Choirs Audio Mixdown Hints

[Eddy]

When Mixing down a Choirs composition to Wave file, using Cubase Export> Audio Mixdown, the result I get is often incorrect with skipped notes and unprecise output.

It seems that the CPU can't keep up properly with encoding and playing back midi samples at the same time or something similar. But I'm not sure if this is the reason or there are other issues, the fact is that when played back it is fine, when mixed down it is not.

I was wandering if there are other techniques and hints best used to export to audio a choir composition.

many thanks you all for any support given on this matter.

E.

[dach]

Bounce using "realtime" export....

[Eddy]

I had actually tried with RealTime option on, and it does improve output noticeably (in other composition it fixed the problem totally) but with this choir file (using WB as standalone) even with Realtime the output file is messed up.

I was wondering if there are other ways commonly used to mixed down the final file in these cases.


many thanks again

E.

[Doug Rogers]

You might want to try bouncing it in smaller sections, it sounds like you are running out of polyphony. Also make sure your DFD settings are set to 256 voices.

- Doug

[Eddy]

thanks for this, I have actually tried increasing polyphony but it does not solve the problem.

It is kind of ackward, as in playback from the sequencer it is fine, it is the export wav mixdown that (even in Realtime) introduces this problem.
(Using WB standalne with midi yoke)

Has anyone experienced anything similar and found a solution?

thank again for any help.

[MakeANote]

Eddy, although this might be an 'older software' solution, you can download TapeIt from www.silverspike.com (Version 1 is a freeware VST plug-in) which will allow you to record at up to 32-bit resolution anything coming through your system in real-time. I used to use this from time to time when earlier versions of Cubase would cause note-skips and the like in the mixdown. If it sounds like the normal playback is okay, you could consider using this plug in to bounce your file down to audio.

Trust this helps,
Ian

[soundforgames]

When Mixing down a Choirs composition to Wave file, using Cubase Export> Audio Mixdown, the result I get is often incorrect with skipped notes and unprecise output.

It seems that the CPU can't keep up properly with encoding and playing back midi samples at the same time or something similar. But I'm not sure if this is the reason or there are other issues, the fact is that when played back it is fine, when mixed down it is not.

I was wandering if there are other techniques and hints best used to export to audio a choir composition.

many thanks you all for any support given on this matter.

E.


Are you exporting audio in real time? If it's going faster than real time, try unchecking "fast bounce" or the equivalent option.

If you're bouncing faster than real time, it's possible that your computer can't quite keep up with the increased demand during the file export, even though everything sounds great when you just play the track in your sequencer.

[Jeff Hayat]

Have you tried increasing the buffer size in your sound card settings? What sound card are you using? What is your CPU and RAM usage upon hittng CAD? How much RAM do you have? Do you get skips and pops and crackles while playing back? What is the sample rate of the samples? What is the Cubase project sample rate? What is the sample rate you are trying to mix down to? Have you tried to mixdown to another format (.mp3, broadcast wave, etc.)? Do you have multiple hard drives, and if so have you tried making HD#2 your destination? If so, and you have the same result, are both HD's either 5400 or 7200, or is one 7200, and the other 5400? How much room on your destination HD is free? If you are not using XP, have you tried defragging?

[Eddy]

Hi RiffWraith

really many thanks for your help with this and such a great brainstorm of possible problems and fixes.

>Have you tried increasing the buffer size in your sound card settings?
thanks, I just actually tried increasing the buffer size and it seems to be significantly improving the problem. I need to do more testing but I hope this is the main cause.
>What sound card are you using?
Edirol UA-20. I was wondering however if it would help to have card that could directly record from its output in such cases. Or if it is really sufficient to work with EWQL libraries (mainly for playback work, no recording from ext sources).
>What is your CPU and RAM usage upon hittng CAD? 97% to 99 - 100% with 1Gb ram usage - during mixdown.
>How much RAM do you have? 1.56Gb on a 1.6Ghz Pentium M
>Do you get skips and pops and crackles while playing back? Not at all.
>What is the sample rate of the samples? Not sure, but they are from EWQLSC and Colossus.
>What is the Cubase project sample rate? 44.1khz
>What is the sample rate you are trying to mix down to? 44.1khz
>Have you tried to mixdown to another format (.mp3, broadcast wave, etc.)?
Yes, and actually when mixing down to MP3 up to 160kbps 44khz it is fine, but increasing bit rate and frequency any higher will introduce artefacts just the same.
>Do you have multiple hard drives, and if so have you tried making HD#2 your destination?
If so, and you have the same result, are both HD's either 5400 or 7200, or is one 7200, and the other 5400? Actually I am using 2 HDs, one at 7200 where the libraries are and one at 5400 where the programs are and which is used as mixdown destination. Could this make a difference?
>How much room on your destination HD is free? over 60%
>If you are not using XP, have you tried defragging? I'm using Xp.


many thanks again for any help and suggestions.

Regards

E

[Jeff Hayat]

"I am using 2 HDs, one at 7200 where the libraries are and one at 5400 where the programs are and which is used as mixdown destination. Could this make a difference?"

Maybe. Try making the destination the 7200 where the libraries are. You also need to find out about the sample rate of the samples; I am guessing they are 44.1, which takes that idea off the table, but you should try and elimnate everything.

Keep plugging away - you WILL solve this eventually.

Cheers.