by
D.Ipsum » Tue Aug 22, 2017 4:19 am
SkyEyeMCCIX wrote: ↑Mon Aug 21, 2017 10:40 pm
First off, what exactly is the 'red zone'? I need a bit of an explanation, never heard this term before.
I hope I will not say too much nonsense ...
The master channel of the mixer (channel 0) represents the output of your digital audio signal (output to your speakers, knowing there is a long corridor between LMMS and your speakers ...).
When your signal passes through this channel, its amplitude is represented by a gauge whose level varies according to a color code that goes from green> yellow> orange> red. At most the amplitude or the volume increases, at the most you approach the red zone.
When the signal reaches the top of the red zone, the signal can no longer be quantified, it is clipped. It's like a ceiling that you can not cross, bumping your head on it, you hurt yourself. When your signal reaches this absolute limit, beyond a few fractions of seconds, you can listen to saturation in your music. In the worst case, this compromises the integrity of your hardware.
So, this ceiling, this absolute limit, this 0 dB FS must not be reached in channel 0 of the mixer.
For the other channels, you can do whatever you want.
By analogy, the Hard Limiter effect behaves like this ceiling, with the difference that with the Hard Limiter you can define the height of the ceiling that can not be crossed. For example, “dB limit” = -6 dB.
Do the test. Add a Hard Limiter to channel 0, and gradually decrease the value of the "dB limit" parameter. The signal will be clip more and more until it gets horrible to listen to. This is what you could listen to if you hit the red zone ceiling of master channel.
With the Hard Limter, you can play with the limit, it allows you to sculpt your sounds for example, among other things. But on the master channel, it does not have to happen, do not hit at the top of the red zone.
I stop there, hoping I did not say too much nonsense, and hoping it will enlighten you a bit.
SkyEyeMCCIX wrote: ↑Mon Aug 21, 2017 10:40 pm
Also, how exactly would I 'compress them together'?
So, to process your three samples together, first you set the volume of each one. Then there are at least two ways to compress them together :
1) You can assign your three samples to the same channel of the mixer (sample 1 + 2 + 3 to chanel 1). And you add a compressor on this channel (or whatever else you want). Your three samples will be compressed together.
2) You can assign them to different channels (sample 1 to chanel 1, sample 2 to chanel 2, sample 3 to chanel 3). And you send the output of these 3 channels to a fourth. And you add a compressor on this channel 4. Your three samples will be compressed together.
Hoping it can helps