professional mastering meter
ehen is an ‘OVER’ (signal strength is higher than 0db) an over ? -
DIGITAL metering is based on the principal that ONLY when the level of THREE SAMPLES are at the SAME LEVEL then that is the level that is displayed -
TAKING the levels of three samples for example
0-0-0 ~ 0-0-0 ~ 0-0-0 = output meters shows 0db (no overs)
1-0-0 ~ 1-0-1 ~ 1-1-0 = output meters shows 0db (no overs)
18-18-0 ~ 0-18-0 ~ 24-24-0 = output meters shows 0db (no overs)
the top line has no overs - no distortion on audio
the second line has 5 overs - slight distortion on audio
the third line also has 5 overs - high distortion on audio
for all of these sample levels the output meter would not show over 0db - BUT to the ears, the overs that the metering missed could cause the audio to sound very RAGGED indeed - especially if the excessive (+18 - +24db) overs are repeated may times a second -
example - in screenshot (and to use like with like) i opened N on one PC, inserted a track that i knew did not show overs, yet was vey close to 0db at many points - i took the audio out of that PC and monitored it on the input VU meters on my other PC, in comparison the out VU from one PC matched the input on the other - not once did either the output VU or the input VU show an over -
i then inserted the S.S.L INTER-SAMPLING METER into the input - this meter measures the signel level on a sample by sample basis, so it shows the overs that are that are missed using standard metering - the S.S.L meter does not tell you what levels the overs are -
the proof being that although conventional digital metering showed the track was clean, the S.S.L meter did show that overs where present and the output contained hidden distortion -
this is TRUE mastering meter that has been produced by one of the worlds most respected manufacturers of studio equipment, and it is intended for the more experienced user -
it is FREE at the link below, DONT FORGET TO DOWNLOAD THE MANUAL -
http://www.solid-state-logic.com/
screenshot of meter in action -
http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee177/eurodog6/myscreenshot-28.jpg
Dr J
Fabulous, Dr. Thank you!
TOM - thank you -
PS to above - due to random interferance on my phone line i can only post limited amounts of info at a time - but now i can add what was missing to the above -
if you read the text carefully you may have wondered why i was using this mastering meter on an INPUT when conventional wisdom says it should only be used on an output - well think about it -
while its use on the output is to stop peaks escapimg and causing unwanted distortion when you burn a CD, by using this meter on an input you can by carefull input setting prevent inter-sample distortion entering your song in the first place -
inter-sample distortion is invisible without this sort of meter and once it enters your song it will cause havoc with the overall mix -
Dr J
This is a great plug in.
I just checked out a bunch of my mixes, and while none had digital overs, all had one or more instances where the analogue over indicator showed problems.
It also showed that I consistently use a maximum of 23 bits.
What should I make of that?
Mostly for metering I’ve been using the free PSP one, which has lots of options.
But this adds the analogue thing which is unique at this point, AFAIK.
We should email SSL and tell them that it works on n-Track.
the BIT situation in N meeds more looking into - try using another bit checker called BIT VIEWER free from link below -
some time ago i contacted Flavio about sample frequency conversion not working correctly when changing both the sample and the bit rate upwards, the sample rate changed the bit change said it had (from 16 to 24 bits) but it was still the same - Flavio said that you could not up-sample the bits - i then told him that it could be done in Sonar as i had just done it - i tried it the other day up-sampling from 44100 16 bits to 48000 24 bits and the bit rate changed this time, the file showed it to now be 24bits but it returned as 32bit float in Bit Viewer ? -
http://www.tobybear.de/p_utilbag.html
i have not had time to test the S.S.L meter in any other DAW yet, will try it soon -
PS, word to the wise - if you use either/or DITHER - NOISE SHAPING in either mixdown or sample rate conversion then the mixdowned/converted tracks will not run at the same speed as the originals - they are faster -
Dr J
Hi Doc J and Guys:
Thanks for that link…
I think it may have been posted up here a while back by one of the guys that is not a steady poster now…
Maybe a few years back…
If I remember correctly…
I have an SSL Folder going that dates back to mid 2006…
Is that meter a VST Format?
I know SSL has a bunch of Plugs…
available to use…
Here’s what I’d like to see converted to digital use in a VST format…
DurroughMeters
If I knew how to compile code I’d be on it right now…
Bill…
only 2 plugins Bill, the meter and a microphone compressor, maybe you are thinking of another ssl, this S.S,L are the big superanalogue consol manufacturers - what did the ‘genie’ say when granting a wish ALLAKHAZAM ? those consoles are somrthing else –
Dr J
Hi again Doc J:
That was the link that the compressor was available for download.
If the meter was there I don’t think I downloaded it.
I have the compressor though…
Here’s the old link to the compressor…
I can’t put it up here…
IE 7 wouldn’t allow me to TEXT it here…
sorry.
