Another Melodyne ARA Issue

I've encountered an additional issue with Melodyne ARA, and wondered if anyone else has seen it...It seems, from my testing so far, that Melodyne ARA will initialize and work fine on the first track. It disappears from the plugin menu on subsequent audio tracks. I can then only bring up the original (Transfer) version of the plug. So, for now, I can only use ARA on one track per project. Disappointed. Things I have tried so far:

 

1. Brand new empty project

2. Uninstall/reinstall

3. Force AU cache scan

 

I do have a ticket started with Melodyne as well. Anyone else seeing this behavior?

 

Update - I’ve added a link to a screen recording demonstrating the issue:

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/dfp4m3llmt8tw77/Movie%202.m4v?dl=0

Ok, I heard back from Melodyne, and this is a definite bug. There is a workaround for now. You must have the track actually *selected* in the arrange window for Melodyne ARA to activate. Seems silly to me, but that’s how to cure it. With that plus the other “play-stop-play or it wont save” workaround, I’m underwhelmed so far with this release. It seems like both of these issues should’ve been discovered easily in the testing process before releasing the plug-in. It happened to me on first use...

That is discouraging. It sounds like Apple is at fault regarding the "play stop" issue which means it may take quite awhile for a fix, but this new problem you mention is a Melodyne bug. Icky. Thanks for reporting it here...

That is discouraging. It sounds like Apple is at fault regarding the "play stop" issue which means it may take quite awhile for a fix, but this new problem you mention is a Melodyne bug. Icky. Thanks for reporting it here...

Almost 3 years and the I have the same issue on Logic 10.4.8 . It's a shame !

Unfortunately, I've given up on using Melodyne with ARA in Logic. Too unreliable, too many hoops to jump through, too many rules. When it does work properly, it's a big time saver.

...not sure what the current issue is, "play-stop" works fine here.../s~

....if it's not an issue for you, then its not an issue!

 

"Lucky!" ~ Napoleon Dynamite

...or just haven't stepped on that snake yet!.../s~

That bug is not present in the current version, i haven't had an issue loading ARA in any combination of circumstances.

moreover, i have developed a workflow around the potential shortcomings and it's been great - the time saved with are and flexibility of editing post-pitch edits and replacing takes far outweighs the bugs for me.

Ploki, could you kindly describe the workflow you use? I've been experimenting with Melodyne ARA and would like to know of any hazards before I jump into a project.

Maybe it's just me, but I will not use MD ARA with Logic Pro X. Period. I've lost hours and hours of edits, seemingly for no reason. Believe me, I wanted to love it, but you only need this to happen once and you will love the old transfer method.

...I've posted this elsewhere, thought I did here as well. I've used MD "old school" for years, extensively, clunky but workable. But I found that with ARA there some new "rules." Absolutely following these rules works for me.

1/ there can be NO FLEX of any kind track/strip (however tempo mapping seems to work, being tested)

2/ md.ara is ALWAYS the first fx on any track/strip

3/ the track/strip cannot be frozen, disarmed/turned off, or disabled in any manner, NEVER touch it!

...with that said/figured out, I been happy ever since...and oddly, if you "flex" after instantiating md.ara it will bitch but spring back to life unaffected with the removal of the "flex"...(sigh... (who knows)...hth.../s~

Thanks for the tip!

 

I think we all really *want* ARA to work.

Anyone experienced any issues with version 5?

YES. I am having an issue with Melodyne 5 studio. I am trying to edit 8 voices who each have an instance of melodyne ara. Normally, all 8 of theses would display in a left side column, and all the blobs for all 8 voices would be displayed in the window and I'd be able to toggle between them all. Not anymore. Does my problem have something to do with TRACK MODE vs. CLIP MODE? If so, TRACK MODE is not available to me, it is grayed out in the pulldown menus, and when I click on the TRACK MODE ICON, nothing happens.

...check to see if you have any "events" prior to 1.1.1.1...that has caused the "track" vs "clip" issue for me...hth.../s~

Hi SteveLpx1! Thanks. Indeed, I have events in measure "zero" of Logic. Why, you ask, do I have measure 0? Because the music I produce and mix has already been composed and I, and the other performers are often looking at the published sheet music. The Logic file's measure numbers MUST correspond during the recording session. It's also easier during editing too, if the measure numbers correspond. (Melodyne also refuses to place the blobs correctly when there is a pickup measure at the very beginning of a piece of music, and I often have to jog my sound files left in order to fool Melodyne into placing the blobs on the correct beats.) Perhaps I don't know something about working with a physical score's measure numbers? Does someone know of a workaround ? Melodyne is a great tool, but it has too many limitations, I think. This measure number issue has been haunting me forever and it is a major problem.

