I’m not actually expecting a direct answer to my subject question. I’d like to make a somewhat detailed comparison between MOXF and XF (soundwise). I’ve attached a zipped SMF of an XF demo song ("Xs’d Up"), and I’d appreciate it if someone would load the SMF to MOXF, save a 44.1k/16 stereo WAV, and post a zip of it. If you do so, please don’t process it (no EQ, etc.), and mention what was used to capture the WAV.

Thanks.

EDIT: Please use the Xs’d Up PC2.zip file attached, not the Xs’D Up one.
The reason is given later in the thread, in a December 13 post.

Xs'd Up.zip  (File Size: 23KB - Downloads: 726)

Xs'd Up PC2.zip  (File Size: 23KB - Downloads: 715)

attachment??

pax_eterna - 10 December 2013 10:54 AM

attachment??

Details, details… well, there’s one now.  ;-)

Thanks - but as an uncompressed WAV it is going to be pretty big..can the forum allow the size as an attachment?

pax_eterna - 10 December 2013 11:31 AM

Thanks - but as an uncompressed WAV it is going to be pretty big..can the forum allow the size as an attachment?

The zipped file should be about 15MB - the forum allows a 20MB attachment.

Just tried twice to upload - it gets to 100% and then the whole reply just disappears??

third time…

X'sd Up.zip  (File Size: 14555KB - Downloads: 674)

pax_eterna - 10 December 2013 11:40 AM

Just tried twice to upload - it gets to 100% and then the whole reply just disappears??

Is the attachment zipped?

EDIT: Never mind, you succeeded before I replied. :-)

Further info - recorded via the MoxF stereo l/r outs via Presonus Firewire i/f into Sonar X3.

5pinDIN - 10 December 2013 11:45 AM

pax_eterna - 10 December 2013 11:40 AM

Just tried twice to upload - it gets to 100% and then the whole reply just disappears??

Is the attachment zipped?

Yeah see above - I figured that was the problem the second time :-)

pax_eterna - 10 December 2013 11:46 AM

Further info - recorded via the MoxF stereo l/r outs via Presonus Firewire i/f into Sonar X3.

OK, thanks! As soon as I have an opportunity, I’ll get on this. I’m going to compare not only the XF with the MOXF, but also include the XS. I’ll be listening, of course, but also running some plots of things like frequency spectra, etc. It should be interesting.

Interesting and unscientific…
:-)

@pax_eterna:

Well, that’s “interesting”. I downloaded the file, unzipped it, and played the WAV. It “sort of” sounds like what I expected, but with an unusual difference. I’m not sure what’s going on. I verified that the SMF I uploaded is OK, by downloading and rechecking it.

I chose the particular demo because it used only Presets, no Mix Voices, etc. When the SMF is loaded and played on either my XS or XF, it sounds very similar. However, the MOXF recording doesn’t, but it’s not a quality issue. The Preset Voices of the XF and MOXF (ignoring Bank 9) should be the same. Could you verify that Part 6 is using PRE3/79 - West Coast? (It sounds very different on your recording.) Please also check whether Note Shift is at “+0” (zero) for Part 6, because it seems that what I’m hearing might be the correct Voice, but shifted down one octave. When I set Note shift at -12 for Part 6 on my XF, playback sounds like your recording.

Bad_Mister - 10 December 2013 02:28 PM

Interesting and unscientific…
:-)

It will likely be a lot more scientific than some of the outlandish comments about the sonic differences that have been posted. I realize there are pitfalls, but I’m hoping to be able to refute some of the naysayers.

On the other hand, I’m wondering what’s going on with the major audible difference that I just posted about. Let’s see if pax_eterna can help pin that down.

This is interesting but if the sound is not instantly recognisable as being different in more obvious ways isn’t the experiment flawed by the fact that we all hear differently, we all have different monitors/speakers and the audio interfaces used (and cabling if recorded through analogue outputs) will likely add different colouring to the recordings?.

(given you are comparing recordings made in different places)

The conversion quality of the final wav file may also differ DAW to DAW to get really knit-picky

A fairer test would be both boards through the same gear and monitors/speakers in front of everyone interested, in one room.

I realise this is the internet, of course!

I’m going to take an uneducated guess that you probably couldn’t get a cigarette paper in between the two boards for sound quality alone, or you could, but all it will be is a cigarette paper.

Also, what is sound quality? to some it means a nice clean output signal, to others it may have much more to do with how the two boards play the sounds/waveforms and similarities/differences in that?

Output level is also something that will be tough to measure here in two separate recording locations with different gear without using something that worked a bit like a test tone reference would.

5pinDIN - 10 December 2013 03:12 PM

@pax_eterna:

Well, that’s “interesting”. I downloaded the file, unzipped it, and played the WAV. It “sort of” sounds like what I expected, but with an unusual difference. I’m not sure what’s going on. I verified that the SMF I uploaded is OK, by downloading and rechecking it.

I chose the particular demo because it used only Presets, no Mix Voices, etc. When the SMF is loaded and played on either my XS or XF, it sounds very similar. However, the MOXF recording doesn’t, but it’s not a quality issue. The Preset Voices of the XF and MOXF (ignoring Bank 9) should be the same. Could you verify that Part 6 is using PRE3/79 - West Coast? (It sounds very different on your recording.) Please also check whether Note Shift is at “+0” (zero) for Part 6, because it seems that what I’m hearing might be the correct Voice, but shifted down one octave. When I set Note shift at -12 for Part 6 on my XF, playback sounds like your recording.

Changed - still checking - I didn’t have my reading specs on....

Confirmed it is West Coast note shift is at -12

Just before you ask ;-) I loaded the song to an initialised slot, so the -12 must be in the midi file itself perhaps?