Odd Problem With Toontrack EzKeys

Author
AndyB01
Max Output Level: -87 dBFS
  • Total Posts : 200
  • Joined: 2004/04/16 16:33:07
  • Location: UK
  • Status: offline
2017/09/25 20:16:18 (permalink)

Odd Problem With Toontrack EzKeys

Hi

I'm using the Electric 200A VST that I recently purchased and have a midi track I have created from EzKeys song parts that sounds perfect in EzKeys when launched and played as a standalone. However when I open it up inside Sonar and drop the exported midi file I created in EzKeys on to the track I get a whole host of additional echo on playback and it really over-accentuates the phasing - it just sounds naff, muddy and slightly distorted where as in EzKeys it sounds really clipped and sharp staccato - just as I want it. I've never had this problem with EzKeys before. There are no effects added - it's the only track in the mix and it is using default audio settings I use successfully for every project. Anyone else found this issue and any suggestions on how to rectify - bordering on unusable as it is.

The really interesting thing is that if I import the midi file into EzKeys and play it as a standalone it sounds as bad as it does inside Sonar - it's only when it is played in EzKeys from the original EzKeys song parts that it sounds OK so there must be something going on with the midi events when the output file is generated - that's all I can think of.

It's certainly got me beat so any suggestions welcome - thanks in advance

Cheers

Andy

Sonar Platinum, Win10 Pro 64-bit, 16Gb RAM, Six-core AMD, Twin SSD. Instruments: Roland A88 and Taylor 314CE all through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i4. More ambition than talent.

#1

9 Replies Related Threads

    bapu
    Max Output Level: 0 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 86000
    • Joined: 2006/11/25 21:23:28
    • Location: Thousand Oaks, CA
    • Status: offline
    Re: Odd Problem With Toontrack EzKeys 2017/09/25 20:25:52 (permalink)
    If you say you've done this same process (standalone -> export -> SONAR ->import) and it always works then it simply has to be that this song has something about that has corrupted the exported MIDI.
     
    I know I know, I'm being Captain Obvious here.
     
    That's about all I can think of as I never use the standalone to create parts. I use the VST in SONAR and copy the song arranger MIDI into SONAR from the VST and then delete the MIDI in the song arranger.
     
    Once and only once did I ever (for shins a grittles) did I copy the MIDI from SONAR back into the VST and I will say it sounded "different" bu not anything like you are describing.
     
    #2
    KHARMA
    Max Output Level: -90 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 21
    • Joined: 2014/12/07 23:08:31
    • Status: offline
    Re: Odd Problem With Toontrack EzKeys 2017/09/25 20:36:13 (permalink)
    Not sure of your level of EZK expertise so forgive me if this suggestion is too basic. Make sure you don't have a clip still in EZK with sync to host on while you're trying to play the exported MIDI. Both clips will be playing then and it will sound heavy and weird. (This doesn't seem to completely fit the problem you're having but I've done it more than once.)

    A couple of questions to maybe provide more clues: How are you exporting the MIDI from EZK to Sonar? Did you build a chord progression in EZK and then overlay an EZK browser pattern on it?
    #3
    AndyB01
    Max Output Level: -87 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 200
    • Joined: 2004/04/16 16:33:07
    • Location: UK
    • Status: offline
    Re: Odd Problem With Toontrack EzKeys 2017/09/25 20:45:21 (permalink)
    Good suggestion but no it's not a sync to host issue. The track is built in EzKeys from built-in song parts then exported to a midi file. I also exported as a wav. Import the midi file into sonar and it sounds awful but the wav - as you might expect - sounds fine. It's definitely an oddity I cannot fathom.

    Sonar Platinum, Win10 Pro 64-bit, 16Gb RAM, Six-core AMD, Twin SSD. Instruments: Roland A88 and Taylor 314CE all through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i4. More ambition than talent.

