Without going into a lot of detail, I have almost completely revamped my Pro Tools LE setup to where I record mixerless and mix down directly out of Pro Tools into an Alesis Masterlink via S/PDIF. I am using balanced cables everywhere. Here's the problem: I master and burn a CD in the Masterlink, and when played on the Masterlink, it sounds great through the control room monitors and Sony headphones. I played a recent mix in my Honda CRV's crappy system, and it sounded really good. But if I play it in a PC in Windows Media Player, it sounds bass-heavy, and loaded with artifacts and distortion. I was willing to chalk it up to a bad drive or sound card, except that CDs not made on my Masterlink don't exhibit this, and I played the CD on a computer at work and, while not as bad, the problems were still there. Anybody have experience with this? I should mention right off the top that the Masterlink settings are correct. I'm thinking it might be a bit resolution issue, but that still doesn't explain why the problem wouldn't show up in any playback setup.
Masterlink Artifacts - Sometimes
- Thread starter JohnnyB
- Start date
Blue Bear Sound
New member
First off - I'm not sure what balanced cables have to do with anything -- if you're all digital between Protools and the Masterlink, then the analog signals are irrelevant.
If the stuff from your Masterlink sounds good everywhere except your DAW, then it sounds like some you've got something in your PC soundcard config that is either adding gain or EQ or both, causing the noise -- that or you're doing something nasty with the Masterlink's on-board processing.
If the stuff from your Masterlink sounds good everywhere except your DAW, then it sounds like some you've got something in your PC soundcard config that is either adding gain or EQ or both, causing the noise -- that or you're doing something nasty with the Masterlink's on-board processing.
SouthSIDE Glen
independentrecording.net
The symptoms you describe don't quite make sense to me. I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just saying that I can think offhand of no reason why computer CD players should react any differently than "audio CD decks" to a properly formatted and burnt CD. It may be partly coincidence that it just happens to be the computer-based players that are having the problems so far, and the fact that they are computer-based is a red herring.
Are you perhaps using CD-RW media instead of CD-R? The CD-RWs are notorious for having playback compatability problems among a variety of CD players. Also (though I'm kind of grabbing at straws here), if you are using even CD-R media, if you are using discs that are rated at a lower speed than the speed at which you're burning and/or using discs that are rated as 80 minute discs, you could be getting some marginal burnings that some more robust players can handle better than others. Make sure you stick with brands and speeds of CD-R media that are recommended in the manual of the burner you are using, and stick with CD-R and not CD-RW.
If all of that fails to help you, you might be wise to contact Alesis tech support and see if they have any leads.
G.
Are you perhaps using CD-RW media instead of CD-R? The CD-RWs are notorious for having playback compatability problems among a variety of CD players. Also (though I'm kind of grabbing at straws here), if you are using even CD-R media, if you are using discs that are rated at a lower speed than the speed at which you're burning and/or using discs that are rated as 80 minute discs, you could be getting some marginal burnings that some more robust players can handle better than others. Make sure you stick with brands and speeds of CD-R media that are recommended in the manual of the burner you are using, and stick with CD-R and not CD-RW.
If all of that fails to help you, you might be wise to contact Alesis tech support and see if they have any leads.
G.
The symptoms don't make any sense to me either; that's why I posted here!
I'm using blank CD-Rs from DiscMakers/DiscMarket -- pretty good quality, never had a problem duplicating -- and I think they're rated at 52X or something. The Masterlink burns at 4X!
I'm stumped. Thanks for your input.
I'm using blank CD-Rs from DiscMakers/DiscMarket -- pretty good quality, never had a problem duplicating -- and I think they're rated at 52X or something. The Masterlink burns at 4X!
I'm stumped. Thanks for your input.
Blue Bear Sound
New member
Glen, he wouldn't be able to burn CD-RWs with the Masterlink -- it adheres to a fairly strict Redbook standard. But I agree with you, something about the way he's describing it doesn't make sense -- either he's not describing it fully, or he left out some critical info!
SouthSIDE Glen
independentrecording.net
Ah, OK...that's a good thing then.Blue Bear Sound said:
Unless there's a key clue missing, I'm still can't think of anything other than dubious playback media that some players can handle better than others. This could be the media itself, even if they are CD-Rs, or (I guess) it could be some kind of problem with the Masterlink itself.
EDIT: Oops, didn't see the additional post re the CD-R media. That sounds fine to me, FWTW.
Give it to Alesis, I say.
G.
Blue Bear Sound
New member
To be honest, the way it's described, it doesn't sound like a Masterlink issue... particularly if it plays back well in the car.
What version of Masterlink OS are you using? Download the latest at the Alesis site and see if that makes a difference.........
What version of Masterlink OS are you using? Download the latest at the Alesis site and see if that makes a difference.........
gullfo
New member
check your WMP settings - you might have EQ engaged or the horrible SRS WOW effects (which not only adds overpowering bass but some "spacialization" to widen the stereo effect rendering the middle ranges really weak...).
presuming your room and monitoring system allow you to hear all the bass you have in the mix, the ohter option is your sound card or Microsoft Audio Mapper settings - some cards (like SoundBlaster) have additional EQ and effects settings... you should also make sure your Windows sounds are turned off as well...
HTH
presuming your room and monitoring system allow you to hear all the bass you have in the mix, the ohter option is your sound card or Microsoft Audio Mapper settings - some cards (like SoundBlaster) have additional EQ and effects settings... you should also make sure your Windows sounds are turned off as well...
HTH
malcolm123
New member
gullfo said:
Yep!!. I was thinking the same thing. If not that,, then I agree with the others,,, just doesnt make sense.
Malcolm
Reviewing the Pro Tools files last night, I decided to raise compression thresholds and increase ratios where I could. This improved it somewhat, but some hash was still there. On a whim this morning, I ripped mp3s of the tracks and guess what: No hash. Must be something in my PC's CD-ROM drive setup.
volltreffer
Imply depressed
I assume that you have some overall system settings for windows, that are just set to the CD player.
Had a similar problem once when talking about a song that I listened to at work and was DROWNED in verbs, which I told the creator. He surely thought I was crazy, as it was dust dry... Next day I found the settings on occasion (but immediately forgot WHERE to change).
aXel
Had a similar problem once when talking about a song that I listened to at work and was DROWNED in verbs, which I told the creator. He surely thought I was crazy, as it was dust dry... Next day I found the settings on occasion (but immediately forgot WHERE to change).
aXel