Say I’m recording three simultaneous audio tracks - e.g., direct bass, distorted bass, and mic’d bass. What’s the best way to perform the exact same edits on all three, like some timing adjustments using Warp markers?
I’m aware of the Group Editing capability using folder tracks. My adversity toward this method is I already use folder tracks for organizational purposes in the Project window. If I also used them to group individual tracks, e.g., if I kept recorded tracks simultaneously with FX and without (like for reamping), this would quickly make a mess of my track list/event display area – folders within folders.
When I’m recording multiple mics + DI of the same instrument then I record into a multi-channel track. E.g. stereo, 4 channel, etc. Then they all appear in one single file, a single track, and they can be warp-edited together. I use a plugin to switch between or isolate the individual channels, maybe sending the whole channel to a number of groups which each isolate a channel for different processing. I find this multi-channel method the best way.
If you’ve already recorded them to separate tracks then to combine them you could record them into a new multi-channel track by routing through a group or dummy outputs, in the usual way. Or perhaps you could use Wavelab/Audacity/Waveosaurus to combine the audio files quicker…
Hmm, to split out into separate tracks using Cb, the best way I’ve found is to re-import the same files and check the ‘split to separate channels’ box on importing. This will create multiple mono audio files. Again, you could probably use an external editor too but you’d be into manual cutting and pasting I reckon.
But, finally, as some general advice to anyone who might be reading, I’ve always found that odd burblings occur when using time-warp on bass (and acoustic guitars, piano, many other things!), so I almost always stick with chop and slide using auto-crossfades. Longer crossfades if necessary, watching out for phase issues during the crossfade, and very finally, if absolutely all else fails, time-warping as a last resort. Also, I like to make the musician play a ‘long note’ take which has fewer notes which are longer, this can then be used as a safety track for comping. Or some specific long notes when we might make an arrangement change later. The theory behind this is that it’s easier to shorten notes by fading than lengthen them.