I used the comp tool to create a comp vocal track. Then I duplicated the track version for safety, and deleted the overlaps on the second version to work on it more easily. I then used VariAudio to manually pitch-correct this second track version. It all sounded great at that point. Then I duplicated the track version again to clean up some noise using Spectralayers (on the third track version). At that point, every single one of my pitch edits started sounding awful (bad artifacts…sounded like clipping). Even the 2nd track version (before Spectralayers) sounds terrible. I have to start over. Does anyone have any advice? Is this a bug?
In general you wouldn’t want to duplicate the Track at this point. When you duplicate the Track the Audio files on it are the same files, not copies, of the Audio on the source Track. Any change made to that Audio will occur everywhere that file is used.
Instead you should use Render In Place to create an entirely new Audio file that will have all your edits baked into it.
This is a perfectly legit way to do this and for a long time the only way to do it. However you can also use Track Versions to do the same thing - and it reduces the clutter of unused Tracks.
Thank you so much for your input. But I did not duplicate tracks…I did actually use track versions for every step I described in my original post, by duplicating versions, not audio tracks. Have you had trouble with the artifacts in VariAudio?
Both Track Versions and duplicating the Track use the same underlying Audio Files. Duplicating vs. Versions only helps you manage your Tracks and not the Audio Files on the Track.
The reason to use Render In Place at the step I indicated is to create a completely NEW Audio File so that your next batch of edits gets applied to this new file. Both by duplicating or using Track Versions you are piling edits on top of edits on top of edits and somewhere they are messing with each other. Rendering gives you control over how & when to make your changes permanent.
This makes sense. Thank you for explaining in detail. I will try it and let you know. Thanks!