What is the proper way to export final mix-down audio?

[Randy Wolf]

What is the proper way to export final mix-down audio when you have a combination of external synth played via MIDI and coming in through external audio interface, software synths and effects via VSTs, and maybe embedded audio clips.

I've got a solution but it seems like such a hack. 

Wondering if there is any documentation or guidance that concisely lays it out. Feels like I've got to be missing a simple or obvious solution.

(If desired I can share my "hack"...)

 

[Xoo]

Record external synths as audio.

Export everything from with Cakewalk (VSTi's can be frozen/bounced to audio if you like, but that's an extra step and not essential - depends on your PC's performance and your workflow).

[mettelus]

+1 on recording synths to audio. Another simple hack is to mix down the entire project to a single track (pre-master). You can then simply drag/drop that into a mastering session or folder of your choice.

[Randy Wolf]

1 hour ago, Xoo said:

Record external synths as audio.

Export everything from with Cakewalk (VSTi's can be frozen/bounced to audio if you like, but that's an extra step and not essential - depends on your PC's performance and your workflow).

To break it down... I think you are saying something like

Create an Audio track in the project. Set it's input to an external audio interface loopback input. Set audio echo on. Arm and record the synth tracks. Then export the whole project using that audio and any VSTs etc? I like this. 

Or use external audio insert plugin? 

Or something else? 

The first is sort of what I've done except not recording to a track... Instead setting audio echo on for a loopback audio input track, use realtime render checked, audible playback checked,  live input checked. Just feels gross. Kludgy. But then yeah that audio is in my external interface but not in Cakewalk so maybe something like this is required.

Curious if Ableton or others have a more intuitive approach. I think Cakewalk's legacy is you'd be having all of these inputs going into a mixer and recording to tape. Today of course you want to mix and record digitally. My guess is other DAWs were probably built from that mindset (digital recording first) whereas Cakewalk had to shift over the years and support both. Dunno. 

[Xoo]

19 minutes ago, Randy Wolf said:

Create an Audio track in the project. Set it's input to an external audio interface loopback input. Set audio echo on. Arm and record the synth tracks. Then export the whole project using that audio and any VSTs etc? I like this. 

No.  Add one track per external synth output, set its input correctly and record each external synth in realtime (depending on setup, you may be able to do this in one pass or multiple - depends on synth:audio input mapping).  Mix to taste.

Then use the File->Export Audio to export the project to wav, mp3, whatever.

You can do a realtime export with external synths playing, but I wouldn't.

[Lord Tim]

I mean, if your audio is coming from some external instrument, how do you think it'll get into your DAW? It's got to either be played back live (and you make sure that instrument is connected every time you want to mix down the song), or you arm a track and record the audio from that instrument like any other source.

I can't see how any other DAW would do that any different.

[sjoens]

If your interface only has a stereo pair to record from, you can:

1. Solo the outboard synth's MIDI track and set an audio track's Input to the interface's Main or only output and record the synth real-time to the audio track.
     You can then use Menu > Tracks > Bounce to Track(s) to mix down everything onto another track.
or
2. Record the whole mix the same way with no tracks soloed to a stereo mix audio track.
      There'll be no outboard synth audio track in the project but it's sound will be in the mixdown track.

If you have a multi-channel interface, you can record directly from the outboard synth's mixer channel so nothing else gets recorded to that track while listening to the whole mix.

[Bruno de Souza Lino]

When you add external gear, you have to either do a real-time export or as others pointed out, record the output of the external gear as audio. There's no other way to have the same speed as an offline export with external gear otherwise.

[John Vere]

N/I

 

Edited May 27, 2023 by John Vere

[Will.]

On 5/23/2023 at 4:55 PM, mettelus said:

+1 on recording synths to audio

You can already do this. Just route your synth track to an Audio Track. 

Edited May 27, 2023 by Will.