Dropouts on bounces using UAD-1/G5

[pellefri]

Hi.

Anyone experienced dropouts!!! on bounces/offline bounces ?
I get it randomly, becoming kind of a nightmare....

My setup... G5 2x2, 1.5Gb, Logic 7, Fireface, 2xUAD, powercore with Sony Oxford EQ... 10.3.6...

I suspect there is something with the UAD/L7/G5 combination (well there are but have not heard about this..
Getting a bump/click everytime when playing/bouncing at the start of an audiofile (region) It seems it happens when the Precision Limiter is used.

Have experimented with all tweaks I have found yet... (energysaver, macjanitor, no journaling, latency of 1024. MGT? 64, disabling cards...) , even pulled the fridge out during the session.....

I had similar experiences a year ago but on XP.... well if the UAD plugs did not sound so nice the cards would be thrown out... a long time ago..

Any ideas?

Best,
Pelle Fridell

 

[dido1]

put a higher buffer in logic...1024 or 2048.

 

[pellefri]

Hi,
and thanks for your reply

Well I got the dropouts at max buffer 1024... Tried pulling one of the UAD cards out, and only doing realtime bounces.

Still get a bump/click at start when using Precision Limiter...

Will check what happens using the internal soundcard next. Then pulling the PowerCore out...

Best,
Pelle Fridell

G5 2x2 newer 1,5 Gb ram
Logic 7/6
UAD-1
PoCo element
Fireface

 

[pellefri]

Hi,

an update...

I pulled one UAD-1 out, but still get bumps when start playing an audio file (Logic 7, Waveburner tested). Seems like PL and Pultec are the (only?) ones giving big bumps...

Did a bounce from Waveburner (offline, no option to do realtime. Then burned files in Jam) and so far it seems ok without problems..... hmm..

Pelle

 

[UAJames]

Hi Pellefri,
I'll look into reproducing this. Just to make sure I have it all correct:

2 UAD-1 cards clicks and pops on playback/bounce (both realtime and offline?)

Precision Limiter and Pultec seem to be the culprits (do you have pultec pro? If so does it give same results in place of pultec?)

Using only 1 UAD-1 *seems* to be normal with the bounces, but still getting the click upon start of playback.

Do I have that right?

 

[pellefri]

Hi,
thanks for your reply, very nice with your feedback.

Yes I have the Pultec Pro... not checked the ordinary. I have the same problems with one card as with two.. well have not experienced dropouts one bounces with one. But I have been very careful and almost.. only used realtime bounce..

The bumps/clicks on playback/bounce are sometimes louder, sometimes not at all. I found a workaround doing some automation (fade in)

Yesterday I pulled one card out and today tried swapping PCI slots. I'm also using a Powercore with the Sony Oxford EQ. UAD-1 in slot 4 and PC in slot 2 (if the Viddeo cad is slot 1) But no change. Have not yet pulled the PC out... need it for some projects (as the UAD.. )

Did a mix session (bigband) today and no bumps using some 1176, Sony EQ, TC Verbs, no Pultec/PL. Was tempted trying some but time was short...

Later a mastering... (I'm behind schedule..) Got bumps on all tracks using Sony EQ, Pultec Pro, Fairchild.
Did at last offlinebounces (4 am:javascript:emoticon('')) with tracks start/fade etc in L7 (burning in Jam) just using PL (one stereo 24/44.1 track) My fade in trick worked for the starts, but got some short audio (about 1024 samples?) after fade out. This was on all bounces.

All this was while using RME Fireface (on fw800), L7. G5 Dual 2x2, 1.5 Gb ram. UAD-1, PoCo. Using different Maxtor Firewire disks (fw400). 1024 samples, processorbuffer small/medium (most small) Mngmt? 64 and ticked setting for the PCI controller in UAD settings.

Best,

Pelle Fridell

 

[pouncey]

the one plugin i have gotten clicks on (in btd) is precision limiter. just a nod to that. dual 2.5 g5, DP, os 10.3.6. the other plug ins appear to work fine. i'll experiment some more.

 

[UAJames]

Hi Pellefri,
The only way I was able to reproduce the clicks was using a low buffer (like 128) and bouncing \"offline\". I wasn't able to hear any clicks/pops on playback. The only odd thing is that you are getting the problems only with the Pultec (possibly pultec-pro) and the precision limiter. The only thing both of these plugins have in common is they both have an additional 13 samples of latency, but that amount is reported to the host (it's not a mysterious secret amount or anything ). Try using a Medium process buffer in Logic, or possibly even Large, but most users have found Medium to work best. Also, try running the session off of an internal drive instead of the FW drive. If you don't have a 2nd internal drive, try off of the system drive and see if makes any different, specifically with the clicks you get at the start of playback. It could very well be that it is not loading enough buffers ahead of time (lower process buffer) and when you start, the FW data stacks don't get the following buffers to the engine in time and you get the click(s). If this is the case, it would also explain why they would be there in a bounce for the same reason. I would suggest using a second SATA in the G5 for your audio drive. A SATA drive will completely smoke the performance you would get from a FW drive

 

[pellefri]

Hi James,
and thanks for your reply. I use mostly external FW400 disks (maxtor), but will get another internal disk... It's kind of practical using external separating projects....

Nice to hear you dont have the probs... I is this with one or two dsp-cards? I'm thinking it might have something to do with having the PC inn combination with UAD-1... Just hard to pull one of them out.. they serve different purposes..
I have found a workaround, making a fade in the beginning af a region. (with the fadetool, not automation but works too) I still get some audio at last when bouncing (just using PL). Sounds like a bufferthing? As far I can see it only happens with PL.

Best regards,
Pelle Fridell

 

[xanth]

I,ve had similar problems using G5 2x1.8 L7 Motu 828 1x UADcard.I've messed around with buffers and even installed another WD10000rpm Raptor drive.Try freezing tracks first if that doesn't work bounce the mix and open another master session and the plugs work fine,which suggests maybe cpu headroom probs??You certainly don't get the amount of tracks originally quoted(g5) in their propoganda oops sorry sales pitch. :?