Slap echo through my monitors while recording instruments

S

slazenger

New member
I'm getting a slap echo in my monitors when I record instruments in GarageBand. The recorded signal is fine - no problems, sounds normal. But while I'm recording, or listening while playing with the channel "active", I'm getting this slap echo (even if there are no effects employed). If I turn off the channel - that is, no GarageBand interaction - the instrument sounds fine, just comes through the speakers dry. So, there's something weird going on between GarageBand and the monitors. Any idea what this is or how to fix it? Thanks
 
The usual cause is having a mixture of direct and software monitoring happening, and the slap is the result of latency between direct and software.
 
You are monitoring through two things, interface and garage band. The signal coming out plays back with slight latency causing the delay effect. Read up on how to monitor while recording in the Garage band manual and/or whatever you are using for an interface.
 
In Windows, DAWs generally have a little speaker icon in each track that turns off the track monitor function.

Dave.
 
Thanks for the responses but, it was none of the issues mentioned above. In fact, after several hours of internet research (and several fruitless rabbit holes) - and learning that sometimes it's just that you've got too many plug-ins going at the same time (which slows down GarageBand's inner workings, as I learned) - I turned off my most recent plug-in purchase (an izotope suite of EQ/etc) and... everything works fine now. So, the izotope stuff is great but... it must use up a ton of processing power (and I'm using it on every track). So, I'm thinking I'm just going to finish up what I've got on GB (just started using it maybe 8 months ago) and migrate over to Logic Pro before doing any more recording - seems like a more robust DAW from what everyone says. Thanks for the help. Just glad the riddle was finally solved.
 
slazenger said:
Thanks for the responses but, it was none of the issues mentioned above. In fact, after several hours of internet research (and several fruitless rabbit holes) - and learning that sometimes it's just that you've got too many plug-ins going at the same time (which slows down GarageBand's inner workings, as I learned) - I turned off my most recent plug-in purchase (an izotope suite of EQ/etc) and... everything works fine now. So, the izotope stuff is great but... it must use up a ton of processing power (and I'm using it on every track). So, I'm thinking I'm just going to finish up what I've got on GB (just started using it maybe 8 months ago) and migrate over to Logic Pro before doing any more recording - seems like a more robust DAW from what everyone says. Thanks for the help. Just glad the riddle was finally solved.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure that you have solved your problem totally.

I can imagine that the plugin was using up processing power and therefore creating a latency that manifests as a late signal, therefore creating a slap echo. However, I can't think of how you get an echo without having an un-delayed signal.

Migrating to a more powerful DAW is worth a try. But the power of your computer is still an important factor. You may rethink how yo use plugins. For example, instead of having the same plugin on every track, you may be able to group tracks and put one instance of the plugin for the group.

I don't know whether GarageBand can do this, or Logic (I expect Logic would), but Reaper certainly does.
 
Some iZotope plugins are very resource intensive, and if you put anything on every track, it's going to catch up with you sooner or later. I know that Neutron is something they tout as putting on every track, and TBH, I do stick it on many, but the only thing I use it for by the time I'm done is EQ, because I like the masking feature. Everything else goes by the wayside before I'm done, and I replace it with a stock compressor (usually that's all), and use aux tracks for reverbs.

In the little bit I've tried to use the latest version of GB on my ancient (2010) MacBook Pro, I've found it's more demanding than earlier versions, as well. I suspect it's the usual problem of the developers working on newer/faster machines and not really having requirements ("technical budgets") about how much CPU, memory, etc. they can use.

But, with a few tracks, if you limit your plugins to EQ and a compressor, you should be able to get by - even my MBP limps along Ok. (I don't have the iZotope suite installed on it - just an old version of Ozone 5.)

Incidentally, GB does implement an aux for delay/reverb, kind of behind the curtain, but when you have the "track" selected and adjust master echo or reverb, they're actually routing some of the signal to an aux.
 
Have you locked your tracks ? you can free up cpu by locking the tracks with the plugins, you can also render the tracks with the plugins on them .
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top