Lord Hasenpfeffer wrote:
Thank God! I think you've finally and quite clearly defined the
problems we're having in this discussion!
wrote:
I don't know if you guys are having a semantic argument here, but from
my perspective, the very act of suppressing a peak IS clipping.
OK, this makes perfect sense.
Except that it is not the use of the word that is standard
across the recording industry. Clipping is what happens
when you boost the level without regard to what happens to
the peaks. They get "clipped" off flat at 0 dB full scale.
Normalization is boosting the level by the amount that will
bring the the highest peak in the region or the file to 0 dB
full scale.
Limiting is compression operation which changes the
dynamics. The level is not changed but instead the peaks
are held below a limit by a process of applying negative
gain by an amount that's a function of the momentary signal
level so as to keep the peaks below a given limit without
clipping them off. If it is too aggressive it will
introduce audible harmonic and intermodulation distortion.
Following that you can increase the level by the amount of
the limit to normalize. There should be a standard term for
increasing the gain while applying a 0 dB full scale limit
but there isn't that I've ever seen.
This "wrap-around" phenomenon is what I have so far been referring to as
"clipping".
I've seen "wrapping" used. You don't see that much any
more. I'm surprised Audacity retains it. It can speed the
performance of increasing the level though by eliminating
the need for an overflow check in the multiplication loop
but few DAW's still have that option.
Bob
--
"Things should be described as simply as possible, but no
simpler."
A. Einstein