great, but…
I have built me a new DAW and wanted the newest version of n-Track to go wih it. I have had the license for 4.x (16 bit version) for a while, but my soundcard is 24 bit, so I decided to upgrade to the 24 bit version in order to get rid of those dreaded organ notes… -definitely worth it - what a great, airy, full sound!! 
Well, to the point. Two things annoys me about the user interface of version 4.
Firstly, is there a way to maximize all the tracks at once? I for sure haven’t been able to find it. The 3.x project I imported into version 4.x has 32+ tracks in it, and all the tracks are minimized! Hard to differentiate between tracks…
Secondly, is there a way to get rid of the shadowy look of the wave files in the tracks? When zoomed out, it is difficult to see what is going on in a wave track. A feature to turn off the shadows would be handy, but I haven’t been able to find that, either.
Apart from that, I am very pleased with the newest version of n-Track. It appears to be rather stable (well, it did crash for me once due to a quirky plug-in), and I look forward to try out surround mixing and all the new plug-ins that comes with it.
Speaking of plug-ins: I do know there is a latency issue with SIR convolution reverb, but strangely, that slight delay present in the new set-up was completely absent in version 3.x on the old DAW. I wonder if it’s the n-Track version or, more probably, the switch from 16 bit to 24 bit hardware? 
No latency is present with any other plug-in I have tried out so far on the new DAW, and as far as I can tell, n-Track tries to compensate for the added latency.
I do hope someone in the Forum is able to enlighten me on these issues.
regards, Nils
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| Secondly, is there a way to get rid of the shadowy look of the wave files in the tracks? When zoomed out, it is difficult to see what is going on in a wave track. A feature to turn off the shadows would be handy, but I haven’t been able to find that, either. |
All this stuff is under View–>Waveform display.
It’s annoying indeed. I still think this should be turned off by default.
Aha…!
Thanks for the enlightenment, hansje. I totally agree with you in that it should be turned off by default. n-Track can get cluttered enough just by using it for its intended purpose…
Any news on that manual update yet? Any takers?
regards, Nils
Hi Nils K:
I’m glad to hear that you’re moving onward-and-upward… And I know you’ll get your setup working the way you expect IT to run…
I’m interested to know what Audio Hardware you’re useing and at what at what bit depth rate are you operating at?
Bill…
[EDIT]
I forgot to ask… Can you give me some specs. on your new setup? I’m always interested in what the guys here on the Board are working with…
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| I do know there is a latency issue with SIR convolution reverb, but strangely, that slight delay present in the new set-up was completely absent in version 3.x on the old DAW. |
I still use 3.3 and have found the latency problem with SIR.
Hi Guys:
knufinke has been working on the latency issue and has posted v1.011 along with some other fixes…
http://www.knufinke.de/sir/index_en.html
I don’t have SIR installed into my VST Folder on this 4.1.6 build… The story has IT that the users of SIR were frightened that Christian would allow SIR to go dorment after he got “Connected up” with this latest project he was collaborating, on…
That didn’t happen… He went right To-Town and posted v1.010 and put everyone’s thoughts to rest…
That’s my understanding 
Bill…
Bill, I’ll be happy to supply you all with the specs of my new DAW. I felt the need to upgrade due to a lot of st-stut-t-t-ering on my latest projects, one of which runs past 32 tracks. I was inspired by a ‘taylor-made’ PC configuration available here in music stores in Denmark, but thinking I could do it a bit cheaper (I calculated that about $150 of the taylor-made configuration went into getting the newest drivers etc., so much for free support…)
My system is built around a micro-ATX board from ASUS and an enclosure from Antec, thus the specs are:
Enclosure: Antec ARIA micro-ATX cube-like cabinet 
Mainboard: ASUS P5LD2-WM with 945G chipset
CPU: Intel P4 3 GHz 630 (775-type chip)
RAM: 2 GB DDR2
HD: 250 GB Maxtor SATA-II, 8 MB cache
LiteOn 16x8x16 DVD-RW burner (IDE)
Soundcard: EMU 1820 8-channel 24 bit PCI with external AudioDock
For now, I use the graphics adapter on the mainboard, but I may wish to install a stronger graphics adapter at a later date.
Yesterday, I did a spectacular field recording of a performance of a modern classical piece performed at an exhibition in Copenhagen using my Fostex MR-8 (CompactFlash based, 16 bit, 44.1 kHz only), a phantom power adapter and a pair of Røde NT-5 mics. I used the new DAW to edit and master the project, and the resulting sound is better than anything I have ever accomplished before. The SATA disk (my main reason to do the upgrade BTW) makes editing (using Cool Edit 2000) a long, continuous piece a breeze to do, and the built-in multi-format card reader operates on USB 2.2 spec, so it takes a mere few seconds to copy the entire contents over to the DAW for editing.
