https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/ Copyright (c) 2006-2013 Web Wiz Forums - All Rights Reserved. Wed, 06 May 2026 04:28:59 +0000 Thu, 14 Jan 2010 10:27:06 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Web Wiz Forums 12.07 360 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/RSS_post_feed.asp?TID=5338 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum//images/Top-40-Music-on-CD-Forum-Logo.png https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/ https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5338&PID=24870&title=how-do-you-compare-audio-files#24870 Author: Hykker
Subject: 5338
Posted: 14 January 2010 at 10:27am

There is no "magic bullet"
As Aaronk said, a good set of ears is the key. You can then use some sort of audio editing program to confirm/prove it. Some people can hear minute (or not-so-minute) differences, others can't. Sometimes it's all about environment and/or frame of mind. There have been instances where I'll be listening to a song that I must have listened to a hundred times before, but this time something (a mix difference, an edit, etc.) just jumps out at me.
A lot of detecting these differences is just developing an intuition or knack for it.



Edited by Hykker]]> Thu, 14 Jan 2010 10:27:06 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5338&PID=24870&title=how-do-you-compare-audio-files#24870 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5338&PID=24869&title=how-do-you-compare-audio-files#24869 Author: EdisonLite
Subject: 5338
Posted: 14 January 2010 at 9:17am

I agree with A, B & C (that's, Aaron Brian & Crap) 100%. The only other thing I do besides this method, is to start the 2 different sources on my stereo system at the same time (one source playing on CD player #1, and the other playing on CD player #2 but going through my cassette deck where I can adjust the volume of that CD with the cassettes faders); I match up the volume so they're both at the same volume and both are playing simultaneously, I then use my receiver to switch back and forth between the 2 sources, and this makes it easier to hear slight panning differences and subtle mix differences, than if you do the other method above - because you essentially have one stream you're listening to, and when you go back and forth, it's real easy to notice that suddenly an instrument moved slighty to the left or is slightly lower in the mix (or not there).]]> Thu, 14 Jan 2010 09:17:14 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5338&PID=24869&title=how-do-you-compare-audio-files#24869 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5338&PID=24868&title=how-do-you-compare-audio-files#24868 Author: eric_a
Subject: 5338
Posted: 14 January 2010 at 8:45am

Thanks - that's been my method all along. Had hoped I was overlooking some silver bullet, especially when it comes to barely audible mix differences. Thanks - ]]> Thu, 14 Jan 2010 08:45:40 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5338&PID=24868&title=how-do-you-compare-audio-files#24868 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5338&PID=24867&title=how-do-you-compare-audio-files#24867 Author: crapfromthepast
Subject: 5338
Posted: 13 January 2010 at 8:03pm

I agree with Aaron and Brian 100%.

Get them both in Cool Edit Pro (or whatever you use), line them up as best you can, and switch back and forth at various points in the song.

You'll develop an intuition pretty quickly when the samples when/won't line up. In general, if the waveforms don't look anything like each other, they won't stay aligned. If they do kinda look like each other, they're most likely from the same analog transfer, and they'll stay "mostly" aligned with only a little difference in pitch/speed between the two. And sometimes you luck out, and they stay aligned completely.

When they're aligned as best you can, you can easily tell if one if faded early from the fade on the screen. If one fades early, it's much easier to see than to hear.]]> Wed, 13 Jan 2010 20:03:54 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5338&PID=24867&title=how-do-you-compare-audio-files#24867 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5338&PID=24866&title=how-do-you-compare-audio-files#24866 Author: aaronk
Subject: 5338
Posted: 13 January 2010 at 7:30pm

Agreed. I use my ear to judge differences. The "inverting" trick only works when you're dealing with songs that were recorded and mastered digitally and there are no speed variations. Often times, I'll put them both in the multi-track and switch back and forth between tracks 1 & 2.]]> Wed, 13 Jan 2010 19:30:04 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5338&PID=24866&title=how-do-you-compare-audio-files#24866 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5338&PID=24863&title=how-do-you-compare-audio-files#24863 Author: Brian W.
Subject: 5338
Posted: 13 January 2010 at 6:12pm

I usually get the wav files in sync in an audio editor, without inverting them, and then listen for differences. I often have to keep moving one over slightly as the song progresses, if they're at slightly different speeds.]]> Wed, 13 Jan 2010 18:12:23 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5338&PID=24863&title=how-do-you-compare-audio-files#24863 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5338&PID=24862&title=how-do-you-compare-audio-files#24862 Author: eric_a
Subject: 5338
Posted: 13 January 2010 at 4:33pm

A software question for the group. A few of the past days' posts (e.g. "Wannabe," "Brick") have discussed subtle-to-nonexistent mix differences, so I'd like to find the most effective way to compare such files in Adobe Audition.

Theoretically, the process seems straightforward:
1 - Aligning the waveforms visually in a multitrack view
2 - Inverting one
3 - Play both files together, and hope for silence (i.e., if the mixes are identical, a wave and its inversion will cancel each other out)

However, in practice, it's tedious or impossible to sync up the two files to the exact sample. And even then, if the volume does not match on both files, the audio will not cancel completely.

Ron often notes that a CD will use the exact digital copy from another disc, but for example, 3.1 dB louder. Is there an easy way to determine this?]]> Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:33:19 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5338&PID=24862&title=how-do-you-compare-audio-files#24862