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View Full Version : Rendering stems operates post-fader!


Leitmotif
11-30-2007, 03:42 AM
What the hell!!??

Did anybody else notice this?

When you do a render-to-stems (mono or stereo), the audio you get on the new stem is "recorded" from the post-fader output of the original track. So, if you had your fader at -40dB you would need to have the new stem at 0dB for it to sound the same.

You think that's not a big deal? It's not to me because I use 64bit WAVs for pretty-much everything. But if I was using 16bit WAVs, this would seriously hinder the SNR/dynamic range of the resulting file... especially if, like the example I mentioned, the fader is at -40dB.

Yes, yes, I know the workaround is to set the original track to 0dB, then set the new stem's fader to the same value as you previously had the original.

But, since "render stems" is normally going to be used to render the result of FX to save CPU, rendering the result of the fader aswell seems like an absurd behaviour.

Setting a fader to 0dB does not save any CPU, so what's the point?

Maybe I'm wrong; maybe some people want it this way, but it would be nice if there were two new items on the right-click menu: render stems pre-fader and render stems pre-fader (mono). Or, perhaps, replace the existing render stems functions on the menu, but add two new ones called "old-style render stems", so people could still use the current behaviour. Actually, this would be beneficial to me since removing the current behaviour completely will mean re-doing all my drums so the mixes come out the same.

Leitmotif
12-05-2007, 03:12 AM
I've had a newer, better idea...

Render stems is using the render engine used when you render the project, so forget that. :)

"Apply FX to items as new take" only works if you have something on the track. So, how about adding "Apply FX to TRACK". That way, it will work if there is nothing on the track (ie an effect send or an output track for a multi-out VSTi).

Obviously, the main use for this is empty tracks, so maybe you could have the function disabled on the menu if the selected track is not empty. Then you could call it "Apply FX to empty track" so people will know why its disabled.

Just an idea for a future update. :)