As far as I've learned LPX simply does not work reliably with anything occurring before 1.1.1.1, not just melodyne but much of LPX itself, ie loop/cycle markers. David knows more specifically what the details are, and I don't do anything with "scores." So not much help there. I've installed melodyne v5.01 and have started working out the details/issues. And it seems that meldyne now survives some of the issues around #3 above, more on that later...hth.../s~

... And it seems that meldyne now survives some of the issues around #3 above, more on that later...hth.../s~

Curious if you've refined your understanding of this issue (with track on/off or freeze) since this posting, or any other new gotchas and insights into use of Meolodyne ARA beyond your previous advice?

 

(I'm cautiously shifting from using standalone Melodyne Assistant 5.x to using Melodyne ARA plug-ins so I can view multiple vocal tracks simultaneously for easier timing tweaks.)

As much as I love the idea of ARA, it is still too bug-prone and unreliable for me. Given the time-consuming demanding sensory judgements required in pitch correction, I have a zero tolerance for data loss.

 

However I've had excellent results using Melodyne standalone, directly on my DAW's audio, with the "save and replace audio" technique. (This is something specific — look it up if need be.) This method is completely stable and reliable, and preserves much of the quick workflow that ARA offers.

... However I've had excellent results using Melodyne standalone, directly on my DAW's audio, with the "save and replace audio" technique. (This is something specific — look it up if need be.) This method is completely stable and reliable, and preserves much of the quick workflow that ARA offers.

This is similar to what I've been doing and actually what I'd prefer. However, I'd like to use the capability of viewing / editing multiple tracks simultaneously (e.g. a stack of harmonies). My understanding is MD Assistant stand-alone can't do that, but possibly MD Studio can. So a bit off topic, but I'm also interested in knowing if anyone else has used MD Studio for multi-file editing.

@MikeShapiro --- thanks for the "save and replace audio" idea, I'm experimenting with it now. So far so good. I've given up on ARA for now.

Glad to be able to spread the word about this feature/technique. It really saved Melodyne for me.

 

Akitru — I use Melodyne Studio and have had good luck with multi file editing. I've imported multiple vocal stems, and even a rough mix of the accompaniment track for timing reference. A single save command simultaneously updates all the files being edited. Back in Logic, the audio is updated without having to reload your project.

Thanks for the info @MikeShapiro... that sounds even better than I had imagined, so I will look into upgrading my Assistant to Studio.

@MikeShapiro (and @jsbaker)... I've now upgraded to Studio and have done a bit of work with 'Replace Audio' (with multi-files), and it's working well. To make sure I'm not missing something in using this with Logic, can you verify these assumed rules and steps, and suggest any related workflow tips:

 

1. Save the LPX project as a Folder, not a Package, so the audio files are visible.

2. Use the audio file browser within LPX to identify the filenames of whatever I want to edit with Melodyne.

3. Close LPX and use Melodyne to edit the files of choice. (I presume having both with file access at the same time could be risky, or subvert some LPX in-memory buffering?)

4. Use Melodyne (Save and) Replace Audio to directly update the .wav files. Save the MD project somewhere other than within the LPX project to avoid having it inadvertently erased during an LPX Clean Up operation.

5. Open LPX and enjoy the edits.

 

(FYI noted that deleting the first or last audio object in a file with MD will cause MD to truncate the file on that end when it writes it. EDIT: If you use the MD Amplitude tool to Mute the track head or tail object instead of deleting it, the track will not be truncated during Replace Audio)

I have never had any problem running Logic and Melodyne simultaneously. As soon as I select Save and Replace Audio in Melodyne I switch over to Logic and everything has been updated in my DAW. So the workflow may be even more efficient than what you've described.

I have never had any problem running Logic and Melodyne simultaneously. As soon as I select Save and Replace Audio in Melodyne I switch over to Logic and everything has been updated in my DAW. So the workflow may be even more efficient than what you've described.

Thanks Mike... good to know!