Ableton

M

MisterP

New member
I've been using my Adobe Audition 3 ever since I got into recording, as it was a little cheaper than some of the other programs but not TOO cheap, but recently I got a Ableton Live Lite disc with my new Profire 610, and for the heck of it, I installed it and tried it out.

The sound quality seems so much more detailed, both the instrumentals I use and the vocals I record :eek: But I know that many people will argue Adobe is just as good as any of the other DAW's at the top of the list.. To continue the test, I even exported a raw vocal in high quality wave from Ableton and imported it into Adobe, and the vocal still both stands out better and has more detail than anything I put directly into Adobe..

Is this just an issue of compatibility with my particular interface/PC? Is Ableton just a better quality DAW? The difference in quality is not HUGE, but it's definitely there.. Just think it's kind of strange, and if I put enough old junk of Craigs List, I could probably scratch enough dough to get Ableton 8..
 
Although I don't have Adobe, there always seem to be a slight difference from 1 DAW to another. Some of it is perceptional and some have to do with the audio engine used.
 
You are right, most will say you can't hear a difference from DAW to DAW. It also depends that everything is set identical in each DAW when you compare the 2. Even a slight level increase will change the way you perceive them.

In the end though, it is your perception that matters so you have to decide. Maybe try a couple of other DAW demos to compare. Personally, I don't like the workflow in Ableton, I use Sonar, but you will have just as many Ableton fans as Sonar fans so again, it is what works best for you.
 
There's been many discussions on DAW sound qualities over the years and the final analysis is there is none...

Yet I know there were complaints on Reason adding its own character to its recordings and these were addressed by Propellerhead in Reason 4 so Im not sure if the above analysis is 100% correct.

What I will say is that other factors definitely bias you when listening or recording..I moved my main work from Sonar to Ableton and found its interface light, bright, with a faster workflow...this also clouded my judgement as the music seemed brighter, less muddy, altogether "better" sounding.

I am a strong advocate for Ableton, I find it an inspirational instrument as well as a fully fledged DAW...Ive demoed just about all the rest and they just don't get it...Studio One comes closest..

I will say I find the mixing desk not delicate enough for fine tuning, the effects are not as good as my third party or the ones that came with sonar (though beat repeat, the auto pan and the filter are excellent) and I almost never use the instruments...the electronic drums and sampler are top notch though

I mix the stems in Sonar still and use a lot of third party stuff so Id probably recommend looking into Ableton Live Essentials...its only $99 and may provide all the tools you need????
 
No chance it could be the new interface you got? Though there might be some very minor sonic differences from DAW to DAW, the interface you're using is gonna have a much bigger impact on sound quality.
Another thing that may be causing a noticeable difference is the pan law that each DAW defaults to. Most default to -3, but most also allow you to change it, and there's always the possibility one of your programs defaults to something different.

DAW manufacturers really couldn't get away with a mixing/playback engine that colored the sound in any significant or noticeable way. It seems like a manufacturer would have to go out of their way (technology being what it is at this point) to color the sound of their playback engine, and there really isn't any reason for/market pressure towards it. You definitely don't want a DAW that plays back sounds differently than the end user's cd player/boombox/car stereo/hifi system is going to.
 
Interesting words, friends..

Kcearl - Does this Essentials, or whatever version of Ableton, come with any presets? I'm VERY novice at mixing and have a tendency to select a preset and tweak til I like how it sounds.

The Cancers - Checked the pan, both -3. The Profire remains the same both physically and as far as its control panel as I switch DAW's. I SWEAR, Ableton is coming at me brighter, more detailed, even when opening an Ableton recording onto Adobe. I suspect that Ableton is just more "compatible" with this particular interface, the software DID come with it, afterall. Ableton allowed me to set it up to 24-bit recording as opposed to the 16-bit or 32-bit float recording of Adobe.. that could be it? Doubt it.. Even the instrumentals I import sound better..

The only reason why I even bothered with this Ableton disc is because, with particular instrumentals, I'm having a hard time bringing the vocals through them with my amature mastering skills.. I'm looking for ANY sort of boost in quality, and this Ableton stuff seems to bring some..

Now, mind you, I'm using a AT4040 condenser in a regular sized room with no soundproof booth of any sort, a beer fridge, a furnace in a room nearby, and a computer fan, so I'm sure I can get better quality via other ways than switching softwares and buying another gaddamn DAW. Actually, that's another unrelated question.. How much does room noise effect my attempt to bring a vocal in front of an instrumental? Or is room noise only a factor for people who are making entirely original compositions?
 
if you mean do the effects and instruments have presets the answer is yes..


also dont forget the scene view that allows you to record or drop loops into individual clips so you can construct and remix the track in real time.....its may sound a little complicated but in fact its completely intuative...I use both the scene and regular view to record, totally different from what I was used to with sonar and really gets your creative juices flowing..

Im afraid if you have a problem getting your vocals to come through the mix then the problem isnt with the DAW or the instruments but rather how you are tracking or treating the vocals

I am going to agree though it flies in the face of logic, tracks recorded in Ableton do sound brighter :)
 
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