VST Connect Pro 5 (latest version)
Recording a bass player remotely. All seems to go fine. The audio waveform on the VST Connect track looks fine. No clipping. When I download the HD files, they are much louder and in many cases, they are clipped. What can cause this? The VST Connect input channel is setup as mono. I have other odd-ball questions as well. The software sort of works.
New VST Connect versions have an input meter with it, with a clip indicator coming soon. These are the orange meters, make sure to not drive it too hot.
HD files are recorded on the Performer machine directly from the input signal (plus inserts when enabled for record). What is recorded in realtime on the Cubase/Nuendo side is determined by the mixing section under the “RECORD” title. This may well differ from the HD recordings. Always remember that initial clipping due to too high gain setting on the Performers’ audio interface cannot be repaired later, so watch out for those orange meters and have Performer reduce input gain on his or her interface. Almost every audio interface also has a level/clipping indicator for its inputs.
Thanks. I was pretty sure we were very careful in watching meters. I think we will record a little softer than what I would normally do. I think the HD files will be fine then.
I also have had issues with the HD levels. I’m curious about the orange meter calibration. On my current project (remote recording a 13+ hour audiobook), my first full-length experience with VST Connect/Performer has been a bit of an adventure. Still don’t have the whole thing figured out (or maybe it is mostly doing what it’s supposed to be doing and I just don’t get it completely).
But it’s getting the job done. In fact, it’s really saving the day here, since I’d normally have flown from Los Angeles to New Orleans to record this project, but Covid’s gotten in the way of that. I would like to figure out a few issues, though.
One is, per this thread, the 24-bit levels. I’ve found that I have to keep the orange meter level down what seems to be unusually low to keep from clipping. That’s all done on the interface side on the other end, and I don’t have the luxury of monitoring it as much as I’d like, and the talent on the Performer side is not technically adept. But “safe” (not going into the red on the Apogee interface on their end) seems to result in very low meter levels on my end. Files show up with decent levels, which is what counts.
I have had problems with file management and downloads from time to time. Have had to go into the Performer-side files to get the 24-bit files a couple of times, and had files show up as “offline” in the manager. Haven’t figured this completely out, though I suspect that in at least one case there was an internet glitch during transfer that interrupted the download. It would be great if VST Connect Pro could pick up where it left off, and could detect where an inadvertent interruption has occurred and fix it–and I see that is in the works. That is a pretty big deal; I hope it happens soon.
Have also had trouble connecting talkback on that specific system, and have not been able to figure it out. Tried the same setup with a different Performer client just to test it out and make sure all was in order and it worked fine (he was using an Apollo interface; the problematic client uses an Apogee One). Not sure if my issues were client-side user error or problems with the interface working with VST Connect.
I have a few other questions about the VST Connect’s general behavior, but I’ll save them until the project’s done and I’ve had a chance to look over the rest of the topics here.
All in all, though, this thing has been a lifesaver. The right solution at just the right time.
Thanks!
Chewy
Thanks for your elaborate report!
input (orange) meters: in order to keep those aligned to output meters (which can be larger than 0 dB), the 0dB mark is at the fader handle center when the fader is in default (0dB) position (ctrl/click). So, max for the orange meters is at that graphical position. We also added a clip indicator for the next version. I will check if we can add a 0dB mark on the fader scales, admittedly, this can be confusing. Having said that, one of our standard test procedures is to insert a 0dB signal generator signal to one of the Performer channel inserts and check meters in the plugin.
We also added this, coming with the next version as well.
A lot of inside information can be found here: https://helpcenter.steinberg.de/hc/en-us/articles/360012899079
Hope that help0s.
Yes! I’ve been there-- it was a big help when my colleague across the country and I first started figuring out how to make it go.
I’ve got to spend more time over there, too…
In any case: nice work, and thank you. I’ll be spending a long number of hours with VST Connect Pro today, as long as New Orleans internet holds up.
Chewy