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Kolky

Joined: 18/06/05
Posts: 180

Clipping in Logic?? new

#538410 - 25/10/07 08:44 PM

Hi all

I'm using logic7 on a MacBook Pro. When I mixdown a track I religiously make sure there is no clipping on the output channels. However the other day I did some experimenting with letting it just clip a little...and then letting it clip a little more. It clipped at no more than 1.8db and was only occasional - not constant. I played it on various systems and at various levels and couldnt here any distortion. I then repeated this with a couple of different tracks and got the same result. Why is this? I was always lead to believe this was a complete no no, but can we trust our ears more than the output level??

Look forward to your opinions...
Thanks
Kol

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Sonic The Hedgehog

Joined: 04/09/04
Posts: 525
Loc: Mobius

Re: Clipping in Logic?? new

[Re: Kolky]
#538419 - 25/10/07 09:07 PM

It depends on how many samples went above 0dB - in essence, it could have been one very very short, high frequency peak (which would be harder to hear if clipped) whereas a signal constantly passing over into the red will create more audible distortion.

Put the limiter plugin on the output, set the master fader to 0dB, make the gain back up with the limiter input control, turn the release down very low, and watch the meter on the plugin. If it shoots back very quickly, you can see that it is a very brief peak. If it hovers around, there is more signal over the threshold and a compression effect will ensue.

I'll pass it over to someone else to offer more technical advice.

--------------------
http://www.myspace.com/fourtrackfrontier

Edited by Sonic The Hedgehog (25/10/07 09:09 PM)

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desmond

Joined: 10/01/06
Posts: 7903

Re: Clipping in Logic?? new

[Re: Sonic The Hedgehog]
#538423 - 25/10/07 09:18 PM

There is no reason you should be mixing that high anyway. Reduce the levels and get a clean mix. If you want creative distortion you can always add it in the mastering process.

By clipping your mix in the way you are doing is destructive and irreversible. You won't generally hear small clips but the more you hard clip the nastier it will get. You are also running into cuasing even more distortion on playback devices where your reconstructed signal will potentially clip the output convertors and cause even more distortion.

Mix with headroom, and add creative distortion if you want to - but mixing up to 0dB and clipping your output convertors is a bit loopy in my book. Of course, it's up to you, and if you like the ffect, no-ones stopping you. Nevertheless...

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Steve Hill
member

Joined: 07/01/03
Posts: 13140
Loc: Oxfordshire

Re: Clipping in Logic?? new

[Re: Kolky]
#538436 - 25/10/07 09:39 PM

Check the pan law in song settings (project settings in Logic 8, I think). Something that peaks at 0db when centre-panned can create a +3db peak if you have the "wrong" pan law selected.

But really there is nothing good or creative about making digital clipping (as opposed to analogue overloads) happen in the first place. You can get away with it on sounds with a high transient content like a snare hit (where the tsss of the bottom mic can mask the clip anyway) but that's no reason to encourage it. And on a natural acoustic source like a voice or acoustic guitar you're courting disaster... there's no "undo" option!

--------------------
Dynamite with a laser beam...

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Kolky

Joined: 18/06/05
Posts: 180

Re: Clipping in Logic?? [Re: Kolky]
#538609 - 26/10/07 11:16 AM

Thank you everyone for your replies - very useful!

Cheers
Kol

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