BR1GHT PR1MATE
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BOSTON

Recently I've been doing a lot of recording with lsdj instruments at low volume levels (like say E17 - E47 in PW) for certain timbre / sample necessities, and around there the crackly poppily noise floor issues become really apparent, especially with WAV channel synths and if you do anything interesting in tables. blah blah blah we all know this. I have my techniques for how to deal with it (basically just record parts multiple times then comp the best part of each and clean up what's left in post), but am wondering what you all do to get the most clean-ish recordings?

Also, as a person who has always used DMGs and Colors, does this happen to any lesser degree with Advance series and SP2s? I suppose recording from emulation is a possibility, but I'd like to avoid that if possible.

Saskrotch
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Chicago IL

I've been working on a remix of one of my old LSDJ tracks in Ableton the past couple days. I've been mostly writing around it (adding more instruments around it so it's not really noticible), but if you're feeling obsessive compulsive, you can zoom way into the wave form and get rid of the clicks. You can usually see them. It's usually a little dip at the beginning of each note.

I don't really know any good ways to avoid it in writing.

Saskrotch
Offline
Chicago IL

Oh shit acutally, I dunno why I didn't think of this before. You could try having a big volume boost, and then have a gate set up with a quick attack/release, and then a volume drop? I haven't tried this I just put it together in my head. But I feel like if you spend some time with it you could get something passable.

BR1GHT PR1MATE
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BOSTON
Saskrotch wrote:

if you're feeling obsessive compulsive, you can zoom way into the wave form and get rid of the clicks.

this is exactly what I do, but it's a damn annoying if you have to get tracks out quickly hmm plus sometimes the pops happen the context of some other sound and you have to mute the pop, then drag in some snip from the context sound and blend it all at like max zoom AHHH that's some tedious shit to have to do over and over hahah

yeah I've tried the noise gate thing, but haven't been able to get the timing so that it's consistent: either some of the clicks are still there and I have to go in post anyway, or it shaves parts of sounds that I actually want.

anyway, you are one of the deepest hardware+daw users here so thanks I appreciate your input. I'm hoping evil weasel sees this too for the same reason

Victory Road
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Gosford, Australia

have you tried using higher E command values with a lower master volume (i.e. M command, not potted down)?

HillyOTM
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King's Lynn, UK

I've been wondering about this, as if I ever play live, I don't want that awful distortion coming through. I've tried recording through emulation and so far it hasn't changed a thing.

roboctopus
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Madison, Alabama

On pulse channels, I avoid using many E commands with sudden changes (say, 18 to 38), as they seem to cause a lot of pops.  K commands will too, not as noticeable but if you have K commands on both pulse chans simultaneously.  Other than E commands and stacked Ks, O commands are the obvious enemy.

For the WAV, if you want the synth to step through the frames and there are big changes in sound from one frame to the next, there's just not much of a way around that clicking sound.  A work around might be to use F commands so that the clicks are in tempo and less noticeable.

Other than careful programming to minimize the noises, I don't know that there's much you can do beyond editing them in post.

Jellica
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England

listen to your own music on acid, understand that the clicks and pops add an extra layer of depth to your music.

Last edited by Jellica (Nov 14, 2012 12:44 pm)

ant1
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uhajdafdfdfa

that's beautiful jellica

i almost wanna write "horse 2"

Auxcide
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The Multiverse ::: [CA, Sac]

In answer to your op question regarding SPs i've noticed little to no clicks or pops as a result of E commands. Especially compared to my DMGs. But one of my SPs does make a little noise, so you have to find the right kind. This is hard because it's not a difference in their serial. They're both AGS-100s but my red one just makes little pops even when you press buttons. My light gray one doesn't.

BR1GHT PR1MATE
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BOSTON
roboctopus wrote:

On pulse channels, I avoid using many E commands with sudden changes (say, 18 to 38), as they seem to cause a lot of pops.  K commands will too, not as noticeable but if you have K commands on both pulse chans simultaneously.  Other than E commands and stacked Ks, O commands are the obvious enemy.

yeah, or R commands, or switching between waveforms in the PW channels, or H commands or tempo related things with G commands haha. it's a long list of things to avoid XD

for my own music I don't mind the pops at all, just part of the aesthetic. but I feel weird turning in noisy recordings to clients.




Auxcide wrote:

In answer to your op question regarding SPs i've noticed little to no clicks or pops as a result of E commands. Especially compared to my DMGs. But one of my SPs does make a little noise, so you have to find the right kind. This is hard because it's not a difference in their serial. They're both AGS-100s but my red one just makes little pops even when you press buttons. My light gray one doesn't.

that's really good to know. I have some sp shopping in my future then... to ebay!

Zef
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Without 'R' pops a lot of my instruments wouldn't work, I've adapted it as a tool and use it to my advantage.

roboctopus
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Madison, Alabama
BR1GHT PR1MATE wrote:

yeah, or R commands, or switching between waveforms in the PW channels, or H commands or tempo related things with G commands haha. it's a long list of things to avoid XD

for my own music I don't mind the pops at all, just part of the aesthetic. but I feel weird turning in noisy recordings to clients.

Really?  have you tried different DMGs?  I've never noticed pops related H or G commands, and barely any glaring pops related to duty cycle changes on the pulse channel, and I usually track with things at pretty low volumes.  I have DMGs that deffinitely make more noises than other DMGs.

Some people may call this heresy, but have you tried exporting the sound from BGB?  If you're going to great lengths in post to get a clean sound, you may as well try BGB.  The difference in sound will probably be negligible (re: your clients will likely not realize you used an emulator), and while BGB's sound is pretty darn accurate, it is less poppy-clicky and you'll have a cleaner product.


BR1GHT PR1MATE wrote:
Auxcide wrote:

In answer to your op question regarding SPs i've noticed little to no clicks or pops as a result of E commands. Especially compared to my DMGs. But one of my SPs does make a little noise, so you have to find the right kind. This is hard because it's not a difference in their serial. They're both AGS-100s but my red one just makes little pops even when you press buttons. My light gray one doesn't.

that's really good to know. I have some sp shopping in my future then... to ebay!

My SP is SUPER noisy.  It might be my cheap third-party headphone adapter, but beware.  The hiss is strong with it.

BR1GHT PR1MATE
Offline
BOSTON
roboctopus wrote:

Some people may call this heresy, but have you tried exporting the sound from BGB?  If you're going to great lengths in post to get a clean sound, you may as well try BGB.  The difference in sound will probably be negligible (re: your clients will likely not realize you used an emulator), and while BGB's sound is pretty darn accurate, it is less poppy-clicky and you'll have a cleaner product.

oh, it's certainly a possibility, but like I said I would kind of like to avoid it if I can. more for workflow issues than any sense of "handheld loyalty" haha.

boaconstructor
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Seattle, WA US
Jellica wrote:

listen to your own music on acid, understand that the clicks and pops add an extra layer of depth to your music.

this whole post is pure awesome

BlakePalmer
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.

Last edited by BlakePalmer (Mar 20, 2018 10:49 pm)