- Inconsistent display of information
- 10.10.5
- 9.1
- Expected behaviour: We have developed two plugins called Octogris and SpatGRIS. The purpose of these plugins is to make octophonic spatialization in DAWs that don't allow the users to take full advantage of the 8 outputs available per tracks. In DP for instance, you have access only to a 7.1 output. Our plugins replaces the DP panners and let the users to send the signal to 8 real, discrete outputs and to place the speakers wherever they like. SpatGRIS is the newest version of the plugin. But we have used these plugins since 2008 with no (almost) problems. We regularly test our plugins in DP, Reaper and Logic (a new Windows version is still in beta mode).
The new problem occurred in DP 9.1 and DP 9.12. SpatGRIS has different versions according to the inputs — the number of audio channels in the source file — and to the outputs — the number of outputs connected to a track. If you put a plugin to a track that contains a stereo files and if the track is connected to a 7.1 output, then the instance of the plugin will be a 2 X 8 version. If the soundfile is octophonic, then you will have a 8 X 8 version.
In DP 9.1 MOTU has changed a very important feature: the way the audio plugins are handled by DP. Previously, you had the option to use the Pre-Gen or the Real_time modes. Essentially, the Pre-Gen was working properly only with MAS plugins while users reported that the Real-Time mode is better for everything else. This is what we can confirm with our plugins. In DP 9.1 they removed this choice and now every plugin has to be compatible with the Pre-Gen mode (there is still a way to go back to Real-Time, but it doesn't solve the problem here).
The result for us is that the track meters are not working anymore in our 2 X 8 version. - What actually occurs: Only the meters 1-2 are working, out of the 8 meters in 7.1 mode. And not only the others meters are not working, but they show permanent full activity.
And the strange thing is that inside DP, you have three tools to check the levels:
- the track VU-meter
- the track panner meter
- the master track output VU-meter.
The problem occurs only in the track VU-meters. The other two are fine. And the audio is not affected, it seems only a graphic problem.
There is not that much we can do! As soon as the plugins are inserted the problem occurs. We have reported in a very detailed way the situation to MOTU. Our plugins are open-source and available in github and they said that they would conduct an investigation. But no new news since then. First time I had to move backward with an upgrade of DP since version 4.5!
Version 9.02 works perfectly well.
Octogris 3.0.5 (very stable version):
https://github.com/GRIS-UdeM/Octogris/releases
SpatGRIS (still in beta mode, but quite stable):
https://github.com/GRIS-UdeM/SpatGRIS/releases
Octogris is officially available on SourceForge (you can see that it has been downloaded more than 2000 times since the first release of the version 3 in November 2015):
https://sourceforge.net/projects/octogr ... rce=navbar
Citations
- Manual page describing feature:
- Posts discussing issue:
- Media describing issue:
- MTL 105317 — VU Meters are not working anymore with SpatGRIS
- Yes
Workarounds:
To go back to DP 9.02
