[PD] Pd sounds better than Max?

[Roman Haefeli]

On Mon, 2008-03-10 at 11:38 +0100, matteo sisti sette wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I always blamed the sound card and/or headphones, as I have only done
> this test on a laptop with a shitty integrated soundcard (and I
> usually don't work with synthesis, nor with such refined processing to
> require to care too much about subtleties)... but now I doubt.
> 
> The attached patch is simply an osc *~ed by a number and connected to
> the dac i.e.:
> 
> [osc~ 500]
> |
> [*~ 0.05]
> |\
> [dac~]
> 
> with a slider ranging from 0 to 0.1 connected  to the right inlet of the *~.
> 
> Now, to my ear the sinusoid sounds ridiculously distorted, with really
> very very audible harmonics.
> Especially if I lower the amplitude to a value below 0.03, which is
> still enough "loud" to be heared clearly. As I move the slider up and
> down I can distinctly hear how the harmonic spectrum changes (apart
> from the obvious clicks in the moment you move the slider).
> 
> As I mentioned, I always thought it was the hardware, since I can't
> believe such an enormous distortion is the normal expected one due to
> 32 bit float precision...
> 
> Or is this the result of the issues that have been mentioned in this
> thread (table size, linear interpolation)???

i would assume, that you _are_ triggering a hardware issue. your
description sounds like your hardware is running with 16 bit depth. at
some point 32float values are converted to the resolution of the
hardware. in case your hardware really is running only 16bit, then it is
very likely that you hear some artefacts on those very low levels. what
you hear then is the quantization error, which is quite perceivable at
16bit, not so much anymore with 24bit. 

unless you hardware is running at 24bit (or higher, if that exists), it
is not pd's fault. 

roman


		
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