Playback sound perfect, Export render harsh

WaveLab
1

Hi,

having a problem:
Playback project back in Wavelab Pro 12, fx on mastertrack sounds flawless

Project is 48k 24bit

When i want to render sourcematched, 48k 24bit, the rendered result sounds harsh
There is ni extra other processing going on than the plugs in mastersection

It should render out like im hearing it right?

What could be the problem?

Thanks

2

Usually it’s a 3rd party plugin issue.

WaveLab 12 also has a new Null Test Track feature in the Audio Montage so if you’re working in an Audio Montage, that could help verify if what you’re hearing on playback is the same as what gets rendered, or what might be different.

1 Like
3

Could it be that you have some plugins in the Playback Processing Section, that make the audio sound correct? Because these plugins are not rendered by definition.

1 Like
4

Thanks for Replying :slight_smile:
Just have my usual plugs in the monitoring section
Justin was right, it was a plugin issue

5

Thanks for Reply :slight_smile:
Yes, it was a Levelling plugin

6

Do you mean it was a certain plug-in that wasn’t rendering correctly? Or was it an accidental plug-in still active in the Master Section or Playback Processing slots and adding extra processing?

1 Like
7

So here is the whole story:

It was not really a plugin issues, meaning the plugin wasn’t malfunctioning, but
I did a (quite) stupid thing:

-the auto levelling plug I used was too hot at the output, it showed the outup gain in LKFS and in TP, I was in a rush and tired and I somehow overlooked the warning sings

  • used also for metering a VU-meter plug after the auto leveller

  • but instead of reducing the output gain on the auto leveller plug

  • I dialed down the signal with VU-meter plug and went on from there

  • I somehow ignored I was at 0 (ZERO) LKFS on the auto-leveller output :man_facepalming:

But interestingly enough, while I did what I did in WL, everything / the playback sounded fine no issues no harshness
It only became apparent after the final export happened

I also later did comparisons, playback vs render

Thats where I’m a little baffled
Seems like WL was able to compensate it somehow in the playback, but export…

For troubleshooting, I did a test-export of the track with auto-leveller only, then
I saw the mess it was creating and knew from there came the harshness, because of my settings in there…

So finally, solution was that I reset the gain control on vu-meter and used it just as a metering tool only, while dialing down the output on the auto-leveller plug, ok I could have used the TP display in the leveller as well, but sometimes… :crazy_face:
But, afterall and lucky enough, I did not had to change that much in the rest of the chain after that

Also a friend of mine hinted me to check plug ins in the chain

After the correction the Export was super fine

But still, why wasnt it audible during the process only after export?

Thanks again :slightly_smiling_face: :+1:

8

Interesting. I think I follow most of it. Is it possible that the VU meter plugin isn’t rendering correctly?

Meaning that it can adjust the level on playback as you heard but during rendering, it doesn’t influence the level/signal which caused the lack of level adjustment and unexpected sound?

9

This could be indeed possible
And I’m not mistaken , I truly though about recording the playback output instead of export.
I have to test it.
Thanks, good idea :+1: