Waves PuigChild User Manual - page 8
8
These are some of the most important elements of analog behavior:
t Total Harmonic Distortion
Perhaps the most important analog behavior is Total Harmonic Distortion or THD, which
is defined as the ratio of the sum of the powers of all harmonic components to the power
of the fundamental frequency. THD is usually caused by amplification, and changes signal
shape and content by adding odd and even harmonics of the fundamental frequencies,
which can change the overall tonal balance. THD can also change peak output gain, usually
by no more than +/- 0.2-0.3 dB.
t Transformers
Some hardware uses transformers to stabilize or change Input/Output loads and signal levels.
In earlier days, transformers did not have a flat frequency response, and often introduced
low and super-high frequency roll offs. The original Fairchild has four transformers, so if you
encounter a low or extremely high frequency loss, this is due to the modeled transformers.
t Long Release Times
The Fairchild includes settings which use long time constants of several seconds. This might
cause short looped passages to sound different during successive playbacks, because the
Release never returns to unity. This is identical to the original hardware performance, and
should not be a cause for concern.
t Hum
Waves modeled both 50Hz power current and 60Hz power current. If you listen closely,
you will hear that there is a difference in hum level between 50Hz and 60Hz. Since hum is
unique to each region and dependent upon the local electrical conditions, you may find
that the modeled hum is different than the hum already present in your studio, and may not
be suitable for your particular use.
Internal Processing
The PuigChild performs all digital processes with 48-bit internal precision (double precision).
The internal processing is followed by re-quantization (wordlength reduction) from the
internal 48-bit data to 16 or 24-bit output wordlengths. (Analog output always used the full
24-bit wordlength). The system can also be used to re-quantize 24-bit input signals to 16-bit
(via the digital outputs only).