Output compression? 'and' Startup scanning?

[ailerom]

When I start RW it takes a VERY long time to open up. I have quite a well stocked vst plugin folder, so I wondered if there is a vst plugin folder scan that runs by default. If there is, can it be turned off?

Also, there seems to be a relationship between the drum level and how loud my guitar is. When I play something it seems the drum level drops. Is there some sort of master compression/limiting?

[Wedgebill]

Dunno about the vst thing but there definitely is a master compressor/limiter gizmo, I don't think it's switchable, you just have to keep an eye on your levels and drop individual and master levels down to keep away from it otherwise you get that pump and breathe effect over everything

[blue4u]

Bill,

I pump and breathe every time I start Riffworks. It seems to limit the compression and compress the limiting. With limited experience though I must admit I am no master at the master limiter but I do have a friend named Gizmo who is quite helpful in situations like these. He says, a switchable master limiter can compress the vsts into drop levels which can individually control the master and stop him from pumping (and breathing) into RiffWorks and compressing the whole mess. I haven't tried this yet but I'll get back to you when I've mastered my limit levels

Regards,
Rich

[Stephan326]

booooooo!!!!! That was stinky blue......

[d3drocks]

i noticed this too. im very used to something peaking/distorting when too loud. riffworks just compresses/limits the crap out of it. (not a very good thing imho). also, the vst wrapper in Riffworks ABSOLUTLY NEEDS A PRESET SELECTOR!

[GuitarSlinger]

Keep the levels below -6, thats where the limiter kicks in. I don't like it either. Since we are playing with small riffs it's too easy to just re-record if we clipped something. No need for the limiter.

[Wedgebill]

Rich, I'm going to award you 5 gold stars for being such a good student, you can nearly talk perfect bollocks now

[andrik]

Also check if it's not the instantdrummer (when you use it) which volume is to loud. If the instant drummer causes the limiting, just turn the volume down.

The Limiter is very annoying, but at the same time it's a good reminder you're pushing the output volume too far. You don't want to go beyond 0db.

[davenz]

It seems to me, in my limited experience, that the most common recording mistake people make is recording way too hot; if you want hot, drive your preamps but keep the master down under the red (unless you are going for some ultra-distorted alternative-rock thing). I think having a limiter is a good thing (maybe we could have an option to control it or turn it off) because if we didn't, it would be very easy for each riff and each layer to have wildly different levels, making stitching them all together a nightmare.

All recording software (and hardware) has its quirks; the idea is to work with it instead of against it. Riffworks was designed, as far as I understand it, to allow guitar players (and bass players and drummers) to be able to fire up their computer, spark up RW and hit record, not to be the most technically advanced, feature-filled and crammed-to-the-gunnels-with-buttons DAW. The more gadgets and fancy stuff thrown into it will just make it harder for me to work it and kill whatever creativity I have left.

Dave.

[ailerom]

I'm happy to make my own decisions about when to limit or compress. It really annoys me when software has automatic functions that can't be turned off. At the very least the threshold and ratio should be user definable.

So what is the ratio of the compression? Someone said it kicks in at -6 but....?

It seems to me I set the drums at a level I like, set the guitar at a reasonable level, and then when I hit play I can't hear the drums anymore. I know it is probably there to save people's ears and systems but I switch to and from other hosts and these levels I am using are not ridiculous.

The plugin folder scanning really should have an option to scan or not scan at start up. How do I go about making a feature request?

[davenz]

Just post it here and, if it is something other people like, they will post something along the lines of 'yeah, me too' and the devs will sit up, take note and they might include it in a new version. Maybe. I don't know really, just post and see what others think.

Dave

[blue4u]

In all seriousness...I have asked them long back to offer an on/off switch for the limiter. Shouldn't be (in theory at least) difficult to implement but it depends on how they've designed the audio rendering engine.

SWW, is this workable for the next release?

Thx,
Rich

[GuitarSlinger]

The limiter has no permanent effect though until mixdown. Turn the master down so nothing hits the red and render. If you open in another program for mastering this gives you some headroom to work with anyways.

[gatorjj]

I like headroom anyway, but I think the reality is most folks want the option to come straight out of RiffWorks louder.

Another option may be to rewrite the limiter so it acts differently, i.e. tops out closer to -0db and has a faster attack/decay. I like the VST model too, there's free plugs (i.e. Endorphin) that people could use to keep themselves out of trouble. I'd hate to see the function just go away and have to listen to digital clipping though, I'll take quiet and pumping over that any day!

[davenz]

I like headroom anyway, but I think the reality is most folks want the option to come straight out of RiffWorks louder.

Another option may be to rewrite the limiter so it acts differently, i.e. tops out closer to -0db and has a faster attack/decay. I like the VST model too, there's free plugs (i.e. Endorphin) that people could use to keep themselves out of trouble. I'd hate to see the function just go away and have to listen to digital clipping though, I'll take quiet and pumping over that any day!

+ 1

Dave