I have the nine volt audio complete collection, which is a library of REX files. I noticed that some f them are not played correctly in Sonar Platinum, while for example Native Instruments Kontakt plays them correctly. I don't understand the problem and i don't know if there are "hidden options" for the import / playback of rex files.
 
basically, the beat division seems completely wrong and the loop playback is very messy. i found no way to solve this issue, i tried to export the track, bounce, change the tempo, etc.but nothing worked
 
this is an example of what is happening:
 
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5HKsTUh1fBvM1F5dGxoTW50Q0E/view?usp=sharing
 
in the zip there are:
1) the original rx2 file
2) the playback when i direcly load the rex file in sonar, with no additional tweak (sonar.wav) - vey messy
3) the playback if i load the sample in kontakt 5 and then play it back in sonar (kontakt.wav)  - sounds ok
 
can you try yourself? do you experience the same??
is it a bug??

I have an answer from the maker of nva collection:

There's no bug in the REX files. The issue is that each "slice" in a REX file can play for a certain length of time. If you play the file at a higher BPM, then each slice should play for a shorter period of time. Normally (like in Kontakt) each slice will stop playing as the next slice begins. From your audio demo, Sonar is not doing this. It is playing the complete duration of each slice, whether it needs to or not. Certain REX players (like Stylus RMX and Reason and Studio One) allow the user to determine how much of each slice "cascades" or "R"elases into the next slice. In Reason and Stylus RMX, this is around 30 ms. This is nice in that it allows a little bit of sound to overlap (which also helps prevent clicks between slices). So unless Sonar gives you control over this aspect of the REX file, I suspect many loops will sound like this (it's generally more noticeable on tonal loops - like guitar).

I would appreciate if you would post this reply in the Cakewalk forum so people don't get the wrong impression about the Nine Volt Audio loops.




Any help??

Yes! Convert it into a Groove Clip.
 
1. Adjust the tempo temporarily to the REX file's native tempo. If you don't know the native tempo, set the tempo to where the REX file sounds the best.
2. Select the clip and bounce it to itself.
3. Select the clip and type Ctrl+L.
 
The clip is now a Groove Clip, which has several advantages over a REX file:
 

• You can assign a native pitch, then use Pitch markers to transpose automatically in SONAR
• Fine-tune pitch in cents
• Transpose in semitones
• Create special effects
• Edit transients for better stretching over a wide tempo range

 
To do these things, you need to open the file in the Loop Construction Window (SONAR's default will open this if you double-click on an audio clip), which allows for editing. 
 
Note: Sometimes in Step 3 above, SONAR will guess the wrong number of beats, and the Groove Clip will not be the same length as it was in Step 2. If this happens you need to open the Loop Construction window and enter the correct number of beats.
 
 

hi!
i tried but that will not solve the issue. actually, it does nothing at all!
did you tried with the rx2 file i have attached??
thx in any case!

Ah, I misunderstood. I thought the problem was happening when you sped up or slowed down.
 
However the solution is very easy. The problem is that comparing Kontakt to SONAR is not the same thing because you are using Kontakt as a REX File Player. When you bring a REX file into a SONAR track, it is not being "played" in the same way, it is just treated like an audio file with transient markers.
 
So you need to use SONAR's REX File Player, and then you will have the same results. The RXP virtual instrument will work, as will loading the file into Dimension Pro. There are other REX file players in SONAR but I think RXP is the easiest and it is very versatile.
 
Here is an audio example of what the RX2 file you provided sounds like when played back through the RXP file player. It sounds just like it does with Kontakt.
 
Remember that SONAR's native file format for stretching is Acidized WAVs (for most situations I prefer that format over RX2). That is what SONAR prefers when dragging audio into a track. The reason why there is no "Acidized WAV player" is because it is not necessary.
 
I also wrote an article about how to use REX files in the March 2015 issue of Sound on Sound magazine but I think what I've said above is all you need. You can also create "faux" REX files in SONAR if you don't have Propellerheads ReCycle program, as described in my Friday's Tip of the Week thread.
 
 
 

bosone, your link doesn't work.
 
Curious. I wonder why If Sonar doesn't fully support the way Rex files are supposed to work, why are most of the loops supplied with the program (sonar) in rex format? 

