SF engineers please elaborate on signal flow

PipelineAudio wrote on 8/11/2001, 5:21 PM
some questions

1: what is the resolution just after leaving track fx but going into channel fader?

2: what is the resolution of the fader itself( how many steps, I see .1 db increments, but how does this translate)?

3: is dither an option between these two points? what about after the fader?

Just trying to figure out how to route things, in order to keep the most fidelity. Possibly I should be mixing thru the aux sends? In the diagram, aux sends have way fewer blocks to go thru, is this a smart move ?

Comments

Rednroll wrote on 8/12/2001, 12:20 PM
You probably haven't received an answer on this, because your question is very confusing. You talk about resolution in reference to a volume fader? and then resolution between 2 points of processing? Resolution of what? Volume? Bit depth? This is not an Analog program, it's digital. This means all processing is done by combining math equations (ie A+B=C)
PipelineAudio wrote on 8/12/2001, 2:18 PM
Yeah, I figured that it was digital, being in the PC and all.

yes I meant bit depth. In fact there are certainly instances where volume steps and bit depth do not correlate.

I am trying to figure out at what point the sound looses that " something " and maybe I can find a way to route around it.

I think Ive already figured out a way around the dx/ discrete output routing problem, but it takes double the number of aux busses that it should :(
pwppch wrote on 8/12/2001, 10:28 PM
Everything is done in 32 bit normalized floating point with only one exception:

If a fx plugins does not support floating point intput/output we convert on the fly.

This would make the plugin the weakest link in the signal path.

Fortunatley, there are very few plugins that don't support floating point audio.

Not sure what you are asking with your other questions, at least not specifically.

You can use a dithering plugin as an insert on the buses. Most dithering plugins work in floating point and produce a stream that when converted from floating point to fixed point will maintain the dithering. It does depend on the plugin used.


Peter


PipelineAudio wrote on 8/13/2001, 2:58 AM
Peter? Nice to hear from you again!
I thought I found a way around the discrete output routing problem. I hoped on using the aux sends to the outs, while the main path still went to DX fx sends and thereby keeping their panning placement, but it appears that the Aux's also follow the channel pan :(

Any hope of seeing a pan control for the aux's? and also making them pre volume/pre pan so the volume of the channel can remain at zero( at least to the aux send) so the channel could keep fx in their proper stereo position even though the audio went out discrete outputs on a 1 to 1 basis?
Rednroll wrote on 8/14/2001, 7:27 PM
One answer to your question of "Where the Sound losses that 'SOMETHING'." It is lost in the performance of the musicians and an Engineer mixing by putting too much thought on bit resolution and perfect sound quality that they forget the mix is really about the music and it's not all that important if you can hear the Least significant bit of a 32bit floating point system. There are a lot of hit songs out there recorded on 16 bit Adats and DA-88's and 2" tape, that HAVE that SOMETHING.

Peace,
Brian Franz
PipelineAudio wrote on 8/14/2001, 8:52 PM
"Where the Sound losses that 'SOMETHING'." It is lost in the performance of the musicians and an Engineer mixing by putting too much thought on bit resolution and perfect sound quality "

No doubt :)
analytsis paralysis. *BUT*

sure plenty of stuff was done and is being done on 16 bit. I will take my 16 bit converters in my panasonic DAT over just about any sound card's 24 bit conveerters I have ever heard, but thats not the point.
Nothing wrong with the hundreds and hundreds of mixes I have done on a Sony PCM3348 16 bit reel to reel recorder, but we are talking apples and oranges here.
In vegas we mix entirely within the digital realm, at least for this example, so resolution becomes MUCH more important. Something IS being lost, and if you dont hear it, then shame on you :)
It bugs me, and its not just vegas, I hear it on every app. Im all for digital, and I havent heard an oxford in person, but theres something weird going on here.