Sound differences between FL Studio and Acid Pro

[Mattman04]

No, but dude, that doesn't take into account things like time stretching, which definitely is built into the Acid engine. What dude has given us here -is- basically a null test and Acid is failing it. Besides, what you're saying is that FL will produce the same file regardless of the float or dithering settings, which is clearly false.

Gotta have the same settings with 2 differant apps.
You settings must be identical.
Gotta have the same exact volume, same exact panning, same exact everything.
If your doing 1 thing differant in Acid than Fl, like timestretching, your effectivly ruining the test.
Timstretch must not be used for a this test to work correctly.
Timestretch itself is not a part of the engine code, but an algorithm.
For instance Tracktion 2 has a terrible timestretch algorithm, but with it turned off the audio is just as good as anything else.
If your sample is not pitched, or stretched it should sound the same across the board.
You are aparently stretching the sample in ACID, and comparing it to an unstetched one in FL.
Also when comparing 2 files they must be identical copies.

 

[metastatik]

I don’t use FL, so I can’t tell you exactly what you’re doing wrong…but you’re definitely exporting WAY too loud. That’s what a mastered track should look like…not one element of a mix. You need to leave yourself more headroom.

Maybe one of you cats with knowledge of FL can explain why this happened…
https://img104.imageshack.us/img104/4431/deletefo7.jpg

That’s the same section of each file zoomed in. It’s clear to see that the 2<SUP>nd</SUP> peak in the FL file is clipped. And the waveforms look totally different. I really don’t know what could’ve caused that…other than processing used in FL that was somehow bypassed before exporting to Acid.

BTW, to turn off Acid’s stretching algo…just change the track type to One Shot…instead of Loop or Beatmapped.

 

[Timbryo]

Damn, metastatik -- nice screenshot and diagram.

I took something different away from it than you seemed to, though. Since FL is a precursor to the Acid version, if the FL version is peaked, so will the acid version be. Therefore, that's at least one problem -- the FL mix is peaked and needs to be fixed. Secondly, however, the output from Acid does not match FL's output, and that is again cause for concern. It appears to be compressing the output somehow, and then maximizing it -- or otherwise altering the wave, possibly via timestretching.

My experience with Acid is that it does not always listen when you tell it not to use time-stretching, even setting it to one-shot.

 

[HeIsTruth]

Well, maybe that's the problem -- FruityLoops 1.0 is totally incomparable to FL Studio 7.

But I just don't see how you can think Acid doesn't sound awful. Everyone's got a different set of ears, I guess.

If anything, using it from day one would further prove that I'm aware of the improvements in sound and what not. Not saying Acid Pro is super and all, I've never used it. But i have a friend who uses NOTHING but acid, and the clarity and fullness of both his samples and drums are amazing....not to mention, he's just a youngin who doesn't know squat about improving quality, mixing, eq, etc.

 

[Sqito]

Maybe one of you cats with knowledge of FL can explain why this happened…
https://img104.imageshack.us/img104/4431/deletefo7.jpg

That’s the same section of each file zoomed in. It’s clear to see that the 2^nd peak in the FL file is clipped. And the waveforms look totally different. I really don’t know what could’ve caused that…other than processing used in FL that was somehow bypassed before exporting to Acid

What exactly did you do there?

To really be able to compare anything you should take a wavefile, load it in Acid & in FL render it on both to wav without applying any FX and compare the results with the original.
Only thing to consider though is to turn the channel volume of the sample on FL to 100% before exporting, because it's on 78% by default. Dunno if it's the same in Acid.

(actually exactly what Mattman said too and everybody else told too ^^)

 

[HeIsTruth]

Sqito, even with all things turned to 100 and with circular panning off,

its definitely louder...but STILL doesn't have the punch that i know other software to have. it HAS to be something with FL because I've been saying this since version 4, and im just talking FL itself...even with all the aforementioned adjustments, things sound better even in Edison, which is loaded INSIDE fl....so it's just weird, imo.


Load a sample into a channel, turn circular panning off and turn the volume on the channel to 100. then load that same sample into Edison.

Play both now. still a BIG difference.

 

[Sqito]

Yes, in volume. Not the sound itself.
What you perceive as more punchyness is actually simply just because it's louder.

though what you mentioned simply does not happen here.
the sample played back in Edison and the one loaded in the sampler channel 100% volume/circular pan law off are identical.
Make sure to click on the sample preview within the channel settings of the sample. That's where the sample gets previewed at its full volume without any velocity information involded.

I can't test this with Acid, but with Renoise. and it's the same there. Identical sound when playing the sample back at its full volume.

Dunno what's going wrong with Acid or if it's just placebo again.
I have two programs whose both rendered output totally cancel out to silence when phase inverting one and mixing with the other.
Maybe both do 100% exact the same error then or both programmers implemented the same "digital sound degradator"....or.....

 

[gettingstarted]

So thx for all answers but is there is still no conclusion about this topic. Maybe you guys make some tests on your own hand?

Also i have a off topic question - circular panning: OFF or ON, which one is better and why? Only difference i fell is in overall volume, maybe when "OFF" the sound is more "in your face" oriented, i dunno.

 

[Billy Handsome]

Fam Nice Brought up a good point...Acid does automatically drop eq plug on your tracks and its always a flat eq...this will completely ignore your FL midi mix...and you have to think...mixing wav is always going to be better than mixing midi...but we all know that...

 

[Sqito]

It doesn't matter if you amplify an instrument (in our case here a sampleplayer) with midi volume information, volume gain on the plugin or its wrapper itself or directly on the audiostream if no FX are applied. Internally the amplitude just gets multiplied by the factor you set.
midi is pre FX amplification, while the faders on the mixer (if not programmed otherwise) is a post FX amplification. It's not a matter of better or worse ("mixing wave is always going to be better"), but solely dependent on what you want to achieve.
And that's the case with all sequencers available actually. Just some set their default volume settings at different levels.

So thx for all answers but is there is still no conclusion about this topic. Maybe you guys make some tests on your own hand?

As I wrote, I made a test between FL Studio and Renoise. Both outputs were completelly identical, so it might be some issue with Acid which I don't have and can't test.

Also i have a off topic question - circular panning: OFF or ON, which one is better and why? Only difference i fell is in overall volume, maybe when "OFF" the sound is more "in your face" oriented, i dunno.

It's just about volume. Nothing more. Circular panning does balance better between the L/R channel, in a way that the overall perceived volume does not dramatically change when panning a sound.