Hey guys,
I'm just wondering, do you ever watch out for the D.C. offset, and if you do, how and when ?
I'm just wondering, do you ever watch out for the D.C. offset, and if you do, how and when ?
DC Offset
- Thread starter Brett - K A L I S I A
- Start date
black sugar
The Burninator
I'll select all tracks and remove DC offset using the native function in Cubase right before my first mixdown. I'm assuming that once you remove the offset and save the file, it's removed for subsequent mixdowns.
Then for mastering, I remove DC offset from the mixdown file right away in Wavelab (native function as well), and also have a DC offset filter and dither running in Ozone as the last plug in the chain.
Not sure as to the validity of this approach, but it makes me feel better for some reason.
Edit: I really only notice a difference when I remove DC offset in Cubase. It might be placebo, but it seems to me that the mix has more clarity after removing DC offset from all the tracks.
Then for mastering, I remove DC offset from the mixdown file right away in Wavelab (native function as well), and also have a DC offset filter and dither running in Ozone as the last plug in the chain.
Not sure as to the validity of this approach, but it makes me feel better for some reason.
Edit: I really only notice a difference when I remove DC offset in Cubase. It might be placebo, but it seems to me that the mix has more clarity after removing DC offset from all the tracks.
"remove DC offset" commands notch-filter at 60hz for the US and 50hz for Europe.. so using such commands on all your tracks without needing to could potentially damage the sound of some tracks, dependant upon content. e.g., it likely won't hurt cymbal tracks, but you could ruin a bass guitar track if the fundamental or any of it's harmonics are notched inappropriately. remove DC offset only if you hear any 50/60 cycle hum... use your ears.
Matt Smith
THEOCRACY
TheStoryteller
Member
James Murphy said:
Nope, that's not what remove DC offset does. I can't explain it that well in english, but with remove DC offset you move the audio so that you really are on zero when it's silent. Instead of having a straight line (DC) on either the positive or negative side of the cycles. Damn, too hard for me to explain. Can someone help?
Noumenon
Obsidian Productions
Impy
Impale/Exhale
TheStoryteller said:
That's what i thought as well.
To try and help clear out what you mean, when recording something and looking at the waveform, it is supposed to "circulate" around the center line phasewise, 0 phase. Sometimes it will be skewed to the side which causes click and pops in editing, what "Remove DC Offset" does (at least this is what i thought it did) is put the center of the waveform back on 0 phase so to speak.
It all comes from recording on tape where they induced the tape with an electric current, can't remember exactly why but they did
Anyways, don't know if that made any sense at all, it's early...
TheStoryteller
Member
Noumenon said:A reader of IDG's Studio?
Yep, of course
But I learned about DC offset looooong before the magazine was even born. 
Lee_B
Readin' me posts are ya?
EtherForBreakfast
Hamster Style
- Jun 19, 2005
- 1,012
- 0
- 36
LOL. I use the DC offset command in Sound Forge 8 on all imported .WAV files. The explanation I was given was as Storyteller explains - it aligns all silent portions of .wave to the 0 axis point.. kinda like that snap to zero crossing does in wavelab...
James - Never in a million years would I ever doubt ya, but I don't think DC offset has anything to do with 50hz or 60hz.... but maybe I am wrong???
James - Never in a million years would I ever doubt ya, but I don't think DC offset has anything to do with 50hz or 60hz.... but maybe I am wrong???
Frank'nfurter
Thrash till death
No, it has definitely nothing to do with filtering 50/60 Hz. It has nothing to do with zero phase also.
It aligns ALL portions of wave files to the zero axis point. Not only the "silent" ones.
It aligns ALL portions of wave files to the zero axis point. Not only the "silent" ones.
Impy
Impale/Exhale
Frank'nfurter said:
Hehe that's what i meant, i just couldn't think of the word for it so i called it zero phase
Kazrog
Kazrog, Inc.
yeah.. my bad... read too quickly and assumed he wanted to remove DC "hum". that's what i get for reading and thinking too fastFrank'nfurter said:
. DC "offest" is when the average of positive and negative peaks is not zero... looks like the waveform is "lop-sided". it causes hard (maybe even impossible) to hear low frequency distortion and it's definitely electrical in nature, NOT acoustical.... the DC offset is there, in your wiring and electricity.. and not coming from the music or any recording technique done incorrectly or anything. the "DC" part of DC offset stands for Direct Current, so Frank... it does actually have something to do with 50/60 cycle Direct Current power and since it skews the wave to either the negative or positive side it also does have something to do with phase.i've noticed two distinct schools of thought about it... those who think that since they can't hear it it's irrelevant, and those who feel it can actually harm equipment. i like to err on the side of caution so whenever i see a "lop-sided" waveform, i remove DC offset.
LynchpiN
Don't like presets.
It's pretty hard to happen when you record it properly.
Even tough you can't hear it, depending on the amount of offset, it can reduce dramatically your headroom.
Even tough you can't hear it, depending on the amount of offset, it can reduce dramatically your headroom.
as i mentioned above..it has nothing to do with recording properly..it's in the power, both from the wall and in the gear you are using. recording technique doesn't have a lot to do with it. transmitters of current can be the culprit... i had a few guitar cables that would cause it to happen everytime i tried to use them for a D.I. or whatever.... they were promptly given away.LynchpiN said:
LynchpiN
Don't like presets.
With "record it propetly" I meant with good equipment. I had lots of trouble with cheap soundcards.
Too lazy to express myself perfectly in that post...
Too lazy to express myself perfectly in that post...
Lee_B said:This guy mastered my band's demo and now he's asking about DC offset??!!!
Haha, relax Lee, just wanted to know how people deal with it
Frank'nfurter
Thrash till death
black sugar
The Burninator
Matt Smith said:
Haha. That was for you Matt. Your LB avatar inspired me.
Black Sugar is going to be the name of my studio, should that ever happen, but it's just so right (and so wrong) with a Magic avatar.
