DSP Robotics Support

Hi,

I'm playing around with a 'crazy' parallel compressor which boosts the signal tremendously.
While experimenting I received different audio performance for within/without FS and I'm eager to know why.

Here are the details:

Setup A: Flowstone

Setup B: Cubase 5 32 bit

Both setups share the same gain values, track played, no other processing (limiters, etc.) and same VST setting.

Setup A produces harsh unbearable sounds when clipping. Setup B just flashes the red 'clipping' sign, but no harsh sound.

My question is why is their any audible difference? after all it is the same D.R. (32 bit floating point) with the same audio interface and driver (Maudio fast track), monitors, etc...
Is it the 'ASIO OUT' module of Flowstone which is clipping the signal?

nay ideas?

What could be happening is the signal being lowered by the DAW.

Here's an example screen from Reaper (I don't have Cubase):


As you can see, in this example at a display of 0 dB you're actually at -6 dB of the hardware interface. Flowstone does not make that distinction.