Hiss!

[dbmusic]

I know this has been discussed a bunch here, but the hiss I get with GPO is making me want to search for a better product. It's not my sound card (RME AES-32), has nothing to do with velocity, just turn up the mod wheel and it becomes annoyingly apparent.

And no, I don't want to have to apply EQ'ing on every track to try to roll off what shouldn't be there in the first place.

Is there some setting here I'm missing? This seems absurd to have this kind of distortion going on.

Regards,

DB

[DPDAN]

Hi db,
I am not saying that GPO's samples are perfectly free of any distortion or hiss/noise, but you have a problem somewhere else in your system if you are hearing hiss on all samples across the board, or hearing hiss by just turning up the mod-wheel.

What version of GPO are you using?
Post a few examples that unveil this problem you are hearing...
Dan

[dbmusic]

Hi db,
I am not saying that GPO's samples are perfectly free of any distortion or hiss/noise, but you have a problem somewhere else in your system if you are hearing hiss on all samples across the board, or hearing hiss by just turning up the mod-wheel.

What version of GPO are you using?
Post a few examples that unveil this problem you are hearing...
Dan

Here's an example of the Full Strgs KS, however, I hear the hiss to some degree on all string samples:

http://home.mchsi.com/~danbo/hiss.mp3

This doesn't happen when just moving the mod wheel. I have to be playing a sample first. But obviously, turning up the sample volume via the mod wheel increases the hiss. Sorry if that was confusing.

FYI: Audio interface is an RME AES-32 running through a Lavry DA 10 converter.

Regards,

DB

[Raymond62]

There is always some hiss involved in strings, even in the "real" world. It is the sound of the bowing. Listen to some professional CD's with strings music (e.g. divertimenti by Mozart). GPO sometimes has a bit too much hiss. You hear it more clrearly when you raise the volume/expression.

I am working with "automated" equalizing in my SONAR setup. There are formants on or at just about (as I remember well): [for all violins only]

a. 8750 Hz when the volume is high (mostly between f and ff);
b. 7500 Hz dito on high notes;
c. 6500 Hz from mf to ff
d. 3300 Hz when the volume is raised and notes are high.

I always do the kind of equalizing on the strings, playing them over my monitors and moving the knobs accordingly. Please use a fairly high Q-factor(>2), because you don't want to flatten other frequencies.

Listen carefully when the playback while you move up and down the equalizer sliders/knobs in your sequencer.

Hope this helps a bit,

Raymond

[DPDAN]

there is no hiss in that example.
I cranked high end between 7 and 15 khz. and there is no hiss apart from the extreme content at those frequencies in the violins.
No hiss with a MOTU 2408 MK3.
I also tested it with my RME HDSP9652, no hiss.
Dan

[Michael_uk]

Hello DB,

I've also taken a listen to your sample and I too can confirm that there was no hiss.

This is through an Audiophile 192. I tried it at varying volume levels with your sample as is.

[dbmusic]

Try this one:

http://home.mchsi.com/~danbo/hiss2.mp3

Now if you cannot hear unacceptable hiss in this sample, then that's another problem.

Whatever the case, it's my ears I have to please. I have enjoyed GPO 3 now for a few years. But this kind of noise not good. Yeah...I too have EQ's it out in the past, but it's getting annoying. Before I invest in alternatives, I thought I'd check out what people here have to say. From what I've read the hiss in some samples is here to stay...so it's either deal with it or go on.

Thanks for your responses.

Regards,

DB

[DPDAN]

Hi DB, again, no hiss in this example either,
I believe what you are hearing is bow resin....

Kind of a scraping sound.
Dan

[sullivang]

I hear little glitches in both recordings, FWIW. Dull clicks. I know nothing about strings, but they sound foreign.

Greg.

[FLWrd]

Try this one:

http://home.mchsi.com/~danbo/hiss2.mp3

Now if you cannot hear unacceptable hiss in this sample, then that's another problem.

I hear something noisy at the beginning, a sort of hiss indeed, but MP3 is really not the format to use in this case. MP3 compresses the sound by leaving out parts of the waves that are least audible. That means (amongst other things) noise, or hiss.

By the way, is it possible that there is confusion about the term "hiss"? My dictionary describes it as "a sharp sibilant sound, as of the letter s".