This is about the issue the difference in the sound quality between the preview version and audio track and sampler versions of that same sample.
Here's some things to check first:
1. Check for the obvious
- Make sure you're not running a plugin on the track that will alter the sound when you're comparing the two
- Make sure you're also checking the master track and any send channels that may be slightly open.
- Make sure the clip start and end times aren't shorting the clip. or that the clip you're working with didn't have a small piece chopped off while you were working. This tends to happen when you drag a clip that has a portion selected. The portion will go and the rest will stay.
2. Check your Preferences
Bit Depth
This is inside of the preferences window on the Record, Warp, Launch tab.
I set mine at 24.
You want to make sure you get the best quality settings for the project files that you're working with and for the medium you're producing for.
Loop Warp Short Samples
This is inside of the preferences window on the Record, Warp, Launch tab.
Set to un-warped one shot samples.
You want to keep your samples unaltered completely upon import.
I really only see the need to warp long segments, like tracks and drum loops. And you also have the ability to snap one shot samples in sampler as well as warp them later on a case by case basis if its needed.
Create Fades on Clip Edges
This is inside of the preferences window on the Record, Warp, Launch tab.
This ones important. When you drop a clip into Live the app creates a small fade in and fade out on all of your sounds. This is primarily to attempt to smooth out any pops that would occur from moving between clips as well as just the natural pops you get from cutting a sample during a continuous sound. IMO this is definitely needed for arrangements so I keep mine set to on. But it is a major part of what is the culprit in the issue.
3. The Sample box
- Turn warping off
- Enable the HiQ Button (this is my preference because I do want the best rate conversion possible but also beware it does use up more cpu power.
- RAM - this one isnt really involved in the issue as far as I can tell but I do tend to load some clips into ram to get a smoother playback. Just be aware that this exist.
- Make sure the samples not transposed or detuned *OBVIOUS*
If all of the above are legit and you're still having the issue then it could possibly be this...
Clip Fades
These two clips are of the same exact vengeance drum one shot sample.
The difference is the clip on the left has the default fade in and fade out. This caused the sample to sound more muddy and just not exactly the same way it sounded when i previewed it.
The clip on the right is the result of me right clicking the clip and choose select fade, and then dragging the in and out fades completely off the wave so that it is a straight line.
Once this is done you will hear a completely different sound thats more or less like the one you previewed. There's just a couple other things.
If your style is to just drag clips onto the arrangement windows then you're done. But if you use a sampler for your one shot samples then you're going to have to make some adjustments to the default live ADSR to make sure its not altering the sound too much out of your original expectation.
This is a screenshot of my sampler settings, I tend to drag the file to the arrange window on an audio track first and remove the fades and then drag that version of the clip into the sampler.
You can right click on the sampler plugin and save that as the default preset, but i would do it with a blank plugin with no sample loaded.
In the event that the links ever die the settings are
length 100%
volume -20db (this is my preference)
velocity 80-100%
voices 1
no filter
attack 0ms
decay 600ms
sustain 0.0db / 100%
release 60.0s / 100%
Hope this helps...Peace.
- PHRESH
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