Why does my Master Volume keep changing?

[Dark Lane]

Hi Folks

This is something I've seen happening for ages but couldn't be bothered to comment on it until now.

I'm tracking in a new edit and have all the levels on each track and the Master Volume at 0db. (I prefer to leave adjusting them until I'm ready to mix). But as I record more tracks the level on the Master Volume changes automatically to different values (but usually -5.33db). I can reset it to 0db but it keeps doing it as I continue working.

It's very annoying as, if I don't realise it's happened, I start messing around with MIDI velocities etc to compensate when it's the master bus level that's the problem.

I'm using Waveform Pro 11.5 on Windows 10.

Is there some kind of normalisation going on here? Anyone else seen this happen?

Cheers

[pough]

One possibility is that you have recorded automation on the Master volume without realizing. Click on any of the A (automation) buttons and go down to "Active parameter curves in Edit" to see if "Master volume" is there.

You can also test to see if it's automation by turning off Automation 'read' in the Control Panel.

[Dark Lane]

Hi Pough

Good suggestion but no, I've only put automation on a couple of tracks and not on the Master volume

Steve

[pough]

Then you might need to do some investigative work. Does the volume change happen at the same time consistently or is it random? Does it happen during rendering? Does it happen if you disconnect (or not have set as any input) all MIDI devices?

Something somewhere is doing something. I think you will need to try various things to track down where and how it is happening. There is no "change Master volume sometimes" setting that I am aware of.

[dysjoint]

Only thing I can think of {apart from accidental automation write} is a controller mapped to master volume that's sending a message somewhat sporadically. Pure guesswork tho. If it was automation you wouldn't be able to override it anyway, but a controller message maybe? Sounds strange

[Stuttaton]

If you have everything on 0 dB, the master will overload if it isn't adjusted down.

[Dark Lane]

Hi Stuttaton,

How can it overload while it's still 'in the box'? With floating point processing etc, it's only supposed to be an issue when exporting the final mix out of the DAW, isn't it?

Do you know if Waveform is automatically adjusting it down, as I'm not doing it manually?

Thanks

Steve

[Dark Lane]

Okay, I think I've found the culprit...

I'm using my MIDI controller (Arturia KeyLab Essential) as a control surface and so one of the sliders on the controller is mapped to the Master Volume. It seems that every so often Waveform is 'syncing' with the MIDI controller and resetting the level to whatever the slider is set to. So if I adjust the level using my PC keyboard (e.g. clicking on Reset Volume to 0db) it gets adjusted back to what the slider value happens to be when they next sync.

Does this make sense? And would you expect the control surface to work like that? It seems you should either use the control surface or the PC keyboard but not both! FYI I'm using the Mackie Control Universal option in Waveform Settings.

SO relieved to find the cause!

[Stuttaton]

Hi Stuttaton,

How can it overload while it's still 'in the box'? With floating point processing etc, it's only supposed to be an issue when exporting the final mix out of the DAW, isn't it?

Yes, but the master volume controls the level that goes out to the audio interface, doesn't it?