Useful trick for those using MIDI on separate machines

TonyR wrote on 12/8/2000, 12:23 PM
Hi, this is probably something that you know but just in case...you may have noticed that if you take
one of your MIDI tracks and record it into Vegas and play it back with your other tracks something
doesn't sound quite as good as when it was just a MIDI track? Like a slight smearing effect. I did some
experiments and I found that by the time the signal had gotten through my mixer, cables and
converters and in to Vegas it was actually 22 milliseconds behind and that was what was making the
difference. By moving the new track back 22 ms it sounded great again in the mix. An easy way to do
this is to copy a MIDI snare to a Vegas track and play them back together and you'll hear it flam or
flange. Nudge the Vegas track back in the Edit Details window until it's spot on, compare the
difference in time to where you started and you'll know how much to nudge other future MIDI tracks
when recording them into Vegas. Hope this helps. Tony

Comments

Rednroll wrote on 12/9/2000, 1:32 PM
Thanks for the tip Tony, since you already calculated this
delay time, it might save you a few steps of having to move
every track by adjusting your Smpte Offset in your
sequencer, you might actually have to calculate this the
same way you did to figure out the timing because you'll
have to figure out the offset in frames instead of
milliseconds, either that or do a math conversion.

For example if your Smpte offset time is 1:00:00.00 (1
minute) when you ususally record your tracks to Vegas
adjust this offset to 0:59:20.00 (I'm guessing what 22mS
would be) and then with the delay, it will record into
vegas at the 1 minute point. Then when your playing back
additional midi tracks along with your Vegas tracks, set
your sequencers smpte offset back to 1 minute. I'm
guessing that most of the delay that your occuring is due
to your sound card in the A to D conversion process, better
cards have less latency due to better A/D circuits. 22mS
sounds like a pretty big noticeable delay. What sound card
are you using?

Tony Rockliff wrote:
>>Hi, this is probably something that you know but just in
case...you may have noticed that if you take
>>one of your MIDI tracks and record it into Vegas and play
it back with your other tracks something
>>doesn't sound quite as good as when it was just a MIDI
track? Like a slight smearing effect. I did some
>>experiments and I found that by the time the signal had
gotten through my mixer, cables and
>>converters and in to Vegas it was actually 22
milliseconds behind and that was what was making the
>>difference. By moving the new track back 22 ms it sounded
great again in the mix. An easy way to do
>>this is to copy a MIDI snare to a Vegas track and play
them back together and you'll hear it flam or
>>flange. Nudge the Vegas track back in the Edit Details
window until it's spot on, compare the
>>difference in time to where you started and you'll know
how much to nudge other future MIDI tracks
>>when recording them into Vegas. Hope this helps. Tony
TonyR wrote on 12/9/2000, 4:25 PM
Hi Brian, good tip on using the SMTPE offset. I'm using the LynxOne which is very low latency but I'm
also going through an O1V that has its own A to D going on.

Brian Franz wrote:
>>Thanks for the tip Tony, since you already calculated this
>>delay time, it might save you a few steps of having to move
>>every track by adjusting your Smpte Offset in your
>>sequencer, you might actually have to calculate this the
>>same way you did to figure out the timing because you'll
>>have to figure out the offset in frames instead of
>>milliseconds, either that or do a math conversion.
>>
>>For example if your Smpte offset time is 1:00:00.00 (1
>>minute) when you ususally record your tracks to Vegas
>>adjust this offset to 0:59:20.00 (I'm guessing what 22mS
>>would be) and then with the delay, it will record into
>>vegas at the 1 minute point. Then when your playing back
>>additional midi tracks along with your Vegas tracks, set
>>your sequencers smpte offset back to 1 minute. I'm
>>guessing that most of the delay that your occuring is due
>>to your sound card in the A to D conversion process, better
>>cards have less latency due to better A/D circuits. 22mS
>>sounds like a pretty big noticeable delay. What sound card
>>are you using?
>>
>>Tony Rockliff wrote:
>>>>Hi, this is probably something that you know but just in
>>case...you may have noticed that if you take
>>>>one of your MIDI tracks and record it into Vegas and play
>>it back with your other tracks something
>>>>doesn't sound quite as good as when it was just a MIDI
>>track? Like a slight smearing effect. I did some
>>>>experiments and I found that by the time the signal had
>>gotten through my mixer, cables and
>>>>converters and in to Vegas it was actually 22
>>milliseconds behind and that was what was making the
>>>>difference. By moving the new track back 22 ms it sounded
>>great again in the mix. An easy way to do
>>>>this is to copy a MIDI snare to a Vegas track and play
>>them back together and you'll hear it flam or
>>>>flange. Nudge the Vegas track back in the Edit Details
>>window until it's spot on, compare the
>>>>difference in time to where you started and you'll know
>>how much to nudge other future MIDI tracks
>>>>when recording them into Vegas. Hope this helps. Tony