Teacher
New member
my answer is yes, but bearable cuz i haven't used anything but computer recording. i don't mix entirely in the box though but i hear it in tracking...my memories of mixing totally withina comp is like oatmeal very mushy
Is there noticeable degradation when Tracking and mixing within a Computer app?
VOXVENDOR
New member
There shouldn't be... and Im not using anything Fancy.. Just Pro Tools Le...
Im not hearing this mushyness..
You sure it's not your mic's, Pre's, tracking methods.. or set up problems...?
Digital is Digital, and there shouldn't be any problems... Im not saying there ARENT problems, im just saying there SHOULDN'T be problems..
Im not hearing this mushyness..
You sure it's not your mic's, Pre's, tracking methods.. or set up problems...?
Digital is Digital, and there shouldn't be any problems... Im not saying there ARENT problems, im just saying there SHOULDN'T be problems..
Teacher
New member
thanks for ur reply vox
Track Rat
Just Your Average Sized Member
There's definatly a difference but in my experience, the answer doesn't fit your pole. When I've mixed in the computer, I've gotten back exactly what went in. No color or extra character added. That can be a good thing. But I prefer mixing through an analog console. I like the added color and rounding/darkening that it gives me. YMMV.
TexRoadkill
Audio Bum
That all depends on every other element in your signal chain. The processor and harddrive have the least influence on your sound quality.
Teacher
New member
thanks for the reply i would think more people would be interested in this since music is ABOUT SOUND
C
chessrock
Banned
Shouldn't it sound better since you're not adding extra wires, circuitry, noise, distortion, etc. to the mix?
Just what, technically speaking, does an analog mixer bring to the table sound-wise that you don't get when mixing digital? And don't say the preamps, because I'm already assuming those were used while tracking.
Just what, technically speaking, does an analog mixer bring to the table sound-wise that you don't get when mixing digital? And don't say the preamps, because I'm already assuming those were used while tracking.
Track Rat
Just Your Average Sized Member
For me, it imparts a roundness and a slight darkening to the sound that kind of smooths the sound. I like it much better but that's just my opinion. I don't mix through an analog desk exclusivly, I use computer as well sometimes. Both have their place in my studio.
MiXit-G
New member
I transfer tracks straight to my pc through lightpipe so there shouldnt be any loss, but its seems to be a little flat loss of dynamics almost,so now i mix through outboard gear and track it to the PC which is one more A/D conversion but i still get a better sound.
sonusman
Banned
You are hearing the effects of poorly written code, bad dithering, and not very high internal bit processing.
Things you will notice (sometimes, if you actually KNOW the difference between even decent analog mixing and computer based) are the stereo field sort of shrinking inward as you apply more DSP, the "depth" getting shallower as you apply more DSP, and the sound getting "harsher" as you apply DSP. That nice "round" "warm" sound will start to turn very stale.
On a full on ProTool, Sonic Solution, or Sadie system, you will have far less of this. The internal bit resolution is MUCH higher than Windows current 32 Float system is, and the code for the DSP is much higher evolved in those systems than most PC software is.
When PC goes to a full on 64 bit Float, much more powerful software code can be written (still no guarantee that it will be written well....
) and you will start to hear these effects go away. BUT, you are going to need increasingly higher CPU speeds to keep up!
ProTools at least had it right to make the DSP Farm cards. They are like PCI cards that run on their box that has dedicated DSP, with the included software with them. In any of those system I listed above, the computer (PC or Mac) doesn't actually do ANY of the processing on the sound. The systems 'box' does all that, and any included DSP cards. A few companies making PC cards were trying to do a similar thing, but most PC's that are doing high track count recordings are using up the PCI slots for many other things the system needs, so there isn't much left for DSP PCI cards. Maybe one of two on the average system.
Yup, you get what you pay for. Amazing that somebody around here is actually posting something about this! Most rave about their PC software recording stuff as being just as good as analog and much cheaper, but having recently been doing some PC recording/mixing at home here, I am finding that it really lacks. Very slow to make changes while mixing, hard to configure to get high track counts, and it is VERY annoying to lose your last hours work because Windows ran out of memory!!!! If I see another Fatal Exception Error I just may do the 3 1/2 hour drive up to Seattle and strangle Billy boy Gates myself!!! Of course, I will have a long line to wait in....
http://www.digido.com has some excellent reading about that loss of depth in all digital recordings/mixing. Worth reading about if only so you sort of understand what is really going on.
Ed
Things you will notice (sometimes, if you actually KNOW the difference between even decent analog mixing and computer based) are the stereo field sort of shrinking inward as you apply more DSP, the "depth" getting shallower as you apply more DSP, and the sound getting "harsher" as you apply DSP. That nice "round" "warm" sound will start to turn very stale.
On a full on ProTool, Sonic Solution, or Sadie system, you will have far less of this. The internal bit resolution is MUCH higher than Windows current 32 Float system is, and the code for the DSP is much higher evolved in those systems than most PC software is.
When PC goes to a full on 64 bit Float, much more powerful software code can be written (still no guarantee that it will be written well....
) and you will start to hear these effects go away. BUT, you are going to need increasingly higher CPU speeds to keep up!ProTools at least had it right to make the DSP Farm cards. They are like PCI cards that run on their box that has dedicated DSP, with the included software with them. In any of those system I listed above, the computer (PC or Mac) doesn't actually do ANY of the processing on the sound. The systems 'box' does all that, and any included DSP cards. A few companies making PC cards were trying to do a similar thing, but most PC's that are doing high track count recordings are using up the PCI slots for many other things the system needs, so there isn't much left for DSP PCI cards. Maybe one of two on the average system.
Yup, you get what you pay for. Amazing that somebody around here is actually posting something about this! Most rave about their PC software recording stuff as being just as good as analog and much cheaper, but having recently been doing some PC recording/mixing at home here, I am finding that it really lacks. Very slow to make changes while mixing, hard to configure to get high track counts, and it is VERY annoying to lose your last hours work because Windows ran out of memory!!!! If I see another Fatal Exception Error I just may do the 3 1/2 hour drive up to Seattle and strangle Billy boy Gates myself!!! Of course, I will have a long line to wait in....
http://www.digido.com has some excellent reading about that loss of depth in all digital recordings/mixing. Worth reading about if only so you sort of understand what is really going on.
Ed