Midi Trigger Sound Clicks during playback - whats the cause

[MFXxx]

Need some help please. Running Cubase 9.0.30. I have not noticed this before, but this is the first time I have experimented in what I'm doing.
In Diva or any other vst I am simply setting up a simple Sine only patch (Diva = https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B7v8o ... Vl2MEVCcGc) for reference.

Ive set up a simple 4 bar loop set at triplets (have also tried 4/4 quantise). None of the notes overlap.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B7v8o ... m1PNkxhdlk

What I am experiencing (and I tried a similar init and sine patch in Spire), is a clicking that I can not fathom out where it is coming from. Initially I started in Spire and thought I was doing something wrong with the settings when i got the clicks, so I loaded Diva and again the clicking is prevalent. Not all patches demonstrate this, it seems to be the midi playback on the sine patch Ive set. Maybe something Ive done wrong in the patch?

Is this a Cubase error, something Im not understanding in the synth programming or other?

Heres the cubase project (very simple few bars of 3 notes across 4 mesures and an 8 bar kick loop).
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B7v8o ... 0E4LVQzMWc

I confess my synth programing skills are limited, but I am trying to understand and mitigate the cause of these clicks. Its driving me nuts.



Heres the wav file exported to demonstrate the clicking

16bit
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B7v8o ... DlSS09La0U

32bit
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B7v8o ... Fp5RXFUWTg

Hope Ive submitted enough to help resolve
Thanks in advance. Might even be a simple rookie error ( of which I should probably know better)

[bustedfist]

Is the click in the same spot all the time? Sounds like the clip wasn't sliced at a Zero Crossing. Open the audio editor and see if the beginning and end of the waveform is at a Zero Crossing.

[MFXxx]

Thanks. Yes I checked on both spire and diva. It's a single osc patch. With waveform at zero start point which in spire is clearly visible in the waveform editor. No visual in diva but again is zero as can replicate what you are referring to in diva.

[bustedfist]

You mention the start, but not the end. That's the most likely place for error.

[MFXxx]

You mention the start, but not the end. That's the most likely place for error.

OK thanks I'll check tomorrow on the rig. Although I think visually it seems to be striking on the midi note. But will check and have a play.

[lfm]

Don't know Diva - but thinking that emulating a free running oscillator may be in any phase as note is triggered.

And having fast attack this can show as click or pop.

Is it the same as rendered as in realtime?

[MFXxx]

Ye's it's really odd. A me online and rendered.
I really need to check it on another sound system to eliminate my sound card.

I've tried the attack and yes it goes but then so does the sine sound.

I've checked two plugins spire and diva both the same issue ubless I'm making the same mistake in both.

I'm going o get a raw sine waveform of the Web later and check the playback to elimitate the vat instruments.
My hunch is either cubase midi triggering or my sound card. But still not sure.

[bustedfist]

Post the clip, I'll see what happens.

[MFXxx]

Post the clip, I'll see what happens.

Thanks it's in the OP

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B7v8o ... DlSS09La0U

[MFXxx]

Post the clip, I'll see what happens.

Thanks it's in the OP

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B7v8o ... DlSS09La0U

[bustedfist]

Definitely due to neither the beginning nor end being at a zero x-ing. I snipped the beginning and ends at 0 x-ings and looped it. No more click at the loop point.

[MFXxx]

Definitely due to neither the beginning nor end being at a zero x-ing. I snipped the beginning and ends at 0 x-ings and looped it. No more click at the loop point.

Thanks for taking the time and effort.

So what are you saying? Sorry Im not that technical in all this

[bustedfist]

Open that clip in Cubase's audio editor and zoom way in so that you see a single line of the waveform as it crosses the zero line. Look to the very beginning and very end, it should start and end exactly on that line. The further it is from that line, the more noticeable the artifacts.

You can fix it by slicing at the crossings or applying a slight fade in/out to the clip. If you slice it, it will be shorter so it may need to be stretched to fit the tempo.

[MFXxx]

Im just playing back the waveform now. Its that low end plumping sound that is troubling me. The is not at either end of the waveform click but across the whole of the waveform. Not matter where the start/end marker is when looping the waveform its there, more extreme at some points than others.

[lfm]

I remember a discussion on Waves Element synth, a couple of years ago, that did this on short attack times - but not on regular basis through out a note, just when hitting note. But there if running arp since this retrigger.
I even talked to Waves support about it and they defended it saying it's how you can expect it to be.

Since then there is Waves Element v2.0, and everybody could get a free update as this summer - but have not tested if changed.

One thing I do with VST instruments is put inside Metaplugin and set oversampling 2x on.
Means synth is running 96k instead, and it might affect things.
Overall you get rid some some ugly aliasing using 96k anyway - so do that on everything but drums which are not resampled so much on pitch.

Just a few ideas...it might be part of synth design...or something like an arp lying there, or cross modulation of some sort - if subtle could be hard to catch.