Output compression? 'and' Startup scanning?

[JouniL]

The people at SRW clearly have made a design decision regarding the level of technicality in RW and I believe we all understand that this has contributed to the success of RW.

Over time users become more advanced and start making all kind of requests (new features and more controll). This is a common dilemma to deal with for succesfull software companies and it is a delicate balance to maintain.

My suggestion would simply be to discreetly add a small button "Advanced" somewhere on the RW GUI where experienced users could tweak RW to their own pleasure while keeping the default settings "as is".

[cwight]

I think Jouni's hit the nail on the head. One of the real strengths of Riffworks is the way you can be up and running in no time at all, creating songs, riffs and ideas etc. Sure there are some limitations to the program when compared to other recording programs, but riffworks isn't really trying to compete with them, and also of course, you get the whole linking thing as well.

I don't find the limiting that much of a problem to be honest. Just watch your levels. Turn your speakers up if you want it louder, but keep the meters out of the red, you'll get much cleaner mixes that way anyway. And you can always master it in another program to increase the volume, and then post the mastered mix onto the riffworld site. The idea of an advanced set of settings would be cool, but if I really wanted a high level of sophistication I'd probably use a different program.

[redbaron]

I second Jouni and Colin!

I guess it's also a question of where you're coming from when assessing RW. For an experienced producer of digital music, I suppose there are many things lacking in RW. If, however, you're more or less coming from a Fostex X-30 4-track tape recorder like me, RW is god's gift to us lowly creatures.

[camaro24gold]

Everyone seems to have forgotten about Sonoma 7.....a discontinued (for which I wonder why) VST plug-in by Sonoma. All it was was the FX sections we currently have in layers and drummer/backup sections of RW now. I would imagine the preset output compressor of RW is built around the same compressor in the FX sections.....I could be wrong but it seems it would be.
If this compressor could be accessible to the end user it could have a default setting such as it is set now. That way those who don't want to muck around with it could just leave it the way it is. If they mess it up all ya need is a "default" setting in the load preset dialog box.

But there is so, so many threads here of people talking about what VSTs they have and where to find them etc. etc. that it just makes sense to me to open up this output section so we can use these mastering tools be it Sonoma 7 or a third party such as Endorphin, Pro-C, Ozone and the list goes on.

So long as it remains the way it is a lot of people end up doing their mastering in Audacity, Reaper etc. yet at the same time we push that the contest be done in RiffWorks and some here feel it should be done entirely in RW without any secondary mastering program use.

This all seems to be a huge hypocritical contradiction here.

Just my opinion and I know it doesn't mean crap to most of ya......so be it.

[cwight]

I wasn't aware of Sonoma 7, sounds cool, but I think you have to differentiate between mastering in Audacity, or something else, for most posts, from doing it in a Rumble. But the rumble allows rex and rewire anyway (and why not they are part of the programme) so somebody well versed in all this stuff could probably do loads more than I can; I can't be bothered to read the manuals. I've looked at Reaper and it just seems way beyond me. But good luck to those that can be bothered.

But yeah, I agree that better post-mix mastering would be good.

[pooterpatty]

I, too, have beef with RW's limiter. It seems like when I keep my levels so that the main meter never peaks, the resulting mixdown is WAYY too quiet (much quieter than what you hear when playing the song in RW). And of course if I set it too loud, you get pumping and breathing. I've not been able to arrive at a happy medium. Right now I just deal with my song being really quiet and amplify the mix in a separate app like Audacity. Sometimes I have to amplify by 10db or more (that's a lot!), even though when I play the song in Riffworks, the volume is perfect.

As others have said, it would be cool to be able to have some basic control over the limiter. Right now I have no idea what it's doing.

[Wedgebill]

I just bought a cheap red 35 yr old sit and ride mower, looks like a mini tractor, I nicknamed it Christine as it has a mind of its' own. I didn't want to spend a fortune on a fancy new one, I have just fitted a push button switch and a starter solenoid so the engine will start and a flick switch to turn it off. All I need to do now is invent a braking system so it'll stop, hopefully before I finish up in the lake


I hope this helps

[cwight]

Now that is bollix Bill, everybody knows that you brake with those things by tying them to your missus......with her tied to a tree.....jeez, how do the simplest things get messed up...

[Wedgebill]

Oooooh, one bit I forgot to mention, the gear lever is positioned between the drivers legs and it sticks, this leads to much hand movement in a delicate area. It must be very interesting for the neighbours to watch me mowing, stalling, manipulating, sweating, crashing and swearing, (not necessarily in that order) :rolleyes:

[JouniL]

Bill, now that last metaphor was off limits, shame on you!

[GuitarSlinger]

I think there might be some volume leveling going on with Riffcaster too. Or else we might have some wildly different levels from song to song.