Is it me or is it cubase sx3?

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trina
Posts: 23
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2006 7:12 pm

Is it me or is it cubase sx3?

Post by trina »

Hi plus Happy Easter!

Finnally my computer and software and sound solution all work together, I make a song and I swear it just sounds sooooo different in cubase sx3 than any export even to it's
own self from it's self! Anyone else with this problem and what can be done?
Thanks for the advice.
Trina
Ged the undead
Posts: 24
Joined: Mon Mar 13, 2006 7:21 pm
Location: Scotland
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Re: Is it me or is it cubase sx3?

Post by Ged the undead »

trina wrote:Hi plus Happy Easter!

Finnally my computer and software and sound solution all work together, I make a song and I swear it just sounds sooooo different in cubase sx3 than any export even to it's
own self from it's self! Anyone else with this problem and what can be done?
Thanks for the advice.
Trina


Hmmm...only used SX 2 but could you expain step by step how your exporting from SX?
could be a number of things...
trina
Posts: 23
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2006 7:12 pm

cubase sx 3

Post by trina »

HI and thanks Ged,

I called the company and they said it is possible that my files are corrupted, based on the fact that the sound is so totally different upon export even to two inside cubase sx 3
even the volume level is not consistant. This is only the second song I've been able to make in cubase because I was fortunate enough to experience the Intel 865 D capacitor leak problem and then the e mu 1820 driver conflicts with cubase problem so for 2 years cubase wouldn't open and 3 new motherboards later wouldn't stop crashing until I just admitted E mu 1820 was incompatible with my set-up! I got a presonus firepod now but Geez.... Anyway, I 've tried realtime and autotime or whatever it is when you let it do it'self with no sound and faster. I ve tried it at 24 bit and 16 bit , wave and mp3, 44 and 48 sampling rates. It always is way differrent sound quality like grainy and not punchy, and way softer or louder than the original mix!...????
Ged the undead
Posts: 24
Joined: Mon Mar 13, 2006 7:21 pm
Location: Scotland
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Re: cubase sx 3

Post by Ged the undead »

trina wrote:HI and thanks Ged,

I called the company and they said it is possible that my files are corrupted, based on the fact that the sound is so totally different upon export even to two inside cubase sx 3
even the volume level is not consistant. This is only the second song I've been able to make in cubase because I was fortunate enough to experience the Intel 865 D capacitor leak problem and then the e mu 1820 driver conflicts with cubase problem so for 2 years cubase wouldn't open and 3 new motherboards later wouldn't stop crashing until I just admitted E mu 1820 was incompatible with my set-up! I got a presonus firepod now but Geez.... Anyway, I 've tried realtime and autotime or whatever it is when you let it do it'self with no sound and faster. I ve tried it at 24 bit and 16 bit , wave and mp3, 44 and 48 sampling rates. It always is way differrent sound quality like grainy and not punchy, and way softer or louder than the original mix!...????


Weird!!! with a capital W!

Anyway, heres all i can say...

1.Is it a full song E.G vox tracks - synths guitar etc drums etc?
or is it just a stereo wav of your song?

Could you let me know...

the actual sampling freq the song is running at?
Is your CPU meter reading hot I.E too many real time plugins?
Are you exporting at the same samp freq and bit depth as the session song file?

Not meaning to sound patronising Trina it's just i need to know the details to make an assumption.

cheers,
Ged. :D
trina
Posts: 23
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2006 7:12 pm

Right I understand!

Post by trina »

Thanks more,

It is wierd !

It is drums keyboard vocals and backs, a whole song.

I have tried exporting at 16 bit and 24 bit, realtime and not, 44.1 and 48 and eachtime the sound is different from the mix in cubase in loudness, punch, and overall quality.
I have exported just the drum mix with same crazy result, the whole song same crazy result, with fx without fx, freeze effects. I've exported to harbal, and Mp3, and of course cubase sx 3 as the stereo mixdown and wavelab but this is my first time opening wavelab essential so I don't know what I'm doing there. I just know that there is a major difference and it is not a consistant difference either.

The load is about 60% or so and the song is was recorded every part 44.1 and 24 bit!

In a few days or so I am going to wipe my drives just to start fresh cause I've been experimenting with this problem for two weeks now!
Thom
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri Nov 12, 2004 11:16 am
Location: Wellington, New Zealand

Post by Thom »

Hi Trina

I've noticed something similiar on SX3 as well, when I render a final mix. It doesn't happen on every project, just sometimes.

When I notice this happening, I record the final mix using a recording vst plugin in a master output channel insert. This seems to get a better sounding mix that's closer to what I hear when the track plays back normally from SX.

And yes, it's quite disturbing behaviour...
trina
Posts: 23
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2006 7:12 pm

Thanks more!

Post by trina »

Thanks,

For sharing your experience with me. First I thought it was my personal physical/mental condition making me hear things wierdly. I quit working on one tune because the sound got worse and worse. I really beat myself up over that too! On this tune the way I became sure it wasn't me is that I was auditioning Starplugs supersize multiband compresor and was totally impressed that night but the next day it seemed as if not even in the mix at all! Later that night the seemingly great sound came back but faded away and so on.... with and without and I made audio examples to prove it to myself!. Of course it's not Starplugs cause I took them out and still have the same sound change problem. :lol: My computer is dedicated daw but seems like a hacker is in there controlling the sound none the less! :P

For now i will probably bounce to my good ole' reliable VS-1880! O.K. not perfect either but you get out what you put in consistantly!

P.S. (anyone like and use Starplugs?)
Ged the undead
Posts: 24
Joined: Mon Mar 13, 2006 7:21 pm
Location: Scotland
Contact:

Re: Thanks more!

