Bounce to Disk issue

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kemccarthy1
Posts: 42
Joined: Wed Sep 16, 2009 2:03 pm
Primary DAW OS: MacOS
Location: SF Bay Area

Bounce to Disk issue

Post by kemccarthy1 »

I'm having real problems with the sound of AIFF files from Bounce to Disk in my mixes. Since I've only noticed this recently it may have to do with the version of DP and/or High Sierra but most likely my workflow. If anyone has any suggestions please let me know.

Generally I've been hiding unused tracks in the tracks window, selecting the entirety of all the visible ones and using Bounce To Disk to AIFF format. I then playback the resulting AIFF file in iTunes and it sounds pretty awful - very much out of balance of the mix in DP. It is also much lower in volume. I've tried using other players - e.g. Vox - which sound better but considerably different in balance and volume than what I hear in DP.

All of the tracks I'm using are audio tracks with plugins in Inserts and sends using Aux channels, which often also have plugins and sends, that sum through to a single Master Fader. Is there something I'm obviously missing or is there an authoritative resource I can use that will help me to understand DP better? None of the resources I can find about learning general mixing techniques ever reference or use DP so I'm pretty much cobbling together my understanding wherever I can get it.

TIA.
iMac (Retina 5K, 2017) 4.2 GHz Intel Core i7 running 10.13.6 / 64GB RAM 2400 MHz DDR4/ DP 9.52 / Cubase 10.0.15 / UAD Apollo x8p / MOTU 828es / MOTU 8pre / Mackie 1604VLZ4 / Yamaha S80
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FMiguelez
Posts: 8266
Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2004 10:01 pm
Primary DAW OS: MacOS
Location: Body: Narco-México Soul/Heart: NYC

Re: Bounce to Disk issue

Post by FMiguelez »

As a test, try recording your full mix in real time, and listen to it in the other software you mentioned along the previous bounce. Is it different? If so, how, exactly?

How are you monitoring DP? What you hear should be what you get in the bounce, providing everything is routed to the master and you dial the bounce settings correctly.

Have you double checked the BTD settings are set correctly regarding Stereo, bit depth, SR, file format, etc?

It sounds to me as if some of your tracks, or even FX aux tracks are not making it to the master when you bounce due to being muted or not selected.
Are you sure you are including ALL your audio/MIDI/VI-tracks in the time-range selection?
This is especially important if you are not showing ALL tracks. You should make a test with everything showing, just in case.

This could be a PreGen issue...
If you have VI MIDI tracks, record them to audio first, THEN bounce.

Have you tried bouncing to WAV instead?
There shouldn't be any difference in the quality, but worth a quick test just to see what happens in this case.
Mac Mini Server i7 2.66 GHs/16 GB RAM / OSX 10.14 / DP 9.52
Tascam DM-24, MOTU Track 16, all Spectrasonics' stuff,
Vienna Instruments SUPER PACKAGE, Waves Mercury, slaved iMac and Mac Minis running VEP 7, etc.

---------------------------

"In physics the truth is rarely perfectly clear, and that is certainly universally the case in human affairs. Hence, what is not surrounded by uncertainty cannot be the truth." ― Richard Feynman
kemccarthy1
Posts: 42
Joined: Wed Sep 16, 2009 2:03 pm
Primary DAW OS: MacOS
Location: SF Bay Area

Re: Bounce to Disk issue

Post by kemccarthy1 »

FMiguelez wrote:As a test, try recording your full mix in real time, and listen to it in the other software you mentioned along the previous bounce. Is it different? If so, how, exactly?

How are you monitoring DP? What you hear should be what you get in the bounce, providing everything is routed to the master and you dial the bounce settings correctly.

Have you double checked the BTD settings are set correctly regarding Stereo, bit depth, SR, file format, etc?
Thanks FM, I first wanted to check that I wasn't somehow way off base and it sounds like the same checklist I've been using. I'm going to copy the sequence, remove all unused tracks, double check that everything is selected then record in real time down to a stereo track and match the results against a bounce.

I'm monitoring the master fader track out to a 828mk3's Main Outs which is then patched into a Mackie 1604VLZ4 on a stereo pair to a pair of monitor speakers and adjusted with stereo pair's faders.
iMac (Retina 5K, 2017) 4.2 GHz Intel Core i7 running 10.13.6 / 64GB RAM 2400 MHz DDR4/ DP 9.52 / Cubase 10.0.15 / UAD Apollo x8p / MOTU 828es / MOTU 8pre / Mackie 1604VLZ4 / Yamaha S80
kemccarthy1
Posts: 42
Joined: Wed Sep 16, 2009 2:03 pm
Primary DAW OS: MacOS
Location: SF Bay Area

Re: Bounce to Disk issue

Post by kemccarthy1 »

An update: A lot of this may be subjective as it's not obvious what was different, only that the balance seemed off, corroborated by a colleague so not just my damaged ears weighing in on this. For some reason it seems bouncing to WAV at 16 bits after going through MW Limiter with Dither set to 16 seems to be the best output. It sounds virtually the same as recording to a stereo track in real time and, other than a significant difference in volume, also matches the sound of the master in the mixing board.
If anyone else has any like experience, please share.
iMac (Retina 5K, 2017) 4.2 GHz Intel Core i7 running 10.13.6 / 64GB RAM 2400 MHz DDR4/ DP 9.52 / Cubase 10.0.15 / UAD Apollo x8p / MOTU 828es / MOTU 8pre / Mackie 1604VLZ4 / Yamaha S80
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