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jenniek1138722
jenniek1138722
Participant
December 13, 2016
Answered

Why does the Waveform Editor mp3 have better playback/quality than the Mixdown Editor.

  • December 13, 2016
  • 2 replies
  • 2708 views

Been searching for an answer on this for a while.

I import an mp3 to my Multi-track Mixdown session. When I double click the file and listen to it in the Waveform editor, the audio quality is significantly better and cleaner. Imported audio file has no effects or changes on it. The multitrack session is 44.1 and 32 bit.

Wondering if there is anything I am doing wrong on my end or if there is a setting I am missing.

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer jenniek1138722

So, long story short, when I started my new .sesx file (File > New Multitrack Session) I chose "Empty Stereo Session" rather than "24 Track Session".

When I imported files into that, and listened to them from the Multitrack Editor vs the Waveform Editor and they sounded exactly the same (previously, the audio quality was lower in the Multitrack Editor).

Just for an FYI if anyone else has this issue

2 replies

jenniek1138722
jenniek1138722AuthorCorrect answer
Participant
January 5, 2017

So, long story short, when I started my new .sesx file (File > New Multitrack Session) I chose "Empty Stereo Session" rather than "24 Track Session".

When I imported files into that, and listened to them from the Multitrack Editor vs the Waveform Editor and they sounded exactly the same (previously, the audio quality was lower in the Multitrack Editor).

Just for an FYI if anyone else has this issue

Bob Howes
Bob Howes
Inspiring
December 13, 2016

The playback quality should be identical unless you apply some effects in the Multitrack view.

I'd double check the both the Track Effects Rack and Clip Effects Rack to make sure you don't have something accidentally left on and altering your audio.  Also check the same thing on the mixer panel since effects can be applied there.

Other than that, it's incredibly easy to perceive a difference in level as a change in quality.  Make sure that the Multitrack View isn't turned up or down.  This can happen on the "knobs" in the editor panel at the left end of each track, with the volume envelopes or with the faders on the mixer.

SteveG_AudioMasters_
Community Expert
SteveG_AudioMasters_Community Expert
Community Expert
December 13, 2016

Bob's correct - there's no actual difference at all, other than potentially a level change. I record classical music, and I use a very revealing pair of monitors in an acoustically treated room to edit in, and believe me, if there was any difference at all, I would have noticed it.

But, you do need to be careful with the settings. For instance, by default, Multitrack playback will be 3dB quieter than Waveform playback, simply because of the default for the pan law setting. But with no effects, the track fader at zero, all the pan controls set to 0 and the master fader set to +3dB (to compensate for the pan law) and routed to the same physical output as Waveform, playback will be identical.

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