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Objective method to determine sound quality of song?


Neole

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Is there an objective method (i.e. a software that tells you whats wrong) to determine the audio quality of a song? Something that goes through the song and says there would be heavy distortion in this spot, too much bass for normal speakers, too much high end, muddy mix etc? I dont want something that displays graphs/spectrums but something that analyses them and tells in simple language whats wrong and what could be done to fix it.

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Originally posted by Neole

Is there an objective method (i.e. a software that tells you whats wrong) to determine the audio quality of a song? Something that goes through the song and says there would be heavy distortion in this spot, too much bass for normal speakers, too much high end, muddy mix etc? I dont want something that displays graphs/spectrums but something that analyses them and tells in simple language whats wrong and what could be done to fix it.

 

 

You'll find audio editors that can identify digital clipping, and some that will recommend EQ changes based on a reference file that you give it. But that's it. Mixing and mastering are too subjective and genre-dependent (what would be the right amount of bass for a hip-hop song would be way too much for folk song).

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Originally posted by pgunders



You'll find audio editors that can identify digital clipping, and some that will recommend EQ changes based on a reference file that you give it.

 

 

Which do this?

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I think what are you asking is called audio editing. I have used only 2 functions from that kind programs:

- remove noise (removes noise) :D

- normalize (normalizes audio velocity, gets rid off distorted parts)

Have experience only with GoldWave and CDEX.

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Originally posted by Neole

Im not looking for an audio editor, but an audio analyser, which can identify glitches in the song and identify common faults in the mix.

 

I think you're looking for an audio engineer costing hundred buck an hour whose got a masters degree and at least 10 years of audio engineering experience.

 

If someone can write a software code worth that, lemme know about the mo-{censored}et! ;)

 

Peace

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Some programs like PowerTracks can analyze harmony of your audioscore, but for composing you should have your own taste and ear to create the final score. How do you think the music was made before the use of computers?

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I just have to voice an opinion...

 

I think that this would be a stupid concept, and extremely limiting to boot. If this kind of software were a reality, we'd have even more "same-sounding" music than there already is out there.

Imagine to be able to click a button to get "The Britney glossy production sound" or whatever...

(Of course, just because i think that it is a stupid concept does not mean that some marketing guy from a software company wouldn't be able to catch on to the idea... In fact rather the contrary :D )

 

As for finding distortion/clipping: It is a digital medium - if the clipping indicator on the master volume does not go into the red, your track does not distort (Provided that you have recorded a non-distorted signal in the first place) - so that would be a pointless function.

 

As for the quality of the mix?

Get multiple sets of speakers, play your music on different systems, and have different people listen and critique. Trust your ears.

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i think maybe the closest you are going to come is with normalizing functions, etc.

 

what you are really talking about is having someone master your work.

 

as for maxing out speakers and such, what you'd need to do is find a lowest common denominator range, and even then you'd just be guessing and you'd need to take into account your audience (do they have nicer stereos than average or less so)?

again, more work on your part concerning subjective valuative judgements contrasting with assumptions of expectations and market penetration of good audio technology.

 

if you were to use a software tool, it would take about as much time to tell it what seemed appropriate to you as it would to figure out how to mix it that way in the first place.

 

for some reason, i find this question mildly offensive, and i have not been offended by anything in a long time.

 

cool.

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I have a question regarding clipping: When I'm working on a Cubase project, the levels in my Cubase mixer and in my hardware mixer are staying nicely "in the green", just below 0db. However, when I open Sound Forge, and get ready to record the whole shebang, the SF strips are indicating clipping. This definitely confuses me. Esp. since the music sounds fine to my ears out my monitors, there is no distortion or clipping sounds, so what the hell is going on? How come SF is telling a different story as compared to Cubase and my Allen & Heath? Moreover, sometimes if I take an 8 bar segment and let it loop to identify instances of clipping, SF forge may indicate that it clips at bar 3 beat 4, however, right after, if I loop it again, it DOESN'T clip at Bar 3 beat 4. What is up with this random clipping? If it clips once, why doesn't it clip every time after that at the exact same spot?

 

I feel like a....not-knower-doer! :(

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Originally posted by Sleepin' Deeper

I have a question regarding clipping: When I'm working on a Cubase project, the levels in my Cubase mixer and in my hardware mixer are staying nicely "in the green", just below 0db. However, when I open Sound Forge, and get ready to record the whole shebang, the SF strips are indicating clipping. This definitely confuses me. Esp. since the music sounds fine to my ears out my monitors, there is no distortion or clipping sounds, so what the hell is going on? How come SF is telling a different story as compared to Cubase and my Allen & Heath? Moreover, sometimes if I take an 8 bar segment and let it loop to identify instances of clipping, SF forge may indicate that it clips at bar 3 beat 4, however, right after, if I loop it again, it DOESN'T clip at Bar 3 beat 4. What is up with this random clipping? If it clips once, why doesn't it clip every time after that at the exact same spot?


I feel like a....not-knower-doer!
:(

I am not an expert, but i would say that you reasonably safely can deduct that your signal is perfectly fine if the clipping does not occur at the exact same spot every time you play it. :)

 

Miscommunication between soundcard and software can cause noise/clipping without the signal being at fault.

 

Also, do a visual check, look at the wave - if the tops or bottoms of spikes are squared off, that is clipping...

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Originally posted by grumphh


Also, do a visual check, look at the wave - if the tops or bottoms of spikes are squared off, that is clipping...

 

 

Thanks for that tip! Shoulda known that.....I guess I'll just use the zoom tool in SF to get a closer look at the waves.

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