Ableton Forum

Good afternoon!

I have noticed this problem the whole time I've used Ableton Live (Live Lite and the full version). Audio files (WAV or mp3) imported into Live are sounding like they're 'pumping'...as if they've been compressed or a limiter was used. This happens especially when I'm adding more than one audio file and trying to mix them together. It's almost as if the overall volume is limited to 0dB, even though no limiter was used. I have no idea of how to fix this, or whether or not anyone else has experienced this issue. Thanks for any advice!

it's just that louder sounds more like that. it might be your speakers crapping out as things get loud.

nothing strange is going on.

It does definitely sound like something weird is happening, only because when I play the audio loud out of another DAW (Logic Pro X), the same audio sounds fine. Maybe no one else is having the same issue.

Thanks though!

And I'm sure it's not my monitors...same sound whichever medium I play it through (headphones, monitors, etc.,)

since you have all these DAWs...

do something SIMPLE like:
drop two tracks into a DAW.
do ZERO processing or adjustments to the tracks, just mix them at default levels etc.
export the resulting track from the DAW as simply as possible.
repeat with another DAW. if you keep it simple, a discussion can ensue about what's going on.

compare the outputs from each DAW to each other. if there is a difference you have plenty of tools to do these experiments.

all of these DAWs have impeccable sound quality without question. Reaper, Logic, Sonar, Live, Pro Tools, Fruity Loops, Audacity, whatever.

it's how the user uses the little fiddly bits that makes or breaks the deal. the IP behind warp methods between DAWs, for example, is an interesting topic. google that one, it's all out there. but even with that detailed drilled into, no single DAW is unusable or fundamentally broken.

pick one DAW and learn the shit out of it.

sjmak100 wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 04, 2020 4:16 pm

Good afternoon!

I have noticed this problem the whole time I've used Ableton Live (Live Lite and the full version). Audio files (WAV or mp3) imported into Live are sounding like they're 'pumping'...as if they've been compressed or a limiter was used. This happens especially when I'm adding more than one audio file and trying to mix them together. It's almost as if the overall volume is limited to 0dB, even though no limiter was used. I have no idea of how to fix this, or whether or not anyone else has experienced this issue. Thanks for any advice!

I know this post is old, but I feel like you are describing exactly what I found when working with ableton years ago. I think I found out that it automatically slightly limited imported audio, which you could stop from happening, although even doing that I felt like it was still so quiet generally. Did you ever find an answer or solution to this?

Live isn't compressing anything by itself.
But it might be doing something which can change the sound, depending on how your preferences are set: warping the sample

Check that the samples are not being warped. It warps on import by default.

sjmak100 wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 04, 2020 4:16 pm

Good afternoon!

I have noticed this problem the whole time I've used Ableton Live (Live Lite and the full version). Audio files (WAV or mp3) imported into Live are sounding like they're 'pumping'...as if they've been compressed or a limiter was used. This happens especially when I'm adding more than one audio file and trying to mix them together. It's almost as if the overall volume is limited to 0dB, even though no limiter was used. I have no idea of how to fix this, or whether or not anyone else has experienced this issue. Thanks for any advice!

Are you clipping the master?

Are you using any other plugins other than compressors/limiters (many other plugins while not compressors/limiters can function as compressors/limiters in certain conditions)?

What are the sound sources (Could it be possible that sound sources are already compressed/limited themselves)?

How loud are you monitoring (could it be possible that you are overloading your speakers?

What audio drivers are you using (Certain drivers other than ASIO or Core Audio could possibly be coloring the sound)?