so that is why i was asking some post processing questions and if one captures a show really low. Does adding so much gain--distort the final product?
Here is a scenerio, is there a difference between:
1. one records a show at -16.8 db then adds gain, normalize to -.03 db for final recording or
2. one records a show at -6.2 db then adds gain, normalize to -.03 db for final recording
Would the final recording after the post work sound different in the scenerio above?
thanks
Assuming that your digital gain routine in post-production is solid enough (in that it doesn't introduce new noise that doesn't already exist), then it's not optimum to let it ride like that but not an issue in my eyes. I've taken 2ch recordings in similar levels and applied serious amounts of compression (not far-field stuff, but onstage) without a downside. I once hear a sound engineer who studied sound in school talk about how it's really the top 30-40db that you're listening to, after that, it's hit and miss unless you're blasting the loud stuff and you're dynamic hearing really only picks up the quiet stuff when it's, well, quiet. I've never read up on it, but it jives with my experience.
I think you have to keep in mind where your noise floors are:
- ADC (so 24bit quantization noise)
- Preamp noise floor
- Mic noise floor
- Stupid people standing next to you.
Your preamp helps minimize noise floor effects of your ADC, but doesn't do squat about the stuff in front of it. It's just shuffling that around in the ADC's available area. I vaguely heard someone talk about converter noise being worse sounding (all things equal in volume) than analog gear hum, so there is probably some reason to do this, but I wouldn't worry too much, especially if you're not applying compression or anything else that's going to bring the mic/preamp/etc noise floor up closer to the top of the loudest sound (so a disproportionate gain of noise, and increased likelihood that you would hear it).
I dunno, that's probably blasphemy around here, but it's how I look at the picture.