4 Channels at same time

JoaoBC wrote on 3/12/2021, 8:57 PM

Hi guys, all the best for you. I live in Brazil, we do not have product promotion as it should be. I'm a hobbyist, not a professional. I need a technical help. The sound forge 12, 13, 14, 15, allows multi-track manipulation. But all the sound cards I know, have only 2 input tracks (stereo - left and right channels) and sometimes, 7 output channels. If someone wants to record a band, a musical ensemble, with 4 microphones (for example), they need to use a mixer that takes the sound and divides it between two channels. Do you know any board or device that makes the sound forge capture these 4 channels (tracks) separately? without turning into 2 (left + right)? Thus, you could apply the effect (echo, de-hiss) to each microphone separately, but have the 4 synchronized. If so, can you please say name (brand) and model? And, if possible, device / card link? Thank you very much.

Comments

SP. wrote on 3/13/2021, 4:09 AM

@JoaoBC I don't know what is available in Brazil but if you search for "audio interface with 4 inputs" on Google you should get dozens of devices by all different kinds of manufactures.

You could also search the website thomann.de for interfaces. They are the biggest music and audio equipment seller in Europe and you can find nearly everything music related there. After that you would need to check if some local seller in your country has the items you are interested in if you don't want/ cannot import.

emmrecs wrote on 3/13/2021, 4:47 AM

@JoaoBC

Sound Forge is a multi-channel software but is not multitrack software!

To be able to record four inputs to four separate tracks you need multitrack software, sorry. Even if you buy an audio interface which can output four individual tracks, SF will not be able to record them as four individual tracks.

Jeff
Forum Moderator

condex wrote on 3/13/2021, 5:10 AM

Perhaps MAGIX Samplitude might be a better choice for the OP as it's product page says it does multi-track recording - https://www.magix.com/us/music/samplitude/samplitude-music-studio/#c1263875 . Of course, a multi-track interface will also be needed.

rraud wrote on 3/13/2021, 9:05 AM

Vegas has an integrated multi-track DAW. Audacity is a popular free DAW, Many folks like Reaper, which is relatively low cost and was inspired by the original audio only Vegas, As was stated, a suitable interface is needed

JoaoBC wrote on 3/14/2021, 11:59 PM

@JoaoBC I don't know what is available in Brazil but if you search for "audio interface with 4 inputs" on Google you should get dozens of devices by all different kinds of manufactures.

You could also search the website thomann.de for interfaces. They are the biggest music and audio equipment seller in Europe and you can find nearly everything music related there. After that you would need to check if some local seller in your country has the items you are interested in if you don't want/ cannot import.

The results on Google not show if digitalize 4 channels or if mix to two channels.

JoaoBC wrote on 3/15/2021, 12:01 AM

@JoaoBC

Sound Forge is a multi-channel software but is not multitrack software!

To be able to record four inputs to four separate tracks you need multitrack software, sorry. Even if you buy an audio interface which can output four individual tracks, SF will not be able to record them as four individual tracks.

Jeff
Forum Moderator

I can use 4 mic Was 4 channel ?

Or only 4 tracks ?

I don't know what is a difference.

Please, help me.

condex wrote on 3/15/2021, 2:00 AM

@JoaoBC ... An individual audio track can commonly be single channel (mono), 2 channel (stereo), 6 channel (5.1 surround sound) or 8 channel (7.1 surround sound). An example of a 5.1 channel layout in Sound Forge Pro 18 is (original recording is stereo):

This is one track only but that track has 6 channels (Front Left, Front Right, Rear Left, Rear Right, Centre and LFE for the sub-woofer). The assignment for the channels can be changed in Options/Preferences/Audio (tab) via the Direct Surround Sound Mapper when it is selected as the Audio Device Type. If you have a 3rd party audio device, that device should appear as an audio device option.

When you said in your original post:

The sound forge 12, 13, 14, 15, allows multi-track manipulation

... this not the case - Sound Forge Pro allows for multi-channels but within a single track only.

Also, using 4 microphones via an audio interface would give you 4 tracks of mono (i.e. 4 channels) unless you intend using stereo microphones which would then give you 4 tracks of stereo (i.e. 8 channels). In a multi-track DAW, you would then have 4 tracks and each of those tracks would either be mono or stereo. Each track would contain the audio for each instrument if that is the way you are planning the microphone placements. The following image is from a demonstration example in Samplitude:

This shows 19 tracks, each track being for a different instrument or Revolta FX. Ignoring the Revolta FX tracks, you can see that each instrument and vocals track is stereo. Each track can be edited independently of the other tracks, FX added, EQing done and so on. When the audio mixer/producer is happy with the mix, the mix would then be exported/rendered to a final single-channeled (mono) or multi-channeled (e.g stereo) track.

For further suggestions, have a look at Reaper's webpage and its videos which include a lot of information about recording a band: https://www.reaper.fm/videos.php

Also, https://www.thepodcasthost.com/recording-skills/recording-on-separate-channels/ might be of some help.

Walter.I wrote on 3/15/2021, 4:57 AM

@condex
Thank you, for this very good contribution - very understandably explained!

@rraud
I would suggest pinning this very good post under Tutorials.
https://www.magix.info/us/audio-tutorials/general+sound-forge/

rraud wrote on 3/15/2021, 10:30 AM

I would suggest pinning this very good post under Tutorials.

Forum moderators do not have access to edit that part of the Magix website.

Walter.I wrote on 3/18/2021, 3:37 AM

@rraud
As I see it, any user can actually do that - but I could be wrong - the function would be there anyway.

@condex Could you do that, please? - You are the author.

condex wrote on 3/18/2021, 7:22 AM

@Walter.I ... Thanks for showing the tutorial path to do this. I'll have to rewrite it to make it more generic rather than a specific reply to a forum member - I'll do this in this next few days. And thank you very much for your kind comments about what I commented - it is much appreciated.

Walter.I wrote on 3/18/2021, 10:38 AM

👍👌

rraud wrote on 3/18/2021, 10:42 AM

As I see it, any user can actually do that - but I could be wrong - the function would be there anyway.

I am not familiar with the tutorials section, so I guess anyone can post.