You often see an option for "oversampling" on plugins, and while I get that it's better quality at the cost of CPU, I don't really understand what's happening or when I should be turning it on or leaving it off. Can anyone explain a little? For example how does oversampling in theory change the sound?

 

Agree, but to clear one thing!
There is a bunch of VST/VSTi -s that uses oversampling as an option or as it's default setting (master limiters, master EQ's,...)! (for that and for all informations, always you should read the manual)
And just on more thing, advice will be to us that only on buses and mix channels and not to use them in live situations, only in mix stage... because they introduce some latency... and also you should increase buffer size for less hog on CPU and/or audio clicks...

 

To further add, I can over-sample (AND under-sample) all my VST and VSTi in my DAW. It's not a common DAW so not everyone can do it. Just thought I'd share.

Sometimes the x2 oversampling (compared to default/x1) can be a quite drastic boost in quality. I can go up to x128 but that's just ridiculous.

 

Don't forget that without oversampling, you need better anti-alias filtering which is usually even more cpu-hungry than "just" oversampling.
A good example: The NI Kontakt or Massive "quality" settings.
With a high sample rate, filters can be much "worse" and you still get decent quality, so using a high sampling rate with low-quality filters can be a good alternative.
Let your ears and the cpu load decide.

 

Well T-Racks or Amplitube use oversampling and indeed there is a boost on quality for each step of oversampling you choose. Unfortunately they also eat CPU and increase latency. I usually go for a medium setting or even lower settings when working through a song and leave the higher settings for mixing and later mastering.

 

Interesting replies, thanks.

 

Just out of curiosity... what DAW is that?

 

quality is relative, I would not want a plug-in automatically setting the oversampling on max when I choose to render. because then I mixed that bitch for no reason.

oversampling when creating harmonics/distortions is for me the most audible and obvious way to tell a difference

 

simply to say:
More analog-like processing (less digital noise/distortion like aliasing), better processed highs (especially), accuracy/precision.
For example, if your project sample-rate is 44.1 kHz, so if processing with 2X oversampling, it will be processed as 88.2 kHz. But output from oversampled'n'processed audio will be got back as in 44.1 kHz.
More kHz sample-rate - better quality. Oversampling does the same. Higher sample-rates with higher oversampling is better, but don't go very high, it even can work in a bad way if oversampling is with bad algorithms.

smth like that...

I use it (2x/4x/8x/16x) when there is a lot of highs and if my project is 44/48 kHz, rarely 2x/4x oversampling for 88/96 kHz project. Especially with audio where there is ultrasonic stuff, but it is better to filter them (on higher sample-rates), you don't need them, they are inaudible, useless high-dirt. Filters should be high-quality, like TDR UltraSonic Filter,EQuilibrium, Pro-Q2 maybe etc.

 

Last edited: Aug 18, 2015

Digital Audio Workshop....The software u use to make Music Just like Cubase.

 

I know what a DAW is. I was asking about Baxter's uncommon DAW that provides for 128x oversampling on every track.

 

Jeskola Buzz. It's actually not even considered a DAW...more like a "weird modular tracker". But it has a bunch of awesome features that (other) DAWs doesn't have (0.25x to 128x oversampling in the VST loader, for example).
Also, it's free.

 

Last edited: Aug 18, 2015

any chance you are talking aboout this? http://www.experimentalscene.com/software/darkwave-studio/

ES AntiAlias is a free plugin that filters out harmonics that occur above the nyquist frequency by oversampling the input signal and then filtering. If you are using any instruments or effects that generate aliased digital audio (many of them) ES AntiAlias can improve the sound quality.

This plugin is available as a native DarkPlug machine, included with DarkWave Studio, and also as a VST plugin for third-party hosts.