Jim Roseberry

I've got the Montage version of SampleRobot. Haven't had the time to use it.

Yeah, I'm sure you *can* do it... but it will be an elaborate process to get all articulations captured/programmed... with custom script/s controlling the switching. That makes my tendons hurt just thinking about it. 😁 LOL

IIRC, Waves Central doesn't ping the Registry for your preferred/default VST Plugins folder location. Every time I reinstall my Waves plugins, I have to manually move the WaveShell dlls. That said, I wouldn't want to be without their SSL Bundle, H EQ, or Scheps Omni Channel. If you ever need a de-esser to solve problems (string squeaks, sibilance, excessive cymbals), the pair in Scheps Omni Channel are amazing.

Hey Max, Isn't the vl70m a physical-modeling synth? If so, it's going to be really hard to sample that... so it accurately reproduces all nuances.

If you're working with straight up audio production (especially with today's delivery often being "digital"), it doesn't matter nearly as much as 20 years ago. Sample-rate conversion is significantly better than it was all those years ago. If your'e working with video, it's more convenient to stick with 48k. The latest project I'm mixing was done at 96k. The previous project I was mixing was at 44.1k. While I do believe there are audible advantages to using high sample-rates, there are many other factors that have larger impact on final quality. Front-end gear Mic placement Engineer's experience Quality of instruments Caliber of the player (a great player will sound good on nearly anything) Song arrangement Etc

Make sure you have a backup if you're going to install v1903. Even with the latest patches, we've seen DPC Latency issues with current generation hardware.

If you don't know what you're doing, be careful when switching! Some devices don't work (at all) with MSI... and can cause your machine to BSOD. Other devices (like RME audio interfaces) will appear fine... until you try to use it (and realize it's not actually working). Video cards and most of the core hardware work fine with MSI Audio interfaces (dedicated and onboard) and Firewire controllers often don't work with MSI.

The reason you see this is due to CPU throttling. When the machine is under heavier load, DPC Latency is lower... because clock-speed is higher. If the machine has major issues with DPC Latency, putting it under heavy load won't solve the issue. Power-management necessary to achieve long battery-life is diametrically opposed to configuration for maximum performance. That's the heart of the issue. If you look at any of the top performing custom built laptops, notice that they're *all* using Clevo shells. They're expensive, bulky, and have extremely short battery-life. Physics... of such a tight space make it a complicated balance. If you're strictly talking off-the-shelf laptops, Apple (OSX on the MBPs) does a better job juggling the above than any off-the-shelf PC laptop. Custom Clevo's smoke the MBPs... but that's another topic.

Is everything powered from a single outlet? If not, I'd try that before unplugging all audio.

At the risk of repeating: If the machine suffers from high DPC Latency, there is no working around it. It has to be solved at the source. No audio interface, no setting core affinity, etc. Read the details here: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/kernel/introduction-to-threaded-dpcs With many cases... especially when it's ACPI (power-management) related, there is no solution. The only solution is to replace said hardware (in the case of a Laptop, NUC, All-In-One) isn't possible.

Getting the personalities "right"... and keeping them all focused on a single direction is the hardest part. I've been really lucky with bandmates the past 20+ years. I've played in probably half a dozen bands in that time... and I'm still friends with most them. It's not easy to leave good friends behind... but to move forward, sometimes that's necessary. We always try to make it about "the song", "appealing to the audience", trying to strengthen our performance, and trying to increase our draw. That usually keeps things going in the right direction. I've been adamant on keeping the band a 4-piece. Any more than that... and it gets complicated with schedules, etc. We always hire commercial sound. Crossing that threshold made the experience (to me) a lot more enjoyable. We're a cover band in our 30s-50s... so the "rock-star" dream has sailed. We play for fun... and to cross off "bucket-list" items. The band is paid well... but we're not trying to live off playing.

Behringer has absorbed numerous great companies over the past 10+ years (Midas, Kark Teknik, TC Electronic). Some of their latest gear is very good. If you're a fan of the original 1176 and LA-2A compressors, you should check out the 76-KT and KT-2A. They're inexpensive... and sound excellent. The 76-KT works wonders on drums.

