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Old 05-19-2009, 01:40 AM   #39
Coolartisan
Human being with feelings
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: India
Posts: 1
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AndyMc View Post
I made a Route up to show you where the audio goes and at what db.



The Audio flows through your Track then FX can be added but either way you see the volume still flows on to master, from master it flows to the ReaNINJAM plugin at 0db, then leaves the plugin outwards to the net at 0db.

Now the Audio on local channel and remote flows back from the ReaNINJAM plugin back into Master.
Adjusting Local Channel has no effect on your audio output to the ninjam server. For the most common REAPER + ReaNINJAM Setup the Local Channel will then become a PRE Master volume for all sound you generate in REAPER and Remote Channels control sounds of the person's there attached too.

So if you just keep it basic and see from Instrument to Track to Master to ReaNINJAM to Net your audio travels, but on that route only Track Volume Slider will have an effect on what people on the Net hear. So now the way to control your volume comes down to the knobs on your Instrument and the Track Volume Slider.

So a good way to get correct levels is to put TRACK, MASTER and LOCAL CHANNEL and ReaNINJAM Master to 0db, you will need to lower your speakers for this. Now get your volume to a good level so on local channel it peaks around -12db to -10db when your playing your loudest. If your drums max around -8db to -6db. Pads and similar should not be this high as they have a bigger width and if possible should be eq'd or compressed to achieve a good level. Also to get heard in a Jam more consider Panning yourself slightly, remember panning on LOCAL CHANNEL will have no effect to what people hear on the Server, they will still hear you Panned Center, Pan on TRACK.

When you have your sound set sweet then reduce MASTER and LOCAL CHANNEL, it might be best leaving ReaNINJAM Master at 0db.

Some Tips to help along the way:

1. BUZZ / HUMM
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If you have Humm/Buzz then move away from the monitor or electrical equipment if you use mic, bass, guitar type instruments.
Also make sure sure music equipment is plugged into the same socket as the PC and Speakers or you could get an Earth Loop.

2. NOISE / HISS
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This can be cause by output on an FX Pedal being too high, trim on mixers being too high so lower input levels then use Track Volume Slider to Increase Volume. Make sure your input is using mic, guitar is pre-amped. If your using a Pedal check if it has pre-amp, also some fx boxes, and pedals output an amped signal so using Line-In instead of Mic (pre-amped) pc input could help.
Also having Mic Boost on PC Mic Inputs is a common problem for creating noise, specially if your pedal is already pre-amped.
Other solutions that can help are using FX's on the TRACK, such as noise gate's, eq and compressor plugins. There are many built into Reaper plus lots free online as well as some very expensive ones.

3. DISTORTION / CRACKLE
This can be caused by many things but I'll put the most obvious causes.
Having a Pre-Amped Pedal and going through a Pre-Amped Mic Socket will cause this, as well as having Mic Boost on too. Solution is to use the Line-In or turn off Mic Boost and Pedals Output Volume.
Also Instrument's Volume too high, so Lower the Instrument then up Pedal or Mic-In's Volume Level or TRACK Volume Level.
Crackle can be cause by peaking over 0db so above could help that or due to ASIO.
ASIO Crackling is due to High CPU Load (your machine is doing too much), some Web Cams set to 640x480, ASIO Drivers and Lastly, WINDOWS VISTA.
For Hight CPU you need to shut down anything you dont' need whilst playing, this could involve Virus Checkers but not Firewalls, leave your firewall running or use the Windows Firewall if you shut down your Software Firewall.
Web Cam's can be set to 320x240 if possible to reduce or kill the crackle, also setting REAPER in Preferences, Audio, Device to High Priority.
Drivers is a mine field, I can only suggest using http://Asio4all.com or if your sound card is a built-in AC97 you could try the nVidia Legacy Audio Drivers which have a pretty good ASIO Driver and Sound Mixer.
If you have a Creative Card and are pretty clued up pc's you could try the KX driver - http://kxproject.com but X-Fi'x and a few other Creative Cards or USB Boxes are not Supported. Apart form that make sure if there is an ASIO selection for your card in the options that you select that
With VISTA its hit and miss, if you use too much your get crackles and pops, some can't even use a small amount before they get them. For most using a Guitar and couple of FX's you should be fine but for anyone wanting to use VSTi's then your most likely be out of luck and have crackles and pops. This is a widely know problem and not related to REAPER or NINJAM or ReaNINJAM, its a VISTA Problem. Hopefully VISTA SP2 will fix the problem when ever it comes or if there is even to be one.

I probably missed something somewhere , I'll amend any error's if there even is any later.

THANK you for sharing this info. it has been of real help.
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