Emax

Can someone explain how it is that you check the inherent noise in an input 
 or output? (meaning scientifically, not your ears)
 
;-)
 
 
In a message dated 3/15/2014 2:55:36 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
carl_lofgren@... writes:



Recording too hot? Oh... I planned doing that. And with  different rates as 
well. It's just that I would like to set up the optimal  settings first. 
But no matter - I tried again a few hours using expensive  shielded cables and 
practically measuring all outputs. The noise of the  sampler when nothing 
is playing is highest on the right output, noticeably  lower on the left and 
quite low on the individual outputs. When when sampling  the noise/artifacts 
is pretty much the same give or take one or two  dbs.

/C


 

_Carl Lofgren_ (mailto:carl_lofgren@...) 
March 14, 2014 9:20  PM


   
 
I am not that used to its operation. And after three days trying  to
understand how it works, I'm a little wiser but far from  all-seeing.
It's really a quirky little machine with lots of oddness  going on.

>From my part, this is obviously partly a case of RTFM -  but I honestly
cannot stand the manual. Craig Anderton might be a legend,  but I
honestly cannot get my head around it.

1) Individual outputs  vs mix outputs. The individual outputs are way
less noisy. My Babyface  registers about 10 decibels less noise - which
might/might not be the  entire ruth since the levels are different
between the individual and mix  outputs. I've been listening to my ears
almost start to bleed, but I  cannot hear any difference in sound quality
(noise level yes) between  let's say output 8 and the mix. How about you
guys? What's your  experience?

2) Replacing samples. Can it be done? Let's say I've got  a 18s sample
(max memory) and I would like to do another one. Master + 4  erase memory
would be one way, but that nukes some of my settings, such  as selection
of output connector. Is there any way to sample another 18s  and still
keeping the settings? When erasing the machine, maybe I  shouldn't say
yes when the Emax asks to make a new default setting? (just  occurred to 
me).

3) Getting the samples on the right keys. I know I  am going to sound
like I am stupid, but the root position of the samples  I make are not
constant. Sometimes they land on G1 - sometimes on B1(!).  Can someone
please please just write down step by step how you do it to  sample
something on C1.

4) Setting the levels. Oh man what I've  been banging my head on this
one. I send a sinewave (normalized to -0.05  db) to calibrate the input
level. I set the sampling level in the Emax to  0 and I always have to
back off on my sound card before sampling. I never  go all the way to the
right, but I settle one or two pixels from the  left/max. This causes the
Emax to distort - very slightly. I could  clearly hear it and even see a
small part of the falling top slope of the  sine wave being straight. The
solution was to back off a tiny bit more -  and the distortion
disappeared. How do you guys set the levels? I assume  setting the Emax
input level to 0 is the optimal (it even says so in the  manual). But I
haven't had the time to experiment with it.

5) Ok.  Now it's really RTFM time. Primary / Secondary samples - how are
you  supposed to work with that? To me it sounds like you can sample  one
sample that says AAAA and another sample that says OOOOO and have  them
playing together like a normal two oscillator synth. Can you  detune
them? Set the levels? Different  envelopes?

/C







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