5. QLty Spectral Quality

The Spectral Quality ('Qlty') parameter controls a novel signal processing feature that further optimizes DSP usage, that can also be used for creative effects.

When a voice plays, not all frequencies are necessarily used. In order to save DSP resources, your Woovebox is able to analyse the precise spectral resolution a sound requires during real-time synthesis of a voice. In cases where a lower spectral resolution can be used without impacting the fidelity of the sound, your Woovebox can automatically do so to free up DSP resources. You can also manually force any track to render at a lower resolution, either to save DSP resources or for creative effects.

When automatically determined ('auto') by your Woovebox, the loss in resolution is not (or barely) audible - a little bit like how MP3s trade storage space for audio fidelity. Any resolution reduction determined by 'auto' will only kick in when DSP usage exceeds 70%.

• 'auto'; lets your Woovebox decide the required spectral resolution to faithfully reproduce the track's patch, saving DSP resources where it can. Tracks with 'auto' set will always render at full ('FuLL') quality spectral resolution when exported via Wooveconnect. Any resolution reduction determined by 'auto' will only kick in when DSP usage exceeds 70%.
• 'FuLL'; forces full spectral resolution allocation for the track, preventing loss of resolution at all times (e.g. even when that loss would not be perceptible).
  
• '50'; forces 50% spectral resolution allocation for the track. Depending on the patch, the effect may be noticeable in the very high frequencies and when applying filters. In that case, this mode can also be used as a creative effect. Tracks with '50' set will render precisely as audible (e.g. with reduced spectral resolution allocated) when exported to .WAV via Wooveconnect.
• '25'; forces 25% spectral resolution allocation for the track. Depending on the patch the effect may be noticeable in the high and mid frequencies, as well as when applying filters and saturation. In that case, this mode can also be used as a "lo-fi" creative effect (see lo-fi section). Tracks with '25' set will render precisely as audible (e.g. with reduced spectral resolution allocated) when exported to .WAV via Wooveconnect.

Good candidates for aggressive manual spectral quality optimization are usually patches and sounds with little to no high frequencies playing (sounds with little "bite" or little "sizzle"). For example, low sine waves make exceptionally good targets, while saw waves less so.

Please note that you can at any time see how many spectral quality-reduced voices are playing by putting 'DSP Info' (Song globals page) into 'Spec Qual' mode (see Understanding DSP Load section).