6
votes
Accepted
Should I use pedals for guitar effects while recording?
I wouldn't record using FX unless I was very sure about the end result I wanted and how it would sit in the mix, just to leave my options open since you can't go back and remove the FX. On the other ...
- 1,573
5
votes
Does sound lose quality if sped up and then slowed down back to normal speed?
It depends what method is used.
If it's simply played back 'faster' without actually changing the data, then of course there is no lasting damage. This would be how a simple sampler would ordinarily ...
- 8,735
3
votes
What makes low quality speakers become distorted when at high volume?
There are a number of factors involved here but mainly frequency response, transient response, signal to noise ratio (S/N) and total harmonic distortion (THD).
Frequency response is largely dependent ...
- 1,573
3
votes
Accepted
Best volume setting for audio capturing
Gain-staging without meters…
Turn your output device [in this case your phone] up gradually, turning down your listening levels as you do this to keep the sound comfortable.
If you start to hear ...
- 8,735
3
votes
Accepted
A record label released a 45 RPM in 1966 that is troublesome (saturated, at least). What faults can have been done during recording session?
I think you're right it's not degraded at the point of digitising, there could be a few things going on.
The comparison piece you posted sounds pretty pristine, I wouldn't be surprised if this was ...
- 476
2
votes
For optimal 3-way sound: should passive speakers be connected to my amplifier/mixer, or to the crossover of an active subwoofer?
Are the subwoofer crossover outputs indeed for passive speakers? Or are they intended for active speakers or amplifier?
I would expect an active subwoofer to have the crossover at line level since ...
- 21
2
votes
In general, what's a good dB level at which to normalize my audio files?
Best practise these days when considering content normalization is not to normalize to an arbitrary peak level, but to consider programme content and overall loudness when conducting normalization ...
- 8,928
2
votes
Panning/stereo problem with Denon AH-MM200BK headphones
This very much sounds like the plugs are incompatible. Compare the looks of the two headphone jacks (those you actually plug in in case you use some kind of adapter), in particular the number of ...
- 21
2
votes
Accepted
How can I detect the sample and bit rate coming from my iPhone?
TL;DR: It appears the iPhone 6 supports 24-bit audio and 48 kHz playback.
So I found a way to empirically test playback.
This first screenshot shows a recording of playback over iPhone USB into ...
2
votes
How can I detect the sample and bit rate coming from my iPhone?
Unlike some earlier models of iOS devices, the DACs and ADCs in the iPhone 6s and 7 support native sample rates of 48000. You can experimentally test for this by writing an iOS app that configures ...
- 171
2
votes
What makes low quality speakers become distorted when at high volume?
Schizomorph makes a solid answer for all the technical details, but I'm going to break it down more basically.
Sound consists of pressure changes.
A speaker makes sound by moving a diaphragm that ...
- 8,202
2
votes
What is the difference in controlling volume through the software application, the system, and hardware?
This is known as gain-staging.
In a pro environment this is done by watching the meters at each stage, setting levels to give the highest signal without ever going near distortion (leaving headroom). ...
- 8,735
2
votes
Remove constant noise with Audacity
Audacity has a noise removal plugin, which needs a sample of just the noise to be able to calculate a profile.
From Audacity Manual: Noise Reduction
Noise Reduction can reduce constant background ...
- 8,735
1
vote
Accepted
3.5mm Audio Splitter - Diminished Quality?
Depends what you mean by 'listening quality'. The earbuds and the studio monitor cans are likely to be of different 'impedance' which will mean that for a set unit output level from the computer, the ...
- 8,928
1
vote
What makes low quality speakers become distorted when at high volume?
Where as the other answers talk about technical measurements, they don't actual answer why sounds distort on speakers. This happens because of physical deformation of the cone, as well as travel ...
- 674
1
vote
Looking for sound evaluation parameters
I would approach this looking at objective criteria such as:
Mix Balance - are the elements of the performance correctly balanced? For instance do the vocals sit in the right place in the mix along ...
- 8,928
1
vote
Accepted
Is it okay to increase the gain of the master stereo output if enough headroom is available?
There's shouldn't be any quality loss if you're not clipping. The noise floor, if any, would be louder but the Signal-to-Noise Ratio would stay the same because you're applying a constant gain. You ...
1
vote
Accepted
Super wet reverbed instrument into a vibrato pedal
A pedal does one thing well. It doesn't care what audio you put into it, it'll do its thing regardless.
As long as the signal is not too loud, you should be fine. Certain frequencies may sound ...
- 201
1
vote
Low sound quality with Kontakt 5
Best guess - 2.5GB RAM... which is barely enough to run the OS these days, let alone a DAW with a massive sample playback engine on top.
When manufacturers say 'minimum spec', that's really what ...
- 8,735
1
vote
Does a 64 OHMS Headphones require an amplifier?
Given that the headphones are low impedance, I would say, no you do not need to use an amplifier, in fact I would recommend against that as low impedance headphones are more susceptible to "blow-outs" ...
- 201
1
vote
Does an XLR adaptor provide higher quality audio?
The quality of a signal isn't directly related to the connectors or the cables used. A balanced audio signal can have lower noise than an unbalanced signal in the same environment, because the ...
- 2,336
1
vote
Accepted
How do I eliminate occasional loud pops from my studio monitors?
The comments to my question helped me troubleshoot until I found the culprit. I forget to mention in the OP that I also used a 6-foot 3.5 mm extension cable, since the monitors’ RCA cable didn’t reach ...
- 111
1
vote
General/fundamental question about factors influencing audio quality
I suggest maybe you take a step back for a moment from the detailed list of equipment related things, and just think about what all that equipment is trying to achieve. It may seem counter-intuitive, ...
- 101
1
vote
What's the sound difference between blown out speakers and needing new foam?
Throw those in the bin, unless you want to replace all the drivers.
Anything allowed to get into that state isn't even worth opening to see what may be salvageable.
The cones are free-floating on ...
- 8,735
1
vote
How can I detect the sample and bit rate coming from my iPhone?
Bit depth is specific to certain file types, most notably Wav. Because the standard procedure of a music application is to play a compressed version of a file such as Mp3 or Aiff it throws bit depth ...
- 161
1
vote
Accepted
Panning/stereo problem with Denon AH-MM200BK headphones
To extend user20438's answer:
The Denons do one thing that is odd - that is when the sound is panned fully to the right, I hear what I would expect. However, when panned fully to the left, the ...
- 341
1
vote
Accepted
Are BRSTM files lossless?
The Binary Revolution Stream format uses ADPCM to represent audio data. ADPCM uses a lossless compression algorithm.
ADPCM is an adaptation of DPCM, which is in turn, an adaptation of PCM.
...
- 2,690
1
vote
Are BRSTM files lossless?
From a quick read through several of the links above, I believe it's most appropriate to call BRSTM a lossless audio format. For a start, let's define "lossless audio":
For simplicity's sake, a ...
- 341
1
vote
For optimal 3-way sound: should passive speakers be connected to my amplifier/mixer, or to the crossover of an active subwoofer?
I think the manual is pretty clear. Stereo mixer output into the subwoofer, stereo output from the subwoofer into either active speakers or a stereo power amp with passive speakers. The subwoofer ...
- 11
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