KVR Audio

arielgraff · Post by **arielgraff** » Thu Oct 29, 2009 4:06 am

Hello people,

Thank you very much for you help. Could someone please explain this to me:

Does DAW DAC (Digital to Analog Converter) differ in Cubase from Ableton and is of better quality?

I find un-mixed material to sound cleaner and clearer in Cubase versus Ableton. Am I just biased? I do find Ableton's workflow to be much better than Cubase and especially under loop/midi circumstances.

Using 32bit Float /44.1 in Cubase 5 versus High Quality setting in Ableton / 44.1 in Ableton via M-Audio Profire 610.

I am working mostly with Mutteki Vengeance Samples and Native Instruments Battery.

Thank you for your responses!

thecontrolcentre · Post by **thecontrolcentre** » Thu Oct 29, 2009 4:09 am

It's pointless starting another thread asking the same thing ...

arielgraff · Post by **arielgraff** » Thu Oct 29, 2009 4:11 am

thecontrolcentre wrote:It's pointless starting another thread asking the same thing ...

Sorry control, this Forum is definitely a better suit for my question, I will delete the other thread upon ability.

proletkult · Post by **proletkult** » Thu Oct 29, 2009 9:59 am

I'm no expert and I haven't seen your other thread(why did you do that?) but I stopped using Ableton Live a little while ago because I came to the same conclusion you have about the sound quality. Besides, C5 has everything I need. I've also read many threads rating the "engine" inside Cubase and Logic as being better than Ableton.

The workflow is very good, though. Have you tried writing with Ableton and transferring files to Cubase(though I'm not sure how much better this will be than just working in Live)?

Josmoker · Post by **Josmoker** » Thu Oct 29, 2009 10:24 am

DAC definitely does not - they both use what you have in your DAW. I don't know which bit depth Ableton uses in High Quality mode, apart from that they should not differ, though.
Could be some hidden setting, though...
Cheers, Jo

computercontrolled · Post by **computercontrolled** » Thu Oct 29, 2009 3:16 pm

I switched from cubase sx 3 to live beacause of the workflow., i recentrly tried cubase 5 and i was blown away by the sound quality, crital clear, while ableton its fat!!! but i love live's workflow i tried to make a track in cubase 5 and i got so bored 10 after, i know it has tons of new features but i dont need em really.

At the end of the day i think its about the workflow at least for me.

arielgraff · Post by **arielgraff** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 2:34 pm

Thank you for all the great input people!

Can we have some more inputs on this topic especially from experts! So does the "engine" really make the difference?

Ableton surely has a superior workflow but I'm more concerned with quality than workflow.

Thanks and I am looking forward to hearing your input!

dgkenney · Post by **dgkenney** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 3:23 pm

arielgraff wrote: Does DAW DAC (Digital to Analog Converter) differ in Cubase from Ableton and is of better quality?

They are identical since neither one exists.

Dan

steffensen · Post by **steffensen** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 3:29 pm

dgkenney wrote: They are identical since neither one exists.

Dan

What he said.

grymmjack · Post by **grymmjack** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 3:35 pm

hehe

i think so much of this is placebo.

OP: post two identical mixes made with each so we can hear what you are hearing.

robogone · Post by **robogone** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 3:35 pm

Are we really going over this again? Shouldn't someone contact Villalobos so he can give him opinion on the 'sound engine' or whatever it's being called now?

arielgraff · Post by **arielgraff** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 3:40 pm

Ok, I understand from what just has been said that DAWs sound identical given the same bit depth and sample rate and same VSTs or same samples.

Is that the bottom line? Forget the whole "engine" question, are you all agreeing that "difference" in clarity is bullshit?

robogone · Post by **robogone** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 3:48 pm

arielgraff wrote:Is that the bottom line? Forget the whole "engine" question, are you all agreeing that "difference" in clarity is bullshit?

Pretty much. It seems to be fashionable to hate on a particular DAW because of its 'engine' or the quality of its DAC or ADC or whatever this month's flavor is.

Let me ask you this - did you notice any difference before anyone told you there was any difference?

arielgraff · Post by **arielgraff** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 3:57 pm

To be honest nobody has told me one was better. I purchased both softwares last summer and found the "difference" myself. I am almost willing to bet it's some setting I am overlooking. However I am using same bit depth and sample rate with ASIO.

computercontrolled · Post by **computercontrolled** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 3:59 pm

I think quality can misunerstood, theres no point (for me at least) to talk about quality uf ur using m-audio stuff por example, in a home/room studio, of course u can get amazing results.what im trying to say is that i u really want quality go buy an RME soundcard,adam monitors,uad card,acoustic treated room etc....i forgot study some sound engineering course.

perhaps u already knew that...at the end of the day software by itself wont male to much difference if u know how to use ur tools i bet u can make quality stuff in ableton,logic,cubase,sonar etc....

For me workflow is the most important matter, i was bored to death making music in cubase, when i switched to live muy tracks sounded better, not beacause of live, because i was feeling more comfortable and that was reflected in my tracks.

Cubase & Ableton DAC