We recommend that, if you are recording to 16-bit, you monitor the process
from the 16-bit output of your system to get optimum results by adjusting the
HEDD’s processing and dithering.
By using the process you will affect your average signal level if you turn the
process up far enough. When adding harmonic content, the audio is going to
get louder. The HEDD process reduces the peaks in your signal while at the
same time increasing the low level harmonic content.
This means that the HEDD process will not cause any overs. In fact, what it will
do, is reduce the level of existing overs. Just think of it as a tube or tape doing
soft clipping, i.e. “squashing” the peaks and causing analog compression.
HOW MUCH PROCESS TO USE
There are no hard and fast rules, you need to use your ears. If it sounds good,
it is good.
To get you started, we’ve provided some general guidelines. Making your
recorded material sound “good” is what it’s all about. The process is level and
program dependent. Settings that will work best for one source may not work
at all for another source. As a general purpose setting jump off point, try
running the process knobs at 3.5 to 6. This should be safe. When you run into
the 5 and up range it is easy to go too far but, don’t forget, it could be a cool
thing.
The HEDD QUANTUM processing can be extremely subtle or very drastic. It
depends on how you use it.
Getting to grips with the diversity of the processes will take a little ear training.
When you’re tweaking the signal being processed by the HEDD, don’t forget to
switch the DSP in and out regularly to give you an indication of where you
started out from.
The human ear loves a little harmonic generation so you’ll quickly find that
turning the HEDD DSP off results in an apparent loss of life/excitement in the
musical source material.
Even small amounts of DSP, e.g 1 Triode, 2.5 Pentode and 2 Tape, can make
quite a big difference. You may not notice this turning up the pots, but by
putting the unit in bypass and then switching the processing back in, it will
become very apparent.
