DP 9 and TC Master X3

[gavspen]

Hi all,

I just installed DP 9. What a lovely splash screen! Unfortunately however, it's not playing well with a plug I use all the time, the TC Powercore Master X3.

When live audio is running through the Master X3, it introduces a slight bit of latency. Not much, but just enough to mess up any singer/voice over guy. This did not happen with any previous versions of DP that I've run it on.

I see that in the DP 9 "Getting Started" guide it warns that certain plugins (TC included) require Automatic Latency Compensation, (and that this only works on playback only, not live audio) but it says the same thing in the DP 8 guide (and presumably earlier ones too) and this has never been an issue before.

If anyone else here is using TC plugs, what has been your experience? Any fix you know of?

Thanks.

[buhardilla]

I'm a happy old TC FW-Powercore plugins user on DP9 (mainly VSS3&DVR revs). Since 32Lives was released almost all TC plugins run fantastic in my DP setup (DP 9.51+32Lives 2.0.3+PoCo software 4.5.0b72+ OS 10.12.6). Fabric R, DeNoise, TC Thirty, Vintage amp Room and Vintage guitar pedal bundle are the exception, but I haven't yet seen problems with Master X5 and TCMasterX3 plugins. Have you try to raise DP buffer size? Are you software updated?

[gavspen]

Hi bruhardilla,

I see you say you are using Powercore, but the rack mounted Firewire thing, right? I'm using the internal card, the PCI Express. Is that the difference? Do you use your plugs with live audio, or just when mixing? It's the live audio scenario that isnt working, due to latency.

Whatever the reason....Firewire versus PCI Express, or whatever else....the frustrating thing is it works fine with DP 8, but not with 9. Grrrrrrr!

[gavspen]

Ok, I just discovered Powercore's "no latency mode". The answer to my dreams, I thought. You click on the little logo and the plug enters this mode, and latency magically goes away (the trade off being more strain on your CPU).

Be nice if it worked. It might get rid of latency, but it also inexplicably shuts off the output, so even if it is now perfectly aligned, you cant hear it. What the heck?

Sigh......

[buhardilla]

Hi bruhardilla,

I see you say you are using Powercore, but the rack mounted Firewire thing, right? I'm using the internal card, the PCI Express. Is that the difference?

Yes, I own a PoCo firewire unit. But I don't think that PCI data bus was the culprit. As you wrote: with DP8 works fine

Hi bruhardilla,
Do you use your plugs with live audio, or just when mixing? It's the live audio scenario that isnt working, due to latency.

Ok! I think you are right on this: I just use PoCo plugins in mixing, never for live audio. As I wrote before, the typical live audio plugins (TCthirty , Vintage amp room, vintage guitar pedals) don't work well. Unfortunately PoCo platform was abandoned 7 years ago and we mustn't expect update/tech support for future new DAW versions

[gavspen]

Hi bruhardilla,

I see you say you are using Powercore, but the rack mounted Firewire thing, right? I'm using the internal card, the PCI Express. Is that the difference?

Yes, I own a PoCo firewire unit. But I don't think that PCI data bus was the culprit. As you wrote: with DP8 works fine

Hi bruhardilla,
Do you use your plugs with live audio, or just when mixing? It's the live audio scenario that isnt working, due to latency.

Ok! I think you are right on this: I just use PoCo plugins in mixing, never for live audio. As I wrote before, the typical live audio plugins (TCthirty , Vintage amp room, vintage guitar pedals) don't work well. Unfortunately PoCo platform was abandoned 7 years ago and we mustn't expect update/tech support for future new DAW versions

Yes it was discontinued and I'm not expecting any updates I can assure you! The crazy thing is that it works fine in DP 8 (as mentioned). Nothing has changed with Powercore, but obviously something has changed from DP 8 to DP 9. I know they have implemented a new audio engine (whatever that means), but presumable that is supposed to improve matters not mess things up!

I thought I'd have a solution with the "No Latency Mode" but that's killing output. Could you try that with your setup? Click the little Powercore logo at the bottom left of the plugin. It will glow red. Can you still hear output?

[PhireAlly]

Hi,
I've also recently moved from DP 7.24 to DP 9.5.1.
I'm running a TC Powercore Compact (Firewire) via an OWC Thunderbolt 2 hub.
Also, DP 9.5.1 is being run in 32bit mode ... as the Powercore isn't recognized when in 64 bit mode.
(Strange that in Presonus' Studio One 3.5.5 (64bit Mode) using jBridgeM, it works fine.)

