Compression settings in CW

[Paul881]

In CW, (HS2002) using the Compression tool, can anyone help me with a description of what each of the settings do? CW Help seems to have good description charts for EQ, Reverb and Chorus parameter settings, but I couldn't find any reference to Compression.

One other question, I also keep hearing references to "real time" effects. Now to me, that means that you <enable> the fx you want along with the settings and then when you play/sing, the fx are applied. In other words, you hear the fx as you record. But as it is, you can only hear the fx after the recording has taken place. Now that ain't "real time" to my mind! Or am I missing something?

Paul

[AlChuck]

The real-time effects only work if (1) you ar using WDM drivers for your sound hardware, and (2) the particular effect has been written to take advantage of DirectX 8x's new capabilities.

[Paul881]

Thanks for that AlChuck. I guess the Dreamstation DXi that came with HS2002 is a real time synth?

The Comressor parameters I am looking for a description of (what do they do?) are:

Gain (I know what this does) -60 0 +60
Attack .01 to 500
Release 50 to 3000
Threshold -60 to 0
Ratio 1 to 100
Predelay 0 to 4

Thanks for any help

Paul

[AlChuck]

Re the Dreamstation, only if you have WDM drivers for your soundcard... otherwise its latency is unsuitable for playing it in real-time.

[Paul881]

If I call up the Dreamstation, choose my synth and then Virtual Piano and play "in real time" and can hear my chosen synth.s, then I guess I have the WDM drivers? ( I have a s/b Live! card). Is this a correct assumption? Otherwise, how would I know if I had them or not?

Paul

[heinz]

If you're running current SB Live drivers then you are probably running in WDM driver mode. I believe there's a way to check for sure in Sonar but I don't know about HS2002.

Regardless of whether you run WDM drivers or not, you should be able to run 'real-time' compression effects via your mixer. I usually do this by adding the effect into a mixer channel after I've recorded the tracks. Then during playback I can what-if endlessly until I find the right settings.

One day hopefully the Aardvark folks will finish that WDM driver I can get checked into all the low-latency fun. Based on their progress though I'm skeptical we'll ever see it.

[AlChuck]

You should be able to tell by the driver's name in the Control Panel, under System... "WDM" should appear in the name or descriptive string for the SB Live...

[Paul881]

I can definately load and play the Dream station "instruments" in real time, using the VPiano. But, there is no mention of it against my Live! card in Drivers. And yes, my Live! is brand spanking new, so it should have the latest versions of drivers.

One thing though, there is a half second delay between me playing a note on the VP keyboard and the sound starting. I guess this is an effect of latency?

Thanks for the tip on inserting Compresion after the recording, Heinz, got any tips about settings?

Paul

[AlChuck]

One thing though, there is a half second delay between me playing a note on the VP keyboard and the sound starting. I guess this is an effect of latency?

Bingo! When you say "real-time," that means "responds immediately (or close enough)." 1/2 second is definitely not real-time. Sounds like you have MME drivers for the Live card...

I just realized, you never mentioned your OS. Is it Windows 98 or ME? The Live drivers would probably be MME in that case; I think only in Windows 2000 do they have WDM drivers for the Live card in a "normal" installation.

[Paul881]

My OS is Win 98. This whole subject of drivers is confusing. In my driver string descriptors in control panel>system> device manager, all I seem to have is vxd, drv and ecw (ignoring dll's and sf2).

[heinz]

Paul wrote:

>>"Thanks for the tip on inserting Compresion after the recording, Heinz, got any tips about settings? "<<

Hee hee yeah delete that cakewalk compressor and download dbAudioware's compression suite!

Seriously I got killer compression results in minutes with dbAW, and you can use them free for 30 days and they're cheap! I never once got cakewalk's stock compressor sounding transparent and without harsh artifacts... it was kind of like using an Alesis 3630 (LOL). Maybe I'm an idiot (more like probably) but I think it's a POS.

http://www.db-audioware.com/dbm.htm

[A1MixMan]

Hey Paul,
When you play a soundfont with virtual piano or a midi keyboard you will hear it in real time, meaning right now, no delay.
But using a "soft synth" like the DXi synth's in sonar means an added layer of software that your computer has to process to play the sound. This is why you hear a delay between the time you press a key and the note being played.

The driver issue is mainly about how the software accesses the computer hardware- the soundcard mainly.
Software drivers that are MME are not written to take advantage of the newer advances made possible by Sonar.
WDM drivers (windows driver model) on the other hand are written to take advantage of these advances. Mainly to access the soundcard directly, not having to go though other processes.
This cuts down the latency considerably.
Latency under 10 ms is ideal. Anything higher and you will start to hear the delay.

Win 2000 and WinXP use WDM drivers.
You can find WDM drivers for certain soundcards if the company has written them.
As far as WDM for SoundBlaster Live on Win98 I haven't found them yet, and I don't think I will.
WinXP for me on Oct. 25th I tell ya!


Here is some info on drivers for music production from
http://www.sharkyextreme.com/
Great website for hardware reviews, too!

It maybe a little older, but it has some good info.

http://www.sharkyextreme.com/hardwar...rivers/3.shtml

Hope this helps,
A1MixMan

[Paul881]

Okay, A1MixMan thanks for the info. I read the write up on Sharkeys web site with interest. It states that:

( the s/b Live!) "Effects Engine, E-mu Systems EMU10K1 patented effects processor, Supports real-time digital effects like reverb, chorus, flange, pitch shifter or distortion across any audio source."

I guess what you are saying is that to use the Live! to its full capacity in terms of real time synth work, you must use it with Win 2000 or XP, becuse only those o/s support Live! with WDM driver capability? And therefore, the only way to use it in real time? Now I know why you are going for XP on the 25th. Good luck! (You use a Live! don't you?)

Thanks, Heinz, for the heads up on db audio. What they have is a limiter, not a compressor. A limiter stops the output of a signal going over a certain range whereas a compressor reduces the dynamic range of program material. The effect can be similar, but a compressor is usually the better device to use for vocals. But I will download it and give it a go, thanks.

[A1MixMan]

Yes I have a SB Live, bought it when it first came out.

[heinz]

Paul, they do have a compressor... you must have missed it! this is what I'm talking about:

http://www.db-audioware.com/dbd.htm

[Paul881]

Sorry Heinz, I didn't read the blurb properly...too much in a rush.

Thanks, I'll give that a go.

Paul