Hi End Converter Shootout - Blind Test

[I.R.Baboon]

Originally Posted by diggo

However, one of the factors influencing customers (mostly new potential customers) is the mastering engineer's gear list and associated photos. It's kind of the unmentionable elephant looming in the corner of the room, given more and more tasks are done ITB instead of OTB because it's often a faster workflow, which really matters in today's environment of shrinking mastering budgets.
Sean

In my experience no-one gives a damn about your gear, other then other mastering engineers. Don't delude yourself otherwise.

A picture of a nice studio, that's another story - that, of course, will make a difference.

[Strut78]

Originally Posted by I.R.Baboon

In my experience no-one gives a damn about your gear, other then other mastering engineers. Don't delude yourself otherwise.

A picture of a nice studio, that's another story - that, of course, will make a difference.

Yes and no In my opinion. Most bands and artists generally won't care too much about the gear but more so about the final product, however most of my mastering work comes from engineers and producers recommending my studio to the artists and I think on some level the gear is important in that regard.

Most engineers and producers will appreciate the difference between a high end analog signal path vs plug ins, especially if they haven't used the mastering studio before.

[JoleFIN]

Funny. I thought A is the most natural/straight in a way so I chose it. Felt like E had the most lows and hi's, giving it a sort of excited feeling against the other converters. Sort of appealed at first due to the open sound, but after a while it felt excited in that sense.... hmms and it's a Prism one, maybe the others are just damp

I might not be hearing most of it though :>
Running FF800 through Mackie 3204 to a Pioneer 80ies amp and pair of old "worn out" hifi speakers with passive sub elements (you don't see much of those but it's what I've used for mixing and civil life listening for the past 12 years and they are the last thing I would go change about.. rather add other speakers and monitors aside these )

edit: Needed to add, I didn't hear much difference between the rest of the matches, J was the least favourite being damper than others and maybe G had a little bit more mid range. All in all I don't think your #1 Billboard track is going to be a matter of which of these AD/DA chains you use

[bango9009]

Originally Posted by MattGray

If one thing could be taken out of this thread it's this...

No, nothing like that.

Really, nothing

Well, actually, the one good thing that is proven is that I, candidate Bango, was able to get more votes on my super-excellent poll entitled "Participation In D-Bag Polls Versus Experience" [which was up on Gearslutz for a mere few hours before being unjustly removed by the Gestapo], than you were able to get in several weeks of pleading in your dumb poll.

Originally Posted by mattbieber

It just goes to show that you don't need to spend 3 times as much to get a great sounding set of mastering converters especially true when many cannot discernibly choose an overall winner. Those that were able to discern the minor differences voted more for the lower priced units over the expensive ones.

No. Sorry, twenty-odd people [including complete lunatics] voting on Gearslutz over a period of weeks on end does not show anything.

Also, you are acting as if those people were actually able to discern differences accurately, or at all. But they were not. They were just bullshitting themselves and others.

Originally Posted by justingray

Glad I sold my Lavry AD122-96 MkIII when I did..

Oh, thank God.


VOTE FOR BANGO. [you know its the right thing to do].

[bango9009]

Originally Posted by MattGray

And what would these "much better" converters be in your opinion Bruce? Just curious.

I would still prefer the PM Model 2 over the Lavry Golds, Prisms & the HEDD. It is also one of the most neutral 'true to the source' converters I've heard. Even though for my tastes I still usually prefer the MADA-2 over the PM there isn't much in it that's for sure. Where the MADA-2 excels imo is the transient response & slightly better low level detail but perhaps the PM has the slightly flatter frequency response.

Priceless absurdity, alive and well on Gearslutz.

[Ask yourself, what would Justin Bieber do?]

[jackthebear]

Originally Posted by bango9009

Priceless absurdity, alive and well on Gearslutz.

[Ask yourself, what would Justin Bieber do?]

He'd definitely go the Forsell & HEDD options bango......after all it was tie with 4 votes each (last time I checked).....you can't argue with that kinda logic.....assuming I'm correct......maybe a special poll to help him decide???

It's a real conundrum......

You need a campaign manager?

VOTE FOR BANGO!!!!

[24-96 Mastering]

Call me crazy, but I believe it's entirely possible to state that one thinks the audible differences (or the statistical differences in votes) are small enough to be insignificant without being cynical.

[bango9009]

Originally Posted by jackthebear

He'd definitely go the Forsell & HEDD options bango......after all it was tie with 4 votes each (last time I checked).....you can't argue with that kinda logic.....assuming I'm correct......maybe a special poll to help him decide???

It's a real conundrum......

You need a campaign manager?

VOTE FOR BANGO!!!!

! Thanks! !

[Herbeck]

Originally Posted by 24-96 Mastering

Call me crazy, but I believe it's entirely possible to state that one thinks the audible differences (or the statistical differences in votes) are small enough to be insignificant without being cynical.

Just the other day I got an idea about oversampling that seems very promising, thanks to this poll.
Insignificant for some, significant for me.


All the best

Herbeck

[MattGray]

I already voted with my own ears which is the ones I trust to make the right decisions for my business... Nope, don't need a poll (or the poll troll ****) to make those decisions. I'd already made my converter purchases & sold the Lavry Gold before I put this thread up.

