Let me try to make my point with a little more clarity.

I used the term, "most consumer sound devices" - work well with BiaB when the *software* mixer applet faders for both Playback and Record Properties are turned all the way up.

Of course, if you try that and your particular sound device causes clipping, then revisit the applet and turn faders down a little and try again. Most of the time, you won't get any clipping though.

Understanding GAIN STAGING is important here.

For example, you could Render or Record a set of tracks that is low in amplitude such that at playback someone must reach for the Volume control and turn it up in order to have it sound equal in amplitude to other recordings they have been playing back. *But that won't have the same sound* as the identical recording that is printed hotter. It will sound rather, well, "thinner".

On the opposite end of that scale, you might record or render it too hot, in which case it will sound "blasty" or even "clipped" in some cases, even though you turn your Playback Volume down, it cannot change that because that sound is what is printed in the file.

Fortunately for us, we can usually easily normalize the sound device's input and outputs as I described. What you are after is simple enough, and that is "what goes in is what comes out" Amplitude-wise. In technical terms, your system should play back a 0dBFS sinewave from a pre-recorded test disk at exactly 0dBFS. Likewise then, it should play back a -12dBFS sinewave at -12dBFS as well.

I have found out empirically that most consumer sound devices will do this when the software faders are turned all the way up, inclusive of any Master software faders.

Once I do that, I no longer use the Software Mixer Faders for volume control when listening. I rely on my mixer or the amplitude knob on the monitor amp for that purpose. This leaves the Line being driven hard enough that at any chosen volume level, things will sound as they should. No, I'm not a fan of the software faders in those sound card software applets, not when it is consumer gear anyway. Prosumer and full Pro gear often works differently, though. It is still different for each brand and model of them, though, so then it becomes necessary to use an Audio Test Disk to find out where the levels should be set for a normalized gain staging in your system.

But, if at any time what you do makes audio clipping, then you must turn something down, of course. The important part there is to identify *which stage* is causing that clipping so that you turn down the amplitude at the proper point in the signal chain. Otherwise you might end up with clipping that is just a bit lower in volume if you turn down the wrong fader at the wrong point in the chain.


--Mac

PGmusic FAQs, Tutorials and Updates! click here

You must be Audiominds.
www.audiominds.com