mettelus

Ramping up volume is similar to turning up a stereo as a songs fades. At a certain point the noise floor is your enemy and becomes audible, then overwhelming. Without seeing the clip specifically, that is worth a try. I have never owned 8.5 but realize why you still use it.

Granted, iZotope is very good about cleansing older copies/references of its software, but RX 6 (2017) was not the first version. https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/izotope-rx https://www.izotope.com/en/company/press/2010/izotope-releases-rx-2-complete-audio-repair-suite.html

That is true, threads tend to get dredged up after a few years and your list of audio interface questions is timeless. I hadn't looked at the Solo since it came out, so was pleasantly surprised to see it got some real upgrades. When first released it had RCA jacks on the back and now they are balanced outputs. My FW card (not the Saffire) is starting to degrade on me so been debating just shifting to a USB interface since I could actually carry it someplace else and use USB ?. I was surprised Amazon has like 48,000 reviews on the Scarletts... that number was way higher than I expected.

I was wondering this when I updated it last night too, I guess for PC users it didn't really have much effect other than to change the version number for us.

I couldn't remember what Ableton used to cost, so put "Ableton Live 11 Suite" into Bing and clicked the shopping tab. First two hits were a site with it listed for $70, so I checked to see if that is a legit site (supposedly is), but left me wondering how they got the serial numbers. Ironically, Bing doesn't point you to any reseller you would expect to see, so I didn't get my question answered

I hope the OP doesn't get overwhelmed reading this. We jumped in a bit deeper than he was anticipating already.

It also depends on computer resources and which Melodyne variant you are running in a way. I do not leave Region FX enabled, so would bounce them to one clip, do one edit session and bounce out of Melodyne to save time and get it in one pass.

The above will get rid of the excess data. To find the offending track zoom out in Track View and one (possibly more) of the tracks will have clips all the way to bar 100.

I checked quick on that UM2 unit just to be sure. Sweetwater has a comment on setup "Although most Behringer audio interfaces have their own driver (version 4.38 as of July 2018), some of the smaller interfaces will require the third-party driver, ASIO4All. These interfaces include the UMC22, UM2, UCA222, and UCA202," so it is an ASIO4ALL unit. I also didn't realize that was a 16-bit/48KHz unit, so if possible to return that, it would be something for the OP to consider. ASIO4ALL is really a WDM wrapper and tends to be problematic, but in certain cases is usable (I have used it for playback of stand-alone instruments that require ASIO through the PC sound card). There have been so many posters over the years seeking help on getting ASIO4ALL to work properly for recording. Side comment: I very much appreciate the feedback forum members over the years! When delving into unknown territory that has been a tremendous help, so thank you for taking the time to advise. The "trick" is asking before making big leaps.

That search engine needs to be updated. That DAW column is not accurate at all (he is promoting PT), but people do need to know plugin format. Quick glance there are a lot of VST plugins he has listed as "PT." Being able to filter out AAX would be useful though.

Thanks for the confirmation on the M2. I thought that unit was in the "ASIO4ALL" bucket but wasn't sure. Back to the OP, I am pretty sure there are a fair number of forum members who have learned the hard way (including myself) that skimping on an audio interface is only going to buy you a fair amount of pain and suffering for no reason. If you want to get audio into a computer and use a DAW to its potential, an adequate audio interface is a must. It is not like we are trying to sell you something you do not need, but rather offering lessons learned on what not to do. DAWs, instruments, FX, and the like can easily fall into the bucket of personal preference, but a good audio interface is a universal piece of gear that is required to get audio into the DAW. There are many companies with liberal return policies, and one of those is highly recommended to test "unknown" gear. Once you get one that will let you see the night vs day difference in what you are trying to do, you will end up kicking yourself for the time wasted getting there.

Since you have that unit already, I would recommend searching specifically for questions related to issues you are having. I am not familiar with that unit, so not sure if it has dedicated ASIO drivers that come with it (this is sometimes the most critical). As far as setting things up inside CbB, SWA did a very nice series of videos on SONAR X2 years ago. A lot of that is still applicable and the first three videos cover audio/MIDI setups (the chapter listing for that video set is here - SWA posted 50 videos on YT without an index!).

