DaVinci Resolve 17.4 Metering Problem

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kfriis

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DaVinci Resolve 17.4 Metering Problem

PostSun Oct 24, 2021 1:19 pm

The problem arose in Resolve Studio 17.4 on a 2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4 Thunderbolt) - obviously Intel - Big Sur 11.6.

I was experimenting with various PlugIns (what does not work on Mac mini M1 16GB, 1TB, 10 Gigabit, and what does - a loooong story of sufferings).

I had imported a project exported from my M1, and after relinking media, everything worked for a while. Added The Røde SoundField plugin (not working at all on M1), and went on my merry way experimenting with this, that an d the other. Added a few tracks. Moved a few new tracks around in the list. Removed a few. Etc…. Suddenly I accidentally clicked on R on a filebased track (Binaural), and sound really went mad. Like a Latin American horn Dorchester on steroids and too much Mezcal. Nearly blew my ears - cleaned them thoroughly though. Nothing helped. Restarting the Resolve didn’t help either. But rebooting the machine seemed to do the trick, when the project was started again.

Just one problem. Some tracks had lost the “metering” display in Fairlight and everywhere else, they were in use (Except in “Dynamics”, that seems to work perfectly).

There are the following tracks:

A1 M-S Stereo (from video track) - working, metering okay
A2-A7 5.1 Surround file (from file) - working, metering okay
A8 Stereo (from file) - working, metering disappeared (was not “clicked” R)
A9 Binaural (from file) - working, metering disappeared (“R” was clicked)
A10-A13 AmbiX (from file) - working, metering

All files synced to waveform, and project cut to fit everything.

Bus 1: Stereo output (signal from A8)
Bus 3: Binaural Output (signal from A9)
Bus 2: 5.1 Surround (signal from AmbiX, output from Røde PlugIn)

The setup is designed to create a video file with three user selectable audio tracks (Stereo, Binaural, 5.1 Surround).

Sound is working, transmitted and routed to my headphone (both Stereo and Binaural has been tested).

In the image below shows the mssing metering for the Binaural stereo Track (follow Arrows from Left to right to top-mid). The track shows no metering. The Output bus meters the Binaural signal, and the signal is played from headphone, as expected. Similar behaviour for the pure Stereo track.

Metering Problem 2021-10-24 kl. 13.29.26.jpg
Metering problem
Metering Problem 2021-10-24 kl. 13.29.26.jpg (674.76 KiB) Viewed 662 times


When clicking on Dynamics in the Binaural track A9, the meters shows both input and output signal as expected:

Dynamics 2021-10-24 kl. 13.29.26 (2).jpg
Audio present and routed as expected
Dynamics 2021-10-24 kl. 13.29.26 (2).jpg (189.55 KiB) Viewed 662 times


I have found no way to enable the metering for the two affected tracks (I may be blind, dumb and… ehh… or not, as the case may be ;-) No amount of restart or reboot or…. or…. I even placed my biiiig hammer beside the computer (sometimes it even seems to help - at least on my mood, and that also counts for something ;-)

The problem has only been experienced on the Intel version (that is not to say, that it could not be provoked on the M1 version as well).

I have not reimported the original M1 project - yet. I wanted to get this in writing before retrying that, and forgetting half of the details. I will add a comment later today (?), but I suspect the problem will vanish, when I do the reimport. It’s just not a very viable way forward, if really large and tricky projects are involved. This was only a tiny ambisonics test project.

Nothing could really go wrong… ehhh…. Smile!

Regards

P.S. First time the Røde Plugin is applied to the AmbiX channel strip, Resolve crashes completely (tears everything down). Restarting Resolve the Plugin is missing as expected, but now there is no problem applying the Plugin to the channel.

The dearVR_MICRO pkg-install from 10.10.2021 just crashes Resolve each time. Retry doesn’t do you anything good on the Intel platform. Works like a dream on M1. Since it is distributed as a package, the actual install is out of my hands.

Normalising audio (relative) - tested with 2 to 6 channels - sometimes delivers a weird result - up to 4-6 dB different from the actual with EBU R128, it seems. There is no system, and I have not been able to reproduce the problem in a consistent way. It just happens - from time to time. I have only experienced it on the Intel platform. Just as with the “metering problem”.

A memory corruption problem???
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Reynaud Venter

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Re: DaVinci Resolve 17.4 Metering Problem

PostSun Oct 24, 2021 1:49 pm

kfriis wrote: Suddenly I accidentally clicked on R on a filebased track (Binaural), and sound really went mad.
When the Fairlight Mixer channel's record button was clicked, was the Track taking an input?

Is Preferences > User > Fairlight > General Settings > Enable Auto Patching enabled?

The Record button does not function unless the Track specifically takes an input or if the above preference is enabled.

