Music Technology Lab
"I love the MuseLab" -Euterpe, muse of music

Tutorial VI: Station 8 Specialties

This tutorial will help you record from other media such as a MiniDisc onto your computer so that you can use it in a sequencing or audio processing program. To do this, you must use Station 8.

Sending the Signal
1. From MiniDisc
  1. Turn rack on
  2. Patch from "MD out" to Station 8 ("CPU 8" - top right side of patchbay).
  3. On Stations 8's mixer, turn up ch 11 & 12 (From Main Rack) and you should be able to hear what you are playing, through your headphones.
2. From DAT, CD or Cassette
  1. Turn rack on
  2. Patch from the device you are recording from to "MD in"
  3. Patch from "MD out" to Station 8.
  4. Put MD player in Record Mode: press the record button (button with red circle) on the mini disc player. It should read "AD - DA" (The audio chain is designed like this because the MD player is digitally connected to Station 8. This process allows for the best possible quality recording)
3. From another Station
  1. Same as "b", except you patch from the station output to the MD input.
  2. Below is a Diagram of Audio Signal Chain
4. Receiving the Signal into Pro Tools
  1. Select Pro Tools in the audio folder of the apple pull down menu.
  2. Select File / New Session
  3. Name the session and save it in your users folder.
  4. Select File / New Track
  5. Create 2 new Audio Tracks
  6. Put in Record Mode
    1. Click on the "rec" button in each of the new audio tracks
    2. Play your audio. If your level meter is active, then your chain is complete and you are receiving audio into Protools. Good Job!
    3. If you're not getting audio into Protools, check your audio chain to make sure it's correct. Read the Protools tutorial to see if that helps. If that doesn't work, ask a lab assistant to help you.
  7. Select "Show Mix Window" from the "Display" menu.
  8. Pan the channels
    1. Beneath the solo and mute buttons, you see a bar in the center of the line.
    2. On the first track, drag the bar all the way to the left side. On the second track, drag it all the way to the right.
  9. Select "Show Transport Window" from the "Display" menu.
  10. You are now ready to record.
  11. Make sure you have set the levels correctly.
  12. Click the record button, then the click play and ProTools will begin recording.
    1. Play the selection you wish to record in its entirety.
  13. The audio will appear as waveforms on your screen.
  Now what? Go to the Protools tutorial.