Digital Distortion?

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Mans reach exceeds his grasp
Member Since: Oct 23, 2007

I can't hear it when the file is opened in Wavelab, it only seems to come about after mastering and encoding it to mp3, and I can't figure out what it is. I can't figure it out period. Could it be that it was recorded at 48kb and rendered at 41kb, or maybe the dithering process?

The file is posted on my profile as 'Five Mile Mark'

EDIT: I tried rendering it in 48kb and it sounds like a chipmunk and the funk is still there. So I'm guessing that's not it.

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Mans reach exceeds his grasp
Member
Since: Oct 23, 2007

Dec 22, 2007 02:30 am

Update:

I've tried playing the .wav bounced straight from Sonar and right out of Wavelab and they both have the digital b/s on them, but when playing the flies in either programs they sound perfectly fine. I'm really hoping someone can help me out on this one, 'cause it's happening with every song I try to bounce out of any program> :(

EDIT: If it's any help, the only effects I'm using are:

Mixing-
Sonitus Reverb
Sonitus Compressors

'mastering'-
Waves Parametric 10 EQ
Wavelab Stereo Expander
JB Barricade Brickwall Limiter

Dithering-
Waves L2 (set to 16 bit, no shaping, and 3dB of pre-gain comp)


Administrator
Since: Apr 03, 2002

Dec 22, 2007 06:52 am

without listening to it, is it constant or just an occasional clip? Have you zoomed in on the wave in wavelab and see what the wave form looks like?

Hold 'Em Czar
Member
Since: Dec 30, 2004

Dec 22, 2007 07:01 am

encoding to mp3 usually leaves the highs sounding a bit blury, espically with hi-hats and other cymbals, that's perfectly normal for compressed audio....now if you're gettin' digital artifacts when dithering down to a .wav, then something funny is happening when converting samplerates....you should be exporting out of sonar at the same samplerate and bit depth as you recorded/mixed in...

then downsample to 44.1/16 in wavelab. and also export your mp3 from the original samplerate, not the 44.1/16 version.

Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002

Dec 22, 2007 11:06 pm

Keith, I'll give a tomorrow and see what it is. I might get to it tonight but not sure.

Mans reach exceeds his grasp
Member
Since: Oct 23, 2007

Dec 23, 2007 01:02 am

dB- it's a constant light nuance, and I cant see it in Wavelab, but I can sure as heck hear it.

WYD- That's what I'm doing, 'cept for the QUOTE: "also export your mp3 from the original samplerate, not the 44.1/16 version." I understand what you mean, but I dont understand what that means. lol

Noize- ummmm... ok :).


Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002

Dec 23, 2007 03:20 pm

Keith, try eliminating the pluggins one at a time fro the mastering chain. I am going to be guessing it is the JB Barricade. The limiter might be the device adding or allowing the distortion to happen. I still have not listened to the mp3 yet but will later today.

The down sampling should not effect the sound of the mp3 at all. I am wondering if the limiter is simply allowing to hot a signal to the main before mixing down.

Mans reach exceeds his grasp
Member
Since: Oct 23, 2007

Dec 23, 2007 03:43 pm

Good point Noize. I'll give it a try and see what happens. I think you might be right, because it's more apparent when the vocals kick in, which is probly where the barricade is doing most of it's work, so that does make sense. I'll get back atcha on this one.

Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002

Dec 23, 2007 11:50 pm

Hey Keith, you last post disappeared during the server upgrade.

OK, I put on the headphones and cranked it up, loud. I gotta be honest here, I don't here a thing that sounds like digital clipping on your outputs. There are a few spots were the combined tracks maybe are tossing a tiny bit of overload on, but it is not digital clipping at least that I can hear using the HRC player.

And dude!!!!! I finally figured out who your voice reminds me of!!!!

You sound like a young Richie Havens. This latest tune because of the mostly acoustic nature is what finally filled in the blank spot. And believe me this is a very high compliment as I am a huge Richie Havens fan.

I'll give this another listen tomorrow on the monitor's and let you know if I hear anything there.

By the way, you need to record an albums worth of this stuff so I can buy it. Both the boyz were digging your earlier piece and this one when I played it quietly the other night.

Mans reach exceeds his grasp
Member
Since: Oct 23, 2007

Dec 24, 2007 08:23 am

I don't know noise, maybe it's my asio or something. Who knows. I can hear it, but maybe others can't; I'm still trying to figure out if it's just me goin nuts.


How DO you introduce new tracks into a mix without introducing a noticeable increase in gain and overloading? My song waveforms look like a wavepool all the time and I could compress the hell out if it, but then it just sounds entirely unnatural. I'm no good at this stuff, but I'm slowly learning.

And Dude! Richie Havens is good times. Never thought I's be campared to him, thanks :)

And an album is my goal. Then world domination.


Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002

Dec 24, 2007 10:46 am

Most times as you add new audio tracks you need to bring the levels all down or simply bring the master buss down to keep it under control. I rarely compress individual tracks other then bass and drums. And the vocal is it needs it. If the track does not need it I never compress until the end and then I simply compress the master buss with the VC 64 or another compressor of choice. And ya, if your waveform looks like a solid mass then you need to not compress so heavily. I am more likely to use a simple limiter on a track rather then a full on compressor.

Mans reach exceeds his grasp
Member
Since: Oct 23, 2007

Dec 24, 2007 10:55 am

Well, I have alot of problems getting a consistent input level with these MXL mics for their lack of damping, and the rubber nobbies on the US144 dont help much either. Most all of my live tracks have giant spikes here and there and it's kind of shaping the way I mix. I should probly be a little more conscious with my input levels were guitars are concerned, but my vocal tracks are horrendous. No matter how much I play the microphone, I cant seem to get good takes without drawing so far off of it that it leaves it sounding hollow and picking up too much of the room. I'd like not to use so much compression on single tracks, but more often than not it seems it's my only option. Any tips for an overly dynamic singer/ guitar player?


Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002

Dec 24, 2007 11:20 pm

I think I would try and deal with it by maybe going middle of the road with compression and limiting then. Do a little moderate compression to help even the lower parts and the soft limit to control only the real off the chart loud parts.

This requires using the compressor in soft knee mode. And then set a moderate threshold on the limiter so it doesn't actually clamp hard. This requires a slower attack on the limiter but works a treat to not slam the door shut on the vocals and acoustic guitars.

But in the end, I guess I'm not really saying don't compress, just find a moderate set up that wont end up adding so much gain to the track. I try and keep it moderate and then make up gain with the track level itself if need be. Always leave enough headroom on the track to allow yourself room to push that fader back up if you need to.

Frisco's Most Underrated
Member
Since: Jan 28, 2003

Dec 26, 2007 04:05 pm

Hey, I don't know what you mean by "dithering - L2".

But my guess is that what could be the problem is that you have 2 limiters going on and pushing the audio...

But I gave a listen, and I don't hear any digital distortion type of stuff either. The vocal seems like it might be over compressed a bit to me (sounds like its probably the mastering to me...) which is giving the effect of the vocal being too up front in comparison to the guitars (for my taste). I don't know if any of that makes sense, but thats what I'm hearing.

With that said, it's a good song, and well performed!

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