To your question ... I'm not experiencing that behavior on my system.

Hope that's helpful.
Blessings,
PhireAlly

[gavspen]

Hope that's helpful.

Not in the slightest, how could it be? Yours is working, mine isnt. ...haha.

But seriously folks...You're running the Firewire thing so not sure if we can make a direct comparison.

Did you have to jump through hoops to get your Powercore software to be recognized in Mavericks? I had to replace a bunch of .kext files with earlier versions. Did you have to do that?

Are you using it with live audio, or just in mix mode?

I am running 32bit of course.

This is very, very frustrating.

[PhireAlly]

Hey Gavspen,

I know how you feel, I've had my share of Powercore frustration as well.
El Capitan was a nightmare for my Powercore !!! So much so that I never mixed with my Powercore until I moved to Sierra.
Yosemite was rock solid for me...(maybe a software upgrade may help) as it did for me.

I gave up my PCI Powercore's when I moved from G4 Macs to G5's, so I can't speak to them personally.

Check the TC Powercore forum..if you haven't already done so. It helped me quite a bit.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help.
Blessings,
PhireAlly

[PhireAlly]

Did you have to jump through hoops to get your Powercore software to be recognized in Mavericks? I had to replace a bunch of .kext files with earlier versions. Did you have to do that?

Are you using it with live audio, or just in mix mode?

Yes to the kext file modifications but as I recall it was mostly to get the Powercore software installed.
For El Capitan, there was a method posted on the Powercore forum that helped with the Powercore hardware being recognized... but it was super unstable (Crashes Galore).

I don't remember what (if any) issues I've had under Mavericks but it never rubbed me the wrong way as El Cap did.

I don't use it in live mode ... Mix Only but when I tested live mode...it worked as expected.

Blessing,
PhireAlly

[gavspen]

Did you have to jump through hoops to get your Powercore software to be recognized in Mavericks? I had to replace a bunch of .kext files with earlier versions. Did you have to do that?

Are you using it with live audio, or just in mix mode?

Yes to the kext file modifications but as I recall it was mostly to get the Powercore software installed.
For El Capitan, there was a method posted on the Powercore forum that helped with the Powercore hardware being recognized... but it was super unstable (Crashes Galore).

I don't remember what (if any) issues I've had under Mavericks but it never rubbed me the wrong way as El Cap did.

I don't use it in live mode ... Mix Only but when I tested live mode...it worked as expected.

Blessing,
PhireAlly

I would try upgrading to Yosemite but I dont know how to get an installer. I had one for a while but when I tried to use it recently it didnt work. Got corrupted somehow and the app store wont let me download it again.

I have been to the Powercore forum but no response so far. Powercore's been discontinued so long probably no one reads it anymore.

I would love to find a replacement for the Master X3 (which I use all the time) and just forget it, but nothing else I've tried is as simple to use. So easy to tweak for a Luddite like me.

If you get a minute try yours with live audio and see what happens. If there's no latency I'll be REALLY annoyed.

Thanks for posting.

[PhireAlly]

I would love to find a replacement for the Master X3 (which I use all the time) and just forget it, but nothing else I've tried is as simple to use. So easy to tweak for a Luddite like me.

May I suggest ... IkMultimedia's "ONE" Mastering Processor. It's very simple to operate and it sounds fantastic.
Izotope Ozone 8 (Elements or Standard) features their Master Assistant, which intelligently listens to your audio and suggests a starting point for you to begin tweaking.

Both I think would be fine replacements for Master X3 and they both support Mavericks.

P.S.... "ONE" is 64bit only

Blessings,
PhireAlly

[gavspen]

I would love to find a replacement for the Master X3 (which I use all the time) and just forget it, but nothing else I've tried is as simple to use. So easy to tweak for a Luddite like me.

May I suggest ... IkMultimedia's "ONE" Mastering Processor. It's very simple to operate and it sounds fantastic.
Izotope Ozone 8 (Elements or Standard) features their Master Assistant, which intelligently listens to your audio and suggests a starting point for you to begin tweaking.

Both I think would be fine replacements for Master X3 and they both support Mavericks.

P.S.... "ONE" is 64bit only

Blessings,
PhireAlly

Those look like good products but frankly, kind of overkill for what I'm using the Master X3 for. I'm using it for VO (not music mastering). The expander acts like a gate (what's the difference anyway??) the three band compressor is so easy to use, and I dont know what the limiter does...haha.

Thanks for the suggestions though.