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RNP review in latest SOS
In article writes:
I'm curious, in the context of feeding a soundcard's input -- how common
is the problem of a preamp/device (especially a +4dBu one) lacking
'headroom', and for -which- sound cards? Or did the author mean 'plenty
of gain for accommodating low level sources'?
No, he meant plenty of output capablity (lots of volts) which some
digital equipment takes in order to reach full scale level. It doesn't
matter how much gain you have. If it takes 5 volts in order to reach
full scale digital level and the preamp clips at 4 volts output, it has
insufficient headroom for the application. If it took only 2 volts to
reach full scale, then it would be adequate.
A related question, on digital devices with analog inputs (-10dBv or +4
dBu) -- Is there a standard (or common practice) for the specification
of what input level converts to 0 dBFS (not clipped)?
No. This is why there are so many questions about it. They seem to
range from -20 dBFS to -12 dBFS for whatever the nominal (+4 or -10)
input level is. If +4 dBu gives a level of -20 dBFS, you'd need a
preamp that could put out at least +24 dBu in order for the recording
to reach full scale. Of course you need as much gain as is necessary
to get the input up to +24 dBu, but that's a different issue than
headroom.
If these things had input level controls like any civilized tape
recorder, you could set it up to whatever worked for you, but since
they don't, you have to make whatever you have work.
--
I'm really Mike Rivers - )
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