DP 10 and VocAlign project

[amplidood]

Does anyone have this combo working? I just get "Error communicating with VocAlign."

[HCMarkus]

I've been using it in Stand-Alone Mode without issue. Haven't tried opening from DP lately.

[mikehalloran]

I had it working in Demo mode. There are some steps missing or not clear — I forget which.
https://www.synchroarts.com/AppSupport/ ... former.htm

MOTU Support was as baffled as I was but they had the link to download the demo file, something I couldn't find. If you need that link, it's in an email somewhere. While trying to make the demo file work, I figured out more or less where the instructions are wrong. I did get it working though.

I found VocAlign Project totally useless for what I'm doing so I let the demo expire and removed it from my system. I also tried the Standalone—same thing.

Pretty sure that the quality of the vocal tracks I'm dealing with is the real culprit — perhaps if If was producing any form of pop music nowadays, it would have worked. I sure the heck wanted it to — that'd be a major time saver.

[HCMarkus]

It works well if one is very picky about avoiding breaths at the front end of vocal takes... cut tight to the first word and the end of the phrase. Results have been good for me with this approach.

[amplidood]

Okay. So this must be something to do with the new security set up in Catalina. When I run sessions from my internal drive, DP and Vocalign do their thing like they always do. External drives, no. I've given both apps Full Disk Access in the security settings, and DP automation permisssions for VocAlign. Not sure what else I would be missing here.

[Maxxy]

Amplidood …Wow! Thanks so much

I have missed the great integration VocAlign used to have with DP….

I always run my projects from an external HD. …. Your last post alerted me to the fact that you are, in fact, able to run VocAlign fully integrated in DP IF the DP project is located on the System..or Internal….HD. Hmmmmm … Sadly I hadn’t ever considered that...till your post… For some years I just thought that VocAlign no longer worked in DP as before

So, just now, I tried the DPVocAlignTutorial …https://www.synchroarts.com/downloads/V ... roject.zip
(thank you for that Mike…. great link) on both my regular external Audio Projects disk … and then again from my User > Documents folder…..You’re right! ….it does work fully integrated if the DP project is running off the System drive!! ( : Brilliant! ( :

That’s a great insight!! …. I had been using VocAlign in stand-alone mode…(though more and more occasionally, as Revoice Pro is now an incredible step beyond if you must go to a stand-alone app anyway) ….. But using the VA stand-alone app is really quite a drag if you’ve previously enjoyed the full integration

Alas you are also right that VA doesn’t function correctly in DP projects located on an external drive …I get the same ‘Error communicating with VocAlign’ message as you do…. it doesn’t work as it should

But the speed and ease of VocAlign running well within DP is a mighty tool..…. I wonder why external disks cause it to act all ornery? …sorry I can’t help you with that but please update if you get any further Amplidood…

Also….it would be so awesome if Revoice Pro could be updated to run within DP as well as VocAlign can… a request

Also …it seems that the old “best HD practice for DAWs” methods are out of date? I read here recently that it is actually preferable to put your audio projects (and libraries? ) on the one internal system disk. I forget exactly… but it is a new approach for me….an approach that VocAlign Project would appear to be happy with….

So… just one big System/Projects/Libraries disk for everything? Is this single HD setup the new normal or best practice?

Thank you all

[HCMarkus]

Alas you are also right that VA doesn’t function correctly in DP projects located on an external drive …I get the same ‘Error communicating with VocAlign’ message as you do…. it doesn’t work as it should.

I just time aligned a passel of vocal overdubs using VA Project from within DP (I was inspired by this thread to try it again, as I had poor results in the past and had been using VA in stand-alone mode for some time.).

Like Maxxy, I loved the results... VA worked perfectly, seamlessly talking to DP.

Unlike Maxxy, I was running my project from my Project SSD (internal SATA drive, NOT my boot drive.)

So we may need to differentiate between Boot Drive, Other internal Drives and External Drives in this analysis. Aren't computers fun!

[Maxxy]

Nice HCMarkus!

