Long time, no see...everything has changed...

[Donnie Frank]

Hey guys;

Okay...I have successfully linked SAC to SAW, synced the sample rate (48000 per recommendation), set the bit rates @ 16, and am presently testing the system by recording 24 tracks. I'm going to let this run for a couple hours to make sure I have enough space on my data drive (500GB), and just to generally make sure nothing goes wrong.

Questions:

1) I'm recording blank tracks, but that's okay, right? I mean...the software doesn't know or care that the tracks are blank. So this is a good test, yes?

2) Is there any reason for using a higher bitrate? My processor is bouncing between 45% and 60%, with SAC use @ 41%. Dare I kick up the bit rate?

I'm going to bounce these numbers off the client. Hopefully he's good with them.

Thanx again for your help!

Regards,

[cgrafx]

1) I'm recording blank tracks, but that's okay, right? I mean...the software doesn't know or care that the tracks are blank. So this is a good test, yes?

Software doesn't care. Empty audio is the same as noisy audio.

2) Is there any reason for using a higher bitrate? My processor is bouncing between 45% and 60%, with SAC use @ 41%. Dare I kick up the bit rate?

Yes, use 24-bit, it won't make any difference to your processor usage and will give you a lot more headroom so you can be more conservative with the input gains.

[mr_es335]

Philip.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I can use this myself one day.

Very, very much appreciated!

[UpTilDawn]

One additional note that I find helpful when setting things up for what channels you want recorded.

Before this step - 13. Control Click on the first SAW Studio Input Channel Record Button -

Darken all of the SAC channels you actually want to record - let's say you have active inputs channels 1-24. Select those (turn the channel numbers black). Then when you go back to SAW and choose Options --> SAC Link Options --> Import Mix Data from SAC Input Channels again. This will update your SAW info so that it know which channels to arm for recording. Now CTRL/Click the first channel in SAW and only those channels you have selected in SAC will be armed for recording in SAW.

If you don't select the channels in SAC as I've suggested here, SAW will arm all the channels from SAC that are enabled. If you have inputs in SAC enabled, but do not want to record them in SAW, then try what I've suggested.


An alternative to this method would be to select the SAC inputs you will want to record before ever selecting Options --> SAC Link Options --> Import Mix Data from SAC Input Channels in SAW (step 7). After you've first selected these SAC input channels, then choose the import SAC Data choice and only those channels will be armed for recording when you CTRL/Click your first SAW track.


Hope this doesn't make it confusing. I have found it to be an invaluable help and leaves SAW clean and uncluttered of SAC input/output and return channel info that I do not need for a dry track recording... especially when I've got multiple outputs active in SAC that aren't needed in SAW.


P.S. you can use this method of updating SAW's record channel assignments whenever you change the SAC channel info, including names and active/inactive, or selected inputs, too. I find the useful, when channel assignments get changed on me on the fly, just before a set is to begin. You might find it equally useful, depending on how much time you have to check and confirm your record tracks.

[mr_es335]

UpTilDawn,

Thanks for the update...

[Microstudio]

I am not understanding why people are talking about SAC here as the OP said he does not need to mix he just needs to record. All he needs is SAW...easy as that.

[cgrafx]

I am not understanding why people are talking about SAC here as the OP said he does not need to mix he just needs to record. All he needs is SAW...easy as that.

Because its easier to use SAC as a front end to SAW for recording than using SAW alone, particularly for somebody that isn't familiar with SAW Studio.

SAC provides all the low latency input setup allowing for simple live monitoring of the input channels or even a nice mix while allowing SAW Studio to record in the background without having to do any additional input/output patching.

[mr_es335]

Micro,

Because its easier to use SAC as a front end to SAW for recording than using SAW alone, particularly for somebody that isn't familiar with SAW Studio.

...Plus 1 on this one for sure!!

[UpTilDawn]

Micro,

...Plus 1 on this one for sure!!

Plus 2 -

SAC w/SAW doesn't load down the pc as much as SAW by itself for live work and that, I like!

[mr_es335]

UpTilDawn,

SAC w/SAW doesn't load down the pc as much as SAW by itself for live work and that, I like!

...Good to know. Thanks for the tip.