Please help, Fairchild clicks in audio mixdown render

[Arrowfan]

Greets all,

I've been using my UAD-1 card for a few years now. But I need to finally eliminate the artifacts I'm getting using the Fairchild comp.

* Cubase SX 3.1 (PC)

* Fairchild is in a master output channel insert slot (not the last one in line, sometimes Waves L3 in final post-fader slot)

* Using command \"Export Audio Mixdown\"

Result: sometimes there are clicks in the mixdown audio, about 50 % of time. Only occures if Fairchild is used.

- neither cpu or UAD meter are running near to max processor usage

- clicks do not occure during normal playback/listening, only from the export audio mixdown command

I've been using various workarounds, but I'd really like to get this ironed out!! I love the Fairchild for mastering compression.

Any help much appreciated

 

[petersueco]

Try to export in Real Time mode. You should also close all UAD-1 plug-in windows before you export.

Peter Holmquist

 

[Phil Chamney]

I concur. Use Real Time mode. Just pretend you're mixing 2\" down to 1/4\" and have a drink
ETA: Leave yourself some top and tail. At least 3 seconds for Wavelab or Cubase.

 

[Awesom-o]

So is it better to always do real-time mixdowns to avoid glitches? Or just when using the Fairchild?

Cheers

 

[Celsius]

Any Antares Autotune involved?

 

[Arrowfan]

OK, thanks for replies ...

by 'export in real time mode', I assume you mean rout Main Out pair back into an Input pair of the audio interface, setup up a stereo track within host and record input. Right?

I do use this method, often with a slight detour ...

Main out -> FMR RNC [set to gentle limiting] -> Sebatron dual ch. tube pre -> RME inputs -> Cubase. I figure if the signal is running through the analog I/O that I might as well give it some tube warmth.

But getting back on topic: Lets say just Main Outs to recorded Input pair, the audio will be recorded at same bit dpth & samp res as the multichannel playback (24 bit/88.2Khz).

So, I'll still need to dither down to 16bit/44.1Khz using the 'export audio mixdown' command. Of course, this does eliminate the Fairchild artifacts but (unless using the tube pres) it just seems like a less than ideal extra step, trip through the ADACs, etc.

Is this how most of you are making your mix-masters?? (mix-master: mixdown and mastering in single export)

Btw, no Autotune involved. But that reminds me of something else I suspected may be causing the artifacts... plugin delay compensation? As in a lot of plugins that require delay comp. I noticed combining the UAD Puteq Pro and Fairchild greatly increased chances of the click artifacts showing up. I dunno.

I suppose the ideal way to do this real time export is with another device recording at 16bit/44.1KHz. An Apogee 2 ch. would sure do the job nice....

 

[Awesom-o]

OK, thanks for replies ...

by 'export in real time mode', I assume you mean rout Main Out pair back into an Input pair of the audio interface, setup up a stereo track within host and record input. Right?

On the "export audio mixdown" screen (which you get when you select File->Export->Audio Mixdown) there is a tick box near the bottom-left that says "real time export". If you tick this, the audio will be mixed down to the file you specify in real time, ie. you have to wait for cubase to play thru the entire song, at the end of which it will have generated an audio file on disk containing your mixdown. There's no need to route any outputs to any inputs in order to do this!

Cheers

 

[Arrowfan]

there is a tick box near the bottom-left that says \"real time export\"

Oh FFS!!! Well, better now than never.

I also noticed this in the <cough> Op manual, \"Some VST plugins require this to have time to update correctly during mixdown\".

Well at least I percieved that part right, yikes.

Cheers, much appreciated!