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SVP preview in Audiosculpt

AudioSculpt
#1

Hi Forum,

This is my first time using Ircam software, please forgive my ignorance regarding the inner processes of AS.

When I am using the built-in speakers on my Macbook Pro, I can play a sound file as well, as preview a sound file with processing on it (by clicking the SVP play button). However, when I run audio through my audio interface (http://www.presonus.com/products/FireBox/techspecs), using the SVP play causes it to sound extremely distorted, low quality output, and completely unintelligible. Why does this happen only when I use the Audio interface? I am wondering if there are some SVP settings I can adjust so that I can monitor my processes through the audio interface, as it is impossible to work with just the mac speakers

I am using a Macbook Pro (mid 2009) 10.10.3.

Hope you can help, and thanks for your time!
Brendan

#2

Hi Brendan,

This distorted sound might be a buffer issue.

In order to test from a standard configuration, set your audio configuration to run at 44.1 Khz first.

Then in the AudioSculpt Preferences panel select the Audio tab which gives you access to choose

  1. the output audio device directly (try to use this option also instead of setting it by default using the Audio & Midi configuration)
  2. and also to adjust the SuperVP Play latency (!! beware it is in seconds).

Try to adjust this SuperVP Play Latency, by default it should be at 0.1 seconds, push it to 0.2 and look if it is better. (You may also try in some cases to lower it). Adjust it until you find a proper configuration for your sound card.

Let us know if it solve your problem.

Best,
Charles

#3

Hi Charles,

I had tried most of the above previously, but had absentmindedly not considered lowering the latency. I found the results very interesting. The intensity of the audio distortion decreases slightly when I raise the latency to 0.2 seconds, but no matter how high I go after that it stay ‘moderately’ distorted. HOWEVER, if I lower the latency significantly (it seems to work ideally at 0.05) then the audio improves drastically.

Thank you very much for your time and help Charles!
Brendan

#4

Hi Brendan,

Glad to ear that tip improved the audio. I hope that ‘drastically’ means that you have a ‘normal’ output.
It may be interesting to see if changing the buffer size of your sound card have also an impact on the playback.
I do not know for sure on your configuration, but you may try also to alter it to see if you get a degradation or an improvement
with a bigger supervp playback latency than the sound card buffer size… or with a lower one.

NB: If you want to compare in samples, the supervp playback latency is in seconds, so you have to multiply it with the actual sample rate in Hz (44100 or 48000, etc… which is always the one used by the main audio configuration) to get the buffer size in sample size.

Best,
Charles

#5

Thanks Charles,

When I said drastic, yes I meant sounded normal. The sound from SVP playback is a bit temperamental, but is usually fine now, and if not its easy to fiddle with to get results. I would asssume however that this my be down to my budget gear rather than anything else

Thank you kindly,
Brendan