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effects [compression] in DAW tracking

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Submitted by osmuir on

ok, so here's my question/discussion topic...



how do yall deal with the fact that extra steps of A/D conversion make yr product suck more and more?



since i'm doing a project w/no decent plugins right now [not on my computer rig] i'm tending towards more compression on the way in, trying to figgure on how much i'd actualy want in the mix later on [note: i'm 22, so i haven't learned my lession yet, and i'm kinda heavy handed with my compression :) ].



what do you all do with outboard stuff condisering A/D D/A issues, especialy w/ "limited quality" converters?



--owen

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anonymous

I think I'd rather use decent quality compression ( what comp are you using? ) on the way in, depending on what you're trying to achieve, than sending back out through suspect converters.



I guess you should try it both ways to see if it's what you need, maybe a particular outboard effect will be just what your track needs, and damn the fidelity, y'know?



Another option if you're using a DAW is to automate the volume to simulate what a compressor would do, although you wouldn't get any colorful processing with this technique.

Good Luck

Tony

Wed, 11/21/2001 - 19:25 Permalink
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Jon Atack

"how do yall deal with the fact that extra steps of A/D conversion make yr product suck more and more? ... since i'm doing a project w/no decent plugins right now"



Owen,



Converters aren't the only evil. To my ears, most plugins do about as much damage to the audio as most converters. A mediocre master clock does damage too, as does the math applied during digital panning/gain changes/summing. All of these things count in digital audio.



If the product is supposed to sound like a record at the end of the day, I prefer to go with good converters and clock...noplug-insor digital panning or digital fader automation except for special fx....and mix out on a good analog desk with good outboard.



Jon

Thu, 11/22/2001 - 12:52 Permalink
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anonymous

OK - I admitt, I really never considered the clock as an issue on my setup, which is the [="http://www.motu.com/english/hardware/mtpav/body.html"]MTP AV[/]="http://www.motu.com…"]MTP AV[/]. But the more and more I read, people are raising that as an issue.



So in the scheme of clock sources out there, how does the likes of a [[url=http://="http://www.motu.com…"]MTP AV[/]="http://www.motu.com…"]MTP AV[/] rank vs say the [[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.lucidaud…"]Lucid GenX's[/]="http://www.lucidaud…"]Lucid GenX's[/] in audible difference?

Fri, 11/23/2001 - 04:31 Permalink