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Music vocabulary · Recording and Production

Punch in

Meaning in music, with examples

phrasal verbCommon term

In music, punch in means: To begin recording over a selected part of an existing take during playback, replacing that passage while keeping the surrounding performance.

In Turkish: kaydın belirli bölümüne girerek yenilemek

How it is used

Used in studio instructions, often with punch out for the end of replacement. Set the entry point so the performer can hear enough lead-in to join naturally.

Example sentences

  1. Can you punch in just before the last line so I can correct that word?

    The singer wants to replace one local passage rather than repeat the entire take.

  2. We will punch in at bar sixteen after the guitarist hears four bars of playback.

    The lead-in helps the player match the timing and feel of the existing performance.

Common collocations

  • punch in a vocal
  • punch in at a bar
  • punch in and out
  • takeOne attempt at recording a part or a whole song. Engineers usually record several takes and choose or combine the best ones.
  • recordTo capture sound, such as a voice or an instrument, so that it can be played back, edited and released later.
  • overdubTo record a new part on top of tracks that are already recorded, for example adding a guitar solo or backing vocals after the basic tracks are finished.

More terms: Recording and Production

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