Whether you think the subtle differences between these converters are insignificant or translate to better results is up to you to decide. I just choose to use what works best for me & let the results of my work speak for itself.

[bango9009]

Originally Posted by MattGray

I already voted with my own ears which is the ones I trust to make the right decisions for my business... Nope, don't need a poll (or the poll troll ****) to make those decisions. I'd already made my converter purchases & sold the Lavry Gold before I put this thread up fuuck

It's obvious Bonkers Infinity doesn't have any decisive direction on what he believes, probably old & deaf in one ear or both which is why he has an issue with those that can hear things that he so obviously can't. Must be driving you bonkers or you wouldn't keep re-registering & posting such insecure drival

Whether you think the subtle differences between these converters are insignificant or translate to better results is up to you to decide. I just choose to use what works best for me & let the results of my work speak for itself.

Ha. I see you have taken the unfortunate step of giving me "the finger".

Young man, you might want to consider the fact that I now have a campaign manager, and you may well be hearing from my constituents after I am elected.


Or something.



Vote For Bango [because Bango likes votes].

and please send campaign contributions to Jack The Bear! [cash, unmarked bills, please].

[gutr2]

Hey Matt,
Thanks so much for putting this up for us.

I found it really hard to hear a lot of differences. I'm sure if the files were pure acoustic unprocessed recordings files, I would have heard more.
I say this selfishly as a producer, I know you've done this in your context of mastering.
Sometimes my brain works by elimination and I consistently (every occasion) picked out the HEDD as the "least good". Followed by both Prism units. I couldn't really pick a best one over the rest of them although I could hear slight differences.

That tells me the Forssell is a no-brainer for my next upgrade.
My listening chain is Lavry DA-10 into Focal Twins and Sennheiser HD600's.

[MattGray]

Just wanted to mention (seemed appropriate to post it here) that I had an email inquiry today where the client asked which 'word clock' I was using...

So for those who don't think it matters... think again!

I won't mention that they also asked if it was ok that their tracks were automated in PT 8.04...

[aleatoric]

Originally Posted by MattGray

they also asked if it was ok that their tracks were automated in PT 8.04...

Did you tell them it depends on what CS update they have?

[editronmaximon]

Originally Posted by MattGray

Just wanted to mention (seemed appropriate to post it here) that I had an email inquiry today where the client asked which 'word clock' I was using...

So for those who don't think it matters... think again!

That's tots fascinating.

Has anyone done a scientific poll to learn exactly what word clock is perceived by the majority of mastering customers as being the most desirable, so that mastering engineers know what to run out and buy?

Originally Posted by mattgray

I won't mention that they also asked if it was ok that their tracks were automated in PT 8.04...

I thought you weren't going to mention that.

[inlinenl]

Originally Posted by MattGray

Just wanted to mention (seemed appropriate to post it here) that I had an email inquiry

where the client asked which 'word clock' I was using...

So for those who don't think it matters... think again!

I won't mention that they also asked if it was ok that their tracks were automated in PT 8.04...

I bet he was from GS ....

[dcollins]

Originally Posted by inlinenl

I bet he was from GS ....

Or just shopping around until someone answers "internal crystal."


DC

[jackthebear]

Originally Posted by dcollins

Or just shopping around until someone answers "internal crystal."


DC

Indeed........advice is usually confirmation of the answer you've already come up with.....or told......

[JonesH]

Originally Posted by dcollins

Or just shopping around until someone answers "internal crystal."
DC

Heh. Clever!

[jahala]

Wow, just wow.

Found this thread while searching for information about the Prism Sound Orpheus. Well- as I was listening I found that I really loved C and I - And I was hoping one of them would be the Orpheus.

Now I really have to find me one of those Pacific Microsonics units! Never heard anything so open and defined. All the rest are smooth and nice in many subtle ways, but the difference in definition from the PM is amazing. The Pacific Microsonics blows the rest out of the water IMHO.

Where on earth do you find one of these units???

- J.

[MattGray]

Originally Posted by jahala

Wow, just wow.

Found this thread while searching for information about the Prism Sound Orpheus. Well- as I was listening I found that I really loved C and I - And I was hoping one of them would be the Orpheus.

Now I really have to find me one of those Pacific Microsonics units! Never heard anything so open and defined. All the rest are smooth and nice in many subtle ways, but the difference in definition from the PM is amazing. The Pacific Microsonics blows the rest out of the water IMHO.

Where on earth do you find one of these units???

- J.

You could've had mine.. I sold it not so long ago. Interestingly there were 2 files that were Pacific Microsonics Model 2's. You didn't find B & C to sound the same?

I'm now running two Forssell MADA-2 units.

[Arksun]

Originally Posted by diggo

However, one of the factors influencing customers (mostly new potential customers) is the mastering engineer's gear list and associated photos.

I can't speak for others, but for me personally the choice of mastering is down to one thing and one thing only, who the engineer is.

I always like to see the credits of who mastered stuff I particuarly like the sound of and see if there are trends of one mastering engineer name that keeps popping up.

[PrinsJan]

HEDD !!!!