Yes.... we haven't pinned down exactly where the glitch is .... I only have one internal disk on my MacMini, my boot disk, so I can't get any further. Maybe it is simply an internal vs. external HD problem as your experience suggests?

Perhaps SynchroArts could chime in with some thoughts at this stage?

Happy days ( :

[Maxxy]

I've asked them about it ... will update

[Maxxy]

Ok.... so it took a while.... eventually spoke with tech support who was pleased to hear that there are DP fans and hear this story... he feels it's more on MOTU's side.... "VA Project simply looks at where the audio points to" .. So it seems to be a bit up in the air.

He did also say that there would be something new from them sometime in the New Year... something that we might find pleasing ( :

I'd love to see Revoice Pro integration...

Let's see ... fingers crossed

Best

[Maxxy]

Hi amplidood and HC Markus

SynchroArts asked for the details of what versions are running successfully

I am DP 10.13, Mac Mini late 2018 i7, Catalina 10.15.7, VA Project 3.5.1.1

If you post or PM me your relevant info…I could pass it on … or you could email them directly?

It may help them in their support of us

Gotta try eh? ( :

Cheers and thanks

[toddbooster]

I wish someone could tell me why Vacalign Project integration is completely unsupported in the Windows version of DP.

[HCMarkus]

VocAlign Project has only partial functionality in DP11. I"ve written to Synchroarts and MOTU requesting that they work to restore functionality.

In my case, running my 5,1 Mac Pro under Mojave, I am able to get DP11 to export Guide and Dub files to VocAlign only if I select regions within soundbites (double clock soundbite, then click and drag to highlight a region) then use the "Set Guide" or "Set Dub" commands in DP. When I try to apply the VocAlign process, DP simply imports the unaltered Dub File back into its original position.

If I apply processing then save the resulting file from the VocAlign application itself, I can then import the file back into DP. But this process is certainly more time consuming.

[HCMarkus]

Hi amplidood and HC Markus

SynchroArts asked for the details of what versions are running successfully

I am DP 10.13, Mac Mini late 2018 i7, Catalina 10.15.7, VA Project 3.5.1.1

If you post or PM me your relevant info…I could pass it on … or you could email them directly?

It may help them in their support of us

Gotta try eh? ( :

Cheers and thanks

Just seeing this Maxxy. I'll try a little VocAlign in DP10.13, hopefully later today, and see what happens.

[HCMarkus]

I just picked up VocAlign Project 5 for $33 (upgrade from VAP3), on sale until 10/25.

It works with DP10.13 (just tested by me) and reportedly good with DP11 as well. The approach is very different from the last version; it now operates as a plugin in DP, but you don't have to set up "like to like" areas in Guide and Dub tracks. It actually make its changes in real time, so files will need to be bounced if you don't want to leave the plugin active on every aligned track.

ARA DAWs like Logic make it simpler. Hopefully DP will add that functionality soon.

The versions only differ in the way audio signals are brought into VocAlign Project 5 and how the Output is returned to the DAW.

The AU (ARA) plug-in is applied to the track and the user “Captures” the digital audio directly as the designated Guide or Dub in an instant transfer process. The advantages of this approach are that the capture is faster and you can bounce the processed audio to disc.
It's important to understand that the ARA version loads as a single 'extension' in Logic Pro, and although it might appear that you're adding the plugin to each discrete region being processed, you are in fact adding those regions to the same single instance of VocAlign Project 5 ARA.

The AU (Real-time capture) plug-in version is also a track insert plug-in and involves making a real-time playback to capture both the Guide (as a side chain input) and the Dub simultaneously. The main advantage of this approach is that you can start and stop the capture of the Guide and Dub at any points in your session. The main disadvantage is that if you export the Output to replace the input Dub it removes the plug in, and there is no undo to restore the plugin to modify the processing.

I think that "disadvantage" can be overcome in DP by Bounce or Freeze. Haven't tried yet.

NOTE: If you have both VocAlign Project 3 and VocAlign Project 5 installed, you’ll see both of them listed in Logic's Audio FX menu, as VocAlign Project and VocAlign Project 5, respectively.