[EDIT 2]
I KkNnOoWw… If I’d have the resources to have an SSL Mixing Desk I would be working a little harder trying to find a way out of this Tracker’s Block…
Bill…
[EDIT]
There is a Durrough Digital Series of Meters…
I browsed that link and found this page…
Digital Meters
Thanks for the heads-up Doc. Another tool for the box eh? Where does this statement come form though…
Quote:
PS, word to the wise - if you use either/or DITHER - NOISE SHAPING in either mixdown or sample rate conversion then the mixdowned/converted tracks will not run at the same speed as the originals - they are faster -
Are you seeing this with n-Track or are you saying ALL DAWS exhibit this behavior?
D
Answered my own question… n-Track is not mixing down properly and is behaving as Doc described. Maybe Flavio can take a look and fix it. At the risk of mentioning the “R” word, it does not exhibit this behavior. Nor does Sonar 4LE. I might try Cubase a bit later and report back…
The rendered file and the master output should null when played simultaneously with one phase reversed. n don’t for some reason. I’ll drop a bug report to the Flav-meister. 
D
Ugh… I’m probably gonna piss some of you guys off here, but if somebody doesn’t speak up, n-Track won’t ever be restored to the old glory days…
n-Track’s audio engine is BROKEN and has been for close to two years. It won’t even come close to playing back as many tracks and FX as almost every other DAW software I have with decent latency (buffering) settings. Now with a little testing, I discover I can’t trust n-Track to provide accurate mixdowns and/or sample accurate renderings of virtual instruments. That means a very large customer base that I am sure Flavio would love to have are going to run away from n-Track as fast as they can. Virtual instruments are all the rage amongst several EXTREMELY popular genres these days.
I posted the bug report mentioned above on the support page. Maybe, maybe, Flavio will get the problems licked with n’s audio engine.
D - with apologies and crossed fingers… hopin’
Well done D -
apart from a few QUIRKS in N, the one thing that to me that is totally wrong, is that the timeline position is controlled by the buffer size used -
if you insert a short track. turn the grid on and zoom in, start playback, now watch where the timeline stops at the end of the track, it will stop at a different position for each buffer setting, it also takes longer for the timeline to start to move on high buffering, it starts quicker on low buffering -
when you press play in youR favouRite or any other DAW the playback starts immediately, in N the playback starts after the buffers have been loaded and sent to the soundcard - unless you are on low (or lower buffering) the latency between the timeline passing a point in the track and you hearing the sound can be excessive - we all know about latency but it should only be in samples not seconds -
Dr J
[QUOTE]PS, word to the wise - if you use either/or DITHER - NOISE SHAPING in either mixdown or sample rate conversion then the mixdowned/converted tracks will not run at the same speed as the originals - they are faster -
That answers some problems I’ve been having. Bloody hell…
Quote:
if you insert a short track. turn the grid on and zoom in, start playback, now watch where the timeline stops at the end of the track, it will stop at a different position for each buffer setting, it also takes longer for the timeline to start to move on high buffering, it starts quicker on low buffering
Me thinks this may be why I can't get a loop
to play back consistently
Here is a nice alternative intersample peak meter. It’s free too.
http://www.stillwellaudio.com/?page_id=33
D
well thats opened up another can of worms - Stillwell should have called it the WTF METER - WTF is N track doing now ?
OK - if ive got it right (?) then standard mixing is 32bit float, inserted two short tracks, 1 at 24 bits and 1 at 16 bits, staggered the tracks so on playback N started on the 24bit track merged with the 16 bit track and then went to 16 bits only as it had finished playing the 24 bit track -
meter showed 24 bits for the first part of the playback, still showed 24 bits for the merged part (this is correct as the 24 bit track takes preference) then showed 16 bits for the rest of the track (correct as track is a 16 bit track) OK so all seems well - NOT -
i then switched to 64 bit mixing and everything was shown as being at 64 bits - the 64 bit mixing engine should be the other side of the master fader and be invisible - the 32 bit engine is otherwise everything would show at 32 bits ? - WTF RIDES AGAIN -
Dr J
Hi Doc,
Did you read the help file that Schwa included? There are some explanations of what the meter is doing and how it tries to interpret what the host is up to. I haven’t had time to really mess with it yet…
D
By the way, try out that excellent dither plug. Schwa’s “Psycho-Dither”. It uses dither as well as psycho-acoustic noise-shaping. It has to be the best in-expensive dither I have ever heard. I slap on the master buss as the last effect, set it to 16 bits, mixdown… burn CD. DONE!
D
Quote: (Diogenes @ Oct. 17 2007, 8:53 PM)
By the way, try out that excellent dither plug. Schwa's "Psycho-Dither". It uses dither as well as psycho-acoustic noise-shaping. It has to be the best in-expensive dither I have ever heard. I slap on the master buss as the last effect, set it to 16 bits, mixdown... burn CD. DONE!
D
I've been thinking about this - any chance you could tell us the settings you use, D?