OT AB test : comparison between source / capture

There are two files, you only need to listen to one, note the name (after AD test in title) and decide if The OT capture is before or after the source file

Maybe the two files are presented in the same order, maybe they’re not, it doesn’t matter, just pick one I just wanted to rule out any selection/ordering bias assumptions - just listen and decide

What’s the OT capture, you know the device famous for flattening/colouring/spoiling everything at the MIxer Inputs :wink: so an answer is oranges 1 (1st) or 2 (2nd) or apples 1 or 2 or oranges/apples 3 i.e. they’re the same (maybe things ain’t straightforward, what do you hear ?? )

Fwiw it’s a file I found at short notice today, it’s a high res audio file freely downloadable, not my bag tbh, but it was showing decent dynamic range

One part of the file you listen to could be the source recording converted to 44.1 24 as per the OT capture spec, the other part of the file could be the OT capture (fed direct into AB via a MOTU interface at a level equivalent to the source, it was transmitted as a 32bit96k flac into the OT (Mixer Gain 0), before the file was converted to the OT format and tweaked by about half a dB to adjust for level mismatch - the OT capture was just a direct save of the 24bit AB rec buffer, no edits
… so one segment on at least one of the files has been through an additional DA/AD analog stage

pick one, just one at random and answer as above ‘name 1/2/3’ …

so, what’s the reckoning ? any takers …

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Man, those sound pretty flippin similar…
It’s no fair, I’m packing for moving right now so can’t listen through my monitors :scream_cat:

I’m gonna go ahead and guess that for apples the first section is the OT capture, but without my monitors I can’t make my best decision, and really they both sound fine…

I love how you posted on “clyp.it”, as were trying not to clip it… :wink:

Edit: Simple response: “Apples 1”

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Honestly I don’t HEAR any difference :stuck_out_tongue:
To be honest I don’t SEE any difference TOO :joy:

So I can’t play this game, it’s like if you asking me what’s Pepsi or Coke in 2 glasses but there’s Coke in both inside

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well, you never know apples 3 or oranges 3 may be a ‘correct’ answer - you’re welcome to try both files, but it’d be more interesting if folk picked just one at random

the important thing is does the OT destroy the source material the way the story goes (did you pick the right file) ? maybe it’s more obvious when listening to a lovely old synth direct to speakers compared to via OT digitally - either way, at least one file has an OT recording and it must surely be obvious based on all the hyperbole dished out over the years here

Just say what you think, that’s all, no wrong answers, just call it as you see it … name the file for the record though so we can compare stats

Sure BUT would it be fair if I forced me to pick something and say ok this part is subject to DA / AD
Like randomly ? Because honestly either way on BeyerDynamics Custom One Pro, Ultrasone PRO900, Focal CMS50 Monitors… I was unable to detect a difference by my hears or my eyes so…

I guess that statement should count, isn’t it ?
Or do I need to call my Otorhinolaryngology Specialist to test my hearing… Damn it may be time to be paired hahaha

EDIT :

We may be lost in translation here : all replies are valid, no reputations are at stake here

I write this smile on the face… just because I don’t know what to pick you clarify with point 1 - 2 and 3 by explaining !

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We may be lost in translation here : all replies are valid, no reputations are at stake here

apples 1 = my guess would be OT first
apples 2 = my guess would be OT second
apples 3 = my guess would be both sound the same to me
oranges 1 = my guess would be OT first
oranges 2 = my guess would be OT second
oranges 3 = my guess would be both sound the same to me

on at least one file there is an OT recording neighbouring a ‘source’ one, just stick to one file though (ideally) and name it for the stats (also no analytics etc) :wink:

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OK so :
apples 3 = my guess would be both sound the same to me

:joy:

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EDIT: cut a bunch of stuff to avoid biasing other people too much.

Oranges 2 is all I’m saying for now!

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Oranges. Can’t hear a difference.

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apples 1

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apples 1
oranges 2

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Going to fess up : I tried this, in all seriousness I tried to be scrupulously fair so I blindly renamed duplicates of those files, I did it a few times and there was no way i’d know which was which without looking at the byte count, there’s a tiny byte count difference

On the first few listens to, eventually, cheese and in the end wine too, I felt confident i’d been able to tell which part of a file I liked a little less, somehow it was hard to define, so I decided to obscure those filenames again and pick just one randomly and see if I could pinpoint what i’d presumed was the OT by establishing a marginal preference (from focussing on one/two aspects) for the other side (strange assumption, but that’s how the legend goes eh ? bad ot) … having identified a slight sense of a preference I made my call, I decided I was listening to file #### (i.e. one of the linked files), I knew the sequencing of #### and I thought that was that, but I’ll add this, with every successive listen it got harder and harder to hear a difference and I’m not blaming the tinnitus here either , I have some DT770 Pro’s on and I took a punt after many listens … when I had a feel for a preference I guessed the other side was the OT … and I was wrong :dismayed: (when I checked the file length) so I guess that means that when forced to make a call for a preference/assumption in this case I actually briefly preferred what turned out to be the OT, and for me, the differences are not significant enough for my ageing ears and whilst I’m smarting from not guessing right, I’m happy that the OT seems to be a fitting candidate for impromptu captures without too much worry about the fidelity, so there’s a win in there somewhere, maybe :wink:

I’ll see if there’s much more interest before opening up the debate, or i’d welcome another opportunity to try making a call blind if anyone else wants to set up a comparison for the rest of us with different material

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Haven’t listened to samples but you used mk2 right?

No, this is just for Mk i. I’ve never even seen a MK ii

The Mk ii can take much hotter inputs which I suppose in a roundabout way makes it harder to go FS on a sample capture … in a way this reveals more isn’t always better, perhaps when sampling quieter sources as you’ll be getting more mileage from your full scale bit depth on the older OT - although I doubt it means much at the end of the day for everyday use - the Mk ii will be a good ally in the modular world and for taking on the Rytm which is rated at the same output as the MKT ii’s inputs/outputs

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Yeah, I thought an advantage of the extra headroom in the MKII might be more headroom in the actual analog signal path so you could push the inputs hard without distorting the input pre ADC, but after doing those tests the other day for the new gainstaging thread I’m not concerned about that at all, because it looks like the MKI ADC clips long before there’s any noticeable distortion in the analog section, so now I feel comfortable pushing the inputs as hard as I can without digital clipping.

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Oranges 1

But the difference isn’t worth anyone’s salt.

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I couldn’t download oranges nor apples with my Android. Actually this is reassuring and I prefer bananas. :banana::banana::banana:

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:sparkles::thup::sparkles: