Does AT4 Max contain a DAW?

[altadena57]

Hi Everyone; Just jumped Through the Looking Glass into the world of digital guitar gear and recording. I just purchased AT4 Max, and an AXE I/0 is on the way. I decided to go with AT4 Max mainly for the guitar amp/cab/effects emulations, but found out that AT4 Max includes some recording capabilities. My question is; Is the recording section of AT4 Max considered to be an entry level DAW? I want something simple to get started with, and was going to choose either GarageBand (I'm an Apple/Mac fan), or Audacity. How does the recording part of AT4 Max compared to GB or Audacity?

I tried to search this forum for this topic, but didn't come up with anything so far, so I hope this post is not out of line. Thanks

[DarkStar]

Hello altadena57 and welcome to the forum.

Hmm, well, yes, you could consider the 8-track recorder in AT4 a simple audio DAW. But using AT4 as a plug-in within GarageBand will give you a lot more flexibility. GarageBand is free on Macs, isn't it?

As only you really know what you want / need to do, I would suggest that you try out both approaches: (a) AT4 by itself and (b) AT4 as a plug-in within GarageBand. Pick a task and try to do it both ways. You will soon find out which is easier / quicker / more productive for you.

Recording is, I'll guess, pretty similar in all three products. it's what you want to do after the recording that will be the deciding factor, I reckon.

To help out other users with a similar question, it would be good to hear your thoughts, progress and findings.

[altadena57]

Hi DS, Thanks for the info and clarification, and the welcome to the Forum. Great suggestion; I will try that out, and report back as I progress.

[darkogav]

The recorder in AT 4 is more of a sketch pad or practice tool. Something to quickly record a guitar part or record multiple parts. You can also export that wave file and use it in a DAW like GB. It works quite well. Just make sure your recording resoluiton settings are same. e.g. if AT is set to 44100 16 bit, then set your DAW project to same that way it doesn't convert the file when you import it.

Based on the specs of the Axe IO. It looks like it includes Ableton Live Lite with its a 8 track DAW.

https://www.ableton.com/en/products/live-lite/

[DarkStar]

So it does

AXE I/O offers a massive bundle of over $/€1,000 of software and plug-ins, so you have everything you need to track, mix and master your music right out of the box.
-- AmpliTube 4 Deluxe (but you won't need that, as you have AT4 MAX)
-- a selection of 10 of our most popular and best sounding T-RackS 5 processors,
-- Ableton Live 10 Lite, a fresh and easy way to write music, record audio and produce your own songs.

[altadena57]

Thanks everyone; I'm starting to get the concepts

"Recording is, I'll guess, pretty similar in all three products. it's what you want to do after the recording that will be the deciding factor, I reckon." (from above)

DS; I think I understand what you mean. If I'm recording a track, I can put in e.g. Reverb on my guitar. And/or, If I'm working on the track after recording, I can add Reverb to the track. One is "pre something", and the other is "post something". I think that's what people are referring to when they say, "You're listening to the original track, no "post" EQ" Is that the right way to understand it??

[DarkStar]

Yes, you are almost right.

DAWs generally record the "dry" audio from your guitar into the track (as does, AT4, I think). Any effects ("FX") on the track are applied to that dry audio so you would hear the effected audio. But the actual recording is untouched. That way, you can subsequently change the effects or the gear models or settings and get a different sound, all without re-recording.

Some DAWs also allow you to add an FX as an "Input FX". Then the audio is effected before it is recorded to the track. The disadvantage is that that effect is "baked in" to the recording and cannot be removed. Some audio interface hardware also have effects built into them and can be used in the same way.

"Post" and "Pre" are used to refer to those two approaches. Those prefixes are also used in other situations too.

Google "recording with effects" to see some other comments.

After recording, there will be a lot more that you can do with the audio is most DAWs than in AT4. But you may well find that AT4 is more than enough for you at the moment. And, of course, you can always export the recorded audio from AT4 , load it up into your DAW and carry on from there.