One has to go...

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OccinticLady
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One has to go...

Post by OccinticLady »

Hi all,
Some saw my setup.
Basically, there are two laptops. One is for all the synths. I use QTractor to do the MIDI recording. Once happy, I transfer the MIDI info to audio by letting the synth play the MIDI and recording the audio. So I double the tracks. Well, some MIDI tracks dont make it, but...that is the process.
Then I mix in QTractor.
So far, I have a good recording with no noise, hum or hiss...
Then, I transfer each track individually to the other laptop. And then...the hiss comes in.
I transfer into Ardour, so I can further work with the tracks.
I noticed that the hiss and noise build up as I unmute tracks. If all are muted, there is no hiss, or noise...or...hum...
There are two things I can do, here.
Either, I look into cables. But, the trouble happens as I unmute already existing tracks. I tried TAPE type recording, with the same problem as result...by the way.
Or, I concentrate everything in one laptop.
As things are now, the mixdown laptop (Ardour) receives the signal from the mixer, the input is from the mine, the first laptop and the Korg (so far).
Clould'nt/should'nt I just bypass the second laptop and route the input BACK int he first laptop so the external sources (mike and Korg...so far) can be processed in the first (and only) laptop?
The real goal of this setup is to split the workload somewhat...but the hiss in Ardour becomes unacceptable. I grow into more details and quality, after all...
If at all an option, I'd prefer not to change anything , as the setup now suits me fine...
Thanks for meditating with me...
Melissa
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Re: One has to go...

Post by raboof »

OccinticLady wrote: Thu Dec 02, 2021 6:20 pm I mix in QTractor.
So far, I have a good recording with no noise, hum or hiss...
Then, I transfer each track individually to the other laptop. And then...the hiss comes in.
I transfer into Ardour, so I can further work with the tracks.
I noticed that the hiss and noise build up as I unmute tracks. If all are muted, there is no hiss, or noise...or...hum...
How do you transfer the tracks from the one to the other laptop? I guess you export them from QTractor, put them on a disk, pop that disk in the other laptop, and import them into Ardour? What file format to you use? Silly thing to check, but is the sampling rate consistent everywhere (first recording, QTractor project, QTractor export, Ardour project)?
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Re: One has to go...

Post by OccinticLady »

raboof wrote: Thu Dec 02, 2021 7:24 pm
OccinticLady wrote: Thu Dec 02, 2021 6:20 pm I mix in QTractor.
So far, I have a good recording with no noise, hum or hiss...
Then, I transfer each track individually to the other laptop. And then...the hiss comes in.
I transfer into Ardour, so I can further work with the tracks.
I noticed that the hiss and noise build up as I unmute tracks. If all are muted, there is no hiss, or noise...or...hum...
How do you transfer the tracks from the one to the other laptop? I guess you export them from QTractor, put them on a disk, pop that disk in the other laptop, and import them into Ardour? What file format to you use? Silly thing to check, but is the sampling rate consistent everywhere (first recording, QTractor project, QTractor export, Ardour project)?
Hmm, quite some things to think about (did I mention I'm learning :wink: ?)
Anyway, what I do is mute all but one track in QTractor, then I set up one track in Ardour for recording. Then (dont laugh) I press both the play and record spacebar simultanuously to record in Ardour what QTractor plays...and I bet I lose quality there...
I do this for every track. That (most likely) carries its own load of noise...be it a little bit, still, if all tracks are "open", that amounts to a lot...
Edit - the point that I use two DAWs, two laptops and transfer like that starts to become silly...I noticed that QTractor has (perhaps not as wide as Ardour) all the trimmings needed...I lose too much quality and time in that transfer...
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Re: One has to go...

Post by sunrat »

I get a slight feeling you are using headphone outs and mic ins rather than real audio interfaces. They will never give anywhere near clean audio as they are mismatched in impedance. It would certainly be a vast improvement to use one laptop and patch all the Qtractor outputs directly to Ardour inputs via JACK. This eliminates one stage of DA/AD conversion as well.
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Re: One has to go...

