Can I trust batch export?

Hi Guys,

I few times now I’ve had the issue where, when using the marker batch export function, sections don’t export correctly.
This seems to happen on both complex and simple sessions: this morning I had an audio file that needed cutting into sections; my session only had 2 audio tracks, a marker track and a stereo output, and a few markers to export.

At least one of those didn’t export correctly, with a section from the previous part at the start of the exported section.
And this was one a session with one(!) insert on the master (a limiter) output; the cpu wasn’t taxed at all, latency was set to 512 (not that this should influence an offline export in the slightest), on a pretty top of the line pc (six core i7 with 32gb of ram).
I tend to export offline.

When exported again, it did work, but it does beg the question; does this work reliably at all?
My work in games depends on me exporting a huge number of marker loops with either designed sound effects or music; it is absolutely critical that all of these export reliably, consistently and accurately, as some of these exports need to loop with themselves; even a one byte error can cause clicks in loops.

Is there any reason why a section wouldn’t export correctly? It seems there is some buffering issue if a previous section ends up in the export after it as part of a batch export…

Cheers,

Joe

Hey, Joe!

I also depend very heavily on cycle marker batch exports.

Your buffer DOES influence offline export. I make a habit of setting mine for the highest possible before starting a batch process. Depending on how heavy your plugin and VSTi use is, it can make a huge difference in headroom as well as speeding up the export a great deal. There are a couple of threads here about how much faster exports with UAD plugins, for example, are executed at high buffer settings.

I’d suggest boosting the buffer before exporting. I haven’t had any kind of issue with batch export since the first round of N5.

Good luck!

Chewy

Cycle Marker Export is one of the features which makes me use Nuendo instead of Cubase.

I heavily use it!

But: I use it mostly for rendering processing, for exporting samples etc etc… Final Mixdowns of important/big sessions I usually ALWAYS do via re-recording in realtime!! The only way to 100% ensure that all automation etc etc is processed exactly the way I hear it.

Here’s an idea for you. On a large mix:

  1. Disable all randomly variable effects. Reverb, delay, etc
  2. Export one mix via Cycle Marker Export
  3. Export one mix via realtime re-record
  4. Put both files in a clean project, sample accurate aligned.
  5. Flip the phase on either one.
  6. If you hear anything Cycle Marker Export is inaccurate.
  7. If you hear nothing, it is accurate.

I’ve done this before and even on individual tracks, effects don’t always render like they print in realtime. Compressors, etc.

I have been there before. Well, since Nuendo 1 I never had 100% success in printing complex automation etc when using internal export - realtime or offline… and since then I avoid it for important stuff :slight_smile:

I always use offline export in combination with cycle markers in a mastering szenario or (as I said) when exporting shitload of drumsamples or similar stuff.

Recently I rendered (cycle marker export, offline bounce) rough mixes of a bigger music-project for a client for listening-in-advance - I used quite a lot Variaudio editing here and in the exports here and there fragments of words were missing - like I had muted the events in the Vari-audio editor.

Well this was no big deal but caused some confusion.

So I would highly recommend exporting complex full mixes in a “print in realtime” way in ANY case… Internal rerecording to a new track or using plugins like TapeIt or something like that.

On bigger projects, we alsways re-record the mix back into the project.
Same goes for stems and some effects and most certainly when outboard reverbs are used.
Even if we record the mix in bits and pieces, all it takes is select all the files on that re-recorded track and apply “bounce/replace”. It’s just a handy way to compensate for the lack of destructive recording.
But in this case you are always sure that you have a good print of whatever you are mixing.

Fredo

That being said, since we are producing a lot of commercials, we are using batch export on a daily basis.
Never had a problem. But granted, these are rather small projects, so there is no heavy automation going on.

Fredo

Fredo - agreed 100%! Not doing commercials here but even in music there are “big” projects and “quickies”…

And:

I LOVE to listen to the final export. And how often I hit STOP - doing a slight tweak - and starting export again.
Sure, this can be quite exhausting when it is 3 am in the morning but you are not able to do that when using offline export ^^