    #4
    bapu
    Max Output Level: 0 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 86000
    • Joined: 2006/11/25 21:23:28
    • Location: Thousand Oaks, CA
    • Status: offline
    Re: Odd Problem With Toontrack EzKeys 2017/09/25 20:47:59 (permalink)
    Can you confirm that you've done the exact same process before and it worked as expected?
     
    #5
    AndyB01
    Max Output Level: -87 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 200
    • Joined: 2004/04/16 16:33:07
    • Location: UK
    • Status: offline
    Re: Odd Problem With Toontrack EzKeys 2017/09/25 20:50:41 (permalink)
    bapu
    Can you confirm that you've done the exact same process before and it worked as expected?
     


    I have yes - I do all my EzK songs like this and have done about half a dozen successfully. The difference is the sound module. I normally used the GP or Upright, this is the first one I've tried using Classic Keys.

    Sonar Platinum, Win10 Pro 64-bit, 16Gb RAM, Six-core AMD, Twin SSD. Instruments: Roland A88 and Taylor 314CE all through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i4. More ambition than talent.

    #6
    AndyB01
    Max Output Level: -87 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 200
    • Joined: 2004/04/16 16:33:07
    • Location: UK
    • Status: offline
    Re: Odd Problem With Toontrack EzKeys 2017/09/25 20:51:46 (permalink)
    Perhaps I'll try and re-create the issue using one of the other sound modules.

    Sonar Platinum, Win10 Pro 64-bit, 16Gb RAM, Six-core AMD, Twin SSD. Instruments: Roland A88 and Taylor 314CE all through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i4. More ambition than talent.

    #7
    AndyB01
    Max Output Level: -87 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 200
    • Joined: 2004/04/16 16:33:07
    • Location: UK
    • Status: offline
    Re: Odd Problem With Toontrack EzKeys 2017/09/25 22:02:30 (permalink)
    So it doesn't do it with the other EZK instruments - I can't really explain the difference any better but this little clip highlights the problem nicely I think:
    https://soundcloud.com/andyb01/c2c-clip-good-and-bad
     
    I should have added that the 'good' part of this clip was created by exporting a wav file from EzKeys and bringing that into Sonar as an audio track (then exporting as a wav) - the second half is almost the same clip played as a midi track through the EzKeys VSTi in Sonar and exported as a wav file - I simply joined them in Audacity and rendered as FLAC for upload to SoundCloud
     

    Sonar Platinum, Win10 Pro 64-bit, 16Gb RAM, Six-core AMD, Twin SSD. Instruments: Roland A88 and Taylor 314CE all through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i4. More ambition than talent.

    #8
    AndyB01
    Max Output Level: -87 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 200
    • Joined: 2004/04/16 16:33:07
    • Location: UK
    • Status: offline
    Re: Odd Problem With Toontrack EzKeys 2017/09/28 17:42:30 (permalink)
    After a few conversations on the Toontrack forums (thanks to John - top man) I think I've resolved this. Why I thought that the settings on the plugin version would be identical to the standalone mode I'm not sure; but they're not. The differences tend to affect some instruments more than others. The best way to preserve the settings if you use the software in stand-alone mode (as I do) is to save a .ezkp project file. Then open the plugin inside Sonar and open the saved project file from there and job's a good'un.

    Thanks for those who tried to help fix. Andy
    post edited by AndyB01 - 2017/09/28 18:40:59

    Sonar Platinum, Win10 Pro 64-bit, 16Gb RAM, Six-core AMD, Twin SSD. Instruments: Roland A88 and Taylor 314CE all through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i4. More ambition than talent.

    #9
    bapu
    Max Output Level: 0 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 86000
    • Joined: 2006/11/25 21:23:28
    • Location: Thousand Oaks, CA
    • Status: offline
    Re: Odd Problem With Toontrack EzKeys 2017/09/28 18:32:47 (permalink)
    That good to know for those that use the Standalone Version to compose first.
     
    Big Thanks for posting the solution.
    #10
    Jump to:
    © 2024 APG vNext Commercial Version 5.1