Consistency, organization and sonic integrity are important when recording into a DAW. If you are a musician starting a record and you are recording it yourself, here are some things to keep in mind that will keep your computer sessions organized and make it easier to mix your recordings into a great listening experience later on.
1. Some suggestions for the recorder/DAW setup: Record at full 24 bits if possible and don't use compression algorithms (such as those in the Roland VS-2480). Drives are cheap, and you'll never get those bits back. Set it to at least 44.1 kHz as well, higher if your computer's CPU can handle it. 96 kHz is probably good enough these days, in my opinion. 48 kHz is slightly better than 44.1, but you have to convert mixes to make reference CDs if staying in the digital realm. Keep the sample rate the same for the whole project.
2. Always label audio tracks before recording. This way all the files you create will have that track name as well. Rename all earlier audio files to match the track label. A lot of tracks named just "audio 1" and "audio 2" will be confusing further down the line. Set your computer's Date & Time correctly to ensure correct time stamping on all files.
3. If you hear erratic clicks over the monitors, like a pensive monkey at a typewriter, a digital clock is probably set wrong somewhere. Yes, these clicks are being recorded, and the sound you record will be degraded! Check that all converters are following the same clock.
4. If you do any destructive processing of sounds, such as pitch correction of tracks, always print tuned tracks to another track when you are done, so there will be both a processed and an unprocessed version of the track. Keep them side-by-side, with the one you don't want muted or made inactive. Your mix engineer might be able to do the same thing in a better way, later. Don't get rid of the original, unaltered audio file.
5. Don't bounce the lead vocal with reverb to a new track and then delete the dry one! Generally speaking, don't record plug-in reverbs onto the same track along with the instruments without thinking about what might happen to the sound down the line. Reverb tails can make editing difficult.
