What is DC Offset?
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- KVRian
- 713 posts since 1 Jul, 2002 from Haarlem
I noticed (a few years ago, actually...) the option 'remove DC offset' in Cubase. What is DC offset, and why or when would I want to remove it?
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- KVRAF
- 7886 posts since 24 Feb, 2003 from Earth, USA
DC Offset: DC offset is an imbalance that sometimes occurs in A/D converters . It is a constant voltage that is present which can eat up headroom and cause clicks and pops during editing.
DC Offset is how far the original signal has moved away from the zero crossing.
Google is your friend. I merely typed in "what is DC offset" and that was the first hit.
Devon
DC Offset is how far the original signal has moved away from the zero crossing.
Google is your friend. I merely typed in "what is DC offset" and that was the first hit.
Devon
Simple music philosophy - Those who can, make music. Those who can't, make excuses.
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Read my VST reviews at Traxmusic!
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- KVRist
- 242 posts since 4 Feb, 2004 from New York, New York
in my experiences, it helps to clarify low end alot, it removes those redundant, cluttering rumbles of low hz
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Music - http://www.noolmusic.com/music.html
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Buzz - http://www.buzzmachines.com
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- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 713 posts since 1 Jul, 2002 from Haarlem
Okay, that clears some things up... But not all, actually (and I don't mean to be stubborn or anything...). When should I want to use the function DC Offset? Always after recording vocals, or only sometimes? Also on bounced vsti-tracks?
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- KVRian
- 652 posts since 17 Mar, 2002 from Paris
If there is a DC offset, you'll usually be able to see it in the waveform. Usually, the waveform is nicely "centered" around the zero line, but if there's a DC offset there will be more above the line than under it (or the exact opposite), and where you'd expect to be seeing silence, it will look like a constant low-level signal (either above the zero line or below it) instead of zero. If it looks o.k., ( and it sounds o.k.!) there'll be no need to process the audio 
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- KVRer
- 29 posts since 27 Feb, 2004 from Malmö, Sweden
I do it all the time. Before breakfast, at coffee breaks and before dinner.
I dont know why but whenever Im working on a sample in any editor I do the old normalize-removedcoffset-normalize-removedcoffset-normalize loop a few iterations.
In wavelab removing dc offset can often undo any normalization, the other way around be equally true.
But anyway, to answer your question when to do it: if you´re using samples when creating music it might be a good idea to use only as crisp as possible material, meaning normalized and cleaned-up in all ways. Aswell as ofcourse after rendering tracks or recording or whatever give it a go at the good old norm-dc-roundabout prior to mixing, mastering and making of sandwiches.
However, this might all be superstition on my behalf.
I dont know why but whenever Im working on a sample in any editor I do the old normalize-removedcoffset-normalize-removedcoffset-normalize loop a few iterations.
In wavelab removing dc offset can often undo any normalization, the other way around be equally true.
But anyway, to answer your question when to do it: if you´re using samples when creating music it might be a good idea to use only as crisp as possible material, meaning normalized and cleaned-up in all ways. Aswell as ofcourse after rendering tracks or recording or whatever give it a go at the good old norm-dc-roundabout prior to mixing, mastering and making of sandwiches.
However, this might all be superstition on my behalf.