A dedicated audio interface is what is required. Most of the budget models are going to run around $100, and it is not a piece of gear you want to avoid getting if you are intent on getting external audio into a computer. If just recording yourself, the Focusrite Scarlett Solo would be a good option (1 microphone input/1 instrument input). There are other options in that price range, but Focusrite tends to have fewer issues noted with them overall.

The above responses cover your other questions well, so my response if more for this one: This question often comes down to if a synth is being played solo (or as the primary instrument) versus being used in a mix. When solo (and synth presets often reflect this), they often cover a wide frequency range with a lot of FX to draw attention. However, if using a synth in a mix, this is something to be wary of. When mixing, EQ (not the only method) is used often to resolve frequency conflicts between tracks, and if "too processed" this can become an issue. Specifically, time-based FX (delay, chorus, reverb, etc.) are often used last in FX chains because they make "multiple copies" of the source material you are trying to mix into the final product. This is not a rule (as with most things musical), but when highly processed synths are involved (especially ones covering a wide frequency range), those will get a lot of attention during mixing to ensure they do not have frequency conflicts with the other tracks, which is easier when time-based FX are not yet present (often added after this step). Concise answer is that, when mixing, it is often best to apply time-based FX to tracks/busses after they have been assembled with other tracks to fit into the mix properly first.

Ouch, sorry to hear that. Did you try submitting a separate ticket (not replying to the first)? Support people can vary night vs day, and I had similar last year with Steinberg. First ticket zero response, second ticket was months later and I got a self-contained email with links and serials that resolved the issue in 10 minutes.

One caution to be aware of with Vinyl. Whenever that is enabled it will create audio even with the transport stopped. Is not necessarily bad, but important to know when you open an old project and think your DAW is acting wonky on you.

Roger that. I am definitely not defending/promoting it, since I have never used it in a composition. I was more taking the time to understand it and critique it (I tend to be rather brutal in some cases for this), since this has been on my to do list for years. Workflow trumps capabilities in many cases for me, so the experience left me wondering how many are truly using it fully and the time they are investing to do so. Ironically, the bug that buried Studio One is new, since I have run that same (ineffective) process in the past without that issue. I always chuckle when a VST can bury a DAW (morbid sense of humor, I guess). Years ago I buried SONAR on purpose right before tracking a friend (they couldn't see), and when they asked what was so funny I just said. "Oh, nothing."

Quick note (for myself mostly): I spent Saturday morning deep diving into MDrummer and noting workflow issues, lacking features one would expect, and an interesting but repeatable bug that should not have occurred that crashed Studio One to desktop with a brief popup of "MDrummer performed an illegal operation." That particular issue was on using the sample import feature, which is nothing more than a text search AFAICT (and has its own issues as a result), but why it did an operation to crash out a DAW is beyond me at this point. I will have to see if I have time to script that into a video worth wasting people's time, but it remains that documentation is lacking (the manual can only be gotten from within the VST), mouse clicking is not fluid (you have to drill into menus often where buttons would be more appropriate), sample preview is non-existent (requiring drum kit replacement to mouse click the preview... this also affects sample import functionality), rhythm editing is not fluid (one specific is when editing velocity of a solod instrument, the bar underneath it still shows ALL pieces, so touching that also affects them all (very bad)... even solod you need to work on the diamonds for that piece... nice small target that precludes mouse drawing across them all), the randomization is buried in the rhythm editor menu (on by default), and the VST does not remember instantiation (specifically LIMITER ON (a must!), and 8x for sampling in my case). Overall, MDrummer has a lot of capability and potential, but workflow wasn't at the fore. Kit/rhythm generation is awesome, but the ability to edit afterwards is not. It has undergone a major overhaul since I have owned it, but remains one I worry about if people purchased it specifically (i.e., not included in a bundle).

I have an i7-8700K, and the only things that will peg the CPU are benchmarking (obviously), video rendering, and encryption tools. With a dedicated graphics card, some of the CPU hit from VSTs with complex GUIs will be mitigated, but efficiency in workflow often matters more regardless of machine. Even with background processes running, it blips to 1% CPU usage from zero about every 10 seconds. What I have noticed much more is that applications do not release allocated memory properly. iObit's Advanced System Care has a performance widget that I leave running that will also clear RAM. I have had instances of running things then clearing nearly a GB of RAM after closing things out. Practicality aside, many purchase choices come down to personal preference and disposable income.

