Quick start

This workflow is a good starting point for a multi-mic drum recording in a DAW.

1. Insert PhaseLock on every related track. Put one instance on each kick, snare, tom, overhead, and room track you want PhaseLock to compare.
2. Open any PhaseLock instance. Every connected instance appears in the shared session view.
3. Leave the related tracks in Group 1, or assign a different group if the session contains unrelated microphone setups.
4. Choose the Phase Reference for the group. For drums, start with an overhead or another microphone that represents the kit as a whole. You can change it later and compare.
5. Click ANALYZE, then start playback. You can also click Analyze while playback is already running.
6. Play a representative section — about eight seconds is plenty — and stop when you are satisfied. Choose a section with clear hits and more than one part of the kit playing.
7. Listen with Coherence: On. Phase Coherence is enabled by default; Time Alignment is not.
8. Select individual lanes to inspect their polarity, coherence result, and waveform.
9. If you want to change a track’s arrival time, choose a target under Align To for that lane. Start with the group reference.
10. Compare the result by switching Coherence or Time Align between On and Bypassed. Use the DAW’s plugin bypass when you want to compare the complete plugin result.

Note: Do not assume that every drum microphone should have Time Alignment enabled. The delay between a close mic and a room mic is part of the room sound. Begin with Phase Coherence, then add Time Alignment one track at a time and listen in the full mix.