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Live Multitrack Band Recording On iPad? — UPDATE
I’m in a four piece band that rehearses every week or two, mostly for fun as we rarely play out in public. Recently, we started practicing under headphones with everyone mic’d up. Guitars go direct into amp SIMS. I’ve been using Logic Pro on a Macbook as our “mixer” but I’m thinking of using Logic on the iPad instead, partly because I find the iPad so intuitive and because I have many more iPad plugins.
I’m curious whether anyone on the ABF is doing something like this, whether in Logic or another DAW, and if so, what suggestions you might have for running the session as smoothly as possible.
Thanks, in advance…
Comments
I don’t record band rehearsal but I think it is absolutely possible in Cubasis or Logic with the right audio interface. My only concern is recording 4 instruments + mics for a hour+ rehearsal will fill a iPad really fast.
Have a look at Blender
https://www.tc-helicon.com/product.html?modelCode=0603-AES
Seems perfect for what you want to do
Yes, the Blender is perfect.
But.....out of production for long time already. Maybe somewhere a used one for sale.
Depends on instrumentation. If there’s drums you’ll need an interface with pads to avoid clipping.
The cheapest way to do this would be via Behringer umc 1820. I’ve used it with my iMac to record my band with no issues.
I’ve plugged it into my iPad and all of the inputs showed in AUM so I expect they will in Logic too.
If your iPad is at least 256gb you’ll be fine. Audio multitracking may produce large files but it ain’t 4K video.
That little beast is one of the absolute best stereo mixers and interfaces EVAR! They pop up reverb occasionally and I was able to snag a new one last year.
It still works as a usb audio interface (16 channels in!!!… But only the 2 master out…) but the Bluetooth on modern iOS devices won’t connect to the app… The app was kinda useless anyway.
What’s so cool about this little gem is the way you can route the stereo signals to the 4 outputs. You can use the outs as sends, feedback loops, etc. All in stereo in a device that fits in the palm of your hand.
If a modern version of this thing popped up it would be a massive success as there’s nothing like it other than similar dinosaurs like Speck multi mix or whatever it was called. And those are/were multi-thousand dollar boat anchors.
Thanks, everyone, for pitching in. That little Blender thing looks like a great solution for someone else, but I’m totally covered for I/O with an 8-input Behringer ADA8200 preamp running via ADAT fiber into a Focusrite Clarett+ 4pre interface.
Thanks to @ecou and @supadom for your confidence in the iPad handling all those tracks. I think you’re right. We’re gonna play again on Sunday and we’ll put it to the test then.
My two cents is ... I don't think I'd throw a full-featured DAW at this if it's critical. More overhead and sources of things can go wrong. I mean it's worth a try because if that's where the tracks are going to end up then it's less work to get them there if you record direct.
I'd first think of using AUM. You can set it up in advance and make it your template for future sessions with super fast setup. It's proven. It has a low memory footprint, and it organizes files nicely into folders if you name your session. The default names even contain the date and time.
Or, I would use MultiTrack DAW. That one has been around forever, is lean and mean, and has loads of options for project sample rate. It has the comfort advantage of actually being able to see the tracks as they're laid down. AUM has never let me down, but it would bother me to just trust that it's just silently doing everything for something like a band recording.
But hey, it's only rehearsals. It's worth trying Logic if that's where the files are gonna end up.
Both those run on iPhone too if you have one. It's always good to have a backup device. That's not the case with Logic. Cubasis also runs on iPhone unlike Logic.
As a counter to this, I’ve found Cubasis really easy to track with, although only recording a track at a time. I don’t think the rest of the functionality would get in the way much.
@wim I’m not sure AUM is such a good idea if you want to simplify things. In fact if you record in Logic you can immediately play, edit and process in logic and export stuff there and then.
I guess the bottom line is that there’s more options than one which is a good place to be in.
There’s also https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/multitrack-daw/id329322101 for bread and butter multitrack recording.
Thank you all! I really appreciate your taking the time to weigh in.
In this group, I play guitar and sing lead and harmony vocals. Just keeping up with the chord changes and lyrics takes a lot of concentration, especially on less familiar songs. Pile on all the engineering and it’s a handful. Great fun but pretty intense.
