Z3TA +2 level

[lapasoa]

I just can't  understand why Z3TA +2 level is by default so high.

When I find some good effect, every time I am forced to lower a lot the level cursor in a very low position that I find very critical.

Is there some way to make it more manegeable?

 

[Gswitz]

A lot of z3ta presets drive hard into a limiter. You can back this off.

[arlen2133]

On 10/13/2019 at 5:07 AM, lapasoa said:

Is there some way to make it more manegeable?

 

I typically turn the track gain down (by a lot) on Zeta+2.  You're right.  It's quite loud and can really be annoying when you think about it.

I would also consider making a track template out of it.  You can start with a default setting but turn everything down so it's not jumping out at you.  Just a thought.

 

[Robert Bone]

I tend to save presets for plugins, where I set the output volume low enough to then not require me to massively drop gain for its audio track(s).  I typically name such modified presets with a prefix that identifies they are set for recording levels, as opposed to those I would use live.  Simply adding '00-DAW ' at the front of any saved preset, makes them all group up at the top of the list of presets, and thus easy to find.  It doesn't need to be precise, but since I tend to set gain for tracks at -18 dB, I will set preset volumes for those to be used in Cakewalk, to be down around -18 to -15 dB, and then I can fine tune it with the Cakewalk track gain knob.

Bob Bone 

[Gswitz]

Offset mode might help as well.

[mettelus]

10 hours ago, Gswitz said:

A lot of z3ta presets drive hard into a limiter. You can back this off.

I am not sure if this is still an issue, but at one time the limiter indicator was reversed (it was lit, but actually off), so that is another thing to check.

Synth presets (for any synth) are something to always be cautious with. They are loud, wide, and full spectrum many times so they sound great solo. When putting them into a mix, you almost always need to address all three of these factors to get them to fit properly.

AD2 was one VSTi whose presets blatantly went into the red (and some by a lot), so a good safety tip is to have a limiter on the Master buss that doesn't engage till -3dB or so to protect your ears from that shock, especially when composing and inserting new elements.

[abacab]

I saved  my default template for Cakewalk with the Master bus set initially to -6bB just for this reason, as I audition a lot of VSTi presets. I hate those loud surprises from many instruments.

I suppose setting a limiter on the bus would work about the same.

[Robert Bone]

43 minutes ago, abacab said:

I saved  my default template for Cakewalk with the Master bus set initially to -6bB just for this reason, as I audition a lot of VSTi presets. I hate those loud surprises from many instruments.

I suppose setting a limiter on the bus would work about the same.

I just hover my mouse over the VSTi volume knob/slider, before playing a note through it, and that gives me an idea of how hot the signal will be, coming out of it.  It just takes a second to check it. 

The only thing to remember, is that for most synths, that volume setting is associated with each preset, so it has to be either managed when flipping through presets, OR, drop the audio track volume way down when sifting through presets, and then set the gain properly when the desired preset is finally loaded.

And, as noted above, a limiter would do the trick too.

Bob Bone

[InstrEd]

1 minute ago, Robert Bone said:

And, as noted above, a limiter would do the trick too.

That is what I did when I was messing around with z3ta especially when I was wearing headphones. One patch just right and the next one make you deaf.

[kzmaier]

Track Gain is a major plus that is missed in other daws.

[abacab]

3 hours ago, Robert Bone said:

The only thing to remember, is that for most synths, that volume setting is associated with each preset, so it has to be either managed when flipping through presets

 

Yup, that's the killer right there!