Video Tutorials

Short, captioned walkthroughs covering recording, mixing, exporting, and everything in between. Each video includes a written summary that explains the idea in more depth and links to related articles. Pick a topic or search to start.

If you are new, begin with the Quick start overview to see the full workflow, then move on to the tutorial that matches what you are trying to do. Captions and transcripts are available on every video for accessibility. For a deeper dive into concepts such as latency, WAV vs MP3, and mixing with limited tracks, see the Articles section.

Showing 8 of 8 tutorials

NovaStudio tutorial
How to record
Choose a workspace, create a song, pick your input, arm a track, and capture your first take with raw low-latency audio.

How to record

Choose a workspace, create a song, pick your input, arm a track, and capture your first take with raw low-latency audio.

1:00
RecordingGetting started

Chapters

Transcript

All tutorials

How to record

Choose a workspace, create a song, pick your input, arm a track, and capture your first take with raw low-latency audio.

Recording in NovaStudio is deliberately close to the feel of pressing Record on a four-track. The key is to set levels before you commit: a strong, clean input gives you more room to mix later. Watch the meter while you sound-check and aim for peaks around -12 dB to -6 dB. If you are using a laptop, headphones will prevent the click or backing track bleeding into the microphone. Once a track is armed, the R button lights up and the transport is ready. The first take does not need to be perfect; you can overdub or re-record at any time.

RecordingGetting started

How to export

Balance your mix with faders and pan, then render a final stereo WAV or MP3 file.

Exporting is the moment the project becomes a song. Before you press Export mix, do a quick balance pass: bring the most important element up first, then tuck everything else underneath. Panning is the easiest way to create space; avoid stacking every part in the centre. The export dialog lets you name the file and choose WAV or MP3. WAV is best for archives and sending to a mastering engineer. MP3 is smaller and perfect for sharing online or attaching to an email. If you are not sure which to use, the article on WAV vs MP3 covers the trade-offs in detail.

ExportMixing

Workspace & songs

Set up a local or cloud workspace, create songs, and understand how NovaStudio stores your files.

NovaStudio is local-first. In supported browsers you can pick a folder on your device as a workspace, and every song becomes a sub-folder inside it. On Safari and iOS, where file-system access is not available, the app uses IndexedDB storage in the browser. Either way, the project files stay under your control. The Song manager is where you create, open, rename, and delete songs. It is also where you can move between local and optional cloud storage if the app has been built with that feature enabled.

WorkspaceGetting started

Overdubbing & latency

Layer multiple takes, use the click track, and dial in the latency offset so overdubs land in time.

Overdubbing is how a four-track recording becomes a full arrangement. You listen back to what you have already recorded while you play a new part on top. Because every audio system has latency, the new part is captured slightly late relative to the backing tracks. NovaStudio compensates for this automatically using the browser's reported latency, and you can fine-tune it with the Latency slider. If your overdubs still feel late, try smaller buffer sizes, close background apps, or use a dedicated audio interface. The click track helps keep your timing honest, but remember it is not captured in the recording.

OverdubbingLatencyClick track

Mixer controls

Mute, solo, pan, and level each track to build a balanced mix.

The mixer is where you decide what the listener hears. Each track has a fader for level, a pan knob for stereo position, and M, S, and R buttons. Mute removes a track from the mix without deleting it. Solo isolates one track so you can hear it cleanly. Record arms the track for the next take. Panning lets you place sounds in the stereo field; keep the foundation elements near the centre and spread doubled parts or percussion out to the sides. A good mix usually starts with levels, not effects.

MixerMixing

Saving & backups

Save your song, export mixes, and keep backups on your device or in your own cloud folder.

Saving in NovaStudio writes the project state to your workspace or browser storage. Exporting creates a separate stereo WAV or MP3 file that you can keep anywhere. Because browser storage can be cleared by the device, the safest approach is to choose a workspace folder on your own drive and export finished mixes. If you are using IndexedDB fallback storage, make sure you download important songs and mixes. Backing up the exported WAV is usually enough; it is a clean, lossless copy of the final mix.

SavingBackups

Keyboard shortcuts

Speed up your workflow with Space, Shift+Space, number keys, and other shortcuts.

Keyboard shortcuts make the deck feel fast. Space starts and stops playback. Shift+Space arms recording and starts the transport. The number keys 1 to 9 arm the corresponding track. These shortcuts only work when the deck is active and a song is open, so they will not interfere with other parts of the interface. Learning four or five shortcuts removes a lot of pointing and clicking, especially when you are repeating takes.

ShortcutsPower user

Quick start overview

A sixty-second tour of NovaStudio from workspace to finished export.

The quick start video shows the whole lifecycle in one minute: open a workspace, create a song, record a guide, overdub a second part, balance the mix, and export. It is the fastest way to see how the pieces fit together. If you get stuck on a specific step, the longer tutorials cover each topic in more depth, and the written guide explains the concepts behind the controls.

OverviewGetting started