For now, I operate in 16 bit, but I am planning to make 48 kHz, 24 bit, my main studio recording format in the near future. I just have to finish what projects I have left from the old DAW.
(BTW, the old DAW isn’t going to waste. I donate it to my mother to use for her graphic artist business)
regards, Nils
edit I do have SIR v. 1.011 installed. Works like a breeze on my old DAW under 3.3, echo problem on the new DAW under n-Track v. 4.x. Probably a hardware issue after all… taps fingers impatiently on tabletop while waiting for the no-latency version
Plugin latency would have nothing to do with 16-bit vs. 24-bit soundcard.
Overall audio latency depends on soundcard drivers, but that’s a different thing. We’re only talking about plugin latency here: the delay the plugin adds to the signal, and n-Track’s ability to compensate for that.
Hi Nils K:
That’s a beautiful looking/sounding Daw… I’m in the Intel/ASUS camp for DAW’s, as well… I have some out dated P-111s and an ASUS P-4, P4T-E 1.7mhz. machine… I really need to move outta this stuff… I can’t imagine haveing to have any more than 8-Tracks of A-D and D-A converters… Mabey, one day I’ll make the sacrifice and move on from what I have in the studio now…
Bill.
| Quote (learjeff @ Mar. 13 2006,10:07) |
| Plugin latency would have nothing to do with 16-bit vs. 24-bit soundcard. Overall audio latency depends on soundcard drivers, but that's a different thing. We're only talking about plugin latency here: the delay the plugin adds to the signal, and n-Track's ability to compensate for that. |
How and why does n-Track version 3.x differ from version 4.x in that respect?
All I state is that I notice an audible difference in the latter not present in the former.
regards, Nils
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| All I state is that I notice an audible difference in the latter not present in the former. |
You also state that it’s " Probably a hardware issue after all… ".
All Jeff is stating is that it is probably not a hardware issue, but software related.
I tend to think he’s right. You may have left the “compensate for plugins latency” box unchecked or it may be an n-Track glitch (there have been several bugs related to latency compensation in the past).
Re: a zero-latency version of SIR: I don’t think the algebra involved would allow that.
Knufinke would win a Nobel-prize if he pulls that off!
Hi hansje:
I agree with you… Zero-Latency doesn’t exist… I ment to say that he has been working on reducing and or removing any latency to it’s lowest values…
I think Knufinke has risen to the fore-front or close to the top-of-the-heap in Plug-in Latency… I think that’s why his Knowledge-and-Services got grabbed up by some of the Big Guys… Who knows, for sure?
Bill…
Hi Bill,
This was actually addressed to Nils K, who <!–QuoteBegin>
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| taps fingers impatiently on tabletop while waiting for the no-latency version |
Technically you are right, but zero added latency does exist for plugins of course.
Most plugins don’t add anything to the overall latency.
Sadly I don’t think that can be done for convolution type plugins like SIR.
Knufi is a saint anyway
I think it was Tom S that first posted a topic, that I first saw, regarding SIR… At some point I downloaded Sir and discovered what he was talking about…
Then I went and posted a series of IR Spikes that I produced… What I’d like to capture is, a series of Spikes in a 20’ x 30’ x 10’ foot cinder-block/concrete room… Mabey, some day, I’ll get the energy to do that project… I think they might be good for Drum Tracks… Well…
Bill…
| Quote (hansje @ Mar. 14 2006,08:57) |
| Hi Bill, … but zero added latency does exist for plugins of course. Most plugins don’t add anything to the overall latency. Sadly I don’t think that can be done for convolution type plugins like SIR. |
Correct, if the length of the convolution kernel is greater than 1. And if the kernel length is 1, well, it ain’t much of an effect.
The length of the kernel is the number of samples that have to come in before the first affected sample can get spit out. So, subtract 1 from the length and that’s exactly the latency.
This concludes today’s lecture. Now, where DID I put my propeller beanie?
Is that why the “Rise-Time” of the “Spike” is so important?
The Spike … being the Impulse Response Waveform?
Bill…
It’s great reading these posts. But I get the nagging sensation and keen awareness that I do not own a propeller beanie…
But I am keen to try that SIR 'verb. Did download it.
And congradulations, Nils! Sounds like a nice system there.
If I only had a Propeller beanie Cap… I think I could reach a New level… If the “Pitch” was right… What Key is that IN? 
Beanie-Track!