Har-Bal Users Forum BBS

Hi all, can somebody please tell me why, when bounce a file using a certain chain of plugins
in Samplitude, and then i aplly the same chain in protools, when analysing the two file they are completely different, For the record the Samplitude bounce is clearly better. Ive tried mastering in protools for a while but it has been hard for me to obtain good results, but as soon as i started in samplitude it seemed to be alot more stable, and clearer. Any help would be appreciated, ive always loved protools but this is making me think otherwise.

First, how can you utilize the same plug-ins in these two different applications?

Second, not knowing what your PT set up is, how can a $1,000 software application (Samplitude) sound better than PT? You must be doing something wrong (operator error) to cause this. Unless you just happen to like the sound that Samplitude gives you.

Don't you think there is a REAL reason why pros invest $25,000 to $100,000 and more on Pro Tools and not $1,000 on Samplitude?

Need more details.

zumbido wrote:how can a $1,000 software application (Samplitude) sound better than PT?

Careful, zumbido... some people would make the same argument against Har-Bal! Seriously, price is by no means a reliable benchmark of quality.

zumbido wrote:Don't you think there is a REAL reason why pros invest $25,000 to $100,000 and more on Pro Tools and not $1,000 on Samplitude?

This opens up a whole other conversation, but suffice it to say that standards have little to do with quality. The short response to your comment is that Digidesign was one of the first (*the* first?) to penetrate the market, and they had a great marketing team. And having established themselves as a virtual standard, they can -- and do -- gouge WRT hardware pricing.

There are many examples of weaker products (that sometimes cost more) beating out better products to become the de facto standard: Windows, VHS, IPod immediately come to mind..

Jay

Touché!

Having said that, Samplitude still isn't in the same league as PT.

And some people will grow accustom to a particular 'sound'.

Reminds me of a duo from the mid 80s called 'David & David'. They got signed to A&M based on their demo made on a Tascam Portastudio. When they went into the world-famous A&M recording studios they couldn't 'beat' the sound that they'd captured on their Portastudio, or so they thought. In fact, as legend has it, they ultimately used the Portastudio as a pre-amp for mics and instruments. Of course, no one but me remembers them.

I don't see a problem with my comments when considering Har-Bal. H-B is such a radical departure from the old-school way of mastering. It's more in line with the way Bill Gates approached personal computing - he'd simply supply the software and you decide how much to spend on the computer and how far to go with it. A Har-Bal user could easily master through a Sony Oxford console, Macintosh tube amps and over the top $peaker$ if he chose too.

It's the mastering studios with piles of expensive leased gear and costly real estate rents that are running scared from H-B, PT is not running from Samplitude, yet.

Jay wrote:

zumbido wrote:how can a $1,000 software application (Samplitude) sound better than PT?

Careful, zumbido... some people would make the same argument against Har-Bal! Seriously, price is by no means a reliable benchmark of quality.

zumbido wrote:Don't you think there is a REAL reason why pros invest $25,000 to $100,000 and more on Pro Tools and not $1,000 on Samplitude?

This opens up a whole other conversation, but suffice it to say that standards have little to do with quality. The short response to your comment is that Digidesign was one of the first (*the* first?) to penetrate the market, and they had a great marketing team. And having established themselves as a virtual standard, they can -- and do -- gouge WRT hardware pricing.

There are many examples of weaker products (that sometimes cost more) beating out better products to become the de facto standard: Windows, VHS, IPod immediately come to mind

Jay

thank you jay.

Upon further investigation into Samplitude, it's only software.

Its performance relies on other factors - quality of soundcards, CPU speed, plug-ins, etc. If one had a massive rig, it might be up there.

PT HD/TDM are 'compatible' systems, just add a computer. And, when you buy a PT system you get the software free.

I can see one easily spending as much building a system around Samplitude. But you'd be forced to work on a PC. Of course, I even actually own one myself, amongst the Macs.

I've never knowlingly heard a production done with/on Samplitude.

With Samplitude, it's back to the point I made concerning Har-Bal & Microsoft - software only, it's up to the user to take it to the limit.

Better Samplitude comparisons would be with other programs that I use daily: Logic Audio, Cubase and the other popular ones: DP, Nuendo and Sonar.

zumbido wrote:Reminds me of a duo from the mid 80s called 'David & David'.
[snip]
Of course, no one but me remembers them.

I remember them! Sort of a modern rock/folk sound, right? "Swallowed By The Cracks" and "Welcome To The Boomtown" are the only familiar tracks. Were those hits? If not, what hits did they have? Not sure because the local station at the time often played non-hits from albums, so I often wasn't sure what was a hit and what wasn't.

Jay

zumbido wrote:Upon further investigation into Samplitude, it's only software.

Its performance relies on other factors - quality of soundcards, CPU speed, plug-ins, etc. If one had a massive rig, it might be up there.

PT HD/TDM are 'compatible' systems, just add a computer. And, when you buy a PT system you get the software free.

I can see one easily spending as much building a system around Samplitude. But you'd be forced to work on a PC. Of course, I even actually own one myself, amongst the Macs.

I've never knowlingly heard a production done with/on Samplitude.

With Samplitude, it's back to the point I made concerning Har-Bal & Microsoft - software only, it's up to the user to take it to the limit.

Better Samplitude comparisons would be with other programs that I use daily: Logic Audio, Cubase and the other popular ones: DP, Nuendo and Sonar.

This guy has a doctorate in DSP, so we should listen. Thanks Zumbido

"This guy has a doctorate in DSP, so we should listen."

This has only been opinion and conjecture. And, I only have a master's in Music Theory and Composition.

But, gee-whiz doogle, thanks for the temporary elevation!

p.s., stick with Samplitude, it obviously sounds better to you.