Clipping.

[Q-Eight]

Experimenting with dual audio cards for surround production. Am having strange problems. #1 problem is no matter what my input level, there's always clipping.

The rears are using onboard audio and it's clipping bad. That can usually mostly be repaired in Adobe Audition. The fronts are using an old Sound Blaster Live!. It seems to be compressing everything to -3.5dB. It's not clipping, it's automatically limiting.

Are these just drawbacks of using these types of input devices? Should I reall go for that Delta M-44 I'm watching on ebay?

 

[Lucanu]

Those Soundblaster won't help, they usually play good for windows applications but I should look for a Delta. I have a 1010LT and I'm very happy with it, only drawback is that it is equipped with lots of cables instead of a box and works with a maximum of 24/96
M-44 IIRC has 4in-4out while Delta 1010LT is 10in10out including 2 Mic inputs and SPDIF in/out

 

[georgeshannon]

I agree with Lucanu. The M-Audio 1010LT has complete control over input and output levels for each channel independently. Costs about $200 from places like Musicians Friend. Saves a lot of headaches.

 

[winopener]

Go for a true multichannel sound card, you will save a lot of headaches regarding sync, wave offset etc - other than the level issue.
If a new one is too costly, looks for a used one. Just be sure that it does have the drivers for the OS you're using. Many times you can find internal PCI cards from people that are moving to a external (firewire/usb2) card.

 

[neil wilkes]

If the disc is anything like the appalling "Layla" SACD, it is not going to make a blind bit of difference what card(s) you use.
This title is heavily brickwalled to -6dBFS, and is so overcompressed as to be (to me anyway) completely unplayable.

 

[winopener]

What is the LFE channel? Seems all 6 full-range.

 

[Ge Someone]

What is the LFE channel? Seems all 6 full-range.

The tracks are labeled But that's incredibly loud for an Sub-channel

one note however: whenever you load a whole (pop/rock) album (or even a long track) in one view it's gonna look similar to this. I find looking at 1 or 2 minutes of the loudest part tells me a lot more.

disclaimer: I do not say anything about the level of compression on this particular disc.

 

[winopener]

A spectral view of the LFE channel will be useful...

 

[neil wilkes]

A spectral view of the LFE channel will be useful...

I'll do it later today & post it. Have to re-transfer the disc first as I deleted the files (unlistenable to me)

Ads far as the (very pertinent) comment about loading the full album view here, I can assure you that the main 3 front channels are heavily brickwalled to -6dBFS, and you can even see - in this shot - where the reconstructed waveform has exceeded the original brickwalling, causing inter sample peaks.

NB - in DVD-A (I do not know about SACD) there was no requirement to bandwidth limit the LFE (or as it should properly be called, the .1 channel) as it was also designed to be used full range as a height channel. AFAIK this was never actually implemented though, despite it being possible. There are many discswhere the content on this channel is far above the "traditional" 80Hz, for example the Al Schmitt mixed Diana Krall titles). Thinking about it - didn't you (I mean Winopener) tell me this? I definitely remember someone mentioning it as a curiosity.....

 

[winopener]

Yes, Alicia Keys dvd-a IIRC has the .1 channel as fullrange.

 

[neil wilkes]

Yes, Alicia Keys dvd-a IIRC has the .1 channel as fullrange.

As do all 4 of the Diana Krall DVD-A discs.

 

[ChristopherLees]

I'll do it later today & post it. Have to re-transfer the disc first as I deleted the files (unlistenable to me)

Ads far as the (very pertinent) comment about loading the full album view here, I can assure you that the main 3 front channels are heavily brickwalled to -6dBFS, and you can even see - in this shot - where the reconstructed waveform has exceeded the original brickwalling, causing inter sample peaks.

NB - in DVD-A (I do not know about SACD) there was no requirement to bandwidth limit the LFE (or as it should properly be called, the .1 channel) as it was also designed to be used full range as a height channel. AFAIK this was never actually implemented though, despite it being possible. There are many discswhere the content on this channel is far above the "traditional" 80Hz, for example the Al Schmitt mixed Diana Krall titles). Thinking about it - didn't you (I mean Winopener) tell me this? I definitely remember someone mentioning it as a curiosity.....

I've got one or 2 dvda's that have a height channel.. came from pioneer japan when dvda first came out.

 

[ChristopherLees]

I finally found the dvd audio disc that uses the subwoofer out channel as a full range height speaker !!!


The label from Germany is MDG Gold ....using their 2.2.2 recording technique

Catalogue number MDG 940 0967-5
The record company has a fax machine... +49(0)5231 26186
phone .......+49(0)5231 93890
MusikproductionDabringhaus und Grimm
Bachstr. 35, D-32756 Detmold

Mozart Concerto for piano and orchestra C major KV 503
Mozart Symphony KV504 D major

Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne
Christian Zacharias Piano and Conductor..

basically centre out is a height left speaker
and subwoofer out is a height right speaker

mounted directly above the front left and right speakers...the distance above the fronts to the height speakers being half the distance between left and right speakers themselves...


DVD audio disc was distributed by Pioneer Japan....when they first launched dvd audio players....they put some of thses discs inside the machines, or gave them to dealers as promos..