Accuracy or personal preference?

[John Duncan]

i asked this question in another thread but it's being subsumed into another interesting debate so am separating it out.

Here are two versions of the same snippet of recording that I did the other day (warning - may contain me). One has no EQ (and is therefore 'accurate'), the other has been EQ'd to a point where I thought the vocal sounded 'better'. Both have a modicum of compression and reverb and they have been normalised for volume as best I can.

http://www.getwaxed.co.uk/one.mp3

http://www.getwaxed.co.uk/two.mp3

1) Can you tell me which is the original and which is the EQ'd version?

2) Can you tell me which one you think sounds 'better'?

There are no prizes...

 

[Olli1324]

(1) is the original

(1) is my favourite

I'm very interested to see which one is which!

 

[Ravey Gravey Davy]

Here's a little experiment. One of these recordings is 'accurate', one is not. Can you tell me which one is which and which one you prefer? Warning: may contain me singing.

http://www.getwaxed.co.uk/one.mp3

http://www.getwaxed.co.uk/two.mp3

Just a bit of fun...

1/ 1 2/ 2

Excellent, thanks. Now - what does that mean?

Q1 Which one is accurate Answer 1 link 1 Q2 Which do you prefer. Answer 2 link 2

Now you add your bit.

 

[John Duncan]

Now you add your bit.

I know the answer so that would be cheating. This is carefully controlled ABX test.

 

[chebby]

When DSP becomes commonplace, then this sort of test/debate will be irrelevant.

In fact what you have done is simply what every sound engineer has done throughout recording history (and often with the help of active monitors) so it is a seperate issue to coloured vs 'accurate' hifi.

This is more like a... "Should sound engineers tweak the recording?" question.

 

[Ravey Gravey Davy]

When DSP becomes commonplace, then this sort of test/debate will be irrelevant.

In fact what you have done is simply what every sound engineer has done throughout recording history (and often with the help of active monitors) so it is a seperate issue to coloured vs 'accurate' hifi.

This is more like a... "Should sound engineers tweak the recording?" question.

Clicky

 

[John Duncan]

it is a seperate issue to coloured vs 'accurate' hifi

It is, but we've already seen that one person prefers what he thinks is 'coloured', one prefers what he thinks is 'accurate' (without knowing whether they're right) and the_lhc thinks I needn't have bothered...

 

[chebby]

Put me down in the... "I want more intelligent DSP solutions in hifi*, allowing me to recreate an acoustic of my choice either to match speakers to the room, or just for fun" ... camp.

* Regardless of whether active or not.

 

[chebby]

Ok I got two windows up in Safari on the iPhone and played both clips via AirPlay a few times (battling against the sound of thunder that is right over our house!).

I don't have any preference for either.

I think (1) has slightly more echo/reverb effect than (2) but that's about it.

 

[Anonymous]

i preffered 1.

but i think 2 is the original.

 

[Charlie Jefferson]

No actual "preference" (both lovely JD!), but I thought no.2 had a tad more reverb on it.

My get out clause, if and when proved otherwise, is that I listened on my iPad with a battalion of Y8 Drama students in the background.
(a colleague's class, btw. In case anyone wondered why I wasn't actually teaching them instead of participating in A/B tests).

 

[Anonymous]

I think No 1 is the original as there is more background noise, and No 2 is smoother sounding. Have to say i prefer No 2.

Interesting question i look forward to the answer.

 

[John Duncan]

No actual "preference" (both lovely JD!), but I thought no.2 had a tad more reverb on it. My get out clause, if and when proved otherwise, is that I listened on my iPad with a battalion of Y8 Drama students in the background. (a colleague's class, btw. In case anyone wondered why I wasn't actually teaching them instead of participating in A/B tests).

They both have the same amount of reverb on them, though whether the volume equalisation makes one's reverb more prominent than the other, I don't know - am new to recording vocals myself (and it's bloody hard).

 

[Frank Harvey]

As I mentioned in the other thread - I think the second is the more accurate one, but I am listening through a pair of B&W MM1's

 

[Charlie Jefferson]

Interesting stuff.

I am often involved in the recording of vocals (singing and speech), and we find it an often arduous processs in striving to capture what we set out to record.

Both dramatic speech and singing always seem to throw up a multitude of seemingly intractable problems, usually resolved by a compromise being reached between our sound engineer and the performer. Another decider is the usual "time and money" imperatives.

Following this thread with some interest.

 

[John Duncan]

Following this thread with some interest.

Which is more than can be said for most people, it seems ;-)

 

[DandyCobalt]

Version 2 sounds like the EQ'd one with effects (through my cheap computer speakers). But "better" depends on taste.

Imagine what an "accurate" recording of Posh Spice would sound like.

Thank goodness for sound engineers and their boxes of tricks and sliders....in the recording studio.

But I'd rather listen to what the artist and production team (including sound engineer) want me to hear, than what a box with a plug at home might decide to translate/interpret for me.

Accuracy, every time.

 

[Gusboll]

2 is the original and I like them both equally due to the meltingly delightful vocals.

 

[John Duncan]

2 is the original and I like them both equally due to the meltingly delightful vocals.

Your £5 is in the post...

 

[bigboss]

I preferred 1. It sounded more open. And yes, the vocals are amazingly good!! (now where's my £5? :glasses: )

 

[Gusboll]

I'm looking forward to a bit of 'Child In Time' as a means of making things truly experimentally valid. The screaming "oooh oooh" passage obviously.

Currently listening to: Gary Lucas

 

[Olli1324]

When do we find out who was right??

 

[RodhasGibson]

Hi John, Well I guess 1 = accurate and 2 has been tweaked a little

 

[manicm]

I suspect 2 is the original, but I prefer 1.

 

[manicm]

As I mentioned in the other thread - I think the second is the more accurate one, but I am listening through a pair of B&W MM1's

So am I