Start a new project. Click “File” and select “New Project.” The template window will open. Hit “OK” to record on a blank template. Type in a title for your project and choose or create a new folder where you can save your project. To keep a project organized, I find it essential to create a folder with the artist’s name or album title, and within that folder create folders for each individual song. After you have done all of this, the project window will open.
Set up your buses. Click the “Devices” tab and choose “VST Connections," or simply hit F4. By default, stereo inputs and outputs will have already been created. To add more, click either the “Input” or “Output” tab and then “Add Bus.” Elect to create a mono or stereo bus. Adding mono inputs will give you control over each input’s gain. If you are going to record multiple stereo tracks simultaneously, you will need to add more stereo buses.
Add tracks and activate them to record. Click on “Project” and select “Add Track.” Add a mono, stereo or midi track. A track window will open for each track on the left side of the project window. Next, from the “Devices” tab, hit mixer or press F3. The mixer will appear. At the top of each channel above the fader, select the corresponding input to use for each particular channel. Then, click on the large red record button for each channel either on the mixer or inside the track window. It is important that you label your tracks by typing their name inside the track window before you record. This will save you bunches of trouble if there ever is a hard drive failure or if the music is mixed on another system.
Set your levels. The input channels are located on the left hand side of the mixer. Adjust the input levels by clicking on the faders and moving them. Modify the trim volume by typing in a value to the left of the knob. If you need to change the volume of a channel in your headphones, click the monitor button directly above the record button. Now change the channel’s gain controls without affecting the input level.
Record your masterpiece. Make sure that the correct input buses are selected and the red button is lit for each channel you wish to record. Press the asterisk button and record your take. In the project window, you will see bars being created, called audio events or regions. When you are finished playing, hit the space bar to stop. Open the “File” tab and select “Save.” Get in the habit of saving your work after every take, and do it often while you are mixing.
Edit your tracks. To comp multiple takes into one track, add a new track. Click on the audio event you wish to splice and press “3” on your keyboard, not your keypad. Take the scissors tool and click on the exact spot of the take you want to cut. When you are finished cutting, press “1” on your keyboard, and the cursor tool will reappear. Click on the edit you want to transfer to the new track. After it is highlighted, press “Ctl + C” to copy it. Next, highlight the new track by clicking on it in the project window and press “Alt + V” to place it in the exact same spot the edit appears on the actual take. You can also place it at the line cursor by pressing “Ctl + V.”
Mix. To pan your tracks, grab the thin white line just below the input and output bus selections and pan to the right or left using your mouse. Add effects to individual channels by clicking the lower case “e” on the desired channel on the mixer. A window will show giving you access to four bands of eq, eight channel inserts to their left, and eight effect busses on their right. Clicking on the blank inserts will produce a drop-down menu of available plug-ins. You can add an effects bus for things such as reverb and delay by selecting “FX Channel” from the “Add Track” menu. To duplicate a track, right click on the particular track window and select “duplicate track” from the options. Automating a mix is accomplished by pressing the “W” on the desired channel. While the song plays, all fader moves will be recorded. When finished, deactivate the “W” button and press the “R” button so the fader moves will be read.
Set your parameters. Press "Ctl + Home" to mark the beginning of your song and "Ctl + End" to mark the ending. A blue background will appear in between. The audio within that background will be mixed down.
Mix down. Open the “File” tab, choose “Export” and lastly select “Audio Mixdown.” Choose what format you would like your mix to be saved as from the “Files of Type” section. You will most likely pick “wav”, “MPEG Layer 3” (MP3) or “Windows Media File.” It is important that you select “Stereo Interleaved” from the “Channels” section and “Stereo Out (Stereo)” from the “Output” menu. You will also want to choose “16 Bit” from the “Resolution” category, and “44.100 kHz” in the “Sample Rate” box. Hit “Save” and you will now be able to make a CD with your newest hit on it!
Record more hits. As you become familiar with the program, it will simplify the recording process for you. Remember that the Beatles had to spend days doing edits that you can do in a matter of minutes, but it takes practice getting there.