Wave Hammer Causing Clipping? -Sound Forge - PC - MAGIX Community Forums Archive

Subject:Wave Hammer Causing Clipping? Posted by: Andreas S. Date:10/27/2007 6:22:24 PM I've been recording with the same setup for a while (at least a year now). MOTU Ultralite (condenser mic) into SF (currently SF9). Normally I'll just record my tracks, normalize the audio (-10db voice preset) or use Wave Hammer (Voice preset). Lately, though, when I process SF9 clips the audio and it sounds brutal. Crunch crunch crunch. The weird part: if I save the file, shut down SF9, and then restart it, I can process without a problem and the world is a happy place. Anyone else experiencing something like this?
Subject:RE: Wave Hammer Causing Clipping? Reply by: Andreas S. Date:10/28/2007 12:55:45 PM Just a follow-up. After finishing my work yesterday I shut down my system and came at the problem fresh today. Same results. I record audio into SF9 via a MOTU Ultralite. The source audio peaks at -3.5db, no clips. The ultralight is NOT overloaded since the metering shows that peaks are indeed at -3.5db (I love it when everything reports the same thing). What I'm working with, then, is a 44.1k, 16 bit, stereo file with a left channel with no audio on it, and a right channel with my voice over on it. I combine the two channels into mono... and then use Wave Hammer VOICE preset. The audio is really peaky and crunched out. I undo the Wave Hammer process AND the combine so I'm left with my original source. I save the file and shut down SF9. Upon re-opening SF9 I import the file and do the same process (combine and then Wave Hammer). No peakiness...no crunch, everything works the way it should. Anyone experiencing something similar?
Subject:RE: Wave Hammer Causing Clipping? Reply by: Vocalpoint Date:10/31/2007 11:32:46 AM Only thing I can add is - what is the Ultralite calibrated to? If your incoming audio is peaking at -3.5dbFS - you are about 16db over 0db...which is a huge smack to your converters. Comparison point - when I record to Nuendo via my Delta 1010 - my incoming audio peaks @ -16dbFS. In my studio - when going from analog (Soundcraft M-12 to Delta) to digital (Delta to Nuendo) 0db on my board = -16dbFS on Nuendos meters. The absolute optimum load on the A/D converter. If you are recording at -3.5db - you are seriously overdriving your converters and then adding the Hammer to the mix must make it sound horrible. You have no headroom left. In digital recording - there is no need whatsoever to be "near zero". As I mentioned - 16dbFS on most tracks (drums and transient peaks excepted) results in a beautiful mix that translates perfectly when adding limiting in a "mastering" phase. This may or may not have something to do with your issue. But IMO -3.5dbFS is WAY too hot to be recording at. Cheers! VP

Subject:Wave Hammer Causing Clipping?

Posted by: Andreas S.

Date:10/27/2007 6:22:24 PM

I've been recording with the same setup for a while (at least a year now).

MOTU Ultralite (condenser mic) into SF (currently SF9). Normally I'll just record my tracks, normalize the audio (-10db voice preset) or use Wave Hammer (Voice preset).

Lately, though, when I process SF9 clips the audio and it sounds brutal. Crunch crunch crunch.

The weird part: if I save the file, shut down SF9, and then restart it, I can process without a problem and the world is a happy place.

Anyone else experiencing something like this?

Subject:RE: Wave Hammer Causing Clipping?

Reply by: Andreas S.

Date:10/28/2007 12:55:45 PM

Just a follow-up. After finishing my work yesterday I shut down my system and came at the problem fresh today.

Same results.

I record audio into SF9 via a MOTU Ultralite. The source audio peaks at -3.5db, no clips. The ultralight is NOT overloaded since the metering shows that peaks are indeed at -3.5db (I love it when everything reports the same thing).

What I'm working with, then, is a 44.1k, 16 bit, stereo file with a left channel with no audio on it, and a right channel with my voice over on it. I combine the two channels into mono... and then use Wave Hammer VOICE preset. The audio is really peaky and crunched out.

I undo the Wave Hammer process AND the combine so I'm left with my original source. I save the file and shut down SF9. Upon re-opening SF9 I import the file and do the same process (combine and then Wave Hammer). No peakiness...no crunch, everything works the way it should.

Anyone experiencing something similar?

Subject:RE: Wave Hammer Causing Clipping?

Reply by: Vocalpoint

Date:10/31/2007 11:32:46 AM

Only thing I can add is - what is the Ultralite calibrated to? If your incoming audio is peaking at -3.5dbFS - you are about 16db over 0db...which is a huge smack to your converters.

Comparison point - when I record to Nuendo via my Delta 1010 - my incoming audio peaks @ -16dbFS. In my studio - when going from analog (Soundcraft M-12 to Delta) to digital (Delta to Nuendo) 0db on my board = -16dbFS on Nuendos meters. The absolute optimum load on the A/D converter.

If you are recording at -3.5db - you are seriously overdriving your converters and then adding the Hammer to the mix must make it sound horrible. You have no headroom left.

In digital recording - there is no need whatsoever to be "near zero". As I mentioned - 16dbFS on most tracks (drums and transient peaks excepted) results in a beautiful mix that translates perfectly when adding limiting in a "mastering" phase.

This may or may not have something to do with your issue. But IMO -3.5dbFS is WAY too hot to be recording at.

Cheers!

VP