Post by Ged the undead »

trina wrote:Thanks,

For sharing your experience with me. First I thought it was my personal physical/mental condition making me hear things wierdly. I quit working on one tune because the sound got worse and worse. I really beat myself up over that too! On this tune the way I became sure it wasn't me is that I was auditioning Starplugs supersize multiband compresor and was totally impressed that night but the next day it seemed as if not even in the mix at all! Later that night the seemingly great sound came back but faded away and so on.... with and without and I made audio examples to prove it to myself!. Of course it's not Starplugs cause I took them out and still have the same sound change problem. :lol: My computer is dedicated daw but seems like a hacker is in there controlling the sound none the less! :P

For now i will probably bounce to my good ole' reliable VS-1880! O.K. not perfect either but you get out what you put in consistantly!

P.S. (anyone like and use Starplugs?)


Hi Trina, did you manage to sort out your problem with SX?

cheers,
Ged.
trina
Posts: 23
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2006 7:12 pm

Trying slightly

Post by trina »

HI Ged,
Been seeing you around a few forums! I almost never post in other forums as things seem so hostle. I hope this place stays unpolluted!

About the sound difference in cubase sx3 I have not rigorously persued a solution other than saving the file as II and trying from there and I have not wiped my drives there fore exausting every effort to track down the source of the problem.

Thanks for asking and if I find out a reason or work around I will definitely post the solution!

Trina
L.G
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Joined: Thu Mar 30, 2006 12:20 am
Location: Virginia
Contact:

Post by L.G »

Trina,
One thing to keep in mind when using Cubase SX 3,when you start experimenting with the read and write functions almost every parameter or virtual knob you twist is automated. This can greatly affect your end result as when you audio mixdown all of these adjustments are read AND written to the two track. EG: half way thru a mix you decide an EQ adjustment is needed so you open whatever particular track and make the adjustments. What you now end up with is a track that has the original EQ setting up until you made the new setting and it is read and written to the two track after audio mixdown. I try to automate my mixes at the final mix stage after getting all of the sounds to glue together during the process. And yes I learned this the hard way. Now I' m not sure this is your problem however it is just a suggestion to help you out. Select any track, right click and choose "show all used automation". If this is the case you will see ALL of your used automation throughout the entire project! Good Luck and I hope I helped a little.
L.G.
Dell P4-3.0 gig proc/optimized for audio/240 gig RAID 0/4 gigs Super Talent DDR 400/Nvidia 5200/2x Samsung 930b's/ external 300 gig seagate HD/FW-1884/ Waves,URS and UAD Ultra plugsx1/Mackie 824's -Tannoy Reveal actives/ BOSS,POD XT live,Radial and FMR hardware
trina
Posts: 23
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2006 7:12 pm

Uad

Post by trina »

HI and thanks for the knowedge,

No automatation on my tracks so far, and since my post I have wiped the drive with xp and cubase sx3 on it to start fresh because I got a UAD 1 studio pak !!!!!
(the audio is still on second drive)
I noticed you have UAD any comments and advice is appreciated!
I see that you use or have URS too...I want to try them with my iLok key but it's do troublesome ......
I am going to soon purchase some Starplugs I was so feelin' the HAMMER!


Trina
trina
Posts: 23
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2006 7:12 pm

Post by trina »

:oops: Opps,

I forgot to add that it has only been this one day and I am toying around so with the new plugs so I haven't mixed down and or exported anything to notice if this new drive solves old problem but I will write if a believe it has helped! :P

Again thanks Everyone!
L.G
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Mar 30, 2006 12:20 am
Location: Virginia
Contact:

Post by L.G »

Trina,
If you're into the classic sort of vibe, or are just looking for plugs that'll knock the socks off of a track,you've made a good choice! The UAD stuff is exceptional. About the only advice I could possibly give here are: 1-follow the instructions to the t when installing and 2-download the UAD presets from their website. Thy're not what I use generally,however they're a great starter point for someone that's just starting out with a UAD. My only complaint and you'll notice this on the UAD website is the amount of plugs per project that you can use before the meter clocks. This is the reason why so many UAD users are using more than one card. I plan on purchasing the second very shortly. Some of my more favored UAD plugs are the Plate 140 reverb, the Fairchild 670 compressor and the 1176 compressor. You can purchase these separately if you're interested as I don't believe they come in the project pak. You made a good choice!
As for the URS plugs,again great quality,great support from Bobby and another "can't go wrong". I have the Classic Console EQ bundle and they sound great. I can't speak for the URS compressors as I don't have em',however if they're near as good as the EQ's then they're great in my book. One thing to always point out is what's good and works for me may not be the "thing" for the next mixing engineer. Just like the music itself,it is all subjective.
Trina, Good Luck fixing the problem that you have cause when you get it all straightened out you should be in for a treat!
L.G.
L.G
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Location: Virginia
Contact:

Post by L.G »

Trina,
I stand corrected,the UAD studio comes with the Fairchild and the 1176,but not the plate 140. Sorry bout that!?Anyhow,I hope your system's working a little better now.
L.G.
trina
Posts: 23
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2006 7:12 pm

Post by trina »

:lol: I got the Uad Studio Pak with almost everything included! (Except Pultec Pro, Roland Stuff and the precisoin Mastering)! Oh and the upcoming neve! I like the dreamverb a lot!

If you say URS is good it's good and if you compare the service to here that makes me trust URS more so now I can make the extreme effort it takes to demo the stuff! I really like it here with the fast freindly srevice and the air is clean. :!: Some forums are angry :twisted: :wink: I wanna stick with the friendly :lol:

Anyway, I'm not a mixer/engineer really...I'm trying to find some plugins that will do all the work and let me take all the credit :wink:

Thanks for your advice, LG,

Trina
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