Calibrating settings for audio input & playback timing

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stubbsonic
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Calibrating settings for audio input & playback timing

Post by stubbsonic »

I want to make sure that the audio tracks I'm recording are playing back as I played them in, in relation to the rest of the tracks. However, I'm not sure if I have set this up correctly. I've been using the defaults, which seem ok, but sometimes things I record seem more ahead of the beat than when I played them in. (That could, of course, be my own rhythmic room-for-improvement, but I'd like to make sure).

There is the issue of MIDI playback and the issue of latency, buffer size, etc.

Could someone please give me a detailed walk through of how to set make all these adjustments and which settings matter most/least? I have consulted the getting started manual but it wasn't specific enough about how to go about it.

If someone can point me in the right direction, I'd appreciate it.
M1 MBP; OS 12, FF800, DP 11.3, Kontakt 7, Reaktor 6, PC3K7, K2661S, iPad6, Godin XTSA, Two Ibanez 5 string basses (1 fretted, 1 fretless), FM3, SY-1000, etc.

http://www.jonstubbsmusic.com
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HCMarkus
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Re: Calibrating settings for audio input & playback timing

Post by HCMarkus »

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=63021

and

viewtopic.php?f=26&t=63940&p=546919&hil ... ng#p546919

may prove informative. :smash:

Also, enable the "Sync MIDI" preference in DP's "MIDI Solo & Patch Thru" preferences. This works great with smaller buffer sizes, as it places the recorded MIDI at the time you hear the VI respond while performing a part, compensating for the natural inclination to play slightly ahead of the beat so as to hear the resulting sound in time.
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stubbsonic
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Re: Calibrating settings for audio input & playback timing

Post by stubbsonic »

I'll read through those tonight. Thanks!!
M1 MBP; OS 12, FF800, DP 11.3, Kontakt 7, Reaktor 6, PC3K7, K2661S, iPad6, Godin XTSA, Two Ibanez 5 string basses (1 fretted, 1 fretless), FM3, SY-1000, etc.

http://www.jonstubbsmusic.com
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stubbsonic
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Re: Calibrating settings for audio input & playback timing

Post by stubbsonic »

Those threads were useful in realizing that I'm not the only one who might be experiencing some suspicious behavior.

It would be so helpful to know what the steps are to check this. I wasn't fully understanding how people were testing this.

I just tested the click by recording a few bars of clicks bussed to a track. Out of 12 clicks, and only one was slightly late (not problematic, just visually later than all the others which were right on the money).

I put some MIDI notes on a track with the pencil tool, then recorded the VI being triggered by those quantized notes. And everything was spot on.

Next I need to patch a click out through a buss, then record that click back in through my interface to see if the audio chain is working as it should. Is that a sufficient test?

I need a good method for testing my external MIDI played live against the click.
M1 MBP; OS 12, FF800, DP 11.3, Kontakt 7, Reaktor 6, PC3K7, K2661S, iPad6, Godin XTSA, Two Ibanez 5 string basses (1 fretted, 1 fretless), FM3, SY-1000, etc.

http://www.jonstubbsmusic.com
magicd
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Re: Calibrating settings for audio input & playback timing

Post by magicd »

First step: Place some sort of transient signal in an audio track. Send that signal to an output on the audio interface and loop that signal back to an input. Record to a second track. You need to know that the recorded signal lines up with the original. Use Record Offset to adjust.

Second step: Have a MIDI track trigger an external sound module. Record the returning audio. Compare the recorded audio to the MIDI note. Use Playback Offset to adjust.

MIDI modules can be all over the place with timing. Don't be surprised if you get different results from different external modules.

Dave
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HCMarkus
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Re: Calibrating settings for audio input & playback timing

Post by HCMarkus »

magicd wrote:First step: Place some sort of transient signal in an audio track. Send that signal to an output on the audio interface and loop that signal back to an input. Record to a second track. You need to know that the recorded signal lines up with the original. Use Record Offset to adjust.

Second step: Have a MIDI track trigger an external sound module. Record the returning audio. Compare the recorded audio to the MIDI note. Use Playback Offset to adjust.

MIDI modules can be all over the place with timing. Don't be surprised if you get different results from different external modules.

Dave
Dave, note that DP's timing vs external MIDI varies with buffer size. Perhaps MOTU can address this...
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stubbsonic
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Re: Calibrating settings for audio input & playback timing

Post by stubbsonic »

Thanks, Magic Dave. I will try all those tests today.

I am mostly using an external MIDI controller to play internal VI's.

I think I'd need to do something like record the click along with the live VI signal-- then compare that to the MIDI notes. (I think that's what someone did on the other thread, but I had a hard time understanding it, until I thought it through for myself).
M1 MBP; OS 12, FF800, DP 11.3, Kontakt 7, Reaktor 6, PC3K7, K2661S, iPad6, Godin XTSA, Two Ibanez 5 string basses (1 fretted, 1 fretless), FM3, SY-1000, etc.

http://www.jonstubbsmusic.com
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