Do all DAWs sound the same? (the official DAW sound test)

In todays video we use proper testing methods to understand if there is any differences between DAW playback sound, DAW export sounds, and DAW resampling. This is the first official test on YouTube that shows us whats REALLY going on.

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[artfxdnb]

A couple of issues with this test:

1. Screen recording will affect the audio, depending on what the settings of the recording software are. These codecs are not lossless so they will sacrifice some parts of the audio, therefore the audio from the screen recordings will never sound identical to the audio coming from the DAW, even if the two would be identical before the screen recording. So with other words, this is not a reliable test. Therefore, no the playback and output of Ableton isn't different (although it still could be), but what you are picking up is the artifacts introduced by the codec of the screen recording (which is probably either an MP3 or an AAC codec).

2. The Logic Pro file is ever so slightly off from the others, even though you said it's lined up properly. The audio playback proves this when you can hear the weird phasing once you cancel it to another recording. That phasing happens because there is an ever so minute difference in timing between the two files. Again, this makes it a poor comparison.

Therefore this simply isn't an accurate null test, what you should've done is taken an audio file, placed it onto a track in each DAW, bounced the results to new audio files with the same export settings in each DAW, then compare the new files by phase cancellation. That way you are purely relying on what the DAW does to the audio, not the codec of the screen recording software.

[xthetrader_]

Pro Tools & Ableton user here. I have noticed that my mixes sound a bit different between DAWs and never realized why. Thanks for showing this comparison.

[united]

thanks for this video, I I used LOGIC years ago when it was still running on Windows, then because Logic only worked on Mac OS, I switched to Ableton... and since then my problems with mixes started... I always felt that Ableton does not sound the same as Logic, but I was struggling with this thought because so many people use it, now you confirmed my fears, thanks again

[PMSTUDIOS]

I subbed because you gave a great Null Test. Keep the great info coming..

[nils]

Even when I use the playback engine from FL Studio in Pro Tools, I hear a clear difference and notice a distinct change in the way I mix. My best mixes have always come from Pro Tools rather than other DAWs, due to the signal processing and summing algorithms.

[luancarlosop]

I don't want to sound like a hater, but screen recording is not a viable way to make this type of comparison. Regardless of the fact that the sample used is the same in both DAWs, between the screen recording process and the production of the final video there are several variables, such as compression of the output video from the capture application, audio alignment, even some type of hidden sample rate conversion feature. If the screenshot codec is not lossless (which it doesn't seem to be, as the first phase inversion test shows exactly what we expect from a codec: loss of treble), this makes this test invalid.

[Manuel_Manzotti]

Live Ableton is not a DAW for mixing and mastering but for live session and production. That's why the audio engine is setup to give you in realtime on playback not the 100 % quality of the sound, because is meant to run without problem live or production sessions. If the audio engine is setup to give you in realtime 100 % quality on every playback, it will use more CPU and you will have other problems. That's why, Ableton, like FL Studio are designed for production and live sessions and gives you on playback lower quality. That's why DAW's like Ableton or FL Studio where never designed for mixing and mastering but for production, musical ideas or live sessions. So use Ableton just for production and live session and other DAW's like Studio One or Pro Tools for mixing and mastering.

[jorgedejesustejedavaldez]

One time I hear greg Ondo (a employee of Steingberg - Cubase Nuendo) said that he do a comparison with diferrent DAW with cubase and he found out that some DAW Phase Shift problems when they are doing playback. They really know what they are doing so I think about it a lot lol.

[rorystjohn]

I agree that this test does not prove what you are saying. If anything, it just indicates that there is a difference in screen-recorded audio from one platform to the other. That said, one really big factor when playing back audio in Live is the warping engine used. Typically no warping should be on if you want this to be a fair 1-to-1 comparison, and this was not evident from the video. But I would go even one step further and indicate project settings and audio file settings as the next main factor for a fair comparison. Without these details, then its an incomplete test imo.

[brenthandycts]

I'm sorry but your test method is invalid. The only way to do this the right way is to play pink noise from a single source into multiple systems using the same clock and then play them back against one another with analog polarity flips on the outputs.

[sattv]

Thank you. However, lot of people are saying the opposite.

I again I am 💯 with you on this topic.

[Андрюшкинс-чо]

It will be good if, by the next test of all major DAWs, you upload the original files and those that have passed through these DAWs.

[BassSeries]

People act like I am crazy or an ignorant when I tell them Pro Tools sounds different than other DAWs. Nice to see ppl are running tests and agreeing with this. Thx for the video. Subbed for Pro Tools vs other DAWs comparison.

[MuzdokOfficial]

i like fl studio for producing/sampling/beatmaking, studio one for tracking and recording, pro tools for post-production/editing and mixing.

[NORBZMUSIC]

It all comes down to audio engines, core code. I find it hilarious that people say things like "FL sounds better than Logic" or similar.. Sure, image-line built out a better audio engine and workflow than Apple lol. Maybe they sound a touch different but to say one is better is subjective dependant on what you're doing and how you're testing. I've built out tons of VST's, fx, romplers, Juce components, it all comes down to that core engine + code.

[norakat]

I notice there are differences not just in how they bounce or export but how they process plug-in synthesizers. A high quality Piano plugin I use sounds more natural on Protools as compared to FL studio. Who knows what causes it.

[organikarts]

i tottaly agree with your pov, this is the reason that people that really works with mastering don't do bouncing, they record inside the daw and them they pick the file on audio files folder.

[startingoverbygrace]

I definitely heard the difference immediately between Logic & Abelton.

[HOLLASOUNDS]

The files different on export vs what played jn the DAW because there is no bit rate cap while in the DAW vs when you have to export the audio from the DAW it will be t the 16 or 24 bit rate. The difference your hearing from the video capture is whats outside of the 16 or 24 bit Wave file exported from the DAW.

[Seraph]

Can you test Pro Tools vs Cubase? Please...