You can already instruct Cubase to automatically start recording at the left locator and stop recording at the right locator. Apparently it does is whether Punch-In is activated or not. You can even add a count-in with the metronome.
So what is it that the Punch In / Punch Out does, in addition to the above?
It enable recording even if you are in playback mode. Useful for retake of same parts may times. You need to move them away from the locators…
Doesn’t recording with the left-right locators also happen in playback mode?
With punch-in/punch-out, you have it in playback mode, then it automatically changes over to record at punch-in, then back to playback when it reaches punch-out. It’s especially nice if you have this embedded in a larger playback loop. Then you get a new take on each pass thru the loop.
The traditional use is for the tricky bit of a solo. Here you have this great take except for a slight flub at the tricky part. Instead of having to redo the whole take, you just redo the hard part. When doing so, you need to get in the groove and pick up the feel prior to the punch-in point. That’s the value of it being in playback mode, then switching to record at the critical moment without anyone having to hit record. The first attempt at punch-in is usually bad because you aren’t acclimatized to the situation.
Back in the day, there was tape and a footswitch. You listened to playback, then stomped the footswitch to flip the tape head to record on the track of interest. This obliterated whatever was there before, so no turning back. You also had to stomp the footswitch again to stop the obliteration. And with repeated attempts, the tape would stretch and wear thin, especially if you were running the tape at high speed. Then you lose the whole mix. I did that once in the 1980s, using the cheapest Fostex 4-tracker in the world and metal tape. It helped inspire me to do other things for 30 years, waiting for DAWs to be invented. There was a ray of hope in the 90s with the Yamaha CBX-D5, but I didn’t have the money for it. So poor for so long. We are so unbelievably blessed in this century!
Greg has just made a video
“In this video Greg Ondo looks at how to set up punch in and punch out in Cubase and how to use punch points. With punch ins, you can automatically record enable tracks, which is a tried and tested method when it comes to recording practices.”
It’s when we used to record a thing called audio tracks
A result of Punch is for example the very early 80’s, running 2 new 32 track 3M digital machines synced, at over 100k each, it quickly made session and studio musicians extremely lazy. Think of it as sort of the beginning of the end, and life has never been the same since.
Really, Punch in / out points are separate from locator points so that you can use the locators to set up a larger loop and punch in and out for a small section within that loop.
It makes sense now!