Recording with Effects: Logic and Cubase Setups

Record the Effects into the Waveform

Recording with effects means
capturing the applied processing directly in the recorded waveform.

The benefits include:

• Saving CPU resources
• Helping prevent clipping with a limiter or compressor
• Making the subsequent mix easier

These are some of the advantages.

However, once the processed sound is recorded,
you cannot turn the effect on or off afterward.

You therefore need a clear idea of the sound you want
at the recording stage.

You can record vocals through a compressor,
but a gentle setting is often used simply to smooth the performance.

Setting Up Recording with Effects

Here we will look at recording with effects in Logic and Cubase.

Logic

In the Mixer window,
choose Options → Create New Auxiliary Channel Strip.

• 1. Set the new auxiliary channel's input
  to the interface input used for your guitar, microphone, or other source.
  Apply your effects there as well.
• 2. Assign the auxiliary channel's output to an appropriate bus.
  Set the audio track input to the same bus.

The effects will now be captured in the recorded waveform.

Cubase

The setup is very simple.

Open Devices → MixConsole.

The input section is on the left.
Insert effects there to record their output into the waveform.

Benefits of Recording Through a Hardware Compressor

Recommended Audio Interfaces: The UR Series

These popular DSP-equipped interfaces let you record with effects while monitoring without noticeable latency.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How does recording with effects differ from a normal recording?

A typical dry recording is processed afterward, while recording with effects captures the processed sound in the waveform. This can save CPU and commit a sound, but the recorded effect cannot be adjusted afterward.

Q2. What does the auxiliary channel do in the Logic setup?

It serves as an intermediary for the effects: the interface input feeds the auxiliary channel, which applies the effects and sends the signal through a bus to the audio track for recording.

Q3. Where do I insert effects when recording with effects in Cubase?

Insert them in the input section on the left of the MixConsole. The processed signal will then be captured in the recording.

Q4. What should I keep in mind when recording vocals through a compressor?

Because the processing cannot be changed afterward, use a restrained setting: apply light compression to smooth the sound rather than overprocessing it.

Q5. How can I avoid latency when recording with effects?

A DSP-equipped audio interface such as one in the UR series can process effects on the interface and provide low-latency monitoring without routing the signal through the DAW.