5pinDIN - 11 December 2016 04:31 PM

Mighty Motif Max - 11 December 2016 02:59 PM

It is exactly as recorded from the XF to a usb flash drive, except that I cut out this section to upload it.

OK.

The first thing I noticed is that the recorded level is very low - the peak appears to be only about -20 dBFS. Secondly, the cause seems to be partially due to low key velocity. I’m basing that primarily on the sound of the low end notes - the overall sound isn’t bad, but the bottom seems to me a little, as you put it, “muffled”.

I don’t know if it was your intention to play pianissimo, or if the piece becomes more forte further on. Higher key velocity would likely “enliven” things a bit.

Even if you don’t play harder or raise record levels, normalizing the existing recording can make a noticeable difference. I normalized your WAV and attached the resulting file (zipped).

If what I’ve attached doesn’t sound reasonable when played on your computer, then it may be a problem with the application you’re using.

The attached file sounds the same as before. I am in the process of going over all of the other posts.

philwoodmusic - 11 December 2016 07:54 PM

5pinDIN - 11 December 2016 04:31 PM

If what I’ve attached doesn’t sound reasonable when played on your computer, then it may be a problem with the application you’re using.

In addition to the low level and velocity observations. Because you use a Mac, Max, I’m wondering if this is the dreaded iTunes ‘Sound Enhancer’ and ‘Sound Check’ functions doing their dastardly work.

Those functions will automatically adjust the level and often the EQ of any audio you import out of blind assumption, and things can end up sounding especially nasty and distorted as part of an automated but VERY motivated attempt to level out your entire iTunes library.

In your case, your audio, which is quiet, is being automatically pulled up, but without the kind of love and consideration that 5pinDIN used when he normalized your WAV for you.

So, if you are using iTunes, which is a distinct possibility for a Mac user, iTunes is applying these adjustments when you import your audio, and because you likely burn your CDs in iTunes, too, your CDs also feature that sound and will sound bad anywhere (as you’ve advised).

I always set those to off, because everything sounds better when you do. Ok, so all your tracks might not be at the same level, but that’s life.

If you aren’t using iTunes, then I bet a very similar function is in play on either your editing software or whatever you use to burn your CDs.  You’re looking to disable an auto normalize function or a set of export preferences on those kind of apps.

Looking back up the thread, you did mention iTunes.

Yes, I do use iTunes.

I turned off those functions in preferences, but the result is the same. This issue does not occur when I record to my computer using an audio interface with GarageBand, only with the internal recorder.

EDIT: GarageBand recorded some static even though I am using this: Resident Audio T4, in my most recent recordings (bypassing Internal Audio Recorder).

This is really getting annoying!

I should be able to record music without static and fuzziness.

Could this be a problem with my XF8?

-Max

Mighty Motif Max - 12 December 2016 01:09 AM

5pinDIN - 11 December 2016 04:31 PM

Mighty Motif Max - 11 December 2016 02:59 PM

It is exactly as recorded from the XF to a usb flash drive, except that I cut out this section to upload it.

OK.

The first thing I noticed is that the recorded level is very low - the peak appears to be only about -20 dBFS. Secondly, the cause seems to be partially due to low key velocity. I’m basing that primarily on the sound of the low end notes - the overall sound isn’t bad, but the bottom seems to me a little, as you put it, “muffled”.

I don’t know if it was your intention to play pianissimo, or if the piece becomes more forte further on. Higher key velocity would likely “enliven” things a bit.

Even if you don’t play harder or raise record levels, normalizing the existing recording can make a noticeable difference. I normalized your WAV and attached the resulting file (zipped).

If what I’ve attached doesn’t sound reasonable when played on your computer, then it may be a problem with the application you’re using.

The attached file sounds the same as before. I am in the process of going over all of the other posts.

The file I posted is a normalized version of yours, and is about 20 db higher in level than your original. If the two sound the same to you, something “interesting” is going on. It might be some type of auto correction running amok.

Max, what we’re saying is that the file you have uploaded didn’t suffer from anything other than low levels and appeared to be gently played on low velocity, giving it a very mellow ‘duller’ sound.

Because your audio file was straight from the Motif XF, the problem you are experiencing (and we aren’t, yet) is highly unlikely to be the Motif XF.

