You can record audio from a microphone or instrument, or record MIDI from a controller or your computer keyboard, directly into Create. This article covers setting up your input, arming tracks, recording, and working with multiple takes.
Before you start: choose your input device
Open Settings with the gear icon in the header, or press
Cmd+,.Go to the Audio page and choose your Input device.
Note: If Input device is set to None, Create can't arm audio tracks. On macOS, Create may ask for permission to use your microphone the first time you record. If you've denied access, turn on microphone access in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone.
To record MIDI from a controller, connect the controller and enable the controller on the MIDI page in Settings.
Record into a specific range of bars
The quickest way to record over a chosen section is from the timeline:
Drag across the lane where you want to record to select the range of bars.
In the card that appears, switch the mode to Record. The track arms automatically.
Set up your recording on the card. On an audio track, choose your microphone and input channel. On an instrument or Drum Rack track, play your controller, or turn on the Musical Typing switch (marked with a keyboard icon) to play with your computer keyboard.
Turn on Count-in if you'd like a bar of click before recording starts, or Loop to record several passes into a take folder.
Record with the transport
Click the R button in the track header to arm the track. On an audio track, choose an input if prompted; choosing an input arms the track.
Click the Record button in the transport, or press
R.Play or sing your part.
Press
Spaceor click Stop to stop recording and playback.
Tip: If no track is armed, pressing R arms your selected tracks first. Press R again to start recording.
You can also click Record or press R while the song is playing to start recording at the playhead. Pressing R again during a take ends the take and keeps playback going.
Note: Recording on a Drum Rack creates a quantized step-sequencer clip. Recording on other instrument tracks keeps the timing you played.
Hear your input while recording
Click the I button in the track header to turn on Input Monitor and hear your audio input through Create. Input Monitor is separate from record arm, so you can monitor without recording.
To choose which input an audio track records from, select the track and set Audio input in the track's devices.
Add a count-in
Arm a track.
Hover over the Record button in the transport.
Turn on the Count-in switch.
Create plays one bar of click before recording starts. The Count-in switch only appears while a track is armed. To use a two-bar count-in, ask Rheo to set it.
Record multiple takes
To record several takes of the same part, turn on looping in the transport and record over the loop. Every pass you record is saved as a separate take inside a take folder.
To listen to and choose takes:
After you stop recording, click the chevron at the left of the take folder's header to expand the folder.
Click a take's name to hear that take.
Right-click a take and choose Use Take N to make that take active, or Delete Take N to remove the take.
Combine the best parts of several takes
You can build one performance from several takes, called comping:
Drag across the body of a take lane to use that take for the range you dragged over.
Click a take lane to use that take between the nearest comp boundaries.
Click a take lane's name to discard your comp and use the full take.
Create adds crossfades at each boundary automatically.
Record with Rheo
You can ask Rheo to set up and run a recording, for example "record the vocal from bar 9 to 16", "punch in on the chorus on the guitar track", or "arm the vocals". Rheo counts you in, records the bars you asked for, and stops automatically. Press Cmd+Z once to undo the take. Say "stop recording" to end early and keep what you played.
Next, learn how to tidy up what you recorded in How do I edit and arrange my music in Create?