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DAW Headroom Test

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Uploaded by on Sep 26, 2011

A demonstration of the virtually infinite headroom available in a modern DAW with a floating point mix engine.

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  • Floating-point values rock ;) It's also funny if we bounce that "distorted" signal as a 32-float file and then look at the wave it would look smashed as well, but the signal of course would be fine.

  • @saschabudko Indeed. You can bounce an apparently horrifically distorted 32-float file, then re-import it and reduce the gain, and it will clean up just like the example above.

  • Interesting... is there a situation where it would look like its clipping in your DAW (i.e. clipping with red lights on the meters) but be perfectly ok in coming out of the interface?? Is it right to assume that the clipping that shows-up in your DAW's meters is merely an estimation of where it should theoretically be clipping or does it actually know when the interface will clip? I hope that makes sense lol...

  • @jjohnson3030 The interface will clip if the signal exceeds 0dBFS. The DAW can handle signals above full scale, but the interface cannot.

  • Ok, so I tried the test again, rendered a file, pulled it back into the project and flipped the phase: perfect null down to -infinity. It doesn't change the audio in any way!

  • WOW! Is it me, or does it sound better at the end?

    I'll be watching this over and over until I absorb it fully. Thanks Dan :)

  • @AbstractCatsMedia If it sounds better at the end it just means my intro sucks ;)

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  • hehe I just tried this in Ableton Live and got the same result

  • Naah, the track its self is great, it just sound more alive and bright at the end of the demo, may be me or your test does alter the audio in a great way. I might be going insane though HeeHEee!

  • You make an interesting point here.

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