Tracks recorded on different devices not the same length

[linear]

Recently I've been recording our practices with a cobbled together multi-track setup: drums with a Zoom H2N; guitar, bass and vocals through a recording interface connected to my laptop and recorded in Ableton.

A problem I've been having is that the tracks from the H2N are not in sync with those recorded on the laptop. If I sync them up at the start, they very slowly drift out of sync. It's maybe half a second of drift after an hour of recording.

The sample rates are the same on both, so I'm wondering if the issue down to a difference in speed between the clocks on the two devices. Is that something that happens? Or is it something that Ableton is doing perhaps?

[flyfisher]

Yep, slightly different clock speeds (and drift) would be my guess.

A multi-channel input device for the laptop would be one answer. Perhaps the only one, unless there is some way to sync the two devices, which I doubt.

[Dad3353]

Can the drum track not be 'stretched' so that its total length is exactly that of the other tracks..? I don't know how accurate that might be, but I've done similar (for different reasons...) in Reaper, with success...

[ironside1966]

Is one device set to record at 48 kHz and the other 44.1 kHz? if so you will have to use dither to get them both to 44.1 kHz.

Edited August 18, 2014 by ironside1966

[51m0n]

Known issue with the Zoom devices (H1 H2 H4 H4n etc) they have a pretty sh*t clock.

Its fine on its own, you'd never notice, but it definitely is not as accurate as a pro level device (and pro level devices you would always sync the clocks on anyway).

There is no way of syncing any of the Zoom devices to a decent external clock. All you can do is squeeze or stretch the Zoom track to match the other device I'm afraid.

[Leonard Smalls]

Does the Zoom have a digital out?
If it has you can input that into Ableton and use that as a master clock.

[linear]

[quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1408374784' post='2529565']
Known issue with the Zoom devices (H1 H2 H4 H4n etc) they have a pretty sh*t clock.
[/quote]

That sounds like it must be it then. I'm definitely recording at 44.1 on both. No click track - God, if only No digital out on the H2N, just the headphone/line out. I wouldn't have anywhere to plug the digital out into anyway, as I'm just using a basic Focusrite interface. This wasn't a pre-planned setup - I just realised that if I used all the little bits I had already bought for recording stuff at home I could get a better result than just sticking the H2N in the corner. It does work - band members were relatively impressed with the results - but I'm not going to be putting the local studios out of business just yet

I've been using Audacity to get a clear look at the waveforms, syncing the beginning of the tracks, and then stretching the ones from Ableton until they sync at the end - it's a trial and error process though: "0.002%, nope not enough, 0.008% too much ..." and so on. You would think that once I'd figured out the exact percentage to use I could just do that for each session, but no, it doesn't seem to work that way. It's a pain.

I guess the next step is to upgrade the recording interface, but I'd also want to buy mics for the snare and kick, stands, might end up needing a little outboard preamp if there aren't enough on the interface - it all adds up. Maybe one day.

Thanks guys. This forum is so helpful

[Chrismanbass]

something like this would fit perfectly plugs straight into your laptop via usb and works as a little recording interface could also be used as a spare mixing desk incasese of emergency

[url="http://www.gear4music.com/PA-DJ-and-Lighting/Mackie-ProFX12-Channel-Mixer-with-FX/DCI?origin=product-ads&gclid=CMDCotqHn8ACFbPJtAodsEoABA"]http://www.gear4musi...CFbPJtAodsEoABA[/url]

Edited August 19, 2014 by Chrismanbass

[51m0n]

Try Reaper rather than Audacity

It's far far bettet at time stretching!