In this show we give a conclusive answer to all those heated online debates about what audio gear sounds best. Mics, converters, cables – you name it. And we tell you how to find out for yourself. But why you probably shouldn’t bother. And along the way we discuss:
- When data-identical files sound different (and why)
- What the Three Fingered Mouse Click is, and why you need it
- The ultimate audio test: “5000 dollars or your house” !
- Why you really shouldn’t move your head when working on audio
- When expensive cables really CAN sound better, and why – even though they actually don’t
And plenty more !
Links
Does it matter whether or not pain medication is branded?
It is a fun and interesting subject guys, thanks!
It would be fun to do a recording with two sets of systems running simultaneously at 44.1/16 and 96/24 so we could Blind A/B the tracks and listen to the differences.
As for speaker cables?
You will certainly hear differences where there are differences in capacitance.
The reactance differences can create some wildly obvious timbre.
I was startled by accident when swapping out some Monster cable for some Kimber TC-8, neither of which were very costly in 1991.
A friend and I stood staring at each other, wide-eyed!
Still have not been caught by hearing the unengaged EQ, however I have grabbed unengaged EQs countless times only to wonder why the darn thing is making no difference…
“Oops, did it again” 🙂
If we can’t laugh at ourselves for all the crazy stuff, we’d certainly go crazier than we already are!
I’m a regular visitor over at http://head-fi.org where people discuss headphones all day, and the discussions do get pretty heated there at times, especially with opinions being stated as facts.
To help us along, a glossary of terms has been presented to describe what we are hearing.
I know the two of you have all of these terms memorized and can use them with much more authority than I can myself, but here for “everyone else” I present:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/220770/describing-sound-a-glossary
There will be a quiz Monday.
Loved this podcast, as I have enjoyed them all. This is my first post saying as much, but this is a wonderful thing you have going here.
Terry
Hi Ian
Love the show! I’m a new comer and I’m still on early episodes.
I have a questions in regards to “gain” (Episode #6).
You mentioned the protools “trim” plugin for setting initial working levels of gain.
Would raising the input gain of Ozone (I have Ozone) do the same thing?
What about dropping the threshold level if it’s not making the limiter work? Is that “pure” gain?
Regardless, what level are you aiming for when setting “initial” gain (pre processing)?
Thanks
A fascinating discussion, but I have been more doubts now about what I’m hearing…. HELp…
I’m new to recording and mixing and although I think I can hear some of the differences/changes plug-ins or eq’s make, I’m never absolutely sure that I hear is what is actually going on. In other words I’m finding it hard to trust my ears yet, can ou suggest ear training exercises or some way I can reference my experiences.
Dither! Dither! Dither!
OMG I can hear something when I m switching dither on and off…but it s more like the stereo image widens a bit ?!
Does it make sense, or is it a tinsy leveldifference?!
Love the show, geek on!
Carl
Loved this – big thanks to you guys for doing it! (Also a huge relief, as I myself have fallen prey to most of the same foibles you mention.)
I really love this show! Who hasn’t been fooled by himself in mixing/mastering? My most frequent error is adjusting eq on different track that I’m actually listening to 🙂
Inviting such a great guests to Your show is so sweet! We can get so much information from their blogs, podcasts etc… it’s an unending stream of knowledge and it’s awesome!
Great episode, Ian. Very good conversation.
I was hoping if you could comment on a future podcast episode about the extensive survey that Nugen Audio did about loudness normalisation on streaming music services. Its results were published today and I found them very interesting. If you didn’t take part on the survey, I’m more than happy to share the pdf.
Kind regards,
I hadn’t seen it, thanks for the heads-up !
Perhaps one of these is the effect you describe, but couldn’t think of the name.
Confirmation bias, the tendency to interpret new evidence as confirmation of one’s existing beliefs or theories. (Google definition)
Belief perseverance, the tendency to cling to one’s initial belief even after receiving new information that contradicts or dis-confirms the basis of that belief. (Top Google result definition)
“Belief perseverance” sounds about right !
Good stuff Ronan! I feel a lot less foolish knowing how pervasive this issue is. I typically use the “close my eyes” method after lining up the mouse pointer on the A-B spot and clicking several times.
Just to make sure I understand. On the twisted cable, double blind method…the results would not be known until one of the cables was unplugged, un-twisted, and traced back to its source, right?
I had a case of confirmation bias after listening to this show. I work in various capacities as engineer & musician with two very good writers. Both of them use fairly “lo grade” equipment to produce their recordings. Both have had significant critical and commercial success. The reason for this success is the quality of what most listeners get from the work – and this comes down to the musicianship and writing more than the sonic quality of their recordings.
I agree that better sounding gear is always desirable but it’s not essential to produce music that moves and entertains most listeners in most contexts. Being able to use limited resources to your advantage and focussing on content should be something we all do, at least at the recording stage.
I’d also like to make a distinction between something sounding different and something sounding better. I have spent a fair amount of time trying to work out if A or B is better when in reality they’re just different. Allow yourself to make the call that either is fine can save a lot of time. Of course the hard part is knowing when this applies!
Thanks for the show,
Thanks, Ian! I used to follow Ronan on Facebook and I was reminded why I unfollowed him. Why would someone who is confident in their abilities continually brag about them? Boring.
Thank YOU Ian, for not doing that. Your show is brilliant! I’ve adopted -12 LUFS.