Step 3: Try a test recording
Now we’re ready to try some basic recording. In
this exercise, we’ll simply record some audio into a
new song, then play it back to hear the results.
1. First, press the NEW SONG button on the top
right corner of the unit. The display should
look like this:
Create New Song?
(Press Y /N)
2. Press the YES () button. The display should
then look like this:
SampleRate?48. 0 k
(Press New Song)
3. Press the YES () or NO () buttons to select a
sample rate–either 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, or
96kHz.
If you aren’t sure which one to use, choose 48kHz.
4. When you’ve made a choice, press the NEW
SONG button. The display will prompt you for
the number of tracks:
# of Tracks? 2 4
(Press New Song)
5. Choose the number of tracks you want in your
session. Press the NO () button a few times to
choose 8 tracks for this example, then press NEW
SONG.
The reason that you would choose a smaller number
of tracks is that larger sessions use much more disk
space.
The display will now show the default “Song
Name” and you are ready to record.
6. The next step is to choose an input format.
• If you are using an analog mixer, make sure that
“Input” is set to “Analog” on the bottom left
corner of the display. If it isn’t, press the INPUT
SELECT button.
• If you are using a digital mixer, press the INPUT
SELECT button so that the “Input” indicator in
the bottom left corner of the display reads
“Digital”. Then press the CLOCK SOURCE button
until the “Clock Source” indicator in the display
reads “Optical”. If you hear ticks and pops
when you arm a track, see page 25, “ADAT
Optical Digital Inputs and Outputs”.
7. Next, arm a track. Press the numbered buttons
below the meters of the tracks you want to arm,
also known as Track Record Enable buttons.
The red Record light will flash under the tracks
selected for record, and the blue Input light will also
turn on.
8. Send some signal to the HD24. This can be from
the Tape or Group outputs of your mixer, or
you can simply use a line level source (CD
player, drum machine, etc.). Plug this source
into the Input of the track you are recording to
(1,2, etc.)
9. Set the level of the source so that the loudest
peaks do not light the red “Clip” lights on the
HD24’s meters, but light the meter segments
just below that point.
10. Press PLAY and RECORD. Begin playing the
source.
11. Press STOP once you’ve recorded a few bars.
12. Press the REW or LOCATE 0 button to go to the
beginning of the song, then press PLAY to hear
what you recorded.
You can now arm other tracks and record more
layers to your song. When you’re finished, give the
song a name by pressing the NAME button and using
the oval-shaped cursor keys (YES (), NO (), <
and >).