Katy Perry Mixer - "Ableton sounded terrible" (SoundonSound)

[mihai]

- i guess things do sound different when when passing audio through the avid ad/da or whatever converters/summing outboard you have then back into pt/nuendo/cubase/live/logic/etc. as opposed to having everything inside of your laptop.

- sure it can be used for mixes but nuendo was mainly created for post, perhaps why the current price tag is in effect.

[grooverb]

So if Ableton is as terrible in its sound quality, why doe DJ fresh use it?

He got a number 1 single with Ableton, oh an before I forget High Rankin and Porter Robinson use Fruity Loops.

So based on those facts maybe that guy, although a top producer, doesn't really know how to get the best out of what he's using, and its all bit subjective as well. I've read a few things, one on here in fact, where people have done, as best they can, 'scientific' comparisons with Logic and Ableton and shown no difference, so could it be he's just towing the party line for Steinberg.

One thing to remember. Opinions are like assholes. Everyones got one.

[ikeaboy]

Ahem..

In our interview, Sandy Vee is very enthusiastic about Nuendo, and also appears to use plug-ins made by Waves and Universal Audio almost exclusively. While his enthusiasm comes across as very genuine, he’s happy to divulge that he’s endorsed by the likes of Steinberg, Waves, Universal Audio, Softube, FabFilter, Arturia, GForce and Rob Papen. In return, Vee is a beta-tester for many of these companies, and he’s even joined the board of Universal Audio. Apparently all this dates back to Vee developing a professional relationship with Steinberg France many years ago, and things developed from there. Given how busy Vee now is, creating hit songs, one wonders how he manages to still find the time for all these side-activities. This never becomes clear, but he does lift the lid on some of what occupies him in this arena.

[indmix]

What a cock. Katy Perrys music is like having sand rubbed in your japseye. cockwash.

=> What he said

[lapieuvre]

So if Ableton is as terrible in its sound quality, why doe DJ fresh use it?

He got a number 1 single with Ableton

Because he makes good music! Isn't it about that? And I'm sure it's not that terrible.

[pgmjsd]

Ever turn the SSL master bus compressor on/ off for a client? Watch their faces do this:

If you're coming from SSL world, Lives mixer is going to seem very 'plain'. Personally, I like that... Live is more 'bare metal'. It takes more time to get a Live mix right because you have to build things up from components, but I actually enjoy that.

Anyway, some of you may disagree, but I have always felt Live didn't really have ''a sound"... You build it yourself. I guess if you just slap some presets in...

[friend_kami]

Well let me be fair with you guys

I used Reaon (years), Protools (about a year), Cubase (years) and eventually tried Ableton.

I NEVER went back....Is it me or is Ableton just the damn best?

Ok I don't know Nuendo, I must be honest, but just had the same discussion with a producer-friend of mine from the states who shifted from Cubase to Ableton....He said the same thing. Ableton is above all....

What I hated about Cubase is the inconsistent automation....As in some cases I had to tweak the start of an automation as to make it sound kicking in at the right moment.
Freakin hated that!

Never had that issue with Ableton....

correct me if i'm wrong, but we are talking audio engines here, not workflow.

[mihai]

Anyway, some of you may disagree, but I have always felt Live didn't really have ''a sound"... You build it yourself.

the actual truth. you get a hi5.

[newboss]

Ever turn the SSL master bus compressor on/ off for a client? Watch their faces do this:

If you're coming from SSL world, Lives mixer is going to seem very 'plain'. Personally, I like that... Live is more 'bare metal'. It takes more time to get a Live mix right because you have to build things up from components, but I actually enjoy that.

Anyway, some of you may disagree, but I have always felt Live didn't really have ''a sound"... You build it yourself. I guess if you just slap some presets in...

Thats just the nature of digital audio that it dont has a sound and that you build it yourself.
But that you need more work in ableton to get a mix sounding good than in some other daws actually points to problems in their audio engine.
Just like with with a cheap mixing desk versus a big console..

With booth you can make a good sounding record, but on the cheap desk that is more work while on the expensive console you just set levels..ready...

The difference between DAW´s is definitely not as big as between a cheap desk and an expensive console.. its rather subtile.
But its actually ableton that has "a sound" here while other daw´s are more transparent and neutral in the mix. Especially on high track counts ( more than 24...) and recordings of real synths and instruments that gets audible.
Whether that special a bit grainy Ableton sound is to your liking, or whether you just hate it is a matter of taste. But technically it shouldnt be there. What you hear there are the flaws in the audio processing.

[bupper]

newboss, I have been 100% with your comments on this thread! I have found exactly the same with the summing & coloration. The thing is that it gets progressively worse the more 'calculations' you have going on.

[simpli.cissimus]

newboss, I have been 100% with your comments on this thread! I have found exactly the same with the summing & coloration. The thing is that it gets progressively worse the more 'calculations' you have going on.

Me too, and I had same experience like you two...!

I use now StudioOne for those reasons and it processes VST's much, much better and cleaner.
Plus it uses half CPU with exact same set-up. (real 50%...no joke)

I still am a Live user and always will, but just for experimental sound design
and some other things I used to do with Live.

Do some serious processing with third part VST-effects in Live and in other DAW's.
The results are not the same...

But in the end what really counts is that a track has to be good.
I rather listen to a bad sounding track I really like,
then to a perfect clean one that is boring...

[barryalva]

.

[simpli.cissimus]

[Peevy]

Live sounds absolutely fine to me but were it does fail is in the render department. When mixing down from 24 to 16bit I can here a very audible loss in quality. Now if I need an MP3 0r 16bit WAV I render to 24bit or sometimes re-sample, & convert to mp3 in Reaper which I also use for a lot of my amateurish mastering in too.

[ollyb303]

Really??

This again???

I'm off to make some more terrible sounding music with Live's inferior audio