Rendering Pops and Clicks in 5.0.3

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Supro7
Posts: 17
Joined: Tue Jun 29, 2004 6:55 pm

Rendering Pops and Clicks in 5.0.3

Post by Supro7 » Fri Feb 24, 2006 10:58 pm

Hello,

I am a paid registered user and have been since live 3.

I am getting pops and clicks in my rendered output of a wave file that was rendered by Live.

I do not get this pop and click when I render this same file in live 4.1.1.

I have searched your forums and have read that many users are having problems with rendering.

Please let me know if you know of a workaround or a planned fix for this issue. This is my livelyhood and I need to know if I should go back to 4.1.1. (and scrap a bunch of work that I can't render.)

XP Home SP2
Intel p4 2.53
512 Ram
7200 RPM

Thanks!

Alex
Posts: 4006
Joined: Wed Apr 03, 2002 1:07 pm
Location: Ableton Headquarter

Post by Alex » Sat Feb 25, 2006 1:05 am

Hi Supro7,
I do not get this pop and click when I render this same file in live 4.1.1.
Do you mean with "this same file" an audio file or a Live set (.als)?

regards,
/Alex

Supro7
Posts: 17
Joined: Tue Jun 29, 2004 6:55 pm

Getting Closer

Post by Supro7 » Sat Feb 25, 2006 2:42 am

Hello,

Good question Alex, sorry I wasn't more clear. I mean with the same .wav file. As in, file abc.wav in 4.1.1 renders fine. file abc.wav in 5.0.3 (and beta 5.2b4) renders with pops and clicks. This is with same bpm on each als file...no effects/no plugins.

And when I typed this "output of a wave file that was rendered by Live." I meant that the wave file I was trying to render had also, previously created by live (basically I am combining completed projects from other live sets.)

I have had some communication w/tech support. I sent this same text into [email protected].

I heard back w/in minutes...thanks!

They (Dom) recommended I try the new Beta, I did and got the same error.

I am normalizing (I also get pops when I don't normalize) I am outputing wave (I get waves w/aiff also) 16 bit depth and sample rate 44100.

It isn't my audio program either that is causing the problem...I open the Rendered wave file in the SAME arangement view. Meaning, the clip that is being rendered is sitting in track 1. The newly rendered clip, I place in track 8. When I solo track 8 I hear clicks...when I solo track 1...no clicks. I am using NO effects and NO plugins.

I found that if I place the clip in RAM before rendering I don't get the clicks (now this isn't necessary in 4.1.1) These clips are rather long (10 minutes) perhaps that contributes to the problem. I tried rendering my entire set w/everything loaded into ram and my machine hung. I shouldn't have to place everything into ram everytime I render long clips I would hope.

I just tried a second time to place all clips in RAM before rendering and IT SOLVED THE PROBLEM. I am glad for that fact but due to the time it took to normalize and render I don't think that this is an acceptable workaround...do you? I also think that it is odd that this isn't necessary in live 4.1.1.

The next workaround I am going to try is to have the sampled clips on the same hard drive as the application (Ableton Live) and render it out to my "recording" hdd. I wouldn't think this should matter because rendering should take as long as it takes to do it right...but perhaps it will help.

I hope this can be fixed within this version. Otherwise my upgrade is money lost to me and I wll have to go back to 4.1.1.

Thank you for your prompt reply to this board as well as from customer support.

What do you suggest I try next or can you duplicate the problem and suggest a timeline for a fix on your end.

If this problem isn't on my end, I would rather see a rock-stable v5 before hearing about v6!


Thanks!

Supro7
Posts: 17
Joined: Tue Jun 29, 2004 6:55 pm

Update

Post by Supro7 » Sat Feb 25, 2006 8:53 am

The "Load clips into Ram" workaround was only somewhat sucessful...there were still plenty of artifacts I found in rendered output after more careful listening.

Human Koala
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Post by Human Koala » Sat Feb 25, 2006 9:12 am

maybe you have to defrag your Hard Disk and make a scandisk on it

HK

Supro7
Posts: 17
Joined: Tue Jun 29, 2004 6:55 pm

Defrag

Post by Supro7 » Sat Feb 25, 2006 9:27 am

I have recently done both (less than a week ago.) And, given the fact that I don't have the problem w/ 4.1.1 I don't think that any of my hardware has anything to do with it. I appreciate the suggestion...I will give it a try just in case.

Supro7
Posts: 17
Joined: Tue Jun 29, 2004 6:55 pm

Workaround

Post by Supro7 » Wed Mar 01, 2006 11:33 pm

I think I found a reasonable workaround for pops and clicks...here is my latest exchange from Ableton who recommended more RAM, but I know some on this board are having this same problem with a gig of Ram so I wasn't satisified with that answer. Although I will commend them on VERY FAST replys to my questions. I am very happy with the level of support.

*******
"[dwi] ableton_support" <[email protected]> wrote:

Hello,

ah, ok, alex answered as well. Then you can disregard the last mail.
You're only using 512mb RAM, i suggest to think about upgrading to 1gig
at least, if you use such long files. If not, your system is permanently
swapping memory to disk.

Dom Wilms
ableton ag
**************
Dom,

Thank you for your reply.

I am sure I would benefit from more RAM but I do still think there might be a small issue w/your rendering engine in that there is absolutely no problem with the rendered audio when I use 4.1.1.


