Kurzweil K2500 - PERFORMANCE GUIDE REV F PART NUMBER 910251 CHAP 15 Sampling Manual page 3

Input
On the Sample mode page, you'll set the conditions for your sample recording. Depending on
the input type you select, a different set of parameters will appear on this page. When you've
selected analog input, the page appears as in the diagram below. The differences between
analog and digital sampling are discussed in the section called "Sampling Digital Signals" on
page 15-10.
SampleMode||Samples:8192K|||Memory:752K|
Sample: None||||||||||||||||||||||Src:Int
Input|:Analog|||Time||:1s||||||||Mon:Off
Gain||:0|dB|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rate||:44.1KHz||||| L||||||||||||||||||||
Mode||:Mono(L)||||| R||||||||||||||||||||
Thresh:Off||||||-dB|60||40||*|16|*|8|4|0
Record|| Auto|| Timer|| Preview||||||||||||
The digital meters at the lower right of the display give a good indication of your sample level.
When you send a signal from your sample source, you should see the meters respond.
Src
The possible values for the Src parameter are Internal(Int) or External (Ext). Choose a value of
Ext when you want to sample the signal from an external source that's connected to one of the
K2500's sampling inputs. Use a value of Int if you want to sample the K2500's own output. For
sampling the K2500's own output, the Monitor parameter must be Off to prevent signal
attenuation.
Gain
The meters are calibrated in -dB units. A level of 0 dB indicates the maximum signal without
clipping. The sample will be free of clipping as long as the meter levels don't exceed 0 dB. For
optimum results, you should adjust the K2500's Gain parameter (or the gain from your sample
source) so that the signal stays below 0 dB. Otherwise, the signal will be clipped, causing the
loss of sample data, and usually resulting in audible distortion of the resulting sample. A few
clips (fewer than 100) may not cause any appreciable distortion. You'll get the best signal-to-
noise ratio with meter levels as close to 0 dB as possible, although you'll find that samples with
maximum meter readings as low as -12 dB can sound remarkably noise-free.
The relatively slow LCD output of the meter levels cannot show every peak in the incoming
signal. Therefore, you won't necessarily see every transient in every sample you take. You will
be able to see any transient that is clipped, however, since whenever a clip occurs, the K2500
will display the word "CLIP" above the meters, and will flash the Master mode LED. It will
also give you the number of clips in each sample before you save it.
The meters are inoperative during actual sampling, so make a few tests of your levels before
you begin to record.
Rate
After you've set your levels, you need to select the sample rate. You have four rates to choose
from. The trade-offs that determine your best sampling rate are frequency response and storage
requirements. Higher sample rates will capture more frequency content from your samples, but
will take up more memory. Lower rates give you more sample time, but don't give the same
frequency response as higher rates. Rates of 29.4 or 32 KHz will yield a flat response up to
about 14 and 15 KHz, respectively. 44.1 and 48 KHz yield a flat response up to 20 KHz, which is
Sampling and Sample Editing
Sampling Analog Signals
15-3