Very OT: Current OS's

[mr_es335]

Hello,

I am very "curious" to say the least - and I am not too sure just how "south" this post will go. Regardless, I hope that Bob will "nuke the beggar" if it does.

It begins with a simple question - with the hope that due either to my neophyte-ness or my inability to state this particular question "just so" - that I will be forgiven:

"If a single performance was being recorded by the same engineer at the same time, using the same external hardware - mics, monitors and such, with a given software application running on a system with Windows XP and another system with Windows XX, on identical hardware, when the recording itself was completed, would I be able to hear, in a direct A/B comparison, the difference in the two recordings?"

To ask this question from another perspective, "Would I be able to tell what OS that particular performance was recorded on?"

One more perspective, "Everything else being equal, the only difference being the OS that was used - when the recording itself was completed, would I be able to hear, in a direct A/B comparison, the difference in the two recordings?"

I look forward to your reply...

[AudioAstronomer]

If there's some issues that affect the actions that the engineer takes when recording then sure, but that applies to anything. Someone walking up to the engineer and asking what his favorite sandwich is could do the same thing. Just being a different day can drastically alter the outcome of a recording.

Otherwise, no. No difference. The OS will not change anything unless there is a bug in the software being used.

[PhaseShifter]

"If a single performance was being recorded by the same engineer at the same time, using the same external hardware - mics, monitors and such, with a given software application running on a system with Windows XP and another system with Windows XX, on identical hardware, when the recording itself was completed, would I be able to hear, in a direct A/B comparison, the difference in the two recordings?"


If you perform a Null Test on the 2 recording, they should null out. If not, then you have a problem.

[mr_es335]

Hello,

Please note, I am stating, "Everything else being equal, the only difference being the OS that was used..."

[UpTilDawn]

Hello,

Please note, I am stating, "Everything else being equal, the only difference being the OS that was used..."

The OS should not make a difference to the quality of a recording.
The differences in how the OS interacts with the software and hardware of the system in regards to our audio needs is where all the issues stir up conversations and disputes.

[Richard Rupert]

Dell,

I believe I understand what you're asking, and my answer would be "no". The OS would not contribute sonically to the recording in any way.

[Grekim]

The OS has no affect. And it should be noted (as you already know) that whether the audio application or OS is 32-bit or 64-bit has no bearing either.
The two factors in recording quality are going to be dynamic range and bandwidth. Dynamic range is defined by bit depth, typically 16 or 24. Bandwidh is defined by samplerate. Both of these qualities are specifications of the audio card itself, which does not depend on the OS or DAW being used. Things like jitter and noise are also characteristics of the audio card itself.
Why do you ask? Are you hearing something different between systems?

[AudioAstronomer]

Hello,

Please note, I am stating, "Everything else being equal, the only difference being the OS that was used..."

My response is: it's not possible for everything to be equal, but if that somehow happened... no difference at all.

[mr_es335]

AudioAstronomer,

My response is: it's not possible for everything to be equal... ....I DO understand that my statement is hyperbole...but I meant it more as a figure of speech rather than an emphatic statement.

And Grekim, regarding your question, "No, I personally have not be able to hear any different between the different OS's."

PS: Thank you your brief but insightful explanation of dynamic range and bandwidth, very helpful indeed.