Goodhertz CanOpener
 

Rather than camp on the Abbey Roads Studio 3 thread I'm starting a new thread about ARS3 versus Goodhertz CanOpener. I've already made some comments about ARS3 and the rotation control and I'll not rehash that here. I'm looking more at the sound of ARS3 and found that I'm really not all that nuts about the overall sound. That got me to searching for other's thoughts on the plugin and I ended up looking at a thread over on Gearslutz.

What I found there that caught my eye was not so much poster's reactions to ARS3 but several talked about Goodhertz CanOpener so I did some digging there. It has a crossfeed algo (I believe ARS3 uses some kind of hrtf algo) that's supposed to emulate what it's like listening to real speakers on headphones. There's a lot of controls to work with for sure. They don't take into account head dimensions like ARS3.

Has anybody used CanOpener and what did you think about it? Currently $65 US which is a bit more than the Waves plugin. Worth it or is it snake oil? Also their copy protection entails having one's computer online but they do offer a challenge/response deal as an alternative. Anyone have any issue with their c/r?

Re: Goodhertz CanOpener
 

112dB has a similar plugin called Redline Monitor. Not used it but if you're doing a comparison, it comes with a 60-day demo.

Re: Goodhertz CanOpener
 

Thanks for the tickler on Redline. Interesting they don't have a picture of the gui on the product page. I am doing a comparison between ARS3 and CanOpener so adding one more to the party - no social distancing needed :rolleyes: - isn't an issue. So far ARS3 is at the bottom as I'm finding coloration on even the nearfields isn't to my liking. Looking more for transparent (I know what my cans sound like versus my nearfields) and ARS3 mucks that up.

Re: Goodhertz CanOpener
 

Am I ever thankful for demo s/w. Downloaded & installed 112dB redline monitor. Authorization is via an emailed license file that gets installed upon installation of the plugin. Quick & relatively painless.


Demoing redline versus CanOpener as ARS3 has been sidelined due to aforementioned sound issues. It does what it's supposed to do but I can't stand the frequency response curve especially in the midrange and highs. Those nearfields sure ain't flat by any stretch of the imagination.


Redline apparently monos bass freqs but there's no documentation to say at what frequency they start monoing. No output level control so you can't match ins and outs or compensate like CanOpener. Also doesn't appear to follow the Fletcher-Munson curves like CanOpener does.


Verdict for now - Goodhertz CanOpener for the win. More if/when I figure out more.

Re: Goodhertz CanOpener
 

Another option is Hear v3 by Flux. Has the added benefit that it supports surround formats all the way up to Atmos too - https://www.flux.audio/project/ircam-hear-v3/

Re: Goodhertz CanOpener
 

Expensive and the enable/disable button in the plugin doesn't work in PT 2019.6. However hosting the au version in Blue Cat Patchwork and using Patchwork's enable/disable button works. So the aax version is screwed-up. Have a support ticket in with Flux but I don't hold out any hope of this getting fixed as the plugin was last updated in 2018 according to their installer app.

Re: Goodhertz CanOpener
 

I tried Redline db112 in the past. I really didn't like how it sounded at all. But, I have to say I really do like the ARS3. I don't care for the head motion feature, and don't use it. If I do want to "turn my head", there is a nice little rotate control on it that can emulate that. But I find comparing how a mix (or individual track or submix for that matter) sounds on close, mid, and far monitors in ARS3 to be quite helpful. Just for fun I did a mix using only the ARS3 on my phones. Then, later, I bypassed it, and listened back on my regular studio monitors. I didn't want to change a thing. Just one guy's opinion.

Re: Goodhertz CanOpener
 

But how are you getting on with the change in sound that ARS3 imparts? I find some nasty stuff going on in the mids and highs that is not in the session. It completely changed the sound of some guitar work I have. Granted it doesn't actually change anything on the track but when one is trying to do an eval and you get a sound change along with the perspective change it makes things difficult to judge. Too many variables going on.

Re: Goodhertz CanOpener
 

I honestly haven't noticed that to be the case. Maybe its a difference in the headphones? I don't know.

Re: Goodhertz CanOpener
 

I'm using my AKG K271's as my 270's aren't totally functional anymore. And it doesn't make any difference what ARS3 headphone preset I use or even if I don't use one. Note that it doesn't happen on all material; mostly electric guitar and orchestral & synth brass.

As to Hear v3 by Flux - I heard back from support. I told them that the bypass button doesn't work on the aax version in PT but does work when the au version is hosted in BC Patchwork. They wrote back that the bypass button doesn't affect the number of outputs from the plugin and that Hear was like Downmix in PT. Never mentioned anything about changing the number of channels. Seems like their support people are as brain dead as those working for Native Instruments :(