Studio Practice

DC Offset

Definition

An unwanted shift in the center line of an audio waveform, causing it to sit above or below zero amplitude. Caused by faulty hardware or grounding issues. Results in clicks at edit points and reduced effective headroom.

In Simple Terms

An invisible shift in your audio waveform that wastes headroom and causes clicks at edit points. Most DAWs can detect and remove it automatically — worth checking on imported recordings.

Related Terms

Zero CrossingClippingHeadroomSignal Chain
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