Onboard DSP FX question ?

[PDP]

I currently record vocals with an outboard compressor, which helps in not overloading the input of my PCI sound cards input. (i.e. you can hit it a little harder)

Some Interfaces and PCI cards come with onboard DSP FX and software.

Does that mean you can accomplish the same thing by applying DSP compression?

Will it actually compress so you can hit the cards/interfaces harder ? or is it just applying it to the printed file?

The RME 9632 comes with DSP but its alot of $$$ it would be worth it though if that can be accomplished.

 

[bouldersoundguy]

Not a direct answer to your question, but if you need a compressor to protect the input of your sound card then your signal is way too hot. Processing in the digital realm happens after the converters and can't fix converter overloads.

 

[PDP]

Thanks Boulder,

"protect" wasnt the right word, I meant clipping the input, so

You dont have any trouble capturing singers that sing with alot of dynamics ? (Thats actually what I want to accomplish, do away with the outboard compression)

The other scenario is a very quiet voice, (my own voice has no power) so by adding gain and compression it picks up the voice hotter/smoother.

How do you deal with those scenarios.

 

[bouldersoundguy]

In scenario A I turn the preamp gain down until the peaks are somewhere around -16dBFS. In scenario B I turn it up until the peaks are around -16dBFS.

 

[PDP]

In scenario A I turn the preamp gain down until the peaks are somewhere around -16dBFS. In scenario B I turn it up until the peaks are around -16dBFS.

Lol, very good. I think you answered the question anyway, the DSP compressor would have to be inserted somewhere into the pre-amp and I dont think it can work that way.