Sound quality of mixing in Protools vs others..Discuss

[twix]

I would like to hear from anyone with first hand knowledge or working with someone with first hand knowledge on the quality between Protools and other software when mixing (i.e Cubase or Nueudo). I have had a couple of major engineers telling me they move their sessions to different software to mix on (if it's in-the-box) because it sounds better. While I haven't purchased either one to run my own tests yet, I am interested to hear from some people who maybe doing this. Thanks.

[suicune]

Can't comment on Cubase or Nuendo, but personally I definitely prefer the sound of PT to Logic. We switched about 6 months or so, and even though we use all the same 3rd party plugs and hardly any of PT or Logic's own all our mixes sound better now.

[promixr]

For every example of someone switching from Pro Tools to another DAW, you can probably find an example of someone going the other way.

People convince themselves that it's the software working some magic, but it's probably the engineer. A talented engineer will be able to get a good sound out of all of these DAW's.

There is no software on the planet that will mix a record for you, just like there is no hammer that will build a house for you. *People* mix records, a DAW is just a tool for someone that knows how to use it. The skill level needed to mix a record is something that takes time and practice, like everything else in life. If you've selected Pro Tools at your DAW of choice my advice is to learn it inside and out, make sure the rest of the gear in your studio is set up properly and is quality, and don't worry about what other people have...

[Digitopian]

I believe what Twix is simply asking is if anyone has noticed a difference in the sound of the mix engine between various daws. I personally can't say either way as i have been using protools since I started doing computer based recording. Before that I was using the roland VS series stand alone workstations. But that is comparing apples to oranges, or at the very least is not the information you are looking for. I do agree that in the end you can get a decent sounding mix out of just about anything given your experience, ears, etc., but great pre's, converters, mics, outboard gear, and plugs definitely don't hurt either!

[suicune]

People convince themselves that it's the software working some magic, but it's probably the engineer. A talented engineer will be able to get a good sound out of all of these DAW's.

I wasn't trying to claim otherwise, and I don't believe twix was either, but DAWs do sound different just in the way they handle audio. I did actually transfer some of our sessions over from Logic to PT in their entirety just to check this out - with all plugins intact, AAF export for volume changes, and all the plugin settings copied over (waves plugins mostly so I was able to import them directly). And the mixes definitely sounded different.

[drenkrom]

While all the clichés about the man, not the machine, etc... are true, different audio engines do have different sounds. Personally, I find all pro DAWs rather interchangeable in that respect. I hear slight differences, but nothing that sounds clearly "better" or "worse" than anything else. Just different. I base my choice of DAW on the ergonomics of the work at hand, not the oh-so-slight difference in sound.

We don't buy DAWs to listen to the audio we put inside them. We buy DAWs to work with the audio inside them so others can listen to it.

[O.G. Killa]

The proof is in the pudding...

http://www.megatrax.com/core/cd_deta..._type=Megatrax

Listen for yourself. Half of this CD I mixed in Logic, the other half I mixed in Protools HD (and I think there are maybe 2 or 3 tracks the composers mixed themselves in logic). Can you tell which tracks were mixed in which DAW? Even if you can't say "This is the sound of Protools/Logic", Can you even hear enough of a difference to say "these tracks sound the same, but different from these other tracks?"

Now, I have my preferences, and I much prefer Protools for mixing. But strickly in terms of sound quality, as others have mentioned, a good sound engineer can make a song sound good regardless of the DAW. It might take longer on one DAW than another, but it will still sound good at the end. Anyone who tells you otherwise is "buying the snake oil" so to speak.

[KingFish]

As everyone's already said.... You hire Musicians, Engineers, Producers, Mastering Guys, for their ears, their artistry, talent, and vibe. Not the tools they use.

Give a Great mix engineer Garage band, he'll probably figure out how to get it as close to as "Slammin'" as "One of his mixes" on his own tools. It's our ears that take us to the finish line, and WE choose the tools that get us there with the most ease.

EVEN IF the mix engine in Nuendo sounded 15% Different the the Mix engine in Pro-Tools HD - I'm sure my ears would eliminate most of the differnce in what I "Strive for" in a Mix.

It'd really be one of those scenarios, that "It sounds different", not "Better" just different.

If I were Given a Mix to start from scratch on a Tuesday, then the same mix to re-start from scratch on a wednesday - the 2 mixes would likely be very similar in "Nature" but VERY different in a Phase Null test

There are lots of posts "Comparing Pro-Tools" to all the other DAW's but most of us are here because we're Pro-Tools users.

Some guitarists play Fender, Some Gibson, Some PRS etc... what's better?? it's all in the hands of the Player.

There's a producer that made a fairly profound Quote once.... "I'd rather have him mix the album on a laptop, with a pair of headphones, then alot of guys in a Million Dollar Neve Room"

Crediting the Mixer, with all of the responsibility.

[CHRIS WILSON]

Hi , i am new to this forum , I live and work in London , most of my work is based around recording and production for the release market, and I have worked extensively with Logic / pro tools / Dp / Cubase . I have found that despite many arguments I have had with other sound engineers who all deny that any DAW can produce different results due to the binary maths involved . My own observations are that at the track level it may be virtually impossible to identify differences and files will cancel each other out ,but at the summed level , there are simply many differences , and in simple terms , Pro tools has a balanced and expansive sound reminiscent of a top quality analog recorded sound , Logic has a direct and powerful presence , DP seems to show a very very tight and almost 3 dimensional quality with all frequencies in a wonderful balance , and Cubase to my ears produces the most musically satisfying sound . I still maintain that i am not imagining anything!!! , I have worked for so many years and will continue to for producers in the UK , and when i demonstrate the differences , I have never failed to surprise sound engineers .I opt to use whichever software suits the project I am involved with at the time . Of course a good producer can achieve a fine mix with any of the current DAW's available , but the working methods would need to adapt a little to suit the characteristics of each program .

[albee1952]

My 2 cents; I sat thru a double-blind comparison several years ago between Pro Tools and Nuendo. At the end of the day, nobody could pick one over the other. That was handled by using the same source audio, the same converters in both directions and no plugins(hence, what I would call a "fair" comparison). As soon as you consider different sources, different converters, or add plugins, all bets are off(to me, anyway). Having listened to most of the major players, the only one that actually sounds "better"(a subjective term) is Harrison Mixbus, which is no where near a replacement for PT(or any other big DAW).