KVR Audio

Dennis DeSantis · Post by **Dennis DeSantis** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 11:02 pm

Hi folks,

I'm just not understanding the behavior of crossfades in SX.

I'm currently cleaning up edits that were done by someone else. There are lots of takes, with various amounts of part overlapping etc. All I want to do is clean up the clicks at some transitions, but the crossfade behavior is completely unpredictable.

It seems simple enough - highlight some overlapping audio material, hit x, and it should Just Work. But sometimes, I'm told there is no overlapping audio material (there clearly is.) Sometimes I'm told it's simply not possible. Sometimes the fade appears over a much larger chunk of data than the region I selected. Sometimes nothing happens at all.

What am I missing here?

Thanks,

bduffy · Post by **bduffy** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 11:12 pm

There are probably other audio clips behind the clips you are seeing.

Try dragging the clips to a new track, or can enable "Lanes" on that track, which will allow you to pull down takes into virtual stacks within that track.

Dennis DeSantis · Post by **Dennis DeSantis** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 11:25 pm

bduffy wrote:There are probably other audio clips behind the clips you are seeing.

Try dragging the clips to a new track, or can enable "Lanes" on that track, which will allow you to pull down takes into virtual stacks within that track.

Indeed, there are clips behind the ones I'm seeing. But I'm having a conceptual problem understanding why this should affect crossfading. If two parts are on the "top level" and they're overlapping, then crossfading them should just work. I can't get my head around why having lower-level objects that are inaudible anyway would change this behavior.

Thanks though, I'll try your suggestion.

bduffy · Post by **bduffy** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 11:30 pm

Dennis DeSantis wrote:
bduffy wrote:There are probably other audio clips behind the clips you are seeing.

Try dragging the clips to a new track, or can enable "Lanes" on that track, which will allow you to pull down takes into virtual stacks within that track.

Indeed, there are clips behind the ones I'm seeing. But I'm having a conceptual problem understanding why this should affect crossfading. If two parts are on the "top level" and they're overlapping, then crossfading them should just work. I can't get my head around why having lower-level objects that are inaudible anyway would change this behavior.

Thanks though, I'll try your suggestion.

Yeah, I'm not totally sure. It may be a limitation in the virtual layering, like it just "confuses" Cubase. It probably wouldn't hurt to clean it up and get rid of the uneeded clips, at least...

Dennis DeSantis · Post by **Dennis DeSantis** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 11:48 pm

bduffy wrote:Yeah, I'm not totally sure. It may be a limitation in the virtual layering, like it just "confuses" Cubase. It probably wouldn't hurt to clean it up and get rid of the uneeded clips, at least...

Seems like a huge conceptual kludge on Steinberg's part. I really just don't get it at all.

Also, I don't think I can make this lanes concept work for this project. Unless I'm really not getting it, it seems like that's a feature that's only available when you recorded takes in cycle record mode. But I didn't even record this project in SX at all - it's a bunch of imported wav files that were originally recorded in Pro Tools.

Either that or it has to do with the fact that all of the tracks are Grouped.

bduffy · Post by **bduffy** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 11:57 pm

Dennis DeSantis wrote:
bduffy wrote:Yeah, I'm not totally sure. It may be a limitation in the virtual layering, like it just "confuses" Cubase. It probably wouldn't hurt to clean it up and get rid of the uneeded clips, at least...
Seems like a huge conceptual kludge on Steinberg's part. I really just don't get it at all.

Also, I don't think I can make this lanes concept work for this project. Unless I'm really not getting it, it seems like that's a feature that's only available when you recorded takes in cycle record mode. But I didn't even record this project in SX at all - it's a bunch of imported wav files that were originally recorded in Pro Tools.

Either that or it has to do with the fact that all of the tracks are Grouped.

If you hit the Lanes button (last button down on the Track), it will switch any track to Lanes mode, regardless of the way it was recorded. You can keep dragging clips down to new Lanes infinitely, and the ones on top get precedence. You know it's working if the clips turn green.

Hard to say without the project in front of me, though. If I was getting all flustered with this comp, I'd duplicate the track, disable the other one, cut all the top audio clips, delete everything behind it, then paste the good clips back in place, and crossfade to taste. I think that'd work.

rollasoc · Post by **rollasoc** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 11:00 am

I get this all the time, it can sometimes be very annoying.

I find it generally messes up, if I have an audio track that I have grouped or glued bits together, then try and crossfade another track to it.

Some things to try

1) Sometimes, clicking on one part, then tell it to cross fade. (if I've never used glue)
2) if that fails, use the shift key and highlight both parts. then tell it to cross fade, some of the time this works.
3) if that fails then read the manual. There is an option to convert parts to events or maybe it is the other way around (I'm not near my music PC so can't read the manual). I think you need to use the option "Disolve Parts". Do that then try again and it should work.

Hope that helps!!!!

Rollasoc

respirator · Post by **respirator** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 11:20 am

I don't have Cubase in front of me right now, but I can recognize the behaviour. I think the problems lies in the "feature" that you can have audio clips and audio parts on the same track on the same time. Audio parts - as far as I recollect - can only have crossfades "inside" them. They can't crossfade with an overlapping audio clip. I usually avoid audio parts as they seem to behave very strange at times, eg. if you try to timestretch. Sorry if this is inaccurate, but I need Cubase in front of me to be more precise...

bduffy · Post by **bduffy** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 3:28 pm

respirator wrote:I don't have Cubase in front of me right now, but I can recognize the behaviour. I think the problems lies in the "feature" that you can have audio clips and audio parts on the same track on the same time. Audio parts - as far as I recollect - can only have crossfades "inside" them. They can't crossfade with an overlapping audio clip. I usually avoid audio parts as they seem to behave very strange at times, eg. if you try to timestretch. Sorry if this is inaccurate, but I need Cubase in front of me to be more precise...

OMG, I totally didn't think of that! Yes, audio "parts" can be awkward. Dennis - if there seem to be some clips "inside" a container, try highlighting it and selecting "Dissolve Part" and try the desired crossfades. Maybe that's it!

Cubase SX crossfades