DFD Question?

[Bondtana]

Why wouldn't I use the DFD option?

What are the disadvantages of using it. Cus I am not seeing any... lol

[barlowjam]

Originally Posted by Bondtana

Why wouldn't I use the DFD option?

What are the disadvantages of using it. Cus I am not seeing any... lol

Well, here's one (from the SO manual):

Bouncing MIDI Tracks with DFD
The DFD technology can have consequences when bouncing MIDI tracks to audio tracks in a sequencer. DFD settings that work fine in real time may stumble and cause clicks or instrument dropouts when tracks are bounced down faster than they are played. Many modern sequencers can create audio tracks faster than the same track normally plays at tempo. For example, with today’s high-speed computers a piece that takes 4 minutes to listen to can often be rendered from its MIDI data and samples in less than 2 minutes. This is a nice feature because you don’t have to wait to hear your new audio tracks. The problem is that the sequencer doesn’t know that a plug-in is falling behind in loading its buffers;
the sequencer keeps moving ahead at double-speed and some samples never get loaded in time to be played. Sequencers with this “Fast Bounce” feature always have a way to turn if off. If you hear clicks or dropouts when listening to tracks bounced down this way, turn the feature off. Because the effects of some dropouts may be subtle in some cases—for example, only some release trails not playing—you should consider always turning
off this feature for production work.

[Bondtana]

Wow, that sounds like it could be a problem. Thanks.

[Pietro]

I wish there was "half-speed" bouncing option sometimes... Lower DFD settings, more instruments loaded, less dropouts on export.

- Piotr

[Bondtana]

How many instruments have you guys loaded before you came across this problem?

[Dean]

Originally Posted by Bondtana

How many instruments have you guys loaded before you came across this problem?

Hi,

I think alot depends on your system/ RAM / sequencer / Kontakt player etc.
Using Kontakt 2.2 as a plug-in I can load about 80 instruments and bounce to disk without any problems.

Mac G5 Quad 2.5ghz /6.5 GB RAM
External G-TECH G-RAID FW800 320GB H.drive
Kontakt 2.2
Protools Le 7.1 / Digi002 rack.

Platinum Pro XP / SAM Brass / Truestrike 2 / RA / Atmosphere / VOP / EZ Drummer + DFH / S.Choirs / VSL (K.2 Version).

Dean.

[Dannthr]

I use a slave and record in real time--monitoring the recording and stopping if there are drop outs.

My RAM lets me load over 400 DFD voices (more like 440) but I don't usually keep it there, and it varies from project to project.

[josejherring]

I've used DFD for years and bounce at nearly lightspeed full mixes and I've never had one dropout, clock or any problem what so ever.

[barlowjam]

Originally Posted by Bondtana

Wow, that sounds like it could be a problem. Thanks.

I got a dual core system a couple of months ago (with 2 Gigs of RAM) and haven't had any problems since then (but do remember having some slight issues while bouncing before). So like Dean said - depends on the system and what I'm asking it to do load wise.

I guess its just something to be aware of. Your timing was great too; I had just read that in the manual the day before - didn't realize when I was having those problems bouncing that DFD could have been the culprit.

[Pietro]

I got Intel Core2 Duo, 3 GB 800Mhz RAM, 1 SATAII hard drive for systems, and 2 for samples and projects (libraries split between drives), pretty high DFD settings and still having dropouts at playback sometimes, not to mention full-speed-bouncing.

Wise library split between drives made a huge improvement! Especially separating SD and SO Gold Pro XP. I could even lower DFD settings and load more instruments.

- Piotr