Just one problem. Some tracks had lost the “metering” display in Fairlight and everywhere else, they were in use (Except in “Dynamics”, that seems to work perfectly
Via Fairlight menu > Patch IO, patch the System Generator as Source to A8 or A9 Tracks as Destination. Open the Oscillator from the Fairlight menu > Test Tone Settings.

Is metering present on those Mixer channels running tone?

Are you metering pre- or post-fader? Project Settings > Fairlight > Audio Metering

Providing a Project file without media may assist in determining potential causes.

The dearVR_MICRO pkg-install from 10.10.2021 just crashes Resolve each time
The first screenshot appears to be Resolve 17.3.x rather than 17.4

Which plugin format is instantiated? VST3 or Audio Units?

Is one format consistently problematic while the other is fine?

Normalising audio (relative) - tested with 2 to 6 channels - sometimes delivers a weird result - up to 4-6 dB different from the actual with EBU R128, it seems.
Which settings are used in the Normalise Audio Levels window? A screenshot will assist.

How are you measuring the result?

Resolve's "Analyse Audio Levels" contextual menu item on the processed Clip or via a third party measurement tool?
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kfriis

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Re: DaVinci Resolve 17.4 Metering Problem

PostSun Oct 24, 2021 2:41 pm

Reynaud Venter wrote:
kfriis wrote: Suddenly I accidentally clicked on R on a filebased track (Binaural), and sound really went mad.
When the Fairlight Mixer channel's record button was clicked, was the Track taking an input?


Hard to tell with a gazillion dB screeching in your headphone. The file was not harmed (same date and time as originally).

Is Preferences > User > Fairlight > General Settings > Enable Auto Patching enabled?


No.

The Record button does not function unless the Track specifically takes an input or if the above preference is enabled.


Record button turned red. And that could be repeated (not advisable).

Just one problem. Some tracks had lost the “metering” display in Fairlight and everywhere else, they were in use (Except in “Dynamics”, that seems to work perfectly
Via Fairlight menu > Patch IO, patch the System Generator as Source to A8 or A9 Tracks as Destination. Open the Oscillator from the Fairlight menu > Test Tone Settings.

Is metering present on those Mixer channels running tone?


I'll look into that later, but since the signal is routed through the darned thing as if everything was OK (just meters not working) for ONLY two of "independent tracks" (not from a video file), I'd assume signal going thru (also the Dynamics display indicates, that there's a live signal).

Are you metering pre- or post-fader? Project Settings > Fairlight > Audio Metering


Post-fader.

Providing a Project file without media may assist in determining potential causes.

The dearVR_MICRO pkg-install from 10.10.2021 just crashes Resolve each time
The first screenshot appears to be Resolve 17.3.x rather than 17.4


You're right. It is 17.3.2. I have 17.4 on my M1 (will upgrade to see, if that solves the problem).

Which plugin format is instantiated? VST3 or Audio Units?


Audio Units.

Is one format consistently problematic while the other is fine?


Can't really say. On the M1, it's the OS plainly blocking use of anything, it doesn't like or that is not "notarised kosher" ;-)

I'll make notes on the Intel version in the future. The M1 is far to "crazy" for note keeping (too many entries ;-)

Normalising audio (relative) - tested with 2 to 6 channels - sometimes delivers a weird result - up to 4-6 dB different from the actual with EBU R128, it seems.
Which settings are used in the Normalise Audio Levels window? A screenshot will assist.

How are you measuring the result?[/quote]

Really simple. After initial import, I added an Ambix track, that needed normalising. Volume (Inspector, Audio, Volume) went beyond 27dB, and the waveform display was dramatic. Rigt now, it is 22.30 for the same track. I tried normalising all the other tracks, and they initially also deviated in Volume from the normalisation, that had been done on the M1. One or two normalisation repeats, and things went "normal" again to me.

Resolve's "Analyse Audio Levels" contextual menu item on the processed Clip or via a third party measurement tool?


I didn't do that. I'm a bloody beginner on this tool, so there are things, I didn't spot or didn't remember to use, in the heart of the battle (with blood oozing from the ears ;-)

I'll update to 17.4 immediately. If this solves the problem, everybody is happy.

I'll also check the dearVR MICRO plugin to see, if it works with 17.4.

Regards
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kfriis

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Re: DaVinci Resolve 17.4 Metering Problem

PostSun Oct 24, 2021 3:02 pm

After installing version 17.4 all meters work again. Project was just started, no modifications at all.

Also, there are no deviations in volume between repeated normalisations (only tested two tracks, but this will suffice for now).

Now dearVR can be attached without any problems to the AmbiX track (removed the Røde Plugin first).

Sorry for the mixup, but now I've tested, that it can be lethal for your hearing, and your sanity, to work on a project file in 17.3.2 Intel that was created in 17.4 M1 - or am I overly dramatic here ;-)

I'll bury the case from here. I learned to really, really, REALLY keep track of which version is used where (M1 or Intel may also have had an influence ;-)

Regards, a big smile and the hope, that when you - soon - enter into monday morning, may get a day worth entering into!

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