Bad Quality Export in FL - Desperate for help.

[chickenhide]

Hi all,

I am desperately in need of help. I'd like to foremention that I'm not a noob by any means. Since August I have been having an issue. My exports are not sounding like they do in the program. For some reason they sound low quality - fidelity wise - on all sound systems. Most of my tracks are synthesized besides the percussion samples so I don't understand how this can be. It sounds like I'm rendering at 128kbps MP3 with a really low sample rate. I have never had this problem in the 8 years that I've been using FL Studio, so I am completely baffled. Here are my typical final render settings:



The difference between playback and export quality is very subtle, but it's enough to really frustrate me. I'm also confident that this isn't just my brain playing tricks on me. The final export just sounds low quality, even at 24bit wav. It makes absolutely no sense. I have tried different combinations of post compression, gain staging, EQing, you name it, I've tried it, but the track always comes out slightly strange sounding, when referenced to my old tracks that were made before this strange problem started happening.

The only thing that may have changed is that I got a Scarlett 2i2 in August. But I don't see how that could make a difference. Regardless of the audio driver I use in FL, the export still sounds bad. My sample rate is 44100, never changed, and my playback resampling quality is 64-bit sinc.

Please, any input would be so greatly appreciated. This has really been bringing me down these past few weeks, as I feel like any effort to produce is futile now that I can't export with the quality that I used to. I have lost all motivation. Anything helps.

Thanks in advance,
- chickenhide

[lobanov]

Try to export your project without Scarlett and compare.

[chickenhide]

Try to export your project without Scarlett and compare.

You mean disconnect the Scarlett entirely? Or just export without the focusrite driver? I have tried the latter and it seemed to make no difference.

[mladi]

Do you import the audio back into FL or you playing it via a player like windows media player? If it's the second i would check the settings of the player: often they cause a different sounding because some eq or effect is on. You can, for a fast check import it back into FL and see if it sounds then different as well. Good Luck!

[Musical Gym]

Did you try with FL Studio ASIO driver and ASIO4All driver?

[EnGee]

I don't think there is a relation between the export and audio driver. I think the computer just does it with internal process.

I suggest playing with the options and hear every export, for example, try to export as wav, 16bit with dithering and no resampling. Also, try to export in other formats.

[lobanov]

Yes, I meant disconnect Scarlett entirely. It's a right way to exclude one possible reason of your troubles.
P.S. But I've changed my mind. When you play your projects all sounds good as I undestand but when you try to export all sounds bad... No, it's not your interface.

[mrcleats]

You could try putting an instance of Edison in the last slot on your master out and recording your project playing back on that in realtime - export the wav. See if that sounds any better. If it does, we know something's up with the rendering, if not, something's likely up with whatever media player you're playing it back through.