XTC-Mode or OS-Mode ?

Dolphin · Post by **Dolphin** » Fri Oct 11, 2002 5:17 am

I would like to ask this question once again. Some weeks ago there was a discussion on this subject which obviously made many Pulsarians think about the XTC-mode. The statements said, that XTC mode sounds better than OS mode. Is that still so, or did your experiences change that opinion?

I still cannot say, if I like the sound of the xtc or of the os mode better. It is definitively very comfortable to work in SX with all the automation. The sound is very good. Also the VSTis (FM7, B4, etc.) are very cool. I started using Kontakt as my favourite sampler and think that it is also more comfortable that the STS samplers. So I would really like to go on with the xtc mode.

On the other hand the OS mode sounds very nice too. Different, but nice. The SFP concept is so flexible and the mixers are really great. No latency at all. Also the VSTis can be routed to the pulsar mixers. The only thing that sucks is, that the OS mode seems to be more unstable. That means that sometimes I do have crackling and drop outs in my SX projects when I load them in OS mode and give them the same effects they had in XTC mode.

What do you think? And do you know anything about the compensation of latency in the sends? Is there any plan to do that in a later SX version?

Regards,
Uwe

at0m · Post by **at0m** » Fri Oct 11, 2002 5:29 am

-I hear no single difference between XTC and OS modE. Maybe my speakers are getting old. (they're up next for replacement;)

-XTC runs sooo much smoother cos it has no SFP OS running in the background and it's really FAST GUI. Once I get it running, that is. After Gonzoft's tip yesterday I got it to work for a whole day (finished 2 songs in it), it refused to work after. I'll have another look now w clear eyes.

-André Dupke said in CW forum that he received a reply from Steinberg concerning the latency compensation in Aux channels. It will be fixed in next update. Let's see.

GonZoft · Post by **GonZoft** » Fri Oct 11, 2002 4:03 pm

I really do like the XTC concept. But I have the feeling that things are still a little bit green there, if you know what I mean. I've been mixing a CD the last few weeks and I tried to integrate the XTC mode into my mixes. It has some problems that really do annoy. The last few days I started to rethink. I put Cubase SX with all its goodies and my beloved Waves platinum bundle in parallel to the SFP OS mode. I now think that this is more efficient at the moment. I outsourced all pianos (loads of them on this CD) and mixed them all with SFP OS. It's very, very nice, in particular the MasterVerb suits real pianos very good. No latencies, no error messages and the sound is exactly the same as in XTC mode, as far as I can tell at the moment. Would be nice to do all this from within SX with XTC mode, but at the moment it doesn't work. Effects settings will be lost in XTC mode, in particular inserts using MultiFX. For some reason they are not reloadable, closing SX means goodbye to your settings. This is not acceptable. Also, sends in XTC mode will have a huge latency, unless one sets ULLI latency to minimum. But then, the system will become unstable and there will be a whole lot more of stress on the cpu. In SFP OS mode you can leave the high ULLI setting, sends will still have minimal latency. Iwill go SFP OS for the moment.

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[ This Message was edited by: GonZoft on 2002-10-11 17:14 ]

sandrob · Post by **sandrob** » Fri Oct 11, 2002 4:43 pm

if you use giga studio than you have reason more for standard sfp mode. mixing giga in sfp mixers is nice.
also, if you recording vocals, backs, guitars, drums if you use external gear... then os mode is more commfortable - because of routhings, monitoring....
when i read about xtc for the first time on cw page i expected realy cool system and i bought another board and xtc software, but in short time i was disaponited.
now things go better but i think even when steinberg solve latency and when cw solve all problems i will use os mode.
if you realy want to expand your sequencer - uad-1 recomended

good and fast computer with pulsar in standard mode and uad-1 is beautyfull solution to me.

Lotuz · Post by **Lotuz** » Sat Oct 12, 2002 12:51 am

if you realy want to expand your sequencer - uad-1 recomended
good and fast computer with pulsar in standard mode and uad-1 is beautyfull solution to me.

The UAD-1 has the same problems as XTC, so why doesn't that bother you?

sandrob · Post by **sandrob** » Sat Oct 12, 2002 2:35 am

yes, this bother me, but this is only way to use nice aud-1 (by now!). with uad you still can use pulsar in os mode.
this is nice combination.

at0m · Post by **at0m** » Sat Oct 12, 2002 2:48 am

How's the interface w the UAD-1's? Does it work as mixer or insert effects in Cubase? Like VST/XTC does? Or is it on the end of the chain? Does it have VST or synths? How do they integrate w your sequencer?

