Clipping Crackle/Distortion With Maximizer?

[NoMad]

Hi,
i got some problems with the maximizer:
I noticed that whenever playing a sample with a lot mid frequencies (like a vocal) and the maximizer reaches it’s threshold, there is a crackle / clipping distortion in the mid to high frequencies.
To reproduce this behavior, load the demo song Beatslaughter vs Tenda and solo the Kick track. The used maximizer on this track does a full boost to produce a rich bass drum sound - the threshold is mostly exceeded, but the resulting sound is okay, no crackle or distortion…
Now stop the song, load a vocal sample and play it on the Kick track - can you hear the crackle noise too? Where does it come from?
I am wondering if one can avoid this distortion?

[Tarek-FM]

TBH, I have had similar “problems” b4. I think that technique may only work on drums and bass sounds really…simple sounds with not too much harmonic content(just a guess).

18 db is way too much to be boosting a sound anyway unless it’s for a specific sound u r going for…18 db is defo way too much for a vocal which needs to be treated delicately.

[NoMad]

@Tarek-FM

18 db is way too much to be boosting a sound anyway unless it’s for a specific sound u r going for…18 db is defo way too much for a vocal which needs to be treated delicately.

The “boost” is not the point. Take the default init settings of the maximizer (boost off at 0 dB) and a normal vocal sample which has it’s natural peak at about -3 dB. So all fine, no clipping. Now slightly lower the threshold until it reaches the sample peak - the same kind of distortion occurs every time the peak indicator led goes on, without any boost!
I use the maximazier a lot to ensure that there is enough headroom on the track… Argh, this is driving me crazy.

[Conner_Bw]

Can you post an XRNS so we can hear the problem?

Just to rule out it’s not your soundcard or some weird graphics card issue? (On an old Windows machine back in the day, I would get crackles whenever I moved a white coloured window…)

Thanks.

[Tarek-FM]

@NoMad

The “boost” is not the point. Take the default init settings of the maximizer (boost off at 0 dB) and a normal vocal sample which has it’s natural peak at about -3 dB. So all fine, no clipping. Now slightly lower the threshold until it reaches the sample peak - the same kind of distortion occurs every time the peak indicator led goes on, without any boost!
I use the maximazier a lot to ensure that there is enough headroom on the track… Argh, this is driving me crazy.

I apologise…I think u r right…its happened w/ me b4 too

[NoMad]

@Conner_Bw

Can you post an XRNS so we can hear the problem?

Just to rule out it’s not your soundcard or some weird graphics card issue? (On an old Windows machine back in the day, I would get crackles whenever I moved a white coloured window…)

Thanks.

I’ve tested it with 2 different soundcards (M-Audio 1814 and ESI ESP1010) with Asio and DirectX and with different Renoise versions (2.6.1 and 2.7b2). The audible distortion remains the same and is reproducable. Even after rendering to disk.
You can download the 7zip file with the XRNS and a rendered WAV sample (about 3MB).

[taktik]

The maximizer is hard limiting. Although it tries and does in overall a good job to avoid distortion, it can’t guarantee this. If you just need some punch without hard limiting, prefer using compressors.