SONAR supported REX files very early on through its REX file players, which do indeed support the way REX files are supposed to work. In fact Cakewalk was even ahead of Propellerheads in terms of being able to play back multiple REX files simultaneously. 
 
Please see my previous post for an explanation of the difference between a REX file player, which is the solution to the OP's problem, and simply importing an audio file into a track. 
 
However also note that how well SONAR can respond to REX files without using a player depends on how the REX file was created. The REX file the OP presented, when opened in ReCycle, has the Decay parameter set to infinity, so audio will "spill over" from one slice to the next when sped up. The type of material matters as well. With short, percussive sounds, REX files are ideal. For sounds that are tonal or sustained, Acidized files work waaaay better.
 
I've written several articles about REX files, Acidization, and loops in general. FYI Apple Loops use the same technology as Acidization. The most comprehensive article was written for Sound on Sound magazine, but the article isn't free. Here are some others that are free.
 
http://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/sonar-creating-loop-based-music
http://www.harmonycentral.com/articles/rhythm--groove-getting-started-with-loops
http://www.harmonycentral.com/articles/how-to-create-your-own-loops-from-an-audio-file
http://www.harmonycentral.com/articles/make-your-own-drum-loops
http://www.harmonycentral.com/articles/create-freakazoid-electro-loops
http://www.harmonycentral.com/articles/tips-for-better-loop-based-music
http://www.keyboardmag.com/compose---arrange/1329/tips-and-tricks-for-loops-and-beats/29601
 
and some forum threads
 
http://forum.cakewalk.com/Rex-vs-Acid-Files-m1241411.aspx
http://forum.cakewalk.com/Best-Format-For-Audio-Loop-Samples-To-Use-with-SONAR-Acid-Apple-Loops-RMX-or-REX-m3116417.aspx
 
 
 
 
 
 

I knew a DAW company that put out a killer REX player and dropped it. I'd suggest many of you put that on the feature request. It's still the only 32 bit plugin I keep. Beatscape was great.

timidi why are most of the loops supplied with the program (sonar) in rex format? 

Forgot to answer this part. Although IMHO Acidized files are better overall in terms of file format, only two programs allow creating, editing, and exporting Acidized format files, and SONAR is one of them (the other is Acid). It is also very time-consuming to make properly Acidized files (or REX files, for that matter, but the type of files most people choose to REX, like drum loops, are pretty easy to create). Furthermore, REX files use lossless data compression so the files take up less space and take less time to download, which is important given that most loop sales are online these days. So a lot of loop manufacturers do only REX files. 
 
However because I'm into "the right tool for the right job," the loop libraries I create include both Acidized and REX files so people can use whichever sounds best; the choice varies based on the tempo, pitch, type of audio, etc. etc. etc. 
 
Finally, note that most programs can import Acidized files, but unless they were acidized by someone who really knew what they were doing, the results can be unsatisfactory. This is why being able to edit them is so important if you're serious about stretching with good fidelity. So when someone loads an Acidized file into a program that doesn't allow compensating for issues in how they were edited, it's not surprising they assume Acidized files don't sound good.
 
Once during a loop workshop I showed how to edit a commercially available Acidized file that sounded terrible when stretched into something that sounded perfect. One of the attendees said he just always thought Acidized files suck, and had no idea the problem was with the people who created the files, not the file format itself.

Hi Craig and thanks for your effort.
I'm sorry to say the rex player is useless to me. If I have to use a vst to play rex file I'd use kontakt, much more powerful and versatile..
However, you will agree that Working with regular clips in the arrangement window would be MUCH more easier than using a vst player (whatever it is). You can cut, move, combine clips, use matrix feature, etc with much less effort and the workflow would be much better.
Moreover, it's also a matter of efficiency. Sonar browser can't even playback rex in the proper way so they cannot be audioned. I now rely on kontakt browser to audition them, but it is not a good workflow.

NVA collection has a great potential imho, with thousands of good loops, but I cannot exploit it because using the rex files with a vst is sooooo annoying. Imagine loading 50 loops n a vst player....

I think that for completeness sonar should implement a embedded rex player, to treat rex as acidized files. an idea for a future update! :)