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Old 09-15-2021, 01:55 PM   #1
sjs94704
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Default How do I trace which plugin is causing a 'Hissing' sound?

I have a template that I use as a starter for all my p[rojects and I am noting that when I load it, I can hear a slight 'Hissing' sound.

I have a total of 23 tracks in my template. They include tracks for vocals as well as tracks for plugings as vocal Fx.

So, I am suspecting that this issue can be solved by adjusting the gain on the VSTs, but I'm wondering, if I have several VSTs, what might be some suggestions to track down the ones that are he cause so I can work on themas well as not adjusting the wrong plugins.

I realize that this may be yet another one of those subjective kinds of things, and yes, I could jugo one at a time from track one to 23 hoping I could find.

I was just looking for some suggestion of how any of you go about this when you don't know for sure which pluging in causing an unwanted 'hiss' or other unwanted noise?

Thanks, Steven
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Old 09-15-2021, 03:20 PM   #2
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I would load ReaEQ on master and observe spectrogram. Mute tracks one by one, see which track causes change. Bypass plugins one by one on that track, see which one makes change. With 23 tracks it would take me less time than writing this post.
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Old 09-15-2021, 03:27 PM   #3
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If you have Waves plugins, some of them are notorious at thinking I wanted hiss as part of the analog emulation. Check those, most have an "analog" or similar button/setting you can turn off.

You can mute or solo tracks one at a time to find the culprits but begin with tracks with Waves plugins if you have any.
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Old 09-16-2021, 08:49 AM   #4
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agree on all suggestions, but I'd add that if you have Slate Digital Virtual mix rack, some of those also cause hiss. And pretty much any plugin that emulates analog gear may have that "feature" haha. good luck.
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Old 09-16-2021, 10:40 AM   #5
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If you have Waves plugins, some of them are notorious at thinking I wanted hiss as part of the analog emulation. Check those, most have an "analog" or similar button/setting you can turn off.

You can mute or solo tracks one at a time to find the culprits but begin with tracks with Waves plugins if you have any.
Thanks for the advice! I do have waves plugins. For my vocals I use a delay and for that one, I just got Waves Vocal bundle when it was on sale a couple weeks ago and used HDELAY and sure enough, the analog setting was on.

I also have MEqualizer (FREE) from Melda Productions and it was showing a very small but noticeable signal. Just to be clear for anyone following this thread, my MIC was not armed for recording, and my phantom power was turned off. So, I am just mentioning this so that it can be known that I had eliminated the MIC as a contributing factor to this signal issue.

As soon as I turned off the analog setting of the HDELAY the signal went away!

Until you mentioned this issue with analog causing such an issue I had no idea, so I'm glad I asked and can look for that in the future.

AWESOME! ..... Thank You!
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Old 09-16-2021, 01:09 PM   #6
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Default harmonies

