How to Freeze an External Instrument?

Question

Level 2

370 points

How to Freeze an External Instrument?

According to the Logic manual, it should be possible.

But when I attemp to do it, the SPL starts "running", so it becomes impossible for a external track (i.e. a synth line played via midi by my Waldorf Q) to be recorded.

However, the freeze takes place, but playing back the song those frozen tracks are silent (actually, silence was recorded).

I've tried everything (same results with the "export track as audio function")

So, I have to bounce those tracks, and it's really annoying (I'd prfer 32bit float quality).

Any suggestions?

Powermac G5 dual 1.8, Mac OS X (10.4.2)

Posted on Apr 25, 2006 6:48 AM

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Answer 1

Apr 25, 2006 7:19 AM in response to cerla

why dont u just record it - if u wanna change it at any time just unmute the midi file and there you go

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Answer 2

cerla Author

Level 2

370 points

Apr 25, 2006 7:29 AM in response to SteveDjokes

Recording is what I'm forced to do. But it would be very convenient to FREEZE the track, so I would have a instant recall of the song at any time.

The manual says you can freeze ext instruments, but in practice this is not implemented, afaik

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Answer 3

Apr 25, 2006 7:28 AM in response to cerla

Please quote the section in the manual that says you can freeze an external midi instrument.

It simply isn't possible. It is desireable to print your external midi tracks, but it has to be done in real time.

HL

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Answer 4

cerla Author

Level 2

370 points

Apr 25, 2006 7:47 AM in response to Hank Linderman

Please quote the section in the manual that says you
can freeze an external midi instrument.

From Plugin Reference Manual, page 575

Freezing an External Instrument track cannot happen faster than realtime, as per any Bounce operations where MIDI hardware is involved.

So, It's possible to freeze ext inst, but HOW?
How to switch the freeze process from offline to realtime?

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Answer 5

xs4is

Level 4

2,800 points

Apr 25, 2006 9:20 AM in response to cerla

That implies to me that you need to record the audio of an external instrument. Then you can freeze that.

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Answer 6

cerla Author

Level 2

370 points

Apr 25, 2006 9:31 AM in response to xs4is

That implies to me that you need to record the audio
of an external instrument. Then you can freeze that.

No.

It would have been "Freezing an audio track recorded from a external instrument" not "freezing an external instrument". Moreover, the whole sentence wouldn't fit anymore in that manual section (plug in reference).

choose your option:

A) there is a mistake in the manual
B) there is a undocumented way to freeze a track in REALTIME

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Answer 7

Apr 25, 2006 10:01 AM in response to cerla

well you would not have totall recall of that synth if you were to change the settings on the external synth....An external synth is not an audio instrument and Logic dont save the settings (Other than the midi settings) of any externa synthesizer - I think your mind is playing you a little trick:-))))

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Answer 8

cerla Author

Level 2

370 points

Apr 25, 2006 10:09 AM in response to SteveDjokes

well you would not have totall recall of that synth
if you were to change the settings on the external
synth....An external synth is not an audio instrument
and Logic dont save the settings (Other than the midi
settings) of any externa synthesizer - I think your
mind is playing you a little trick:-))))

Steve, I produce music since 1992 and I have a gold record. Believe me, I know what a midi instrument is.

"total recall"... not of the synth setting, of course, but of the "whole song", with all its sounds; I know from experience that my HW setup is ever changing, so it would be very convenient at THE END of the mix session to freeze all the midi tracks in order to have them "inside the song", without having to record or bouce them.

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Answer 9

jord

Level 5

5,230 points

Apr 25, 2006 10:10 AM in response to cerla

You're misreading that paragraph. The freezing process is not real-time (and states so in the Reference Manual) and requires 100% CPU power. Which means, it cannot accept audio and perform this function. It's basically stating that you cannot freeze external instruments because it would require real-time. Note this paragraph in the manual:

Due to technical reasons, the Freeze function is not available for the tracks of DSP- based audio hardware systems (such as ProTools), tracks that use plug-ins calculated on DSP cards (Powercore, UAD-1, Pulsar, and so on) or tracks that use external signal processing devices via the I/O plug-in.

jord

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Answer 10

Apr 25, 2006 10:13 AM in response to jord

had I posted this topic - now''s the time I had given u that Green Star -

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Answer 11

cerla Author

Level 2

370 points

Apr 25, 2006 10:19 AM in response to jord

It's basically stating that you cannot
freeze external instruments because it would require
real-time.

You're probably right, but what a confusing way to state something!

Actually, It would be a very handy feature, at least for my workflow.

I don't understand why Logic wouldn't allow you to export a external track as an audio file without bouncing... it's a PRO app, after all

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Answer 12

jord

Level 5

5,230 points

Apr 25, 2006 10:52 AM in response to cerla

Being a pro app has nothing to do with it. It's amazing how many people will fall back on that one line. Considering that it devotes all of its resources to freezing your tracks as fast as it can handle, that seems pro enough to me. Besides, if you want to export an external track as an audio file, RECORD IT! Then grab the audio file from your hard drive and there you go! Audio from your external track.

jord

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Answer 13

Apr 25, 2006 10:59 AM in response to jord

This one is a bit of a "no-brainer". Unless Apple figures out how to rewrite the laws of physics (they are working on that, right? LP9?) then there is no way any DAW on the planet can offline freeze tracks from an external MIDI device!

I'm sure the intent of the manual is to record the external MIDI instruments to an audio track or tracks.

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Answer 14

xs4is

Level 4

2,800 points

Apr 25, 2006 11:07 AM in response to cerla

"No."

Yes.

"It would have been "Freezing an audio track recorded from a external instrument" not "freezing an external instrument"."

The key word in the sentence you pulled from the manual is bounce. That implies that there needs to be an audio track created to freeze.

X

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Answer 15

jord

Level 5

5,230 points

Apr 25, 2006 11:16 AM in response to xs4is

I don't understand your statement. Even though this puppy has been put down, what implies the need for an audio track?

jord

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