What is everyone using to offset their preview signal in a DAW?

[pizzahotline]

What methods are people using to offset their preview signal to the pitch computer? Rather than using a hardware delay unit I've been using DMG audio track control but wondering if there's a better option out there or if it has any downsides.

Cheers!

[dmills]

I cobbled something together in C, that pays attention to the timing of the platter encoder pulses from my platter drive to make the delay track precisely.

A few thousand lines of C (Mainly in the delay lock loop), not too bad.

[THD]

I'm working on a Scully LS-76 and the preview time on it is 1,8 seconds for 33.3 rpm and 1.3 seconds for 45 rpm, I use Nuendo/Cubase and make one file/track for the program and take a copy of that and make a new track as preview, I then just move the program file with 1.3 or 1.8 seconds so that it starts 1.3 or 1.8 seconds after the preview file/track, very easy, and it doesn't affect the program material in any way, like when you use a delay.

[jtransition]

This is probably not helpful, but I use the preview offset on my desk ,I like the ability to be able to hear the audio at every junction at the flick of a switch.
Good Luck
J

[Aussie0zborn]

First question, which mastering console do you use?

[pizzahotline]

First question, which mastering console do you use?

I'm not using a hardware console. I'm using Sadie DAW and an audio interface going to the cutting amps.

[pizzahotline]

This is probably not helpful, but I use the preview offset on my desk ,I like the ability to be able to hear the audio at every junction at the flick of a switch.
Good Luck
J

Thanks for letting me know your process! What do you mean by a preview offset on your desk? Is you desk digital? as I understand it you can't offset signals in the analogue domain, right?

[Aussie0zborn]

I also use the “preview offset” knob on my console.

Surely you can do the same thing by adjusting the output level of your preview signal if you’re going from your DAC to the pitch control?

[dmills]

Two cross purposes here...

"Preview offset" on a mastering console is a control for relative level between the preview and cutting audio, but I think the OP was using it in the sense of the time offset between the review and main channel, the required "Preview delay".

[Aussie0zborn]

Ah, yes. Different topic.

Just offsetting one of the stereo tracks by the required delay time is easy enough in any DAW but you must have a 4-channel DAC.

[pizzahotline]

Ah, yes. Different topic.

Just offsetting one of the stereo tracks by the required delay time is easy enough in any DAW bur you must have a 4-channel DAC.

Sorry for the confusion. I now realize that I wasn't quite clear enough! Yeah, I have a multi channel DAC and send out a separate channel and delay it by the appropriate amount of milliseconds. How are you doing it? Is this a common way of doing it?

Thanks

[Aussie0zborn]

That's a very common way of doing it.

[Discomo]

I never preview anything, nor do I see the advantage of it. Before I commence cutting I check the delivered master thoroughly. Adjust volumes and eq where needed. The first cut is a testcut which I listen to from start to finish. After this I only check each record visually, just by eye. I haven’t missed a potential cutting-problem ever by doing so. With proper preparation a preview is not needed.

[dubcutter89]

Hey Discomo!

I think people here are discussing preview signals for automatic variable pitch controllers.
That's not something you find on a stock Vinylrecorder/Presto/etc...so don't worry about it

Lukas

[Discomo]

Hey Discomo!

I think people here are discussing preview signals for automatic variable pitch controllers.
That's not something you find on a stock Vinylrecorder/Presto/etc...so don't worry about it

Lukas

Hey Lukas,
Ah! You’re completely right
Thanks for pointing me at this.
Please continue this conversation gentlemen.

[ramona records]

hey hey,
i use logic and the built in sample_delay
i like things to be sample-accurate.
so first thing to do is to find out how many samples you have per revolution.
e.g. use a click track: one click per revolution, it needs to produce
a straight beam on the radius from outside to center.
if that is correct, count the samples of that click loop...
this is your SPR (Samples per revolution)
use that for your delay...
all my best!
Martin

[pizzahotline]

hey hey,
i use logic and the built in sample_delay
i like things to be sample-accurate.
so first thing to do is to find out how many samples you have per revolution.
e.g. use a click track: one click per revolution, it needs to produce

That's a cool way of doing it. After doing that test, how many samples are you using for your delay?

I'm currently using the Neumann recommended 900ms for 33.3RPM and 667ms for 45RPM cuts

Thanks

[dmills]

900ms is 1/2 a turn, which works for the VMS80 because it has memory that provides the required extra delay for the information about the previously cut material, machines lacking this will likely need 1.8 seconds for 33 as they use the signal being cut as the other input to the computations, so an earlier Neumann or such is quite likely (if stock) to need much more delay.

Delay setting will be somewhere in the machines documentation.