Zoom H4 Question

[Fiset]

Noob recording question to follow:

So I'm realitively new to digital recording and have had my Zoom H4 for only a short while. I'm having no problem recording band rehearsals or recording bass lines by direct input. My question has to do with how to record a bass track on top of a guitar track that is emailed to me. My guitar player likes to send me MP3's of song ideas and previously I would listen to them, come up with bass ideas and then just present my ideas at our next rehearsal. What I'd like to do is record my bass line over his guitar part and then email it back to him. I'm not sure the best way to accomplish this.

I need to hear his guitar part as I record the bass line so I guess I could just play his MP3 through my stereo while playing and recording my bass part and then use the cubase software to mix the two. Is that the most efficient way to do it or is there a better way?

Thanks for any input

 

[Infernal Affair]

Can't you just play it in Cubase as a monitor while you record directly onto your computer? Sounds like you don't even need the H4 unless you're using it as an audio interface.

 

[Fiset]

I'm not sure I can record directly into my PC. The Cubase software came with the H4 so I'm still pretty green at using it. As it is, I don't have any way (that I know of) to input my bass directly into my PC.

 

[Sheldon681]

This is almost certainly not the best way to do it, but it works, especially if you're looking to avoid using Cubase. I typically convert the MP3 file into a WAV file for any song I want to jam with, and copy it to the "stereo" or one of the "project" folders on the SD card that I'll use in the H4.

Once the SD card is back in the H4, put the H4 in 4-track mode, start a new project and then use the "import" feature to copy the guitar WAV file into your current project. Then select, say "Track 1" and toggle the name of the file until it matches your buddy's guitar file. So this is the track you'll set for playback (make sure the track 1 light is green) while you record.

Press the buttons on the face of the machine to select "track 2" and make sure you set it up for your input/effects/monitor on/etc. Then you simply start recording. Track one should be in playback mode (green light) and track 2 in record mode (red light). I use headphones when I record so I'll hear the track one playing while I add my bass track to it.

Once you're all done, you've got 2 options: a) Upload both tracks to Cubase and mix them there or b) use the "bounce" feature of the H4 to output a single WAV file that has both tracks mixed together.

 

[Fiset]

Outstanding Sheldon, thanks, thats exactly the kind of thing I was hoping to be able to do. I guess I could have asked the question a little easier if I would have just asked, "how can I get my guitar player's MP3 into my H4?"

One follow up question (if you happen to come back to this thread) - I'll have no problem converting the guitar file from MP3 to WAV but I'm not certain how to get that WAV file from my PC onto my SD card. I'm sure this must be a piece of cake but I've only ever done it the other way (transferring from SD card to PC - not the other way around).

 

[Sheldon681]

I get the files onto the SD card the same way I get them off of it. I take the card out of the H4 and put it into any SD card reader (my printer has one built in, as does my laptop) and when it shows up as drive in Windows, you can copy and paste files to and from it as if it were a just another drive.

Yup, it's definitely a piece of cake!

 

[Fiset]

Last question - in order to copy a file and use it as a source file on the H4, does the file have to be a WAV file or can I use an MP3? I know Sheldon said he converts the file from MP3 to WAV but I'm wondering if I have to do that or if its possible to use the file as an MP3.