Adding ambience to pre-recorded tracks

[StonepianoParticipant]

I would like to place a stereo microphone in a suitable place at the auditorium, and play recorded tracks through the PA, so I could add the room to dry tracks. Is there a way (trough USB-channel selections?) to do this?
Simply put: can I play USB-tracks, and record at the same time?

[JDParticipant]

… or simply overdub without a remote computer …

For that matter, I need to learn how to overdub WITH a computer.

[[XAP]BobParticipant]

You can’t record and playback over QuDrive simultaneously- you can do so over USB-B or by doing one over USB-B and one over QuDrive

[JDParticipant]

… so a computer is absolutely needed … ??

Can you help direct where to get more information ??

[StonepianoParticipant]

Okkay- via Logic it is- same difference, because the tracks will reside there anyway.

[airickessParticipant]

You can play tracks via the Qu Drive while simultaneously recording via the USB B port. I’ve done this for recording drums to already recorded tracks. I simply get a mixdown of the tracks, use the Qu Drive to play back that mixdown and record that mixdown as a separate track on a multitrack DAW so I can use it as a guide track to help line up the newly recorded tracks in the original mix session.

[JDParticipant]

… so playback, say, channels 1 through 8 from the Q drive, then record, say channels 9 and 10, and put all ( 1 though 10) on a new file through an external computer … right?

[dpdanParticipant]

Altiverb baby!

you can create your own IR’s of any space and gear too.
Best plugin you will ever buy !!!!!!

[StonepianoParticipant]

Yea right, I know… bangin’ away with a starter-gun, or whatever. Well I’m sure it can create it’s own impulse… But no problem routing playback of existing channels from the mac, and just recording the stereo. It is then authentic, better or worse.

[AndreasModerator]

I doubt the altiverb adds ambience like ringing cellphones, slamming doors, barking dogs, talking or coughing people as a realworld room does… 😉

[StonepianoParticipant]

God forbid I’ll let an audience mess up my session… And obviously, I could not be shooting guns while audience present🙄 And I think an audience would not appreciate me playing the yesterday’s show for them. Going to be just fine streaming the multitrack via USB-B. If can’t capture decent live ambience, then it is space-designing time.

[dpdanParticipant]

Andreas is correct,

Stonepiano,
Altiverb is my answer for the original question and it is completley doable and is a very logical process that would in fact create the same acoustics of “being there”.

Now, if you are trying to “inject” or include the ambience and sounds created by the audience, then live micing will be the only choice. But your desire was to play tracks through the system in the same room to create that kind of ambience, and ALtiverb is your very best choice.

Nobody said anything about shooting a pistol in a live performance.
The frequency sweep is the best most precise way to create an IR and duplicate the acoustics of any given space.
Altiverb is the most incredible plugin I own, but I do all kinds of mixing and it is best for me.

[StonepianoParticipant]

I am fully aware of Altiverb´s features & benefits, but do not have it in my arsenal. The startergun-remarks were meant to be a joke… lighten up!
BTW- my original question concerned the possibility of simultaneous playback and recording, not plug-ins.

[[XAP]BobParticipant]

To be fair your original query was about adding ambience (that’s the title 😉 )

Many ways to skin a cat but QuDrive alone won’t cut it in this case – USB-B, analogue or ignore the room and add digital trickery…

[Author]

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