Ableton/Live/UG/39 Audio Fact Sheet/03 Non-Neutral Operations
- A non-neutral operation always changes the signal in some way. Imported files then differ from the files on disk, and exports differ from what played in real time.
- Complex and Complex Pro use a different technology from the other Warp modes. They can sound better on mixed material but are never neutral, even at the original tempo, and they use more CPU.
- Ableton recommends them only when the other Warp modes fall short.
- Playing a file whose sample rate differs from Live's Settings degrades it. Transposition is a form of sample-rate conversion and is also non-neutral.
- Convert sample rates offline before importing rather than mixing rates within one Set.
- Exporting at a different rate from the project's also converts. Live uses the SoX Resampler library for this, which keeps distortion very low.
- Volume automation changes gain, so it is non-neutral. Live updates volume automation for every sample, which keeps distortion very low.
- Dither when rendering to a lower bit depth. Dither is low-level noise, so it is non-neutral.
- Any gain change in Live produces 32-bit audio. Apply dither only once; unless you master in Live, render at 32 bits and skip dither.
- Recording at a bit depth lower than the A/D converter's loses quality. Ableton does not recommend it.
- Internal recordings below 32 bits lose quality. A source already at that lower depth, with no effects, still records neutrally.
- Consolidating Arrangement clips writes new, normalized files with clip volume adjusted to sound the same. Normalizing is a gain change.
- The new files use the sample rate and bit depth from Live's Settings, which can differ from the originals.
- Create Fades on Clip Edges, in the Record, Warp & Launch Settings, adds fades of up to 4 ms at clip edges to prevent clicks. Session clips have a Clip Fade button for the same purpose.
- These fades, and Arrangement clip fades and crossfades, are all non-neutral.
- Live pans with constant power and sinusoidal gain curves: 0 dB at center, +3 dB fully left or right.
- Narrowing stereo width first, with Utility's Width control, reduces the level jump from extreme panning.
- A warped clip at the Set's tempo normally plays neutrally, but once a groove is applied playback is non-neutral at every tempo.