User manual

P1 Audio Processor User Manual Page 37
But can’t I just record in such a way that this maximum audio level is
never reached?
In theory, yes you can; if you are very careful and record well below
the maximum permitted level of your recording system; but as so
commonly happens, you set up the levels carefully during rehearsal
but when the actual recording takes place, the vocalist has turned
from shy retiring folk singer to the rock legend from hell! And the
once in a lifetime performance is ruined by digital clipping which is
almost impossible to repair even with the might of software based
audio processing tools.
So it’s much better to be safe than sorry, and after all we are Safe
Sound Audio!
The second issue is audio noise and distortion. Let’s assume you
leave 12dB of spare headroom for unexpected vocal excesses. So
you are setting the MAXIMUM recording level at -12dB during
rehearsals. Let’s also assume you are using a typical affordable
24bit recording system which will present a usable dynamic range of
around 100dB RMS (around106dB A-weighted).
So now our safe usable dynamic range has been reduced from
100dB (-12dB headroom) to 88dB. Well it’s not too bad and it is in
the same ballpark as the dynamic range of commercial CDs.
Less well known is that the wonderful distortion figures quoted by
digital recording systems, typically 0.003% or better, are only
achieved when every single bit of the front end A/D converter is