Fast panning produces noise like a noisy pan pot! Is this "Zipper noise?"

[Jules]

???
A crazy fast pan on a track seemed to produce a byproduct, a scratchy pot type of noise...?? What is this, anyone heard this too?

Jules
(PT 5)

[Dead Space]

I had this experience once. I think that it is an artifact similar to what you get if you have a gate on a signal with lots of bass and the attack is set too fast. Your pan is moving so fast that it's cutting off the waveform and causing a popping sound. Does that seem about right?

AJ

[Jules]

Come on tech heads! What is it then?

Jules

[coaster]

it is an interpolation resolution error. one could further read about this digital phenomenon in the Roads manual. (about $80). digidesign has solved this problem on the audio faders by interpolating it to a high-bit resolution (i believe i read somewhere that it is 9 bits or 512 units of resolution-i could be mistaken). imagine if the audio faders had a resolution of "4", that is, they could be set at a level of of 1,2,3, or 4. sweeping fast thru these steps would result in the 'zipper noise'. interpolating values inbetween these four steps would reduce the noise. the highr the resolution, the lower the noise.
i have noticed this problem when automating radical eq changes as well, esp when the freq settings are at their extremes. (20hz swept -12 to +12= severe noise)
backing of on the speed of the panning adjustment should reduce or eliminate this noise. we learned this in junior year audio theory class in lowly ol' fargo, so we's all ain't so dumb is we?
good luck jules.

[Jules]

Zipper noise eh? Cool!
Jules
Now how bout getting rid of it on Pans Digi?

[This message has been edited by Jules (edited March 02, 2000).]