Diva presets too loud

[Kees49]

Almost all the presets are too loud and distorted when I play them.
I don't know if this is since the update 1.1?

Please correct the volumes of the presets in the official 1.1 update.
Many thanks in advance!

[3ee]

Maybe you are playing with polyphony the monophonic intended patches?
+ are you using Ableton Live? ..AFAIK, there's a 6 db difference in that DAW.

Added: although I do agree that some (probably most) are louder than I usually patch them for example...

Added: but if played like intended for example, most would sound OK and not distorted...

+are you suggesting that the whole factory bank should get updated only for that reason?... seems allot of work...

[mcnoone]

You can tell us what daw your using?
I use Live, and Logic, and the levels in those are the same as any other synth I own.
Are you overloading the cpu usage?
Do you have your levels in your daw up too high?
As in, above the standard default level settings.
What are your system specs?
Be aware that yours is the only post I've seen with this problem, so if no one else has stated it before, then it possibly has something to do with your set up, and not with Diva.

[Kees49]

No, I'm using SAVIHost and Cubase.
The presets were pads, so for poly-use.
The 4 DREAM SYNTHS directory has many patches which are programmed too loud.

[mcnoone]

No, I'm using SAVIHost and Cubase.
The presets were pads, so for poly-use.
The 4 DREAM SYNTHS directory has many patches which are programmed too loud.

Then why hasn't anyone else posted about this, as Diva has been out long enough for at least someone else to have stated they were too loud.
If you think the the levels on some pads are too loud, then maybe you can send a support(at)u-he(dot)com email and notify them with a list of the pads you think are too loud, and they might be able to help with that.
If it's only some pad sounds, then that means your thread subject heading is clearly misleading.
Maybe "Some Diva presets too loud" would be more to the point.

[Viktor [TUC]]

I'd guess most people use it inside a DAW, where there's usually some headroom and the audio doesn't crackle immediately above 0dB. Then again, this is all "half knowledge" as I never really know where the crackling comes from. The plugins themselves must have some internal barrier above which crackling begins, then the DAW has its own barrier. Correct me if I'm wrong, please.

In SaviHost, there's some major crackling once the audio shoots above 0dB. No headroom

But yes, I can confirm that some of the pads, if you play 4 or more voices go way above the 0dB line. In SaviHost as well as in e.g. Cubase. In Cubase it doesn't matter as much because of the headroom.

[MickGael]

Almost all the presets are too loud and distorted when I play them.
I don't know if this is since the update 1.1?

Please correct the volumes of the presets in the official 1.1 update.
Many thanks in advance!

That was the first thing I noticed, as well. Cubase 6.5.1. Well into the red.

[Arksun]

Yeah a lot of the Diva presets are at a volume level so that, if the synths channel fader is at 0dbfs, they will clip into the red. Noticed that since v1.00.Simply drag the channels volume fader down or just turn down the main volume knob in Diva.

I think all sound designers really should design their patches so that if the synths loaded into the DAW and its channel vol fader is at 0, that the sounds should not clip into the red. And also try to keep a reasonable same percieved volume level between all patches.

[mcnoone]

Yeah a lot of the Diva presets are at a volume level so that, if the synths channel fader is at 0dbfs, they will clip into the red. Noticed that since v1.00.Simply drag the channels volume fader down or just turn down the main volume knob in Diva.

I think all sound designers really should design their patches so that if the synths loaded into the DAW and its channel vol fader is at 0, that the sounds should not clip into the red. And also try to keep a reasonable same percieved volume level between all patches.

I only listen and create sounds with the output levels at default 0db, and I have 3 daws, and none of the levels for Diva sounds (except some sfx and seq, and treasure trove folder) clip in any daw I have.
It's possibly related to certain daws.
Cubase users seemed to have noted it, but Logic or Live users most likely won't.

[EvilDragon]

SAVIhost really behaves badly when you're close to 0 dBFS - it clips hard and that's where the distortion and crackling come from.

[hakey]

Cubase users seemed to have noted it, but Logic or Live users most likely won't.

I've noticed it in Live.

[digidennis]

Using Reaper / maschine they are a bit loud. I usually turn the channel down some.

[mcnoone]

Cubase users seemed to have noted it, but Logic or Live users most likely won't.

I've noticed it in Live.

Well then maybe it's caused by differences in sound cards, because I just don't get any output level problem in Live, using Diva.
I'm only considering that it doesn't go into the red, but could care less about subjective things such as "perceived" levels.
Perceived loudness is something that can be different depending on the music that's being done with a particular patch. It might be perceived too loud for an ambient track, but just right in a rock track.

If it's going into the red, it's more likely due to having 6 note chords pumping at every 1/4 note with long release times, and velocity is at 128, because they were mouse penciled in, or the midi had the velocity on full.
If we could only load up the projects of those with the loudness problem to see, that's exactly what we might find.

If it's a problem, then great if they can make the levels better for everyone, but not everyone, including me, could actually agree there is a volume problem.
Maybe a poll would be good to see.

[EvilDragon]

Some presets are indeed going into red in Reaper...

[hakey]

I'm only considering that it doesn't go into the red

A few patches will go into the red without pushing things to extremes - eg HS Lotus Blossom.

Not a big problem to change the levels, but I can see how it might put some people off, particularly where a DAW clips audibly (Live seems to keep some headroom in spare, or uses a limiter or something).

And yes, perceived loudness is a different matter.