Help!!! Where's my beautiful sound going???

[Mike B]

Hey guys, I need your help! I record into Nuendo at 48k and 96k, using Direct Monitoring thru my RME 9652. During record, everything sounds really great, as I'm looping thru my Apogees AD/DA 16x's under Big Ben clock, into a Euphonix CS-2000 console. Neve, API pre's etc. The problem appears on playback. As soon as I hit stop and then playback the newly recorded material, a very dramatic loss of fidelity occurs, mainly in the high end/air band, and extreme low end. I'm left with a kinda mid-rangey, smallish sound, with a loss of extension. It's not as bad at 96k as 48k but noticeable nonetheless. Is this normal "Digititis", with my DAW "eating" my sound, or something more specifically whacked? Does anyone else experience this? Is this just a normal part of spooling off a drive and the normal detrimental effects of DAW life. I never noticed this phenomena when recording to lowly ADATs. My set-up is an AMD dual-Opteron, Big Ben Clock, AD/Da 16x's, Apogee Digital word clock and lightpipe cables, Nuendo 2.6. This really takes the fun out recording, when everything you work so hard to get right just goes out the window. Thanks for your input!

[BLUElightCory]

Are you still monitoring the playback through the RME or through something else? There could be something in your playback chain that's affecting the signal somewhat.

[joeq]

Originally Posted by Mike B

Hey guys, I need your help! I record into Nuendo at 48k and 96k, using Direct Monitoring thru my RME 9652

I don't know the RME, but in many units, no-latency monitoring is achieved by folding back the input directly to your monitors. In other words, what you are hearing during tracking has not yet been through any A/D - D/A conversion.

If this is how your unit works, what you hear on playback is the "reality". Sad but true. Unless the musicians need no-latency you should monitor through your converters so you at least have the opportunity to adjust your mics and processors to the reality of what is actually being recorded. During set-up you could at least be switching the DM in and out to check on how the conversion is affecting the sound.

My guess is that the beautiful sound you are 'losing' only exists in the Analog world before conversion to digital.

[Mike B]

Thanks for your help, guys, I appreciate it. Since I'm monitoring thru my Euphonix console (OTB) the signal has to go from AD-16 to RME, back out to DA-16x, so the conversion itself is indeed being heard and accounted for. What isn't being heard is the actual effect of Nuendo, the "sound" after spooling off the drives, and any other Windows or RME software internal mixers effect. Am I the only person to actually be having this "problem" or just the only one hearing it? I have gone to great lengths to diag this but everything techs out just fine. If it's just a "normal" DAW degradation, then I'm gonna have to try another medium 'cause this just sucks! I'm really curious if anyone else has ever heard this, or does their playback=input. Thanks again.

[soundawg]

I agree - you are probably listening to the direct signal, while making some other misake in you recording chain, which you will not hear until playback.

Soundawg.

[soundawg]

Oooops - we posted at the same time - I guess if your sure about what you are monitoring - I have not heard what you describe on my fireface.

Good luck with it

Soundawg