Merging Technologies

Does anyone else think it would be usefull to be able to record in MP3 format in background recoders?

If a take meets with some kind of disaster, I wouldn't be too happy if the only surviving recording was in mp3 format. Yes, compressed formats can be handy when providing "listening" copies of session material after the session, but I would still want a backup to be in full resolution, multi-track.

Wouldn't recording in a compressed format use up more processing power, or alternatively be slightly less stable running in the background ? Not sure, just curious.

Very likely, with respect to using system resources in a CPU-based DAW...I wouldn't want the system resources used for such a task. Drive space is cheap ;->

AndrewB wrote:Wouldn't recording in a compressed format use up more processing power, or alternatively be slightly less stable running in the background ? Not sure, just curious.

fl wrote:If a take meets with some kind of disaster, I wouldn't be too happy if the only surviving recording was in mp3 format. Yes, compressed formats can be handy when providing "listening" copies of session material after the session, but I would still want a backup to be in full resolution, multi-track.

Just read this. A background recording does not really serve as a backup, does it? The redundancy it creates would only be against hard disk failure of the primary recording hard disk, nothing else. A backup would be on a completely separate system.
Cheers
B*

I would like to see an option to create a true mirror recording: same length, and be able to be dropped into a project (in case the PMF file was corrupted). SADiE had this as an option - and there was no need to create an additional mixer or enable tracks (a mirror copy of the audio was written to another hard drive).

Also, I would like to see an additional option to record another PMF file with the background recorder, not just MTFF/WAV.

Best,
David Bowles

Swineshead wrote:I would like to see an option to create a true mirror recording: same length, and be able to be dropped into a project (in case the PMF file was corrupted). SADiE had this as an option - and there was no need to create an additional mixer or enable tracks (a mirror copy of the audio was written to another hard drive).

+1
...especially if the second file had the same unique identifier in the filename.

While we're on the subject, it would be really nice if the process of making the Backup Recorder's Mixer visible and then configuring it to match the main Project's track line-up, could be streamlined.

Right now, once I've created a new Project for a recording session - either from a Template or from Scratch - I have to go to my Project's Mixer, right-click > Memory > Save to an appropriately named .vs3 file. Then I have to open the Transport Window, where I click on the icon to call the Background Recorder's Mixer (there seems to be no other way to make this visible). Once that's open, I then right-click on it > Memory > Load the previously saved .vs3 settings. This will cause the BU's mixer to be displayed right on top of the main Project Mixer, which can be disorienting for a few seconds. I'll then remove all the plug-ins.

It would be so nice if there could be a simple "Mirror Current Mixer State to (select which) Background Recorder" somewhere - in the Mixer's pop-up, or in the View Menu, or maybe even in the Machines menu...

I get the idea of running a background recorder in mp3 though.
Let's say you're running an 8- or 12- track session at 96k; no plugins. That's a very small processor load for a good modern machine. Running a background recorder or second (internal) machine as stereo mp3 should be more than possible in computing terms with no ill-effects - and could immediately give you a set of 'reference' (to a particular value of 'reference'...) takes for the typical client in the format they want them in, which is almost never going to be PMF. Not hugely useful in my usual workflow, but I can certainly see the use.