Sorry for aaaaaall these questions

If you have a link for all of that, would be cool too...

sandrob · Post by **sandrob** » Sat Oct 12, 2002 6:04 am

it's dificult tu buy uad in croatia. i was waiting for monts and when card finaly come to croatia my dear diler sold my uad to someone else

now i must wait again

but some my friends have uad and they are very satisfied.
uad don't have instruments but have nice vst efects. specialy compresor, reverb and eq. uad's efects works like any other vst plugin, but with 11ms latency (i think).
if you use uad's plug on insert then you can set delay in minus on the cubase's audio track. if you use more uad's insert than you count higher track delay time (in minus - early time

i don't know how they compesate latency on auxes, but if 11ms than you don't have to - maybe?!
uad have some compesators but maybe is better to not use, because of sync.
also i think that is possible to use one compesator for all auxes if you send efects on some group. i'm not sure this because i don't know how to send efect (wet) to group!? to bus is possible, but group.... i missunderstand something for sure

some planetz members already use uad and they can correct me what i'm wrong and tell more?!

i want to learn too!!?

_________________
got my mojo working, but it just won't work on you

[ This Message was edited by: sandrob on 2002-10-12 07:11 ]

at0m · Post by **at0m** » Sat Oct 12, 2002 6:28 am

No track shuffling needed whatsoever in Cubase SX. No Delay Compensation modules to be loaded. SX has a button to auto-detect it's plugins latencies and it compensates automatically. For now it's only on the inserts in Channels. Aux Sends follow in a later update.

at0m · Post by **at0m** » Sat Oct 12, 2002 6:58 am

Don't worry, there's updates/patches for VST to follow. For VST-link, and maybe some tency wency latency compensation? Cross fingers.

I've not used the Track offset yet. (no i'm not hard-headed:)
Don't think it'll be usefull, but I'll give it a try. Thanks.

sandrob · Post by **sandrob** » Sat Oct 12, 2002 7:06 am

you answer to my message what i erase in mean time

so, i said in erased message that i hate sx, and that i'm verry sad 'cos steinberg won't support vst anymore.

thanks for info

sandrob · Post by **sandrob** » Sat Oct 12, 2002 7:15 am

sorry for my missunderstanding, but when you say "track offset" do you think

this must compesate latency for inserted plugins and everything must stay in sync.

but if sx already fix this and do this automaticly, that's the better!

at0m · Post by **at0m** » Sat Oct 12, 2002 7:23 am

yup that's the one

pff... I thinki'll leave XTC for a while, cos it'll be hard again to get that working. I'll try your suggestion, then I give up till new light shines thru the XTC smoke.

Testing, I loaded projects that sounded fine, MultiFx seemed loaded w plugins etc... But they did not do ANYTHING! The effects just sit there, while they're totally bypassed. They are switched on and all, but even when reloaded they don't work. The XTC synths did sound nice thought.

PFM this is.

sandrob · Post by **sandrob** » Sat Oct 12, 2002 7:28 am

what means PFM?

at0m · Post by **at0m** » Sat Oct 12, 2002 7:43 am

Pure Flaming Magic.

That's what my instructor at work always says when asked about systems he doesn't know too well.

alfonso · Post by **alfonso** » Sat Oct 12, 2002 9:50 am

On 2002-10-12 08:28, sandrob wrote:
what means PFM?

it's also an italian 70's progressive group...

Post by **Neil B** » Sun Oct 13, 2002 3:18 am

Alfonso,
thanks for making me feel old!
PFM - Predmiata Forneria Marconi, discovered by Emerson, Lake & Palmer. I remember their "Photos of Ghosts" and other tracks.
Memories eh?

alfonso · Post by **alfonso** » Sun Oct 13, 2002 4:57 pm

On 2002-10-13 04:18, Neil B wrote:
Alfonso,
thanks for making me feel old!
PFM - Predmiata Forneria Marconi, discovered by Emerson, Lake & Palmer. I remember their "Photos of Ghosts" and other tracks.
Memories eh?

hi neil,

yes, i feel old too...
well, i'm pleased to talk about that musical age...we could move to OT forum...i'm going there, i want to ask the pulsarians what do they know about some goodies of the past....
see you there.

zezappa · Post by **zezappa** » Sun Oct 13, 2002 7:28 pm

where is OT forum?
I also am old and would like to talk about things like that
about PFM listen to "L'isola di niente" with english version "the world becomes the world" lyrics by Pete Sinfield

btw I also suggest you "Area", "Nova" and "Arti+Mestieri" as great italian groups