Hi all-- I apologize for the newbie-type question here. Could someone please explain the nature of convolution-type effects (reverb, eq, etc)? I confess that after searching far and wide, I can't find a reasonable explanation of how these work and how I might use them.
Thanks!
What are convolution effects?
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- KVRist
- 79 posts since 5 May, 2005
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- Beware the Quoth
- 35520 posts since 4 Sep, 2001 from R'lyeh Oceanic Amusement Park and Funfair
Deconvolution is a means of capturing the time-and-frequency response of an environment, from the reverb in a room, to the sonic characteristic of an equaliser.
Convolution effects apply those captured responses to a new signal, superimposing that set of characteristics on that signal.
Convolution effects apply those captured responses to a new signal, superimposing that set of characteristics on that signal.
An idiot on Set Theory:
"In some cases there is an object called red that contains everything that is red. In much the same way a pot is a plate."
"In some cases there is an object called red that contains everything that is red. In much the same way a pot is a plate."
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- KVRAF
- 16874 posts since 8 Mar, 2005 from Utrecht, Holland
How convultion works... Convultion effects use a sample to calculate the output. But how?
Imagine you have a sample file that consists of only one full-scale sample followed by nothing: 10000000...
This is what we call an impulse. If you use this in a convulsion effect, the output is the same as the input.
Suppose you shift the impulse in time: 000000010000
Now the output is a delayed version of the input; delayed by the amount of samples that the impulse was shifted.
Then the combination: 10000000100000
That results in a combination!
So convultion is basically a large series of delays: as many delays as the IR (impulse response) sample is long. How strong one delay will sound, is dictated by the value of the sample at the point.
Since EQ's and reverbs and a lot of other effects can be constructed with delays only, these are the types of effects convultion is capable of.
Hope that makes sense...
Imagine you have a sample file that consists of only one full-scale sample followed by nothing: 10000000...
This is what we call an impulse. If you use this in a convulsion effect, the output is the same as the input.
Suppose you shift the impulse in time: 000000010000
Now the output is a delayed version of the input; delayed by the amount of samples that the impulse was shifted.
Then the combination: 10000000100000
That results in a combination!
So convultion is basically a large series of delays: as many delays as the IR (impulse response) sample is long. How strong one delay will sound, is dictated by the value of the sample at the point.
Since EQ's and reverbs and a lot of other effects can be constructed with delays only, these are the types of effects convultion is capable of.
Hope that makes sense...
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