One of the reasons not to copy is that you can give yourself phasing issues when altering one against the other.

I agree with Jack on this. If just using a DAW, i7 with 16GB will suffice. Those machines also have cheaper RAM upgrades if you get into bigger sample libraries (like $100 for 32GB). Even with the more CPU-intensive FX, an i7 is fine. That is more dependent on the system configuration and separating tracking from mixing (some FX will cause havoc during tracking).

There was a video I saw roughly 10 years ago that I have never been able to find since. It was called basically "the riff" (I cannot remember the exact title), but what it showed was the identical riff (bunch of old video footage daisy chained together) played on various instruments over a span of like 50 years. Definitely interesting to see with all of the suits that get thrown about. If it gets conceived, someone else has probably already done it. The converse is also true where the same material will be used in successive works by the same person. I was at a pub once where the guitarist used the same solo three songs straight (just changed the key), but movie content catches my attention more often. I will run movies for background noise a lot, and while listening to "Gladiator" I suddenly sat up and thought, "WTF am I hearing the theme from 'Pirates of the Caribbean'???" Those common hits are more frequent than some realize, but if not watching the movie, they tend to stand out more.

+1000. So many of the videos posted have some variation of lacking presentation, become outdated due to updates, or lacking real-world application as walk throughs. Ironically, my most recommended video remains Dan Worrall's "FabFilter Pro-Q - EQ Tips & Tricks" from July 5, 2010. I do not even own the plugin, but the reason I have always recommended that is because it packs a buttload of useful information into 10 minutes on using an EQ properly - things a new EQ user will readily grasp and be able to use (regardless of EQ brand). The application, presentation, and scripting of that video are stellar. Unfortunately, the converse of people rambling or posting content just to make a "weekly" seems to be more the norm, and I am often frustrated that those tend to be the first hits when looking for something (more Google's ad engine there).

MDrummer could use an easy screen, that is for sure. Most music uses standard beats without numerous variations on them, and all the common controls are on one screen. If you want to dive in deeper, great, but if not, you shouldn't have to. One of the "features" that wreaks havoc is that there is a buried setting to randomize the MIDI key (in that octave) for the beat sequence, so as you are working even within the DAW it will vary the MIDI note as it is putzing around. You suddenly go from one beat sequence to another even though you just wanted it static. Almost like creating your own Tom Sawyer rendition for every song you make without that setting shut off. @Starship Krupa Those four columns on the quick setup are pretty useful to get started/loaded. The left two are for the kit and the right two are for the drum patterns (in generates them for all sections there). You can easily generate kits/FX, merge with another to build on that (the samples available are extensive), and get patterns initially created, but you can also easily overdo it and blow the kit up sonically, but even after that is done editing what was created isn't a simple task. A lot to drill into for something that should be simpler. In fact, a pop up that focuses everything needed to edit right in view would be great. I think due to its complexity, there was an effort to get everything into the minimum number of tabbed pages, but if there was something like clicking on the floor tom and BOOM... pop up a single page with only everything needed to edit that floor tom would be an awesome change. Too many menus. I started a drum map to direct fire the kit pieces long ago, then thought I shouldn't have to; but as time goes by, I may end up having that as the "solution," although it bypasses a massive amount of the plugin by doing so. The samples are in a proprietary format, so you cannot simply import them into another VSTi either.

I admittedly often run YT videos at 1.5 speed or higher and multitask while doing so, especially if they have any length to them. While the commenting can be useful, YT videos that are not scripted tend to just be closed and forgotten. One thing mentioned in that video he could not find a replacement for was"MaxxBass" and he specifically mentioned harmonic generation. That is a specific focus for MCharacter, but not sure how they compare side-by-side for his usage ( I would "assume" it is comparable). That particular plugin has gotten way more use than I expected when I first found it. After almost 6 years of owning MComplete, I still have probably only tested 50% of Melda's plugins to 30% of their capacity. MDrummer still gives me grief though, every time I force myself to sit down and focus on that I run out of time and on reset have lost ground (the 2 steps forward, one step back routine). For just creating tracks it is akin to BIAB in that it will generate things fast (blistering fast), but when you dive into editing that or have a set purpose, it is not as easy (if focusing work inside MDrummer).