Consolidating clips causes distortion

[BLG]

I have a clean guitar sound (Fender Strat through a Fender amp) in multiple clips. On their own they sound great, but when I consolidate them there's distortion. How can this be? I wouldn't expect the sound to change at all?

It' subtle, but you can hear the two clips here:

Clean:
https://www.themalignantnarcissists....tortedClip.mp3

Distorted:
https://www.themalignantnarcissists....tortedClip.mp3

[JFreak]

Please specify your OS and PT versions

[BLG]

PT version 2021
OS Windows 10

[JFreak]

2021 dot what? W10 build what?

[Rich Breen]

Not very subtle. So what *exactly* are you doing to this track when you "consolidate"?

[midnightrambler]

It does sound like user error as a cursory listen, but I don't suppose you're using Elastic Audio are you? Especially coupled with "clip gain" it can produce a whole world of pain when you consolidate (rather than "commit"). They might have sorted it out by now, I haven't dared try it recently.

[Tweakhead]

no, they haven't sorted it. possibly the longest-running unaddressed bug in Pro Tools.

and this doesn't sound like that problem. the EA thing usually creates some reverse-sounding artifacts just before any transient.
this is simple distortion, and almost sounds like some virtual amp or pedal. is there something like this in the chain? perhaps bypassed, and somehow getting rendered ?

duplicate the track. remove all plugins. try again. same ?

[albee1952]

As an alternative experiment, bus the track to a new AUDIO track and record the un-consolidated audio(or run Track Commit to create a new track and audio file). Let us know what that result sounds like

[BLG]

O/S Version 10 build 19042.928
PT version: 2021.3.1

To consolidate I select both clips and hold down alt+shift+3. There's no elastic audio going on here - this is just two clips recorded as they are.

[BLG]

I did adjust clip gain (to +9.5dB), but why should that matter when it sounds fine before consolidation? When I commit the track the distortion seems to be gone. So that's a usable alternative. Thanks.

There's nothing else in the chain. I just started recording this song so everything is very clean (see attached picture).