ACPI.sys is power-management related... and DPC Latency issues with that culprit often can't be resolved. Unfortunately, it's not as simple as assigning your DAW software to "unaffected" cores. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/kernel/introduction-to-threaded-dpcs

Laptops that are particularly good for DAW purposes are expensive, large/bulky, and have short battery-life. IOW, The general-purpose user would hate it. 😉

There is no work-around for extremely high DPC Latency. It has to be addressed at the source. FWIW, Disabling TurboBoost won't solve DPC Latency issues. If you've updated the motherboard's firmware, updated all drivers, and updated Win10... you're out of options. When dealing with a general-purpose machine, you have to keep the target end-user in mind. The typical user of that laptop would never know it suffers from a several millisecond "hiccup" in data flow. For someone wanting to use it for DAW purposes, that small hiccup in data flow results in an audio glitch or dropout. Lets say you want to run your audio interface at a 64-sample ASIO buffer size (44.1k). The machine has 1.5ms to process/fill the next ASIO buffer. If a driver is monopolizing the CPU, the next buffer won't be processed/filled in time (resulting in a glitch/dropout). The typical user cares far more about extended battery life than ultimate performance. The power-management necessary for extended battery-life is diametrically-opposed to what we want in a high-performance DAW. With Laptops, power-management is the source of many DPC Latency issues.

+1 on the importance of proper backup! It's never a problem... until it's a major problem. 😉

FWIW, Your DAW's CPU will not affect the sound.

On eDrum Kits with really simple HiHat function, it's a switch (on/off) "closed" or "open". On more advanced eDrum Kits (like Roland's higher-end Vdrums), the HiHat controller (constantly) sends MIDI continuous controller data (to represent the foot pressure on the HiHat). I believe it sends CC# 4 (by default).

A HiHat pedal (on an electronic kit) sends MIDI CC data. Thus, yes... it could potentially be used to control a Wah effect. Guitar amp modelers use CC pedals to control Volume, Wah, etc.

You most likely didn't need to do a complete clean reinstall of the OS. A full manual uninstall of CbB (and or Sonar) would likely have sufficed. Use Programs And Features to Uninstall Delete all associated folders There are two locations in the Registry where software settings are retained. HKLM>Software>Cakewalk Music Software>Cakewalk (or Sonar) HKCU>Software>Cakewalk Music Software>Cakewalk (or Sonar) Now, reinstall CbB (or Sonar).

I'd start by making sure all his drivers up-to-date... and make sure Win7 is fully updated. Temporarily switch CbB to the motherboard's onboard audio. Does CbB still take a long time to close?

No comment on the sale... other than the Scheps Omni channel is fantastic for many things. The pair of de-essers alone are worth the cost (perfect for taming guitar-string squeaks, sibilance, and even over-bearing cymbals).

CbB is the latest version of Sonar Platinum (new features and fixes). As was mentioned, install Sonar Platinum (to access your existing plugins), then install CbB. They'll coexist without issue...

FWIW, When people rave about any plugin or program, they're virtually never talking about the "light" or entry-level version. ie: If a musician/engineer is raving about ProTools, they're not talking about ProTools Free. 😉 Melodyne Essentials is included with many DAW applications... and it-is-what-it-is... an entry-level intonation correction tool. All entry-level products are essentially a "gateway" to the full version. If you need advanced intonation correction abilities (and most of us do), you're left with few options (none of which are low cost). Thankfully, there's an upgrade path... and Celemony discounts several times a year. Cubase's Vari-Audio (included with the full program) is fairly close to Melodyne. That's the best "no cost" option I've seen... and that's only helpful if you've got Cubase Pro.

I'm a bit late to this thread... but it's good to have this confirmed. I've been using Melodyne on bass tracks (to tighten up the pitch-center)... and to my ears it makes an audible difference. I wish I could do the same with polyphonic guitar parts... but I find the polyphonic algorithm causes phasing issues.