Looking for a creative remedy to a small audio popping issue due to an AGC plug-in
MBprocess VST: AGC. Multiband compression. Limiting. Lots more features. And it's FREE! What's not to like?
Well, one thing, it turns out: when it's on the master out bus, it creates a random popping sound whenever playback is initiated (not such a big deal; I can handle that) and at the start of a typical buildmix (bigger deal; requires an edit of the built mix afterward. A bit of a pain.
My guess is that it's caused by the AGC starting up from whatever state it was at the end of the prior playback. I only say that because the pop varies with each playback (the stopping point of each prior playback being in a different spot). I also notice that if the last thing that played was no-audio-data silence, there is no pop next time playback is started. (so that's one work-around: play some silence before doing a buildmix)
I've tried fader automation to ramp up from zero to unity on the output track. That seemed to do the trick when I was in SAW32. Not cutting it in SAW64. (I don't know for sure that it's due to the SAW version; I just know that it used to work, now it doesn't, and the change happened around the same time that I switched SAW versions.)
I've tried a ramped unmuting of the output track. No dice. I'm out of ideas.
Got any? I'm hoping for something I can add to the session template for repeatable pop-free buildmixes when using MBProcess.
Re: Looking for a creative remedy to a small audio popping issue due to an AGC plug-i
I wonder if keeping SAW in live mode would eliminate the problem... ?
Re: Looking for a creative remedy to a small audio popping issue due to an AGC plug-i
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Richard Rupert
I wonder if keeping SAW in live mode would eliminate the problem... ?
Probably.
I hope someday there is a switch to just keep the engine active. That would solve a lot of issues for me.
Re: Looking for a creative remedy to a small audio popping issue due to an AGC plug-i
Quote:
Originally Posted by
MMP
Probably.
I hope someday there is a switch to just keep the engine active. That would solve a lot of issues for me.
isn't that what live mode does?
although not sure how that would work if your using SAC as the front end
Re: Looking for a creative remedy to a small audio popping issue due to an AGC plug-i
I would prefer a system preference type switch.
To have Live mode work, you need SAC or you need to set up a dummy input channel or virtual instrument and the switching between playback and record monitoring is clunky. So many reverbs and VST plugins expect a continuously running playback engine and I have had so many mix down files contaminated with reverb tails and pops at the top. My penance for using buffer withholding VSTs.
Re: Looking for a creative remedy to a small audio popping issue due to an AGC plug-i
Just a thought, don't have a dc offset by any chance?
also would it be possible to keep play going with a couple of seconds of silence to get rid of the reverb trail in memory?
It is a trap (the reverb trail added to the beginning of a playback) that catches me out many times.
Surely there must be a way for Bob to eliminate this issue?
Cheers
Re: Looking for a creative remedy to a small audio popping issue due to an AGC plug-i
Quote:
Originally Posted by
RobertV
Just a thought, don't have a dc offset by any chance?
also would it be possible to keep play going with a couple of seconds of silence to get rid of the reverb trail in memory?
It is a trap (the reverb trail added to the beginning of a playback) that catches me out many times.
Surely there must be a way for Bob to eliminate this issue?
Cheers
No DC offset. But it wouldn't matter because there's actually no audio for the first 100 ms, and I still get the pop.
No reverb. I use the MBprocess (AGC and more) VST for podcast post production. Voices and a little canned music. That's it.
For now my workaround is to remember to play a second of silence to reset the AGC before I do a buildmix. It's not horrible.
Actually, I just had an idea. I have a 100 ms fade-up at the start of the master output track that used to be the magic fix, but it stopped working lately. I just realized that it must be because I moved the AGC plugin to the post-fader FX patch point. Duh. Next time I'll put it back where it used to be (pre-fade patch point) and report back. But I bet that's it.
I leave the output fader at unity, so it should be no problem. Thanks for jogging my brain!
Re: Looking for a creative remedy to a small audio popping issue due to an AGC plug-i
Quote:
Originally Posted by
MMP
I would prefer a system preference type switch.
To have Live mode work, you need SAC or you need to set up a dummy input channel or virtual instrument and the switching between playback and record monitoring is clunky. So many reverbs and VST plugins expect a continuously running playback engine and I have had so many mix down files contaminated with reverb tails and pops at the top. My penance for using buffer withholding VSTs.
I tried live mode today. I agree, it's not fun to try to work this way. It actually works: no pops at the start of playback, BUT pops at the end of playback! What's up with that? Also, playback start is way too delayed. Turns my Ferrari into a VW bus (callback to Bob's original SAW metaphor from the late 20th century).
Hey, Michael, that Melda Productions suggestion you made (MLoudnessAnalyzer) is the bomb! Does everything I need and even includes an output control to dial in the loudness. For free. The only thing I'd want is a big numeric display or two, but it's really fine as-is. Thanks!
Interestingly, I'd downloaded the whole Melda installation EXE (all their stuff, free and free trials) within the previous week, but, for whatever reason, hadn't installed that particular VST. You're like my guardian angel. :cool:
Re: Looking for a creative remedy to a small audio popping issue due to an AGC plug-i
I often automate a mute on the output bus to avoid pops & reverb tails.
I actually had occasion to talk to Bob about the engine switch yesterday, and he said he is looking into moving SAW to a live engine, but that it is way more complex than one might think. Using SAC as a front end is probably the best fix in the meantime.
Re: Looking for a creative remedy to a small audio popping issue due to an AGC plug-i
Quote:
Originally Posted by
MMP
I often automate a mute on the output bus to avoid pops & reverb tails.
I actually had occasion to talk to Bob about the engine switch yesterday, and he said he is looking into moving SAW to a live engine, but that it is way more complex than one might think. Using SAC as a front end is probably the best fix in the meantime.
Yeah, I suppose a (ramped?) mute would be simpler than a fader ramp.
Thanks for the update on the engine. That could be a bit of a game changer for many of us. I still haven't tested my Apollo I/F, but I like its chances better if SAW's engine is live. Does that sound right? I'm only saying that based on passed stuff you've said.
I really should test out my X8p. I was waiting till I get the attic studio done, but it's gonna be a while. Till then I don't really have a use for more than a single input channel with my temp (going on nine-year) workstation setup amidst renovation chaos. Did I mention I'm in year nine?
Hey, how does SAC as a front-end help things, exactly?
