Software vs hardware sound differences

[andreb313]

I’ve alway been curious as to why when I use software eq, no matter if it’s a music player like iTunes or something like ProQ inside a DAW it always sounds significantly worse than if I run the audio through hardware like a SP-404 sampler and EQ from there. I notice a HUGE difference in boosting the bass, especially on good headphones. Has anyone noticed similar results in doing this?

 

[gregorio]

You do realise that the EQ within something like the SP-404 is a software EQ and therefore you are effectively stating that a software EQ “always sounds significantly worse” than a software EQ?

Maybe you’re just imagining a difference where there isn’t one simply because it’s a different unit/device or maybe there is a “HUGE difference” because the EQ settings are different or there is some additional processing occurring (either in your DAW or in the SP-404). If it were me, my first course of action would be to determine if there really is a huge difference, EG. Do a null test between the output from your DAW and the SP-404 using the same EQ settings.

G

 

[andreb313]

Interesting,thanks for the input. Could it possibly be the fact that when I notice this is when I’m plugging the headphones directly into the headphone jack on the sp-404 vs plugging the headphones into the computers audio interface. As you said I need to test it. Im not sure what exact frequencies are being boosted on the sp404 though, it’s three band EQ just say low mid and high.

 

[gregorio]

Could it possibly be the fact that when I notice this is when I’m plugging the headphones directly into the headphone jack on the sp-404 vs plugging the headphones into the computers audio interface.

Unless the headphone jack on both the audio interface and the SP-404 are both the same power (or very similar) then you will of course hear a difference, in volume if nothing else but typically differences in volume are also perceived as differences sound quality.

As you said I need to test it. Im not sure what exact frequencies are being boosted on the sp404 though, it’s three band EQ just say low mid and high.

If you don’t know what EQ you’re applying with the SP-404 (either the “Q” or the centre frequency of each band) then obviously it is very likely to sound different to another EQ with a different “Q” and/or different centre freq. As you mentioned the ProQ plugin, which is a professional EQ tool, I assumed you had a basic understanding of how EQ works but your last post implies that maybe you don’t? In which case, it might be a good idea to go and look up what a Parametric EQ (PEQ) does and maybe a Graphic EQ (GEQ) as well, as that seems to be what the EQ in the SP-404 is.

G

 

[Ghoostknight]

of course Q, Frequency and slope matters the most, so for real comparisons you have to match them but i have also noticed different sounding EQ implementations... you may just like one over the other, its pretty plugin dependent if we speak about softwareeq

tho if we wanna stay objective, i just advice you to try a linear phase eq and compare it with your eq device again, linear vs minimum phase can make alot of difference if your speakers and your hearing are sensitive to it, tho this is less noticable on headphones ime

 

[andreb313]

Hi I have more than a basic understanding of how EQ works inside of the DAW. I said I don't know the exact frequency bands that are being adjusted in the eq in the sp404 since it just says low mid and high. I have used many different software EQs, the stock eq in my daw, many different WAVES EQs, ProQ etc… Im well aware of the different affects a narrow vs wide Q has on the sound. I can tell you that if I was adjusting the EQ in my daw no matter how narrow or wide the Q was, what low frequencies were being boosted usually between 30 and 100 Hz when it comes to the low end, it always just sounds better (in the low end) when I run the track through hardware and EQ inside there. I’ve always noticed this with hardware. I also used to own a MPC 2000 and the drums always hit harder especially in low end and always sounded less compressed and you were able to slightly clip the low end without it sounding squashed like it does in a DAW.