Help for this distortion Options

[damjang]

I'm a newbie and ask here if somebody can help. I have recorded the attached clip from a pianola (line-out jack) to a pc. But I don't know why I have this distortion. I think that this is not a level problem. Is it possible to remove or repair? How? And for the future: how I can avoid this?
Thank you!

Attached File(s)

 distorsion.flac ( 529.22K ) Number of downloads: 73

 

[Glenn Gundlach]

I'm a newbie and ask here if somebody can help. I have recorded the attached clip from a pianola (line-out jack) to a pc. But I don't know why I have this distortion. I think that this is not a level problem. Is it possible to remove or repair? How? And for the future: how I can avoid this?
Thank you!

A problem is I don't know what it's _supposed_ to sound like. I hear what sounds like frequency response shifting as the level goes down similar to analog Dolby playback processing of a non Dolby encoded source. There may be some frequency response changes but again, I don't know what it's _supposed_ to be.

When I go look up 'pianola' I find "A player piano (also known as pianola or autopiano) is a self-playing piano, containing a pneumatic or electro-mechanical mechanism that operates the piano action via pre-programmed music perforated paper,...." based on a real piano which has no 'line out' jacks. So, what exactly are you doing?

G²

[damjang]

Sorry! I use a digital piano (a Yamaha Clavinova) and record the sound from line-out to pc line-in. I use Audacity for record. But sometime I have the recorded sound that sounds like if there was a clipping (like in the attached clip), but the signal is not so high... I must set the record level in audacity to something very low.

[lvqcl]

IMO the attached file doesn't sound like clipped.

[mzil]

On first playback I thought I heard a very brief problem on one of the very first notes only, a "tick", but then when I hit replay it was fine. [I used VLC as my media player. I think it needed to warm up. ]

You can clearly hear that this isn't a real piano, it is an electric one, but other than that I don't hear a problem. [Also the tune itself sounds a little odd at 6 seconds in terms of the notes selected, but I don't know the piece.]

This post has been edited by mzil: Sep 30 2012, 20:10

[Glenn Gundlach]

IMO the attached file doesn't sound like clipped.

Second time listening I captured with Audition. The reason you hear no clipping is because there isn't any at all. I don't know if his record level is best but it certainly isn't overloading.

G²

[damjang]

So, at this point I think that it must be a problem of my hw (pc audio, ampli, spekers). I must research more...

[Glenn Gundlach]

So, at this point I think that it must be a problem of my hw (pc audio, ampli, spekers). I must research more...

If your PC works like mine, you should be able to record a signal that on playback is indistinguishable from the original. This assumes you have high enough levels to be away from the noise floor but not drive into clipping. I use Audition but I hear many good things about Audacity. BTW none of my gear needs to 'warm up' before it's ready to behave properly. The PC is ready as son as it boots.

G²

[_if]

I've got no distortion either, so it must be on your end. But I just wanted to say I like it and so does my girlfriend!