Loopback vs Bouncing

[AStacy2]

I recently read an article on using loopback recording instead of your DAW's internal bounce function. I forget where I read this but it was saying that loopback sounds a lot better than the DAW's internal bounce. Basically just routing your digital outputs to your digital inputs and recording that stereo track.


I was wondering if any of you have tried this and if it really sounds better or if there is any difference at all as compared to the DAW's internal bounce?

 

[Brett - K A L I S I A]

Yes I'm doing this now since I noticed differences between my mixes and my exports in Cubase (apparently, all softwares behave differently but none of them perfectly on the subject). Now, what I hear is what I print.

 

[s34nsm411]

what is loopback?

 

[AStacy2]

Loopback recording is routing your digital outputs to your digital inputs and recording that stereo track instead of using your DAW's bounce function so that it dosen't render the mix in any additional ways.

 

[AStacy2]

Loopback recording is routing your digital outputs to your digital inputs and recording that stereo track instead of using your DAW's bounce function so that it dosen't render the mix in any additional ways

 

[Mutant]

Basically just routing your digital outputs to your digital inputs and recording that stereo track.

Hmmm maybe i'm stupid or something or have a bad intelligence biorhythm today, but i don't see how this (100% digital) approach can be better than bouncing in a modern (100% digital) 32 or even 64 bit daw.

If you have time to conduct an experiment:
1. Bounce a track in your daw.
2. Use digital loopback to create a second track.
3. Invert phase on one of them.
4. Mix the tracks 50/50.

The resultting track will show you a difference if there is any.

 

[Mutant]

On the other hand if you use analog outputs and inputs then the signal will go through da and ad conversions which may smooth the signal a little bit.

 

[Brett - K A L I S I A]

And yet there is a diference, it's because of something along the lines of "summing" or something like this

 

[chadsxe]

I would imagine this would be highly dependent on how good your DA/AD setup. And I would also make a guess at that most pro-sumer equipment is not up to the task.

 

[CJWall]

How would one do this? I don't quite understand.. but I have been irked at the difference between what I'm hearing in my DAW and what I hear after export. Subtle but definitely different.

 

[Mutant]

And yet there is a diference, it's because of something along the lines of "summing" or something like this

Hehehe if Cubase can't add numbers properly then i want my money back !

 

[JeffTD]

Once you record the stereo track, though, how are you supposed to get it to WAV or MP3 format without bouncing within a DAW? Just export it?

 

[TheStoryteller]

Hehehe if Cubase can't add numbers properly then i want my money back !

This is not a cubase issue. Some plugins, especcially compressors, behave differently when bounced, compared to when used in realtime, i.e when you press play and listen.

 

[Mutant]

This is not a cubase issue. Some plugins, especcially compressors, behave differently when bounced, compared to when used in realtime, i.e when you press play and listen.

The question is do these plugins sound better or worse in real time ?

 

[TheStoryteller]

The question is do these plugins sound better or worse in real time ?

When I did a null-test about a year ago, I did it because I thought the bounced version sounded worse. The audible differences were mainly in the transients of the drums, and resulted in a flatter and more lifeless mix. I started disabling plugins, and when I came to the compressors I suddenly got 100% phase cancelling in my test. Probably something with the attack times, I don't know really. But there WAS a difference, both audible and measureble.

 

[Mutant]

When I did a null-test about a year ago, I did it because I thought the bounced version sounded worse. The audible differences were mainly in the transients of the drums, and resulted in a flatter and more lifeless mix. I started disabling plugins, and when I came to the compressors I suddenly got 100% phase cancelling in my test. Probably something with the attack times, I don't know really. But there WAS a difference, both audible and measureble.

Can you remember exactly which plugins show that behavior ? Freeware or payware ?
I want to avoid them - if i were a painter i would not want to wear colored and/or dissymmetrically polished glasses.

 

[Brett - K A L I S I A]

The question is do these plugins sound better or worse in real time ?

No this is not the question, the question is : do I print what I hear ?

 

[Mutant]

No this is not the question, the question is : do I print what I hear ?

I was talking about this part of thread starter's original question:

and if it really sounds better

 

[TheStoryteller]

Can you remember exactly which plugins show that behavior ? Freeware or payware ?
I want to avoid them - if i were a painter i would not want to wear colored and/or dissymmetrically polished glasses.

Unfortunately I don't remember, but I assume I used some Waves-plugins at the time.

 

[Brett - K A L I S I A]

Ha yes sorry, I thought you were talking in the absolute