Volume clipping

I'm experiencing some volume clipping from time to time.
I'm using the Walterhausen - Trost sample set, and if I leave the organ volume on default (+0 db) I'm experiencing audible volume clipping (like a tearing/cracking noise on speakers and headphones). In the sound card volume mixer (which shows the incoming audio volume from Hauptwerk) I can actually see these volume spikes. If I reduce the organ volume (and compensate via the sound card volume mixer to leave the output volume to my speakers at the same level) this effect gradually reduces to 0 at about -15 db. This does however mean that my recording volume for the internal Hauptwerk recording function records relatively softly. Is there any way to fix this?

I'm experiencing some volume clipping from time to time.
I'm using the Walterhausen - Trost sample set, and if I leave the organ volume on default (+0 db) I'm experiencing audible volume clipping (like a tearing/cracking noise on speakers and headphones). In the sound card volume mixer (which shows the incoming audio volume from Hauptwerk) I can actually see these volume spikes. If I reduce the organ volume (and compensate via the sound card volume mixer to leave the output volume to my speakers at the same level) this effect gradually reduces to 0 at about -15 db. This does however mean that my recording volume for the internal Hauptwerk recording function records relatively softly. Is there any way to fix this?

I think the only cure to this it to run the wav file through an audio editing app to boost the amplitude.

Regards,
Chris.

[mdyde]

Also make sure that the level isn't boosted further/excessively in your audio interface's driver control panel, and that you have the output level set correctly for either 'consumer' (-10 dBV) or 'pro audio' (+4 dBV) according to whatever you amps are designed for:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line_level

Also make sure that the level isn't boosted further/excessively in your audio interface's driver control panel, and that you have the output level set correctly for either 'consumer' (-10 dBV) or 'pro audio' (+4 dBV) according to whatever you amps are designed for

Well, I see the clipping already at the sound card's volume control mixer, so it's either coming too strong out of Hauptwerk or there's another booster between Hauptwerk and the sound card's volume mixer. I'll have another look around (I'm using Windows 7 for my Hauptwerk organ, which is a mystery to me as a Linux user ).

[mdyde]

What audio interface are you using? Do you have its manufacturer-supplied current native ASIO driver installed and selected in Hauptwerk? If so, Windows volume controls wouldn't normally have any effect.

Hauptwerk's built-in audio recorder records exactly the signal that it sends to the audio interface's driver, so if the signal level is low in the recorded audio but still clipping when heard through your audio interface, then some part of the audio chain (usually a setting/level in the audio interface driver's control panel) must be boosting it after it has left Hauptwerk.

What audio interface are you using? Do you have its manufacturer-supplied current native ASIO driver installed and selected in Hauptwerk? If so, Windows volume controls wouldn't normally have any effect.

I'll have to check the brand and settings when I get home (I'm currently at work), but the Windows volume controls (I'm using the audio card's mixer in stead of the Windows one, but I doubt that matters) has no effect on the clipping. I'm only using it to detect the presence of clipping (it shows them as reaching the red area in the received volume) and to increase the volume after decreasing it within the Hauptwerk software (to -15 db) to remove the clipping.

Hauptwerk's built-in audio recorder records exactly the signal that it sends to the audio interface's driver, so if the signal level is low in the recorded audio but still clipping when heard through your audio interface, then some part of the audio chain (usually a setting/level in the audio interface driver's control panel) must be boosting it after it has left Hauptwerk.

I'll check if a recording also shows the clipping; since the problem is easily reproducible I can check that as soon as I come home today. That should at least show where the clipping is done.

The audio recording does not have any clipping, and I have not found any intermediate boosters. From what I gather it's my M-Audio AP192 audio driver that's doing the clipping, based on the input volume it receives. I have not yet found any location where I can disable this, because IMHO it does it at a level that's not near the maximum (especially considering the volume of the Hauptwerk recordings). I'll leave the audio volume of Hauptwerk at -15 db for now; it appears to be the highest volume setting where it never clips no matter how many stops I draw.