UNWANTED +5dB on DX BUS!!!

[laudisi]

Howdy all
So this is the story, and I hope some one out there has some insight. We had a mix about a month ago that was running a HUGE session. All 5 reels in one session, 3 DSP chips for 96 voices, and enough plugin's to make my maxed out G5 think twice. The system is a Dual 2G G5 with 1.5G of RAM, PT HD with one Accell card and one Process card (like half an HD3 Accell), running PT 6.4 with whatever the most recent update and CS is.

The problem was once we started to really tax the system towards the end of the mix, our Dialogue bus would play back roughly +5dB HOTTER! It was random and sporadic. We would remix the DX because it was suddenly too loud, and then have to remix cause it was quieter on the next pass.

I must say that I passed the blame off on the session being SO large, and pardon, unorganized. I blamed it on audio files being strewn about multiple hard drives... and moved on to the next mix.

So here we are, towards the end of our current mix and the problem has sprung up again. Maxed out DSP, buses are having issues. Is this a known problem? Could this have something to do with LACK of DSP? Does DSP for the busses suffer when the overall system DSP is taxed. My enitial thought is to substitute the Process card for another Accell card, but if that isn't going to fix my problem, I'd rather not drop the cash. Any insight would be much appreciated.

Oh, and if the mixer for the previous film reads this... my appologies man...

mark

[Rail Jon Rogut]

Is the session set to +12dB or +6dB?

Rail

[laudisi]

it's +12db...

[Rail Jon Rogut]

What happens if you Save Session Copy In.. and convert it to +6dB? Do you exceed +6dB on any faders?

Rail

[SessionKat]

What version of Pro Tools? 6.7?
I'm assuming the session is a surround format(?). Which width?
There was a known issue with shipping 6.7 in this regard, if running 6.7 get the latest CS release.

Lack of DSP (or maxxed DSP in other words) should not be affecting your busses.

If running 6.7, try replacing the mixer plug-ins with the beta mixers in the Additonal files folder of the 6.7 CD.

-tv

[Rail Jon Rogut]

Hi Tim

He says he's "running PT 6.4 with whatever the most recent update and CS is". He doesn't say which mixer he's using.

Rail

[laudisi]

Hey guys
We are in 6.4 with the current CS installs.

As for Save Session Copy in to a +6dB session, we have not tried it. I'd be willing to bet large sums of money that the Engineer has gone over +6.

And looking at mixers, 5.1 mix. Might it have something to do with the Dolby plugin? They were using it to get a feel for how the DMU would would encode and then decode their LtRt during the print master. We were not having this issue untill he dropped that one on his busses this morning... hmmmmm...


mark

[SessionKat]

[quote We were not having this issue untill he dropped that one on his busses this morning... hmmmmm...


[/QUOTE]

I'd call that the smoking gun. One way to tell - remove it!

Keep us apprised.....

-tv

[laudisi]

So here's the deal....
I spoke with Digi directly about this problem. It aparently has nothing to do with the Dolby plug, +12 or +6dB sessions, or anything else we have chatted about. Apparently hanging my 888/24 off the back of my 192 dig I/O on the legacy port is "suspect," and something they are looking into. Has anyone else experienced this or is it really just me???

mark