Re: DynamicsCompressorNode

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Subject: Re: DynamicsCompressorNode

From: "Jean-Marc Valin" <jmvalin@mozilla.com>

Date: Thu, May 2, 2013 4:28 pm

To: "Frederick Umminger" <frederick.umminger@gmail.com>

Cc: "public-audio@w3.org" <public-audio@w3.org>

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> On 05/02/2013 03:17 AM, Frederick Umminger wrote:

>> Soft-clipping will add distortion to the sound whereas a good

>> compressor/limiter will not.

>

> Well, it depends on the amount of clipping that goes on. Also,

> clipping is unavoidable even with a compressor, so it's probably a

> good idea to to it smoothly anyway.

>

 
you can have compressors (more precisely "limiters") that look ahead (so there is a built-in delay if it runs real-time) so that when a spike is detected  it can adjust the gain in a manner to duck that spike, rather than clip it.
 
but if you're
crunching floating-point numbers, it might still be a good idea to have soft clipping.
 
r b-j