Please help me with those weird waveforms!!!

[Babe Records]

Hi,

I didn't really know where to post this, but I'm workin on a project, and here is the waveform i'm getting when recording the mix OUTS from my analogue console into DP... It's the first time I see non-centered waveforms, so... can anyone help?

[Fajita]

DC offset?

[thenewyear]

well the waveform certainly appears to be offset.

If DP has a DC offset removal facility you could try it but looking at it I am not sure it will help...

edit: Fajita beat me to it.

[MASSIVE Master]

The body looks centered... Are those snare hits? Could be an attack/release issue or a top/bottom mic thing.

It *looks* like a snare with that techno-"thwack" sound.

But the big question - HOW DOES IT SOUND?

[drmmrboy]

I had this on a bass track last week.
Mine was more above, and less below the zero line.

Same on a kick track last year.
Changed the cable, moved the mic a bit...
Waveform looked even again.

Look here...
http://www.gearslutz.com/board/showt...ght=transients

Andrew

[Babe Records]

Thanks guys... but... what is DC offset? Where does it come from?

[Babe Records]

Actually, yeah, the body is centered, only the kick and snare hits have this offset...

I use a VI sampler, my kick and snare go on seperate channels of the console, then to mix bus and to a bus with a focusrite 'compounder' compressor whose outputs go back in the 2-mix. When by-passing the comp, the peaks are lower so it becomes difficult to see if there is an actual shift, but i think there is. The comp only accentuates it.

As far as i can hear, the sound seems to be okay, but i think i'm losing headroom, ain't I?

[Doublehelix]

Yeah, I just had that same problem with a bass guitar last week as well.

He was using his Fender Jazz (active), and the waveform looked like crap, and it sounded bad too. We tried my P-bass through the same signal chain, and things looked and sounded fine. He ended up switching to his Thunderbird bass until he can get the Jazz repaired.

[Babe Records]

hey drmmrboy, thanks for the link...
i made a search but obviously did not use the right keywords!
well, it seems to be the same problem as remo encountered... and it seems nobody really knows where this comes from and what to do to avoid it...

[drmmrboy]

DH, I went from a J w/actives to a P w/passives. No change.
We used his box. Demeter tube job.
My di's/pre's worked fine, but the Demeter sounded great, so...
I did noticed he had a few mods. Jensen trans dropped on the out...

Originally Posted by Babe Records

and it seems nobody really knows where this comes from and what to do to avoid it...

Yeah. If it's creating a problem, it would be nice to know what can cause it, and how to avoid it.

Andrew

[Babe Records]

Originally Posted by drmmrboy

Yeah. If it's creating a problem, it would be nice to know what can cause it, and how to avoid it.

Yup, definitely! Anyone?

[Winey]

I run into it on bass, kick, and snare every once in a while.
It seems with bass it depends on the players technique more than anything.
I always get a 0% DC offset reading in Nuendo when I check the files, so who knows.
I also wondered about possible loss of headroom, and if it effects the limiting the ME will do.

[Winey]

I'll also add that your waveform example looks pretty extreme compared to the problems I've had.

[BobbyPeru]

Originally Posted by Babe Records

Hi,

I didn't really know where to post this, but I'm workin on a project, and here is the waveform i'm getting when recording the mix OUTS from my analogue console into DP... It's the first time I see non-centered waveforms, so... can anyone help?

Does anyone find it odd that we're talking about "the look" of a sound. This happens to me every once in a while. I pay no attention to it. I don't care what a wave looks like, as long as it sounds good.

Bobby Peru
Milwaukee, WI

[drmmrboy]

Originally Posted by BobbyPeru

I don't care what a wave looks like, as long as it sounds good.

Yeah. I went with the bass track that worked best. It's F'd up looking, but sounds great. (I just revisited the tunes today)

I'd like to know what causes it, and if there is a reason I might want to avoid it.

Andrew

[7 Hz]

It's 'just' an asymetrical waveform. It's not DC offset.

Male voice can have 4 - 6dB of this. Also TB303's ect.

It will mess with your 'loud'. I think radio stations have gadgets that remove the asymetrical thing.

Check to see it isn't a bit of gear doing this, as that probably wouldn't be good (/me stares at the focusrite compounder).

[joeq]

horns can be very asymmetrical - like the trumpet sample below

perhaps a good argument for maintaining absolute phase

[Youn]

It doesn't help that you are zoomed out so far.

[joeq]

better?

[Youn]

oh, sorry, I was reffering to the original poster. I only mention it because I think some programs don't display peaks accurately beyond a certain distance.

[Youn]

Babe, I was just looking at recordings of mine and others and on kick and snare especially waveforms will look like this, in general. Nothing wronge with it, more then likely. Mics/pres/placement/compression contribute to it of course, sometimes the compression setting can make it worse, other times better, but yeah, don't go by the way it looks.

[Youn]

This is snare hit, it's fine, it looks worse from a distance..

[Babe Records]

Ok, thanks all for your help!
Here's a zoomed pict of the same waveform...
Anyway, i've decided not to worry too much about it, as long as it sounds ok!