 8-channel interface in your computer.
You can transfer the project in three passes. The trick is to time-synchronize the DAW with the
HDR/24/96. While most DAWs will chase and lock to SMPTE or MIDI time code, many of
them won’t generate time code, so plan on using the HDR24/96 as the time code master.
Remember to enable Generate MTC or SMPTE, whichever time code source you’re using, and
see Appendix F for further information on time code synchronization.
Connect your DAW interface up to the first Lightpipe card and record those eight tracks with the
recorder chasing time code from the HDR24/96. Now, move the Lightpipe connection over to
the next 8 tracks, rewind both the DAW and the HDR24/96, and record a second pass. Since the
time code keeps the DAW and the HDR24/96 in step, the second group of tracks, and the third
(next pass) will all be in alignment.
It usually takes a synchronized device a few seconds to figure out where it is, find where it’s
supposed to be, settle down, and get locked. If your song starts very close to time zero, in order
to give your DAW some breathing room simply select all regions in the project and move them a
few seconds to the right, leaving some blank space at the beginning.
What To Do When You Get There
Anything you want. If your DAW is also your mixer, obviously there’s no need to transfer tracks
back to the HDR24/96. Just do your thing. But often a DAW will be used to massage one or just a
few tracks, which you’ll then want to transfer back to the recorder so you can play them back and mix
with your console.
Technical Reference 219