VDAT and external editing

Kymeia · Post by **Kymeia** » Wed Apr 27, 2005 6:05 pm

I just bought VDAT and it has a setting for using an external audio editor. I set the path up to open Audacity but what do you do next - how do you actually open a recording in the external editor? I notice edit buttons in the settings dialogue next to each track but when I click on them nothing happens. Also will it load the stereo recording if I record both l&R tracks? Also is there a way to save just what I record as a wav instead of just having the fixed length wav it creates at the start? The manual isn't very helpful on these issues.

[ This Message was edited by: Kymeia on 2005-04-27 19:13 ]

Kymeia · Post by **Kymeia** » Wed Apr 27, 2005 6:21 pm

OK - found out how to edit (click on stop till it blinks - then press the edit button)

but it does appear to make 2 seperate mono files - not one stereo, so how do I record a stereo file?

beerbr · Post by **beerbr** » Thu Apr 28, 2005 12:23 am

No.. VDAT can't record stereo file. The format of VDAT is 8 MONO files.

wolf · Post by **wolf** » Thu Apr 28, 2005 1:24 am

Open the two mono files, which belong together, in an editor, create a new stereo file as container and copy both mono files into it.
You should take care, that both mono files have the same starting point, while pasting them in the stereo file "container".

regards
Wolfgang

Kymeia · Post by **Kymeia** » Thu Apr 28, 2005 1:59 am

Thanks - wish that had been clear on the site before I bougt it. That's a bit crappy - it should record stereo.

Post by **garyb** » Thu Apr 28, 2005 2:43 am

it's an adat. adats don't record stereo files.

spiderman · Post by **spiderman** » Thu Apr 28, 2005 10:41 am

sorry , it's not an ADAT . it's a VDAT .

Post by **garyb** » Thu Apr 28, 2005 11:33 am

Virtual aDAT

Kymeia · Post by **Kymeia** » Thu Apr 28, 2005 12:29 pm

Well a virtual adat should be able to record stereo even if the hardware one can't (just as a virtual Minimoog can do polyphony - why stick to the limitations of hardware when it's not needed). I wouldn't have known that anyway having never even seen an adat - its just a recorder as far as I'm concerned - it never occured to me it wouldn't record a stereo file - what a strange idea.

[ This Message was edited by: Kymeia on 2005-04-28 13:30 ]

astroman · Post by **astroman** » Thu Apr 28, 2005 2:30 pm

I don't find it strange at all - imho VDAT is the most simple and resource effective way to 'nail down' all your recording channels as trustworthy as possible.
Once it's done I'd never touch that (original) recording anyway, but instead copy all parts to be kept and further processed to separate files (thus making them stereo if required), and deal with them in another program.

Storage space isn't an issue today, so the original 'tapes' serve as a backup.
VDAT's approach allows you a very high number of 'live' tracks, much higher than anything else - and compared to a real-world hardware recorder it's got a significant price advantage.

But I admit that if it doesn't fit your workflow (or you cannot make use of it's advantages), it could turn out as a disappointment. But the manual is absolutely clear about it's capabilities, if you read what's printed and not what your expectations may suggest

cheers, Tom

beerbr · Post by **beerbr** » Thu Apr 28, 2005 2:33 pm

I don't think it's a strange idea. Even the very expensive system like all ProTools, ProTools HD, they handle the stereo file as Seperate MONO files. If you want to work in mixer like a stereo, it's very easy to do. You can open channel mixer and make it stereo and you route the 2 mono out of VDAT to 1 stereo input in channel mixer. This can apply to any programs.

spiderman · Post by **spiderman** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 8:00 am

?
i don't think protools do the mixdown in two separate mono file ONLY.

we just asking to keep in the scope domaine .
but sure you can do a mixdown thru a software ( ie soundforge)

[ This Message was edited by: spiderman on 2005-04-29 09:04 ]

voidar · Post by **voidar** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 9:01 am

On 2005-04-29 09:00, spiderman wrote:
?
i don't think protools do the mixdown in two separate mono file ONLY.

we just asking to keep in the scope domaine .
but sure you can do a mixdown thru a software ( ie soundforge)

[ This Message was edited by: spiderman on 2005-04-29 09:04 ]

The only stereo recording device in SFP are the samplers, 3000 and upwards. The problem with them is that they record directly to memory which means you will need a lot of it, especially for longer tracks.

We do lack a "DAT" recorder in SFP like you would use in the real world of ADAT for mixdowns. I feel CWA should supply one soon.

Other than that I am ok with VDAT being a virtual ADAT which can record/play 8+ mono files. How you process those files is up to you. You can do surround mixing with them for all its worth.
But for now, stereo-mixdown is only possible with either a sampler, through a audio-driver to native application, or out into a real HW recorder.

Those are our options and we have to deal with it. CW users are used to dealing with problems like this anyway, hehe.