Hi Steven, can you tell me how you generated the harmony on the song "amazing grace" ?
I'm in two minds, was it a fixed harmony that tracked your vocal, or did you select the harmony part with a midi keyboard to produce the wanted harmony note ? I would also like to add that you singing style and technique has improved a lot since I first heard you. hope your well. Dave (fixerdave)
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Old 09-16-2021, 01:13 PM   #7
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Hi Steven, can you tell me how you generated the harmony on the song "amazing grace" ?
I'm in two minds, was it a fixed harmony that tracked your vocal, or did you select the harmony part with a midi keyboard to produce the wanted harmony note ? I would also like to add that you singing style and technique has improved a lot since I first heard you. hope your well. Dave (fixerdave)
Thanks for asking. I used Waves OVOX. It has been a really fun plugin to play with.
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Old 09-16-2021, 01:46 PM   #8
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thanks, but does it track your vocal automatically, or do play a midi note on a keyboard to decide the harmonic note for any of you sung notes? fixerdave
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Old 09-16-2021, 01:50 PM   #9
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the reason i ask is i think some of you harmonies come in a slitely different times so maybe you the harmoniser set so when to sing, the note controlled by pressing midi keyboard determine when the harmony sings, fixerdave
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Old 09-16-2021, 02:05 PM   #10
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the reason i ask is i think some of you harmonies come in a slitely different times so maybe you the harmoniser set so when to sing, the note controlled by pressing midi keyboard determine when the harmony sings, fixerdave
Yes, I know what you mean! But, nope! I don't play the keyboard, so this is ALL OVOX... The truth is, at first I liked the effect, but the first few times I practiced it, it got kind of irritating, but, although this version is not perfect, I started to quickly learn to control my voice as well as a bit of exagerated pronounciation of my lyrics in order to achieve my goal. I know I could have spent more time, but I did not want to become obsessive about it either! However, moving forward, when using OVOX, knowing that manipluation of my vocal going in the MIC has a big effect on what I end up with helps me to know how to be creative with other songs!
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Old 09-23-2021, 04:07 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sjs94704 View Post
Yes, I know what you mean! But, nope! I don't play the keyboard, so this is ALL OVOX... The truth is, at first I liked the effect, but the first few times I practiced it, it got kind of irritating, but, although this version is not perfect, I started to quickly learn to control my voice as well as a bit of exagerated pronounciation of my lyrics in order to achieve my goal. I know I could have spent more time, but I did not want to become obsessive about it either! However, moving forward, when using OVOX, knowing that manipluation of my vocal going in the MIC has a big effect on what I end up with helps me to know how to be creative with other songs!
If youre using Waves plugins, any trace of an 'analogue' switch adds much hiss. If you have any compressors in the chain after that, hiss increases. Took me ages to track down this hissing git and it was Waves API 2500.

Hissing prigs in static couture!
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Old 09-24-2021, 09:34 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sjs94704 View Post
I have a template that I use as a starter for all my p[rojects and I am noting that when I load it, I can hear a slight 'Hissing' sound.

I have a total of 23 tracks in my template. They include tracks for vocals as well as tracks for plugings as vocal Fx.

So, I am suspecting that this issue can be solved by adjusting the gain on the VSTs, but I'm wondering, if I have several VSTs, what might be some suggestions to track down the ones that are he cause so I can work on themas well as not adjusting the wrong plugins.

I realize that this may be yet another one of those subjective kinds of things, and yes, I could jugo one at a time from track one to 23 hoping I could find.

I was just looking for some suggestion of how any of you go about this when you don't know for sure which pluging in causing an unwanted 'hiss' or other unwanted noise?

Thanks, Steven
Either start muting or soloing tracks one at a time. You'll hear it go away when you mute the offending track or you'll hear it solo'd when you solo the offending track. Whichever direction there seems the shortest. With only 23 tracks, you'll find it in under a minute.

Keep this kind of thing simple.
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Old 09-24-2021, 09:41 AM   #13
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Originally Posted by maxdembo View Post
If youre using Waves plugins, any trace of an 'analogue' switch adds much hiss. If you have any compressors in the chain after that, hiss increases. Took me ages to track down this hissing git and it was Waves API 2500.

Hissing prigs in static couture!
Yeah, Waves and their hiss makers!

I think this is one of those kind of trolling things. If you just pull up a plugin and leave a default setting or use a preset, it's designed to embarrass you. Sort of a gate keeping trolling kind of thing. "Separate the real musicians from the beginners." Like some of the presets on sound modules. If you use the stock sounds and never learn to program it yourself, you sound awkward.

There's your conspiracy theory for the day.
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Old 09-24-2021, 02:39 PM   #14
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Hissing prigs in static couture!
An absolute masterpiece record!!!
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Old 09-24-2021, 09:00 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by karbomusic View Post
If you have Waves plugins, some of them are notorious at thinking I wanted hiss as part of the analog emulation. Check those, most have an "analog" or similar button/setting you can turn off.

You can mute or solo tracks one at a time to find the culprits but begin with tracks with Waves plugins if you have any.
Aah, I ran across this recently with Wave's "Abbey Road Plates". Now I know what to look for, thanks Karbo.
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Old 09-25-2021, 07:44 AM   #16
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I'd simply solo each track, then once you find the offender(s) bypass each plugin one at a time until you pin down the one(s) causing the issue. Easy-peasey.
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Old 09-29-2021, 11:39 PM   #17
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If you're using OTT, it's that.
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Old 10-02-2021, 07:27 PM   #18
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If you're using OTT, it's that.
OTT can definitely do it.
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