Why Am I Getting Clipping?

[Syncretia]

I'm sure this question has been asked a million times, and I feel stupid asking it, but I've got unexplained clipping.

• I am in Session mode
  I am playing mastered wav files
  The clips are set to Complex Pro
  Each clip is set to a volume of 0db
  My channels are set to 0db
  I have no sends turned on
  My master is at 0db

And yet, the limiter on my master channel is working. I can hear it limiting and see it chopping off some sounds.

Why?

[Syncretia]

So, I've just realised that changing the warping type makes a big difference to volume.

Which warping type should I use to play mastered tracks? Which is the safest volume wise?

All the tracks have been mastered at fairly consistent volumes, but the warping is throwing the volume right out...

[Syncretia]

Is the answer to start with the tracks warped in order to queue them, and then turn off the warping while the track is playing and the global tempo has been adjusted to match the track?

[Syncretia]

Ouch!

No that doesn't work either. If the tempo isn't perfect, it makes the track jump.

Jesus. I never realised how hard it was to get this right. Some of my clips are peaking at over 6db. This means

[Syncretia]

It seems that the beats is the only type that doesn't cause clipping...

[Stromkraft]

You can just lower the volume of the clip somewhat. Then use whatever Warp mode you prefer.

[NoSonic822]

the best mode for warping DJ style tracks is re-pitch, and you have to manually set the transients. if you are going to do a set with varying bpms on each track

[Stromkraft]

the best mode for warping DJ style tracks is re-pitch

[102455]

It might help if you explained what you're doing with these files. Are you creating a DJ mix?

....and as someone else said, if they're too loud - turn them down!

[Syncretia]

It might help if you explained what you're doing with these files. Are you creating a DJ mix?

....and as someone else said, if they're too loud - turn them down!

Yes. I'm creating a DJ mix.

I realise I can turn the tracks down. I don't know why you'd ever bother pointing that out.

But, as mentioned, warping is causing some tracks to peak at over 6db higher than the actual track. If I turn the track down by 6db, it is much quieter than the unwarped mastered track.

Repitch is better than complex pro, but I'm finding that it still boosts the volume by almost 2db. Beats is the only mode that doesn't boost the volume above the mastered volume.

Out of curiosity though, isn't repitch a bad idea? I mean if you're transitioning through tempos, people are going to hear the music getting pitched up and down. I suppose that's what would happen with a vinyl, but isn't the point of warping to avoid that kind of thing?

[Tarekith]

Warping inherently alters the audio waveform, which can lead to peaks higher than were in the original audio file. It's just a side-effect of the time-stretch process, it's the same with pretty much any program. This is especially true with Complex and Complex Pro, which can alter the audio even with the file is at the original tempo.

Beats, Tone, Texture, and Repitch however will NOT do this, as long as you're not changing their original tempo. If you're doing time-stretching to beat match tracks with different tempos though, you're just going to have to turn down the tracks to avoid clipping while mixing. You can normalize the mix when you Render it out of Live to gain back some of that headroom.

[Stromkraft]

I realise I can turn the tracks down. I don't know why you'd ever bother pointing that out.

Possibly as that is how you actually DJ. You mix music files. And you make it sound as if you don't know how to do that. You asked specifically "Why Am I Getting Clipping?" as if that wasn't as obvious as it is. You didn't ask why does some warp modes increase the volume, right? You discovered it, but not everyone follows your evolution during the discussion. Give people a break.

[102455]

Thank you Stromkraft.

I asked because when mixing two tracks together, the level will go up - they get summed. So mixing two tracks that are playing at 0dB will result in the mix being over 0dB. They will (should) also have some degree of dynamic range, so the level will change.

@Syncretia, you said in your first post about the tracks being mastered, and you'd set everything at 0dB, which gave the impression that you'd just followed some written guide.

Why do you say the tracks are mastered? Who mastered them? You? Or are you just saying that because they're commercial purchases? Are you assuming that a "mastered track" will be right up at 0dB, maximized to death, and never have clips/peaks?

When DJing, what you should be doing is monitoring the levels of each track yourself before it goes live, using your headphones and the VU meters. Compare it to the playing track, and adjust as required.

Don't just assume that tracks will be at 0dB because they're mastered.

Also, different tracks will have different frequency content. Some will have more bass, some will have less, and so on. And be aware that mixing tracks together increases the output.

[NoSonic822]

.youre making this way more complex than it is. its a dj set. whenever i have ever set out to do a dj set, i have never even thought about "mastering" each track

...i just mix the songs together, if one is really loud compared to the other, than you just dont push the fader up as high.

the volume of the first track you play sets the volume for the next track and so on... or just put a limiter on the master.

but when i have actually done dj sets in ableton, i used re pitch, it is the most accurate but you will have to manually adjust some of the transients...you're going to pick songs that are relatively similar anyway in tempo....you're not going to mix a 170 bpm jungle track and then warp it down to 125 to mix a house set.

but who actually beatmatches and mixes live any more anyway, you just pre-program it all

[Stromkraft]

but who actually beatmatches and mixes live any more anyway, you just pre-program it all

I beg your pardon?

Part of being a great a DJ is being spontaneous and reacting with the crowd. You can't do that if you, euuuw, "pre-program" (An euphemism for being a dick, well unless you do a remix of something)