Does software affect the quality?

  • Thread starter Thread starter westg8
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westg8

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I use Cool Edit Pro 2 to record my bands songs that we use as demos. One member thinks that using a higher-end software package will result in better results in quality. But I disagreed saying that the software just lets you manipulate the data in the computer. The sound card (we have an m-audio Delta 44), microphones, etc. determine the quality. Am I right? I understand the effects/plugins added to the tracks in the software will be different for each software package, but shouldn't the raw audio file be the same no matter what software you use?

Steven

p.s. Just out of curiousity, how high on the software list is cool edit pro for most people. Is it fairly low-end, or does it compete with things like Cakewalk and Pro Tools?
 
As you said your self the software lets you 'manipulate the data' and they can indeed have different methods of manipulation. The front end (ADC/pre/mic/source) will have a bigger effect on quality. Software EQ can vary greatly as well as the summing buss that puts the final mix together.

If you did nothing to the audio and kept all the volumes at unity with no EQ and sent the tracks out on individual channels for external mixing there would probably be little to no difference in audio quality between programs. As soon as you do anything to the audio then the software can leave it's own imprint.

CEP is probably the best of the budget packages but its no Nuendo, Samplitude, Logic or PT.
 
Well, West, it really depends on what you mean when you say "quality"
Do you mean Resolution? Because you could have a well tracked 16bit 44.1khz file that sounds great and you can also have a poorly tracked 24bit 96khz turd. Depending on your definition of the word "quality", either file could be argued to be superior in "quality" to the other.
 
Well in this world, anything you send your signal through manipulates your sound in some way. What is your defenition of quality?
 
Duh, what mbuster said, sorry. I should have read every post.
 
Thanks for the replies. I guess I didn't mean quality, but if the software affected the sound in any way, which I guess it does, especially after using any eq or effects in the software.
 
If you create a 'mix down' in a software package, it's add's up the 0's and 1's to create the final track... depending on the accuracy of the additions would also effect the quality of the final product... but the differences would be marginal in 'consumer level' products.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the 'floating point resolution' would make a difference in the final output maybe?

Porter
 
i think the difference the software does to the sound with the ones and zeros is exteremely subtle. But either way if you work with that then its really no big deal. Because if it sounds wrong you will fix it. The plugin definately make a difference.

But what could make the bigger difference between the quality of the sound you get out of it is just the style of the program. If your not comfortable with the style you will probably end up with poorer results than you would with a software you are comfortable with.

Danny
 
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