Soundtrap multitrack recording

The short answer

Soundtrap is an online music studio that runs in a web browser. Its projects are organised into separate tracks, so you can build a multitrack recording by recording one part, then recording the next part on another track while listening back to the first. This layering is called overdubbing.

"Multitrack recording" can also mean capturing several microphones or instruments at the same moment, with each going to its own track. That is a different requirement. The material available for this guide does not confirm whether Soundtrap supports simultaneous multi-input recording, or how it does so. If your session depends on it, check Soundtrap's current help documentation or the track input settings before you start.

Which kind of multitrack recording do you need?

• Layered (sequential) recording: one person, or one source at a time, records part after part onto separate tracks. Examples are a singer adding harmonies, or a podcaster recording an intro and then the main segment. This works with a single microphone.
• Simultaneous recording: several sources are captured at once, each kept separate so it can be edited and mixed on its own. Examples are a band playing live, or two podcast hosts on two microphones. This usually needs an audio interface with multiple inputs, and the software must let you route each input to its own track. An audio interface is an external box that connects microphones or instruments to your computer.

Get the microphone working in the browser first

Because Soundtrap runs in a browser, the browser has to be allowed to use your microphone. On many systems the operating system's privacy settings also have to allow it. These are three separate stages, and it helps to check them in order:

• Detection: the browser and operating system can see the microphone or interface, and it appears in the list of input devices.
• Input activity: the level meter moves when you speak or play. This shows that signal is arriving, but it says nothing about how good the signal is.
• Intelligible sound: a short test recording played back on headphones sounds clear. It is not distorted, too quiet, or full of echo or background noise.

If the browser asked for microphone permission and you declined, you will usually need to change that in the browser's site settings and then reload the page. If several input devices are connected, make sure the one you intend to use is selected. A built-in laptop microphone is often chosen by default.

Recording layered tracks: a general workflow

Button names and menu positions change between versions, so treat these as the general order of steps rather than exact instructions.

• Wear headphones so the playback of earlier tracks doesn't leak into the microphone.
• Add or select an audio track for your first part, then confirm that the correct input is chosen.
• Speak or play at performance volume and adjust input gain until the meter is active but not hitting its maximum.
• Record the first part and listen back before moving on.
• Add a new track for the next part and record it while the earlier tracks play in your headphones.
• Repeat for each part, then balance the tracks' volumes when mixing.

If you need several inputs at the same time

Recording several sources at once in any browser-based tool depends on three things: your interface, how the operating system and browser present its inputs, and whether the application lets you assign individual input channels to individual tracks. This guide cannot confirm the last point for Soundtrap. If you can't find a way to route separate inputs to separate tracks, there are two common fallbacks. You can record all sources together onto one track and accept that they can't be mixed separately. Or you can capture the session in a desktop recording program and bring the files into Soundtrap afterwards, provided your account allows importing audio.

Common problems and what they usually mean

• No input device listed: the browser or operating system has not been granted microphone access, or the device is not connected or recognised.
• Device listed but the meter doesn't move: the wrong input is selected, the gain is turned down, a hardware mute is on, or another application is holding the microphone.
• Meter moves but the recording is distorted: input gain is too high. Lower it at the interface or microphone.
• Earlier tracks are audible in new recordings, or there is echo: playback is coming through speakers. Switch to headphones.
• New parts sound slightly late against earlier tracks: this is likely latency, the delay between the sound happening and the computer processing it. Look for a latency or timing adjustment in the settings, and close other audio-heavy browser tabs.

What this guide could not confirm

• Whether Soundtrap currently supports recording several inputs at once onto separate tracks.
• Any limits on the number of tracks, or features that differ between free and paid plans.
• Which browsers and audio interfaces are officially supported.
• Current button names and menu locations.

Check these points against Soundtrap's own up-to-date documentation before relying on them for an important session.