Computer Hardware User Guide

POD Farm 1.01 – Glossary (What Is...?)
9•6
What is Comp (Compressor)?
Comp, which is an abbreviation for Compressor, is one of the POD Farm Effects. Compressors even out
audio signals by reducing the volume of the loudest sounds to better match the volume of quieter sounds.
You can use subtle compression to make your guitar playing sound more even, or drastic compression
for dramatically increased sustain and a very consistent level. Compression is also extremely useful for
vocals to even out the dynamics and allow them to be turned up and prominent in the musical mix.
The POD Farm Dynamics category also includes one or more other types of Compressors (depending
on the Line 6 device and Add-Ons you own), each with their own slightly different flavor. These can
also be positioned “Pre” (before) the amp processing, which can give a different kind of sound than the
dedicated Comp effect which always runs “Post” (after) the amp processing. Some effects are modeled
after classic gear described in the Model Gallery.
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What is Core Audio
®
?
Core Audio
®
is a Mac
®
protocol for computer audio that allows audio software to communicate
with audio hardware. Most all popular Mac
®
audio recording programs now utilize Core Audio to
communicate with a sound card or other audio device. Line 6 POD Studio, TonePort, GuitarPort,
POD X3 and PODxt devices come with Core Audio drivers - these drivers are installed when you
run the POD Farm application installer, or can be downloaded individually from the Line 6 Support -
Software Downloads page.
Core Audio provides excellent performance on Mac
®
systems since it allows the input signal that is
fed into the sound card travel through the computer, your audio software, and back out the sound card
outputs in a very short amount of time. This is what is referred to as “low latency” operation. Please see
your Mac
®
recording software’s instructions for details on Core Audio operation.
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What is a DAW?
DAW is an acronym used by audio geek types to refer to a “Digital Audio Workstation” - which is really a
fancy term for any Windows
®
or Mac
®
computer system that is primarily configured for audio recording
& editing. With today’s fast CPU chips, fast hard drives and plentiful RAM, most any computer is up
to the task of some serious audio recording right out of the box. The primary components you need
are a good quality sound card (or “audio interface”) such as any Line 6 USB device, and a capable
audio/MIDI recording & editing software, such as Steinberg
®
Cubase
®
or Nuendo
®
, Digidesign Pro
Tools
®
LE, Cakewalk
®
SONAR
®
, Ableton Live
®
or Apple
®
Logic
®
or GarageBand
®
. These software
applications vary in features, complexity and price, so there is certainly one out there just right for you