This saga really does point to some kind of signal processing which is being applied to your audio without your permission, by your software.

I’d blame auto normalize every time if you really are hearing a lot of distortion.

philwoodmusic - 12 December 2016 10:03 AM

Max, what we’re saying is that the file you have uploaded didn’t suffer from anything other than low levels and appeared to be gently played on low velocity, giving it a very mellow ‘duller’ sound.

Because your audio file was straight from the Motif XF, the problem you are experiencing (and we aren’t, yet) is highly unlikely to be the Motif XF.

This saga really does point to some kind of signal processing which is being applied to your audio without your permission, by your software.

I’d blame auto normalize every time if you really are hearing a lot of distortion.

I turned off these features, and the distortion is still there.

We’ve already established that you disabled Sound Enhancer and Sound Check in iTunes.

What about in Garageband or anything else you use to edit your audio?

Garageband absolutely has normalize as an automatic export option.

Mighty Motif Max - 12 December 2016 03:09 PM

I turned off these features, and the distortion is still there.

Let’s try something…
Play the XF factory demo Song #3 “Xs’d Up” (if it’s not currently on your XF, please load it). Then unzip and play this WAV file…
http://www.motifator.com/index.php?ACT=39&fid=165&aid=13951_CGAaGKwCFPF7MCnRh0yJ&board_id=1
...and let us know how the two compare.

EDIT: Please take a look at what philwoodmusic suggested first.

philwoodmusic - 12 December 2016 03:21 PM

We’ve already established that you disabled Sound Enhancer and Sound Check in iTunes.

What about in Garageband or anything else you use to edit your audio?

Garageband absolutely has normalize as an automatic export option.

The audio directly recorded to USB was not processed in any way whatsoever.

The WAV you posted seems to have been played with somewhat low key velocity (which may have been intentional), and the recorded level is low. It is not audibly distorted.

Please do the “Xs’d Up” comparison and let us know what you find.

5pinDIN - 12 December 2016 08:15 PM

...Please do the “Xs’d Up” comparison and let us know what you find.

Played on my computer or my xf?

Mighty Motif Max - 12 December 2016 08:47 PM

5pinDIN - 12 December 2016 08:15 PM

...Please do the “Xs’d Up” comparison and let us know what you find.

Played on my computer or my xf?

Play the Song sequence on your XF, so you’ll have a reference as to how it should sound. Play the WAV file on your computer, with whatever app you’ve been using, and let us know how it sounds compared to the XF playing the Song.

5pinDIN - 12 December 2016 09:00 PM

Mighty Motif Max - 12 December 2016 08:47 PM

5pinDIN - 12 December 2016 08:15 PM

...Please do the “Xs’d Up” comparison and let us know what you find.

Played on my computer or my xf?

Play the Song sequence on your XF, so you’ll have a reference as to how it should sound. Play the WAV file on your computer, with whatever app you’ve been using, and let us know how it sounds compared to the XF playing the Song.

OK. They sound virtually identical. The wav actually sounds a little bit better. :-)

Mighty Motif Max - 15 December 2016 02:09 AM

OK. They sound virtually identical. The wav actually sounds a little bit better. :-)

The WAV is from a direct recording to USB of the Xs’d Up sequence, done on my XF6, then normalized to 100% (0.0 dBFS maximum peaks) using Audacity.

You might try doing the same with your own gear, and see what the result is. It should basically match what I did, but let us know.

The problem is definitely a iTunes problem or computer issue of some sort. I imported the recording from this thread: http://motifator.com/index.php/forum/viewthread/478431

It has the same distortion as everything else that I record. I highly doubt that it was recorded badly.

Now what?

Mighty Motif Max - 20 December 2016 01:53 AM

The problem is definitely a iTunes problem or computer issue of some sort. I imported the recording from this thread: http://motifator.com/index.php/forum/viewthread/478431

It has the same distortion as everything else that I record. I highly doubt that it was recorded badly.

Now what?

Yes, It was recorded well enough with no distortion on it.

Please can you upload an example of an audio file of yours that you can guarantee has the distortion you are experiencing on it.

Please can you give us a detailed description of all cabling and equipment.

Please can you do a step by step reconstruction of how you get from no audio at all to distorted audio.

It is virtually impossible to help you with anything less, but we’ll do our best.

Cheers!