Changing sample rates in Cubase 9
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ChamomileShark ChamomileShark https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=25116
- KVRAF
- 3243 posts since 12 May, 2004 from Oxford, UK
hi, some of my work needs to be at 48k and some at 44.1k so I have some projects set at 48k and others at 44.1k.
Sometimes I need to shuffle audio between the two sets of projects - I've been using the "import from tracks" and letting Cubase reset the sample rates.
Is this the right way of doing it? As far as I can tell it works both ways (ie 44.1k to 48k and 48k to 44.1k) and to me it sounds fine but I just wanted to check.
Sometimes I need to shuffle audio between the two sets of projects - I've been using the "import from tracks" and letting Cubase reset the sample rates.
Is this the right way of doing it? As far as I can tell it works both ways (ie 44.1k to 48k and 48k to 44.1k) and to me it sounds fine but I just wanted to check.
Pastoral, Kosmiche, Ambient Music https://markgriffiths.bandcamp.com/
Experimental Music https://markdaltongriffiths.bandcamp.com/
Experimental Music https://markdaltongriffiths.bandcamp.com/
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- KVRAF
- 7115 posts since 22 Jan, 2005 from Sweden
I tested sample rate conversion with C9 Pro i RMAA(this was 96k->48k).

Cubase is worst in class(green in graph). But since introducing new 64-bit audio engine in 9.5 maybe this is fixed now, haven't checked yet.
rmaa=original pattern
snr= an old Sonar 8
cp9 - cubase
r8 - r8brain.
Also protools, reaper and others are hard to distinguish from original pattern.
Depending on how much processing is made after conversion I would do conversion externally in a tool like voxengo r8brain or similar. That is free.
You can also compare certain conversions quality here:
http://src.infinitewave.ca/

Cubase is worst in class(green in graph). But since introducing new 64-bit audio engine in 9.5 maybe this is fixed now, haven't checked yet.
rmaa=original pattern
snr= an old Sonar 8
cp9 - cubase
r8 - r8brain.
Also protools, reaper and others are hard to distinguish from original pattern.
Depending on how much processing is made after conversion I would do conversion externally in a tool like voxengo r8brain or similar. That is free.
You can also compare certain conversions quality here:
http://src.infinitewave.ca/
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ChamomileShark ChamomileShark https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=25116
- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 3243 posts since 12 May, 2004 from Oxford, UK
thanks for this and the website. Looks like I need to avoid doing this as much as possible - although when doing the 44.1k to 48k or the other way I wasn't hearing any difference. Probably need to also have a look with a scope though.
Pastoral, Kosmiche, Ambient Music https://markgriffiths.bandcamp.com/
Experimental Music https://markdaltongriffiths.bandcamp.com/
Experimental Music https://markdaltongriffiths.bandcamp.com/
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- KVRAF
- 7115 posts since 22 Jan, 2005 from Sweden
No, you would not hear immediately - it's at low levels. Just a comparison of distortion created.
If you mix and modulate and process in various ways it can show up there as something you don't want and try to get rid of. A resonant filter can boost certain frequencies up into audible range.
It just hurts to know you use a tool that create worse result than others - so you are aware.
Like when selecting hifi amps - you at least glance at THD to compare apart from listening.
And every daw of main daws did constant improvements on this, which Steinberg did not do for 10 years - and I hope Steinberg also did something about it as they introduced 64-bit audio engine in 9.5. I mean even their own product WaveLab had better conversions - in house - that is odd. Cubase was overlooked, kind of.
I also wrote wrongly 96k->48k, my rmaa tests was like infinitewave site 96k->44k.
If you mix and modulate and process in various ways it can show up there as something you don't want and try to get rid of. A resonant filter can boost certain frequencies up into audible range.
It just hurts to know you use a tool that create worse result than others - so you are aware.
Like when selecting hifi amps - you at least glance at THD to compare apart from listening.
And every daw of main daws did constant improvements on this, which Steinberg did not do for 10 years - and I hope Steinberg also did something about it as they introduced 64-bit audio engine in 9.5. I mean even their own product WaveLab had better conversions - in house - that is odd. Cubase was overlooked, kind of.
I also wrote wrongly 96k->48k, my rmaa tests was like infinitewave site 96k->44k.
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ChamomileShark ChamomileShark https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=25116
- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 3243 posts since 12 May, 2004 from Oxford, UK
hmm, ok that's interesting - I have Wavelab Essentials so I might use that if I notice any problems
Pastoral, Kosmiche, Ambient Music https://markgriffiths.bandcamp.com/
Experimental Music https://markdaltongriffiths.bandcamp.com/
Experimental Music https://markdaltongriffiths.bandcamp.com/
- KVRAF
- 6097 posts since 5 Jul, 2001 from Just about .... there
yeah, down SRC in Cubase is the suck from detailed measurement standpoint. Use Wavelab or something else. SRC up should be identical, at least that's been my experience. But, to be honest although statistically the Cubase SRC doesn't measure well against some other tools, if you are doing a single file export I don't notice an audible difference.
If you have to ask, you can't afford the answer
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- KVRist
- 267 posts since 2 Nov, 2015
The SRC tests you'll see online are intentionally exaggerated because the actual difference in quality between DAWs isn't very big.
Playing a 48kHz sample library while working on a 44.1kHz project will introduce more aliasing than Cubase's SRC, even if your sampler is set to its highest quality setting.
Playing a 48kHz sample library while working on a 44.1kHz project will introduce more aliasing than Cubase's SRC, even if your sampler is set to its highest quality setting.
- KVRAF
- 6097 posts since 5 Jul, 2001 from Just about .... there
Actually, Halions internal resampling produces pretty much identical results to Cubase. Falcons is different, I don't know about better but the noise and aliasing are in a different place. Kontakts is crap. And again, as long as you aren't doing batch conversion with summing, you won't be able to hear it.Romantique Tp wrote: Playing a 48kHz sample library while working on a 44.1kHz project will introduce more aliasing than Cubase's SRC, even if your sampler is set to its highest quality setting.
If you have to ask, you can't afford the answer
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- KVRist
- 267 posts since 2 Nov, 2015
They were all worse than Cubase's SRC when I tested using the test signals from Infinitewave. I checked the results side by side using Wavelab, and the Cubase result matched the Infinitewave SRC test.
- KVRAF
- 6097 posts since 5 Jul, 2001 from Just about .... there
Did you do Halion 6 and Falcon? I didn't go back to Halion 5 to do the tests. But the conversion was dang near identical doing that same test. Falcons was odd, as I expected the aliasing to be similar. But, it had its own flavor. But, it was all so far below the noise floor that I've never been interested in figuring out the various reasons for the differences.Romantique Tp wrote:They were all worse than Cubase's SRC when I tested using the test signals from Infinitewave. I checked the results side by side using Wavelab, and the Cubase result matched the Infinitewave SRC test.
If you have to ask, you can't afford the answer