Audio Playback Slightly Slower?

[aerodynamics]

Are my ears playing tricks on me? I've noticed that playback in DP is slightly slower than my drum machine or synth. It's barely noticeable but I can really tell when I'm recording lyrics. I find myself having to slow down for the beat - the groove is lost, momentum is gone - whereas when I'm reciting to the drum machine, I'm right on point. I'm not working with MIDI and don't think its a clock issue (fyi - I do have it set to internal). I'm simply recording 4 bars of music into DP and looping it over and over, cutting stuff in and out where needed. At first I thought it was the slight latency coming through the headphones throwing me off. So I muted playback on the vocal track while recording lyrics but still had to slow down for the beat. I went with it anyway and finished the song.

So now everythings mixed down and I bring it into my ipod for auditioning and that's where it really sounds slow.

I wondering if the sample rate conversion has something to do with it. Both my drum machine and synth are 44.1, 16bit and I'm recording them into DP at 88.2, 24bit through an 828MKII. They go back down to 44.1, 16 when everything's tracked and mixed.

Anyone else notice this? Or am I just crazy?

[Shooshie]

I doubt it, but if you want to check, just record a track of drum hits, then line up your tracks and see if the peaks are drifting. Never underestimate the power of the human mind to alter tempos in different situations. I've heard students swear that their metronomes actually sped up when they would play certain passages in their practice etudes.

On the other hand, you may have something going on in the translation. Try my suggestion. See if you can discern a drift.

Shooshie

<small>[ June 01, 2005, 02:37 PM: Message edited by: Shooshie ]</small>

[wynsmth]

If the loop is not set just right, that can add a slight amount of additional time to the loop and make it feel like it is dragging.

[aerodynamics]

Thanks for the suggestions. I will try both when I get home tonight. Wayne, you raise an interesting point. I record my loops to the internal countoff click and while I like to think I'm right on point, you could be entirely correct that it's just slightly off. Maybe I should start tracking w/ sync. lol.

[wynsmth]

From what I understand the internal click is not steady at all. I have never used it but I have read about it many times. Also when you make the selection of the area you want to loop, that needs to be very accurate too. If you add a little dead air or chop it off slightly too soon that can make it feel wierd.

[blazingrythm]

Back when I was the substitute drummer for the Starnglers' 1987 tour I got the gig because their drummer complained that the drum machine he was playing to was speeding up.
It turned out he had a case of the shingles and needed some down time (no pun intended).
It's probably something technical but don't rule out the possibility of it being something to do with being excited about laying down a vocal track. Adrenaline does funny things to ones perception of time sometimes (no pun intended here either).

[aerodynamics]

It's crazy how musicians think alike. I definitely get a rush being on the mic and thought that had something to do with it. I was trying everything to calm down - reciting lyrics rather than reading them, closing my eyes trying to forget the mic was there, etc. But just knowing you're recording is a feeling you can't escape. It's like stage fright, knowing the red light on the camera is on. Just too bad I can't blame it on the software.

[Timeline]

Psychorthmatic should be the answer here.

Ever add instruments to a drum track and perceive dragging?
When this happens sometimes you have to ignore it.

I cut the basics and actually hear the track with more life and energy only to complete the arrangement and bog it down.

It's a little unknown subject in music production that seems to be up for an interesting study of the brains ability to perceive rhythm and tone like the commonly understood concept of phycoacoustic.

Is louder better? Is softer? Why does a live band recorded or large orchestra arrangements sound more cohesive than overdubs? is it that 1/64 push of the tempo?

The scientists have studied tone perception but not rhythm because our brains are really different here.

A good jazz drummer can count in time signatures that when I hear them almost don't make sense at all yet with music it comes together.

Here's one. When you recently listened to "the Eagles" ply live did the tracks sound in time or slow to you? I heard them both ways but I wonder if a groove back when these guys were 22 years old would have been allot different. So does age make a difference?

It's one of the cool mysteries and I appreciate finding others discovering and questioning their own clock perceptions.

I think we are always learning.

Cheers,

[wonder]

The best thing to do in my mind is to FIRST set up a click track that is definitely pressed exact.
Then, line up your loop and listen a few minutes in to see if its drifted.
I can say for myself, if this has any effect, that once i STOPPED using the internal metronome and went of ANYTHING internal, including the clock, my recordings got tighter and better.

[motumacman]

try setting your buffer to 64 and them record, i noticed a slight shift in the audio if the buffer is anything other than 64....