psy-Q

[Shroomz~>]

jdieks, I think you'll find that the 1st 'process' knob in the 'Sound' section you talk about earlier in this thread is actually an 'amount' or 'dry/wet' parameter. The 'process' knob in the second section (High EQ) serves the same purpose. Both of those pots basically bring some sort of custom filter/EQ circuit into play by a variable amount, but it's the magic in those circuits, be it complex or simple which makes the REAL difference as you sweep accross to them from '0' or 'dry'. At least that's my opinion & you seem to share it regarding the magic at least. So what's the magic? - Well that's for those that know to know & for us to find out.

edit - Just wanted to add that I'm using PSY Q more & more myself as a mixing tool because I think it's outstanding! Very, very nice plugin indeed.

[jdieks]

thanks for the explanation. i wondered what the knob did...

i seem to like the plug more and more on instrument tracks too, to give them some shine...

[Shroomz~>]

thanks for the explanation. i wondered what the knob did...

I'm sure you knew what was going on all along. We all have instincts...

[astroman]

...and higher speed digital IS analog. Similar physics and characteristics.
Maybe we're actually hearing analog as it was meant to be heard ...

you have a point there... recently I was totally amazed by the response and precision of a class-d bass amplifier
the (smaller) 'class-a/b' version had a much less defined, almost 'smeared' tone
I really didn't expect such a difference - and these PWM thingies can squeeze a full kWatt from just 7 pounds

cheers, Tom

[jdieks]

thanks for the explanation. i wondered what the knob did...

I'm sure you knew what was going on all along. We all have instincts...

well.. of cource i've noticed that the effect became more apparent when you'd turn the process knob up. but i always thought it was like a drive. you get more overdrive when you drive it more... not a wet/dry.

[Neutron]

There is digital, and then there is digital.
DSP chips calculate part (or all) of each process on a given clock and the output of that process always comes at an predictable time, the same amount of clocks from when it was input.
General purpose CPU chips calculate each step when ever they feel like it. even with the exact same algorithm, i believe that CPU calculation jitter will always make the DSP sound better. and DSP has the potential, with the right programming and sample rate, to sound as good as analog. its just hard work.

its also why i think vdat sounds better than the exact same audio which went through a CPU. but was played back from exactly the same wave file , through exactly the same card and converters.

[jdieks]

There is digital, and then there is digital.
DSP chips calculate part (or all) of each process on a given clock and the output of that process always comes at an predictable time, the same amount of clocks from when it was input.
General purpose CPU chips calculate each step when ever they feel like it. even with the exact same algorithm, i believe that CPU calculation jitter will always make the DSP sound better. and DSP has the potential, with the right programming and sample rate, to sound as good as analog. its just hard work.

its also why i think vdat sounds better than the exact same audio which went through a CPU. but was played back from exactly the same wave file , through exactly the same card and converters.

i've noticed that when i mix a synth directly on the scope mixer it sounds better then when i record exactly that same input into cubase and play it back to exactly the same input channel in the mixer again from a separate asio output with nothing else on it.

so it could also well be what you're hearing is that the mixer in cubase (and i guess in every program) alters the audio you put through it in some kind of way... but i find it really strange that cubase can't just record and play back a signal that's already in the digital domain exactly the same as it was.

normally i have to cut some mid and boost some high (by 1 or 2 dbs) to get it to sound about the same.

[hifiboom]

i always thought cubase alters the sound in a strange way.

its fun that other encounter similar things.... I thought it was an illusion. But you never know with software, as there is no software without bugs.

[darkrezin]

...and higher speed digital IS analog. Similar physics and characteristics.
Maybe we're actually hearing analog as it was meant to be heard ...

you have a point there... recently I was totally amazed by the response and precision of a class-d bass amplifier
the (smaller) 'class-a/b' version had a much less defined, almost 'smeared' tone
I really didn't expect such a difference - and these PWM thingies can squeeze a full kWatt from just 7 pounds

cheers, Tom

I'm also fascinated by digital amp technology. I've heard great things about Flying Mole monoblocs for PMC monitors - tiny, light, low-power, virtually zero-heat amps with enough class to drive the best monitor speakers out there.

I believe PWM encoding technology was also used in Laserdiscs to store analog video digitally.. maybe this area of digital will be the next big thing? I wish I had the tech knowhow to understand it.

[Cochise]

...its also why i think vdat sounds better than the exact same audio which went through a CPU. but was played back from exactly the same wave file , through exactly the same card and converters.

... but i find it really strange that cubase can't just record and play back a signal that's already in the digital domain exactly the same as it was...

i always thought cubase alters the sound in a strange way.

its fun that other encounter similar things.... I thought it was an illusion. But you never know with software, as there is no software without bugs.

I'm also experiencing that, whatever the sample frequency.
Could it be related to any resolution conversion by Asio?
Might make it sense to use Asio 16 bit driver for a 16 bit audio project, or Asio 24 for 24 bit audio?

[astroman]

I don't think so
it's probably the floating point representation of the signal and not it's bit resolution
floating point can represent individual values with an amazing precision, but it is not continuous
Afaik Scope's internal data representation is 32 bit integer throughout.
One can use floating point routines, though, but obviously that's carefully choosen according to the circumstances of the calculation. It's seems not to be used as a 'convenience tool' for the lazy programmer to just avoid range checks.
That's my personal guess about the audible difference, which is a bit too prominent to be denied, but hard to explain...

cheers, Tom

[paulrmartin]

I may be jumping in late here but I always thought PsyQ looks like the Aphex Aural Exciter.
I had one of those

PsyQ sounds a LOT better!!!

[dawman]

Copy That.

We used one also back in the day when the chassis was sealed so nobody could service it but Aphex.....TOP SECRET.

3000 bucks too.

I use PsyQ's sizzly high end sheen and stereo spread for a great final polish. The Low end works well but I prefer other devices like Celmo's XMachine for lows, it has it's own sub out channel, instead of a summed approach, and I do mix w/ a sub cabinet now.

[garyb]

they're different processes(aphex and psyq). psyq is more closely related to the bbe process, which involves phase alignment and compression, along with volume compensation. the aphex process involves distortion used to create harmonics that are mixed back with the dry sound. the aphex process is used to add harmonic content back into heavily processed(compressed and eq'd) audio.

[dawman]

Correctemundo................The hardware equivalent of the Barcus Berry Sonic Maximizer.

Ladies And Gentlemen.............GaryB.

[garyb]

well, more related to the SPL vitalizer, a more refined version of that process, afaik....

[dawman]

Your knowledge is most impressive. Glad you share it with us.

So do you know of a plug that adds distortion that could be used as an Aphex emulation that I could compare with in a mix?

This has suddenly piqued my interest.

[dawman]

Thanks Brotha' Man Stardust,

It seems as though Bidule could apply this to the the audio signals pre-Destination Module.
Wonder why no DSP versions are available. This would be great as a magic button on a Scope mixer record channel or Master Outs.

http://www.plogue.com/bidule/help/ch02s06.html

[garyb]

there were a couple freebie "exciters" for Scope as well in the past. check the devices forums....

[dawman]

Negative on searh for Exciter in the device thread, or exciter using lower case.

I should have tons of DSP to use, and prefer the quality of DSP, but I shall fine a suitable replacement.

http://www.macmusic.org/software/view.p ... n/id/1113/