Author Topic: Pro audio Digital Processing  (Read 2690 times)

Offline rollo

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Pro audio Digital Processing
« on: May 23, 2009, 06:25:30 AM »
  I'm clueless here. We use a computer to rip CDs into digital then playback through a USB connected DAC.
  The recording studio records in digital [ DSD or PCM ] then ? Do they listen in the digital domain or convert to analog and listen. Do they use DA converters or soundcards or what.
   What advantage if any do they have that we do not in playback. Can we accomplish the same at home ? Can anyone shed some light here ? Thanks.


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Offline richidoo

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Re: Pro audio Digital Processing
« Reply #1 on: May 23, 2009, 08:17:36 AM »
I don't know of any pro monitors with digital amplifiers. Not analog switching amplifiers, I mean digital amps like tact. A digital amp is a high power DAC anyway.

Most pros monitors are active amped fed by the DAC.  Everything else for playback is controlled in software. Most all recording is 24 bit PCM.

Pro processing is done at 64 bits by very expensive and sophistacted software, called Digital Audio Workstation. Cubase, Logic, Pro Tools, Sonar, Digital Performer, etc. There is minimal negative effect on the signal, except for whatever process they are applying, which can be very destructive, of course. But finding "something new" (rather than something good) is the goal, so weird processing is the new superstar. They could start with a dog bark if she was packagable, and they often do.

High end consumer audio digital processing like Tact or DEQX is usually at 32 bit, which is more than sufficient for the processes applied, like overall volume effects, or moving phase which are very easy. Narrow Q filters, and reverb are harder, time scaling harder still, and pitch matching effects like every pop singer in the last decade relies on is pretty tough job to maintain realistic tone.

In my view pros don't really have an advantage in playback. They believe in distortion specs, not musicality. Their is no such thing as air in a recording - that's what you breath. Wires are wires if they don't break. All amps sound the same if low distortion specs. Monitors are flat to 1dB which means very low sensitivity and high power (lowest cost) SS amps. They are blissfully unaware of what high end playback is capable of. But they do have the advantage over us, because they control how good our expensive systems can sound. And they deduct their gear as business expense.