Gain Staging and the MicroSampler

nowaysj · Post by **nowaysj** » Sun Jan 09, 2011 11:49 pm

Hey, totally new ms user.

I haven't rtfm at all really, so tell me to step off if this s**t is covered, I will get around to it....

But what is up with the gain staging in the ms?

Here, the waveform on the left is the original signal that I sent to the korg.

As you can see, this is at a steady level so there were no gain fluctuations, I set the korg's audio in to the point JUST before it clipped with this steady signal. I set the korg's sampling level to 0.0 db.

I sent the sample to the korg, then sent it back to my daw at maximum amplitude.

As you can see there is a significant decrease in volume. Why is this, and how can I sample at x db, and resample back into my daw at the same x db?

ALSO, wtf is going on with this waveform? As you can see, the original signal is a mathematically pure square wave. The Korg has majorly altered this square wave. What is up with that?

All info is appreciated.

Griffin Avid · Post by **Griffin Avid** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 3:59 am

I'm no Audio scientist, but you sent the sound from your DAW though a soundcard DA/AD into the microSAMPLER and the DA/AD back into your soundcard to your DAW.

As far as info is concerned, I would use the soft editor to place samples in the microSAMPLER and only sample live material that needs to be sampled live- whether or not there is some 'problem' with the MS gain-staging or not.

Griffin Avid · Post by **Griffin Avid** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 4:01 am

Actually now that I think about you should conduct some experiments.
Take that pure sine wave and transfer it to the microSAMPLER using the drag and drop soft editor and sample it/record it directly into your DAW and compare the waves.

nowaysj · Post by **nowaysj** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 4:44 am

The wave distortion is really only a minor question. The real question is what is going on with the gain staging?

This doesn't need to be complex, but korg has made it inordinately complex. With other samplers, the gain that you sample at = the sample's level.

I suspect that either there is extremely little headroom or korg intentionally reduces the level of samples so inexperienced producers will not clip the output when several samples play simultaneously.

Either way, I'm done with the microsampler. I will either keep my 404 sx, or try for another sp that can do actual resampling and overdubbing.

If anyone would like to purchase a, what is it, 4 day old perfect condition microsampler, pm me.

jbl · Post by **jbl** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 2:38 pm

that waveform picture is ... nice. that might be next years christmas card. seriously.

nowaysj · Post by **nowaysj** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 3:18 pm

Why wait? Valentines is coming up. $\:D/$

johnschwarz · Post by **johnschwarz** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 6:00 am

i've noticed problems with the gain a few times.
an example: i will resample a loop at max input for some distortion, and it will play back at +12 db after i sample it for some reason. then i lower the volume, and it's real quiet, not meshing with the other loops, so i resample it again, trying to boost the volume, and it just gets all messy... something is going on with the gain.