Post by Linuxmusician01 »

OccinticLady wrote: Thu Dec 02, 2021 6:20 pm [...] I use QTractor to do the MIDI recording. Once happy, I transfer the MIDI info to audio by letting the synth play the MIDI and recording the audio. [...]
I transfer into Ardour, so I can further work with the tracks.
[...]
This might not be the answer you're looking for, but why? Both are capable DAW's. I'd use only one.

Oh, and what @sunrat said. :wink:
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Re: One has to go...

Post by OccinticLady »

sunrat wrote: Thu Dec 02, 2021 10:42 pm I get a slight feeling you are using headphone outs and mic ins rather than real audio interfaces. They will never give anywhere near clean audio as they are mismatched in impedance. It would certainly be a vast improvement to use one laptop and patch all the Qtractor outputs directly to Ardour inputs via JACK. This eliminates one stage of DA/AD conversion as well.
Wait... this can be done??? On ONE laptop? If so, I'm in!

And... @Linuxmusician01 because...I did'nt know any better, :wink: ROFL....I had NO idea of the potential...
Hey, I only took one sip of the Holy Grail so far.. :lol:
Here I am, scuttlin' data from one machine to the other :oops: while, as @sunrat noted, it can be done on one laptop...
This would improve my workflow a lot.
I notice that I'm really growing in this, becomming a lot more serious about this. So..NOW...I noticed the quality flaws, that I need to address...
So, yea...ONE will have to go, because of quality :D
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Re: One has to go...

Post by tavasti »

And if you need to use two laptops (for example memory or cpu power low, so that you cannot run 2 daws same time), it is possible to use netjack to connect daw@laptop1 to daw@laptop2.

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Re: One has to go...

Post by sunrat »

And what @Linuxmusician01 said - do all your mixing in Qtractor. It supports plugins and busses so you can do EQ, dynamics, effects like reverb and more. Keep it simple. :wink: 8)
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Re: One has to go...

Post by OccinticLady »

sunrat wrote: Fri Dec 03, 2021 12:11 pm And what @Linuxmusician01 said - do all your mixing in Qtractor. It supports plugins and busses so you can do EQ, dynamics, effects like reverb and more. Keep it simple. :wink: 8)
What I did with my new video...sometimes, it's good that a "bad" thing comes our way :wink:
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Re: One has to go...

Post by OccinticLady »

tavasti wrote: Fri Dec 03, 2021 11:21 am And if you need to use two laptops (for example memory or cpu power low, so that you cannot run 2 daws same time), it is possible to use netjack to connect daw@laptop1 to daw@laptop2.
Hmm, this is for the next step, if called for.
Indeed, I tried to spread the workload a bit. But...I can use the other laptop for administration...why not? I used it to make the videos, but I came to the sticky bit of the envelope of what it can do :wink:
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Re: One has to go...

Post by LAM »

@OccinticLady
Beside the good suggestion given by @Linuxmusician01 and @sunrat, this has been already discussed in one of your topics some months ago:
viewtopic.php?p=131829#p131829

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Re: One has to go...

Post by OccinticLady »

LAM wrote: Fri Dec 03, 2021 12:42 pm @OccinticLady
Beside the good suggestion given by @Linuxmusician01 and @sunrat, this has been already discussed in one of your topics some months ago:
viewtopic.php?p=131829#p131829
Ow dear, I forgot about that post, sorry. A lot happened since then...
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Re: One has to go...

Post by OccinticLady »

And...one of them went....
I popped a 64 bit OS on one of them and just tested. And yes...the Airwindows plugins show up! :D
It's kinda weird seeing only one laptop, but now I have space for more gear...
Feels like a new car... :wink:
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Re: One has to go...

Post by TygerTung »

You could get another monitor and plug it into your laptop so you have two screens. Would look like having two laptops.
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Re: One has to go...

Post by Michael Willis »

TygerTung wrote: Thu Dec 23, 2021 9:01 pm You could get another monitor and plug it into your laptop so you have two screens. Would look like having two laptops.
Hear hear! Dual monitors are great. I split up ardour with the editor view on one monitor and the mixer on the other monitor. I don't know about where you live, but I can find a 19 inch LCD at a thrift store for $5-$10.
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