outboard fx,, computer fx

[dragonworks]

Dobro and I have some questions running in another thread and they would be more appropriate here. I would like to know how software fx compare to outboard fx. I am having a hard time understanding how software that has no hardware can produce reverb or delay as well as say lexicon equipment which has alot of electronic circuitry dedicated to signal processing. Do
they both process the same way? How can the
software with no hardware compete with the
outboard effects?

 

[LameOldFart]

Hmm, I was just getting ready to post a question on hardware effects used with Computer multi-tracking software...

But since you asked, here is my answer to your question.

Well, there IS hardware. There is the CPU, the associated Motherboard chipset, the RAM chips, the various chips on the soundcard, etc.

It is just that there usually is no particular chip designed specifically for the purpose of producing specific FX such as reverb, delay, distortion, etc.

That being said, the difference is that without a dedicated set of hardware to perform this function, it mean that your CPU is going to spend considerable time doing these FX.

Meaning it will slow everything else down. Also you never know how many effects you can use at once, until you try. It depends on the abilities (speed) of your computer system.

Bill Parker



[This message has been edited by LameOldFart (edited 07-16-2000).]

 

[dragonworks]

I was going to let this thread die but I am
a pussy and curiosity gets the better of me.
Can anyone take another stab at this question cause I still dont get it. The previous answer doesnt explain it to me or I may be a little on the simple side.

 

[Spider]

hey dragon , well ill try and give u a simple answer from a like minded 'simple' one.. What i think the old farts saying is that all that circutry u mentioned in the lexicon , is replaced in the software version by your motherboard, ram and any other ounce of cpu power it can drain out of your pc. Instead of an entire unit being made to do the one job of producing reverb effects, software is produced that will produce these same effects(very questionable) by using the hardware that is your cpu.. i think you may be looking for a more technical answer, like exactly how the difference is , between somethiing that u could actually say 'makes' an effect and one that 'produces'(cpu) an effect... well i hope someone can clear up these questions cos i really dont think i could answer that .... any way , hope it helps..