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pan · 10th November 2005

Even cheapo preamps have a sweet spot between noisy and distorted;-)

Gain stageing is the answer:

Where's your 0VU? How much headroom does your system have? Will your system sound better at "lower levels" with more headroom? Will you raise the noisefloor (noticeably) by keeping more headroom? Where do you really peak in the analog domain?

It is certainly a fine line, but the line is not within the last dB of your converter!!!
Who runs his board within the last +20dB???

A good analog desk has a headroom of 25dB? (haha!) -18dbFS for 0dBVU seems allright.

Your low end mixer has 18dB headroom? OK: -14dB seems alright for that board!

Even ITB mixes should relate to some kind of "0dBVU":

The higher you set your "virtual zero", the more dynamics you lose...
so there is an analogy (is this the word what I mean?) between analog and digital.

Christopher, digital is NOT analog, but there are similar rules.

No Flames, please! I'm with you, Scott. Lets make this a good thread!

Ohh, and pushing a Neve is something totally different, than pushing your rosetta!

Niko

10th November 2005	#5
pan Lives for gear Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Hamburg Posts: 1,516	Gain stageing!!! Even cheapo preamps have a sweet spot between noisy and distorted;-) Gain stageing is the answer: Where's your 0VU? How much headroom does your system have? Will your system sound better at "lower levels" with more headroom? Will you raise the noisefloor (noticeably) by keeping more headroom? Where do you really peak in the analog domain? It is certainly a fine line, but the line is not within the last dB of your converter!!! Who runs his board within the last +20dB??? A good analog desk has a headroom of 25dB? (haha!) -18dbFS for 0dBVU seems allright. Your low end mixer has 18dB headroom? OK: -14dB seems alright for that board! Even ITB mixes should relate to some kind of "0dBVU": The higher you set your "virtual zero", the more dynamics you lose... so there is an analogy (is this the word what I mean?) between analog and digital. Christopher, digital is NOT analog, but there are similar rules. No Flames, please! I'm with you, Scott. Lets make this a good thread! Ohh, and pushing a Neve is something totally different, than pushing your rosetta! Niko __________________ Niko Sieveking wot? no TR? nichtlineareaudioproduktionen How do you fix a terrible snare sound? The answer is, a hit single. (Thanks, Trina)