Abletons Sound Quality

Johnisfaster · Post by **Johnisfaster** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 7:22 pm

I think part of the problem is that most people that don't like Lives sound is because they actually don't like the tools they are using in Live, they run over to another program and using different tools inside that and think "see, theres something wrong with live cause this sounds so much better" there isn't anything wrong with live you just don't like the tools you were using in it.

dejan · Post by **dejan** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 2:14 pm

I have similar experience like Bisco.
But I use Samplitude 9.02 as master and Ableton in rewire mode.
Open separate channels on Samplitude and freeze.Yes,Samplitude can freeze directly from Ableton or Reason.
Diference in sound is huge.

leisuremuffin · Post by **leisuremuffin** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 3:04 pm

dejan wrote:I have similar experience like Bisco.
But I use Samplitude 9.02 as master and Ableton in rewire mode.
Open separate channels on Samplitude and freeze.Yes,Samplitude can freeze directly from Ableton or Reason.
Diference in sound is huge.

great, post the some files and set up a blind poll.

.lm.

anti-banausic · Post by **anti-banausic** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 5:34 pm

lm -

These topics also come up because of this bullcrap, and since it is published in a magazine, people take it as gospel. From Music Tech:

This brings us to the more fundamental issue of audio quality.
Although Live has become the dominant application for live computer
music of all genres, some otherwise enthusiastic Live users still have
reservations about its overall audio fidelity for recording, mixing and
production tasks. While more and more producers are using Live in the
studio for quickly trying out ideas and sketching arrangements, many still
prefer to render their tracks using another sequencer such as Pro Tools
or Logic because of their superior editing capabilities and perceived
superiority in audio clarity. Although the relative audio quality of the various
sequencers is a controversial subject, in our experience mixes made in Live
can suffer a bit in overall crispness and clarity; this difference can be heard
if the individual audio tracks are exported one at a time and then imported
into another sequencer for mixing. As Ableton increasingly strives to make
Live compete as a desktop DAW, this issue is one that the company will
certainly have to address. (We approached Ableton on this point, and
while the company stated that it knows of no serious issues affecting Live’s
audio quality, it would do more research into the matter.)

nebulae · Post by **nebulae** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 5:38 pm

This is absolutely pure bullshit. People, read print matter with a large grain of salt.

ChiDJ · Post by **ChiDJ** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 5:57 pm

Take 12 records (or CD's) record a mix from your tables. (into another DAW)

Take the same 12 songs, warp them in LIVE, record the mix. (into another DAW)

Listen to the difference. You decide.

nebulae · Post by **nebulae** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 6:02 pm

That's not a true test. You would have to take those 12 records in the other daw, do a time stretch on them first, and then mix them, and then compare.

anti-banausic · Post by **anti-banausic** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 6:12 pm

ChiDJ wrote:Take 12 records (or CD's) record a mix from your tables. (into another DAW)

Take the same 12 songs, warp them in LIVE, record the mix. (into another DAW)

Listen to the difference. You decide.

All this is doing is testing the real-time time stretch algorithm in LIVE. It has nothing to do with testing the sound engine. Most of the critiques of LIVE's sound engine is that it is too muddy, or too harsh in the upper end, blah, blah, blah.

leisuremuffin · Post by **leisuremuffin** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 6:20 pm

right, no one is saying that warping doesn't affect the sound quality. Of course it does. Any time stretching, in any app, is going to change the sound.

but yeah, anti, of course bullshit articles like that spread the rumours, and so do individuals who are hearing the effects of warping without realizing that it's happening.

it's absolute horseshit.

.lm.

binarywords · Post by **binarywords** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 6:31 pm

Also to put it frankly rewire sounds like ass. Is there anywhere I can get a VST wrapper for my genital-thrashing-badger?

Tarekith · Post by **Tarekith** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 7:41 pm

To put if frankly, rewire doesn't affect audio quality at all. That's completely down to the master DAW's maudio engine. Rewire passes bit for bit copies of the audio. Sorry.

leisuremuffin · Post by **leisuremuffin** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 8:01 pm

hmmm, i haven't seen a genital thrashing badger vst or au, but it's a good idea! I mean, right now only pros and millionaires have access to real "analog" badgers to expose their genitals to. It's a shame.

.lm.

dejan · Post by **dejan** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 8:36 pm

Not able to do proper testing.But I must admit that huge differnce is absolutly not true anymore for me.
Render 3 midi channels at 32 float in Ableton.Open Samplitude and Ableton.
Freeze on separate channels in Samplitude 32 float,then rend 32 float.
Do blind test and hear no difference at all.Didn`t try 16 and 24 bits.
Is it possible that we have better engine now or Ableton really rocks or both or is this more state of mind

djadonis206 · Post by **djadonis206** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 8:42 pm

Live sounds better on the West Coast

some people say Live sounds awful in the southern tip of the United Kingdom, I have to disagree

but, after using Live in Florida, it undoubtedly sounds better on the West Coast

do a test

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 8:53 pm

djadonis206 wrote:Live sounds better on the West Coast

some people say Live sounds awful in the southern tip of the United Kingdom, I have to disagree

but, after using Live in Florida, it undoubtedly sounds better on the West Coast

do a test

HOLLA!!!