@wim, I briefly considered tracking in AUM, however, I’m so familiar with Logic that it seemed like the most sensible place to start. As you suggested, I’ll build out a template with all the channels, inserts, and sends in place, ready to dial in when the others get here tomorrow. Plus, we’ve just begun using MIDI Guitar 3, which introduces a zillion new sonic possibilities. Highly recommended!
I’ll let you know how it goes and what I learn in the process.
FWIW, Loopy Pro can also handle this --- either recording into clips or using its session recording feature.
I'd stick with Logic on the Macbook. I can't imagine a plugin that can't be covered by Logic's stock plugins (depending on what you want to use MIDI Guitar for, that is) and when using keyboard shortcuts for the most important functions, it can be super straightforward in use.
Having 'been there done this' I agree with the sentiment that setting up, engineering and making the whole recording shebang work when 'fun rehearsal' is the goal can be frustrating.
I ended up getting a Roland HS-5 Session mixer built for 4-5 players. It has 4 x Mics ( dynamic) plus Instrument inputs ( ie 2 inputs per player) and 1 x Line In only which all have their own Headphone outs with an independent monitor mix ( so each player can adjust the levels of other players in their cans ). Mic inputs have effects and reverb. Instrument inputs have their own Guitar/Bass guitar models. The Mix can be recored to a USB thumb drive plugged into the unit... just push the record button. It also outputs all 12 input channels via a USB connection to a computer to record tracks.
Not made now, but I picked one up for $300 from someone who couldn't work it out ... there's plenty out there used, but prices are all over the place!
I use it very successfully in my room ... electronic drums (me) , others plug in, headphones on and play! No noise aside from the vocals.
@ltf3 that thing looks like a great solution, a lot like the TC Helicon unit mentioned above.
All true and you may be right about Logic Mac being optimal. I’m gonna try tracking on the iPad. If it isn’t appreciably easier, I’ll run everything on the Macbook and use Logic Remote on the iPad during recording for convenience. I neglected to mention that I keep the iPad mounted to a mic stand right in front of me so I don’t have to move or look around.
Nearly showtime. iPad in its holder just to the left of the acoustic guitar…
Beautiful space to play music in
Thanks!
With two rehearsals under my belt, I thought I’d share an update. (See above for the background.) In short, the iPad Pro M4 running Logic Pro turned out to be a very capable mixer / recorder for capturing a live band.
With up to eight inputs at a time, plugins on every channel, and even a MIDI guitar track, all being monitored live through software, the iPad never faltered. The CPU load in Logic rarely exceeded 50% and latency was imperceptible, even when processing everything live through EQs, compressors, reverbs, etc. Aside from our less than stellar performances, it sounded excellent.
A few observations:
With five open mics in a small room, it was difficult to minimize “bleed”, in other words the sound picked up by a particular microphone from unintended sources (e.g. percussion “bleeding into” a vocal mic). Between the two rehearsals, I rearranged the room, added a couple of baffles, and replaced a sensitive condenser mic with a hypercardioid dynamic, all of which helped a lot.
Preparation matters. Before anyone showed up, mics were on stands and plugged in, rough levels were set, and Logic was pre-configured with all channels labeled, inputs assigned, and plugins ready to go. We only needed a brief “sound check” before we could start playing.
File management can be time consuming and buzz killing. After recording a song, I’d have to save it, duplicate it, open the duplicated version, and clear out the previously recorded tracks to make room for the next song. So why not make one long, continuous recording or use a template? Because with each new song, I was making small adjustments to individual channels and we were switching between vocalists or guitars or something else. I got faster with practice but I’m still looking for a better workflow.
If you think all of this sounds like hard work, you’d be right. In the case of our little group, however, it’s totally worth it. Under headphones, we sound and play better and if we happen to perform a song well, we have a record of that. Plus, we can enhance the live recordings and add more parts, like background vocals and bass. As soon as we have something worthy, I’ll post it here.
As always, suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Thanks for this follow up! It’s great to hear the what’s been helpful, what’s working, what’s a bit of a drag. This is awesome info.