Hi there,

For several times i meet a problem in Live 9 when i try to create stems of my tracks.

To be more accurate i meet problems to record all the content of my returns tracks (there are for example reverbs into them and i send some vocals or percussions into these returns/bus )
There is a huge latency on the audio which is recorded from the returns tracks and it's very hard set it back in the right place (moving the clip or even using the track delay compensation at the bottom of each track)

Indeed it was impossible for me to have the stems sounds exactly the same as the real time mix. ( so hard to send them to a mastering engineer..)

Is there a solution/ workaround ?


i'm on OSX Maverick Quad i7/16GB/SSD - Metric Halo 2882 i/o -

 

Create an audio track and record the output of the return track so you have it printed in a track in your project. There should then be no latency when you render your stems.

Edit: If you're sending the stems off to be mixed by someone else or if you're paying for a service, give them a call and have a chat with them first. Chances are they will only want the dry stems anyway and they will apply any reverbs etc themselves when they mix it.

 

Thanks for reply : )

So yes i already know the process to record a returns track but the problem is there is latency/shift in the recorded return track and i must everytime move this audio track (recorded return track) to make it sound to the maximum like the the real time thing coming from the returns track and going to the master (but i can't find the perfect "sync", always some millisecond of shift which have important issues : (
Do you know what i mean ? (my english is quite limited so it's hard to be clear)


And about the mastering, yes you're right, i'm experimenting that for the first time and some studios/engineers want only the dry stem to apply/recreate the stuffs with their one effects. However they are some others who don't process like that and want the wet stems so i would like to success in making my returns tracks' stems work perfectly

 

Yeah I understand (I think). Once you have the track printed in your project you should be to line it up easily enough and compere it to the original in the mix to make sure its correct in real time then just mute the send and render the stems out.

For more info in what you are experiencing read this http://www.macableton.com/Ableton_live_tutorials/processing-and-techniques/latency-and-delay-compensat.html

You could always try an alternative plugin to the one that's causing you problems?

 

i guess you pointed out the thing i will need to do to minimize the shift it occurs when i m recording the result from my Returns tracks : use more CPU friendly plugins on it.

But what is strange is that i've never any problems when i record audio track from another one full of CPU killer plugins. Only happens with Ableton Returns..

The fact is i can't perfectly line up those printed Returns with the others stems manually, i tried to move slightly this delayed result or to play with the delay compensation track at the bottom of Lives' tracks but never ends up with what i hear straight from returns to the master in real time.

Otherwise, are some plugins can help to align shifted tracks comparing to a reference source or in some other ways ? (without introducing more latency again ?


The resources link you provided is nice but a bit complex to understand for me.

Edit : i read the part related to the return tracks delay when routed to an audio track but the 1 ms delay they seems to speak about is nothing to what i get

 

I was Producing a Drum an Perc. Sample loop Library with 2000 loops. after Rendering about 200 loops I noticed all Loops begin with a delay.
It was really hard to hear. But by loop production there is no way for any micro Delays.

A Zynaptiq (Unveil) Plugin did this to me. Like You I began to search and search.
I thought maybe I can find a Max Device. No.
Finally I gave up some external plugins and used the Live's internal ones and Began to Render the first 200 Loops again

The PCD Issue in Live has not been solved.

Sorry I could not help.

 

Totally understand the question. I was about to ask the same question.

Plugin latency, even inactive, seems to make a difference.

Did you ever find a solution to this? I just turned off 'Delay Compensation' and it seems to be printing sample accurate. But if you turn on the plugins and compensation you lose timing. Seems like the timing is related to 125.5ms plus the plugin latency, at a guess.

I'm wondering if there's a proper way to correct this yet?

 

try reaper. what you want to do is a flash for reaper. your problem is one of the reasons I switched to reaper.

 

I've thought this, it seems like the best solution really, but I'm heavily invested inside Ableton and my Template workflow. It wouldn't work in another DAW without causing huge issues in recall to correct anything. That lets me work at speed without fear.

 

Ableton Live allows for feedback loops and this often f-s up the latency compensations. If you have tracks grouped, you need to disable sends either for group either for contained tracks. Also disable all sends for the send tracks themselves, don't group them and send them straight to master.