Is it possible to Mute a microphone (or other input) while recording?

Good day,

 

I am using Catalina with Logic Pro X and wondering if it is possible to mute a channel so that the specific channel does not record to the track while at the same time logic continues to record other tracks. Then, at a later time, resume recording of the muted channel so that it records to the track again -- and to be clear the channel picks up recording at the current time signature NOT from where it was originally muted.

 

As an example let "S" be a signal recorded and "-" be a muted channel where Logic does not record the input's signal. Here are two channels (1) and (2) where channel (2) is partially muted during recording and then resumed later:

 

1: SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

2: SSSSSSSS-----------SSSSS------SSSSS

 

I hope this is clear. Thank you for any help you can provide. I'm new to digital recording and am hoping logic can do this for me.

 

Any suggestions are useful but if at all possible I do wish to be able to do this in Logic and not have to mute from my audio interface or turn down the volume on an analogue mixer: i.e. I wish to be able to control the recording of a channel via Logic and not through an external program or piece of hardware.

 

I know I can "mute" the channel from playback by pushing the mute button but I am wanting to prevent the input signal from being recorded in the first place to the track.

 

Case Use: recording a podcast and a phone guest goes into a coughing fit. I could list off a whole host of other uses I'm considering but ultimately the idea is the same: be able to continuously record but mute the recording of channels on the fly.

 

Thank you for the help!

I know I can "mute" the channel from playback by pushing the mute button but I am wanting to prevent the input signal from being recorded in the first place to the track.

While David outlined how what you asked for can be done, I'd strongly advise against it, for one specific reason: You are risking to ruin the take (be that a podcast, a guitar track or Michael Jacksons very last vocal recording ever) by muting the input to the recording track. You did not record what you muted and how would you know if there's an important and valuable bit coming up unless you hear it, by which it's too late already.

Absolutely nothing audibly changes if you mute the output of the recording track (ie the recording track's mute button) instead, except you can later revise that action, because you actually did record what you chose to sloppily mute in a hurry.

 

Since you're new to recording, let me recap what was one of the biggest problems in the old days of tape recorders and one of the biggest improvements of recording to disk:

 

Back then, you were constantly running the risk of dropping in or out too early, too late, not at all "Is this the right spot at all ? I'm not sure anymore, after 15 hours in the studio and 377 nested drop ins. What if I drop in now and the pianist is still filing her nails ? I'll ruin the perfectly good take from an hour ago! What do I...oh. It actually was the right spot. Sorry, my fault. Once more, please", or at all "Whoah. Why did you erase into that part now ? We wanted to hear the last take, not erase it, you moron! Now we'll have to redo that perfect take, thanks to our ever-attentive recording guy. Sheesh."

 

Now you can afford to be in record all the time, because if the previous take was indeed better, hey presto, there it is.

 

You should take advantage of that luxury.

 

If you still want to "edit" while recording, check out automation for mutes.

All very good points by Fuzzfilth, thanks for bringing that up.

You can get a microphone attachment that allows muting from the mic too. Good option if you’re the only one in the studio and need to do it on the fly while singing. Won’t be digital silence but a little bit of editing later will fix that. something like Cut or remove silence command or something like that.

Another option that could make this process easy is automating the free Mutomatic plug-in from Sound Radix: https://www.soundradix.com/products/muteomatic/

 

But I agree with Fuzz's philosophy. You're going to create a file whether you record silence or signal, but It's easy to trim a region or file after recording in Logic. Unless you're doing something that MUST be done in realtime, I would record everything and trim afterwards.

Thank you! I’ll have a hack at this tonight and if it works as expected it’ll handle my needs greatly!

 

I do appreciate and understand the motivation for the not doing this so thank you for your input. The use case of interest however will not run the risks of having missed a valuable recording opportunity.

 

Thanks again!!!! Most helpful.