Shouldn't the render engine take as long as it needs to take to get things right? I would think it would bite off only as much audio as it can chew at a time. Was there a major change to the rendering engine since 4.1.1?

The reason I use your software product over the others is that it is very efficient and light and simple (on the outside) and I would hate for it to get bloated if you know what I mean.

At any rate, I have found that rendering to an HDD different from where the samples reside seems to solve the problem. I will post this to the board, I think that this is important. The conventional wisdom is to record to a HDD other than the one that holds the OS and APP, I suppose maybe we should all be rendering to that drive as well. I tried going both directions w the same successful result...meaning, Live on C AND samples on C rendered to E worked as well as Live on C and samples on E rendered back to C. The only downside to this is that your either have to move all of your samples from E to C or you need to move your rendered file back to E (to keep all of your files organized together.

Thanks again for your support.

mezzmerized
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Location: Memphis
Contact:

Post by mezzmerized » Thu Mar 02, 2006 9:13 pm

I have the same problem and am running 2 GB ram!!!!!!!!!
Ah, that shows you the power of music, that magician of magician, who lifts his wand and says his mysterious word and all things real pass away and the phantoms of your mind walk before you clothed in flesh.

Supro7
Posts: 17
Joined: Tue Jun 29, 2004 6:55 pm

Post by Supro7 » Thu Mar 02, 2006 11:51 pm

Did rendering to a different HDD than that which the samples reside solve your problem?

Sebmaster
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Post by Sebmaster » Sun Mar 05, 2006 11:10 am

I also have this problems with rendering. pops and clicks in the rendered *.wav file.

I capitulate with Live 5.

I solve the problem by using live 4 or recording the master file external in realtime.

Supro7
Posts: 17
Joined: Tue Jun 29, 2004 6:55 pm

UPDATE and Question for Ableton.

Post by Supro7 » Mon Mar 06, 2006 7:01 pm

Although Rendering to a seperate hdd from the one the samples reside on has made a significant difference I have found some pops and clicks in my rendered output.

Abletons..
.Are you guys working on solving this problem fo this for this version of live?

If not, will you credit those of us our $ paid into the live 5 upgrade when we buy 6?

Thank you, and I am still a huge fan of Live (version 4)

Alex
Posts: 4006
Joined: Wed Apr 03, 2002 1:07 pm
Location: Ableton Headquarter

Post by Alex » Tue Mar 07, 2006 1:07 am

Hi Supro7,

I'm still not sure if I have understand everything:

So to clarify:

You have a Live set (a .als file) which you open in Live 5 to render a part or the complete arrangement. Or do you render in Session view?
This Live set only contains audio files, not any effect, instrument or plug-in.

However the rendered audio file contains clicks and pops. If you render the same several times after another the resulting rendered files contains all pops and clicks but all at different places.

Do you render with the same sample rate setting as setup for your audio interface?

Could you also please send me this Live set (only the .als file, no samples)?

regards,
/Alex

paolo topaz
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Post by paolo topaz » Tue Mar 07, 2006 6:01 am

Sorry if I'm hijacking this thread but I think my problem may be related.

For the last five days when i go to render an arrangement(very simple stuff no plug-ins just audio tracks, 12 one after the other over two channels) the preparing audio to render process stalls at 99%.

I've tried everything I can think of to solve it but no luck

any advice would be greatly appreciated as since I got Live almost a year ago I have used it every day

Paolo

PB G4 1.33 512 RAM 60gb, Live 5.0.3, Reason 3
Paolo

Alex
Posts: 4006
Joined: Wed Apr 03, 2002 1:07 pm
Location: Ableton Headquarter

Post by Alex » Tue Mar 07, 2006 4:05 pm

Hi paolo topaz,

could you please send me this Live set (only the .als file, no samples)?

regards,
/Alex

Supro7
Posts: 17
Joined: Tue Jun 29, 2004 6:55 pm

LATEST COMMUNICATION

Post by Supro7 » Thu Mar 09, 2006 10:19 pm

This is my latest communication with Ableton regarding POPS and Clicks.

I think we are getting closer.


Alex,

Thank you for your reply!

I selected "No Audio" in the preferences and rendered and still got the pops and clicks.

I did the Save as Self Contained (which I always do before rendering) and still got the pops and clicks.

I then tried your suggestion of rendering at 96k/32bit and, in fact, had no pops and clicks in the audio. So, that seemed to work. The samples (w/in this als file) were all rendered at 44/16. So I am not sure what is going on. I am left now, with a file I would have to downsample somehow to get to CD but at least we are getting closer to the problem.

What do I do now?

To answer your question about sample rate. It is pretty much always at 96000. Should it be lower?

Thank you!

Mark



Alex <[email protected]> wrote:

Hello Mark,


In the audio preferences, select "No Audio" so that no audio device is
selected.
Then try to render your Live set again and check it for clicks.

Please also try this.. do as "Save As" to save the Live set under
another name in an empty directory.
Then make a "Save Self-Contained" of this Live set.
Then render it again and check it for clicks.


To which sample rate is your audio interface set when you play with
Live? Is it always 96kHz?
Do you get these clicks too when you render the file with 96kHz and 32 bit?


regards,
/Alex

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