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Why is there mild distortion/fuzz on the MIDI Piano Track?

Hello, after many months mixing a mystic folk album, I am now mastering said album using Logic Pro X version 10.1.0 on a mid-2010 Macbook Pro (OS X Yosemite 10.10.5). This particular song uses mostly MIDI tracks using the Logic Pro X built-in MIDI sounds - specifically Bass Organ, Flute Organ, and Boesendorfer Grand Piano.


The intro starts with the Bass Organ, then Flute Organ, and then the Boesendorfer Grand Piano comes in playing a gentle melody. Only now during the Mastering process for this album under much closer listening with Yamaha SH5 studio monitors am I hearing a mild distortion or fuzz on the piano track. I do not hear this in my Sennheiser Headphones, but I did hear it at another studio a few days prior on Alesis M1 Active MK2 studio monitors. I hear the fuzz during playback in Logic as well as during playback from bounces, both WAV and MP3.


It seems to only occur in the left monitor. The Piano MIDI track is panned about -16 to the left, and even if I pan it far right the fuzz is still in the left monitor. Since I heard this on more than one monitoring system I believe it is occurring on the MIDI track itself.


I tried playing with EQ, multipressor, track volume, lessening the reverb, turning off the AUX sends, using different Piano Plug-ins (Yamaha Grand Piano, Steinway Grand Piano, etc.)... effecting the other tracks, like high pass filter on the Bass Organ to see if the abundance of low frequency was causing some kind of feedback or overload when in combination with the piano track... so far none of these approaches have solved this mysterious fuzz.


Furthermore, I am in the process of Mastering 11 songs for this album and none of the other songs have any of this kind of fuzz, and I can play any song from my iTunes library and I do not hear any distortion or fuzz, so I am 99% certain it is not the monitors, or anything to do with the computer. It seems to be coming somewhere from the Piano MIDI Track!!


Also, Velocity range of the MIDI notes is a gentle 48 - 61 Velocity. So it's not like the MIDI is hitting the notes too hard. I worked a lot on this song with headphones and never heard this, as it is somehow a very gentle fuzz, but it is totally noticeable upon close listening and fairly loud volume. Most of our band's audience will likely not notice it, but I cannot have this! I notice it and I want to know how to solve this.


It is a very gentle fuzz or distortion, like a mild sizzle after the Piano notes are played.


I hope that describes the situation well enough and One of you geniuses can help solve this mystery.


Namaste and Thank You!

Logic Pro X, OS X Yosemite (10.10.5)

Posted on May 3, 2016 11:11 PM

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4 replies

Apr 4, 2017 7:02 AM in response to MilarepaJi

Hello, I've got the exact same issue... your description fits mine perfectly, I'm using Yamaha HS8 and I notice this on my car stereo too.


This happens with any piano library, pretty expensive ones in kontakt too... I've isolated the problem and it seems that the mids ranging from 400 to 700hz are the worst, what did you do/discover since then? Thanks

Apr 5, 2017 12:01 AM in response to VanniT

Hi Vanni,


Basically, I had my bandmate come over to the studio and see if he could hear the same thing I was hearing. Once he listened, we both decidedly that I had gone a bit crazy after too many days in this ****** little studio in Nepal and that I was magnifying the fuzz on the piano through distorted perception. And also that I start to master at too high of a volume (because I was trying so hard to hear the distortion and figure out its source).


He told me it is barely noticeable and we decided that the album was finished then and there. (That piano buzz was the last little detail I was painstakingly going over for hours).


I did do EQ sweeps and the sound was in the higher frequency range, like you've mentioned. I try all kinds of things to solve the issue...


But like I said, my bandmate and I decided I had simply spent too much time narrowing in on one detail during the mastering process... perhaps you can understand how one can go a bit crazy or fixate on one minuscule details for hours or days in the mixing/mastering process and lose perspective, but then you come with fresh ears or ask another trusted engineer for input and they don't hear the same thing sometimes...






May 6, 2016 7:11 AM in response to BenB

I considered that and it doesn't seem to be a volume/gain issue. Anyway, today I tried what you suggested and the distortion is still there if I lower the gain on the piano and organ tracks, though it is quieter. I also tried other Organ sounds, and the distortion still appears on the Piano track.


Today my friend suggested updating Logic. I am willing to try that.


Any other ideas or suggestions welcome.


Thanks

Why is there mild distortion/fuzz on the MIDI Piano Track?

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