Soundcloud

Anyone on the forum using soundcloud? I uploaded a track to them. It hasn't shown up on my page, the dashboard won't load, I haven't heard back from them since my last help inquiry.

I PREFER Soundcloud, actually.  MUCH more so than Soundclick.  A.) it's infinitely friendlier with iProducts and B.) You CAN make a track private (I have several) C.) I can upload a wav file (the max limit is set by hours not by bytes, even on the free version) and D.) it's easy to "follow" people and see what others are doing (specifically, some of my friends from hereand elsewhere).

As to your dashboard issue.... I wish I help.  Have never had a problem at all.

yep,  I use it all the time.  I got fed up with soundclick and soundcloud has been much better, IMO.

I like that SoundCloud lets you upload high-quality MP3s regardless of their size, unlike SoundClick's restrictive 10MB limit. There is, however, a 2-hour maximum for all files on a free SoundCloud account, whereas SoundClick has no maximum total that I'm aware of.

Streaming playback quality is the same whether you use SoundCloud or SoundClick: a barely-acceptable 128kb/s. 

I would think that (maybe false thinking also) that whatever is loaded up should be what is played back - wave or *.mp3 whatever sample rate is used. Oh, well, probably not!

However, it's been posited by Daryl1968 that is you upload a 24/48 wav to SoundCloud the playback seems better to him than if you upload a 320kbps mp3. I've not tested that theory but Danny has always said (to me at least) that it better to make mp3's from 24bit masters as opposed to 16bit masters IIRC.

As a general rule, the higher the quality of the uploaded file the better it will sound when re-encoded to 128kb/s for streaming. Whether or not you'd be able to hear a difference between a 320kb/s file re-encoded to 128 versus a PCM wave file similarly re-encoded to 128, I'm not so sure. Most people have a hard time distinguishing the two anyway, even before they're been mangled.

I tested this by uploading 4 different versions of the same short (45-second) song snippit to SoundCloud: 
- 44.1/24 PCM  
- 320kb/s MP3 
- 192kb/s MP3 
- WMA

They are labeled SC_TestA, SC_TestB, SC_TestC and SC_TestD (not necessarily in the same order). The song has a fair amount of high-frequency content, including bitrate-revealers such as tambourine, shaker and acoustic guitar. 


Try to be objective and see if you can tell the difference by ear alone - no cheating.  Here's the link.

EDIT: SoundCloud choked on one of the files, so there are only 3 files up there. I'll try again to upload that fourth sample.

Heh...  To me A and D were very similar and B seem slightly less present.  The differences were negligable though.  I'll go with A as the .wav, D as the 300kbps and B as the 192kbps.

That said, it would surprise me that what I was hearing in B was more headroom making IT the .wav!  Oh well...

I liked that sample track though - very cool tones!
 
[Disclaimer]
I once took a single song and played it back in a BUNCH of different formats and resolutions on a $3,000 stereo system I used to have.  I, personally, couldn't really tell any difference once the resolution was at 192kbps or above which is why all of the songs in my iTunes are at 192kbps.  YMMV!
[/Disclaimer]

bitflipper

Sennheiser HD600s

Elitist!


BTW, there is no 128kb/s sample. They're all 128kb because that's what SoundCloud re-encodes everything to for streaming. I really should have put a 128kb file up there for comparison, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. The lowest I could bear to go is 192kb/s.

Ya, I saw that. It was a typo. I fixed it.

This is fun. I actually had to refer to my files to remind myself which was which, 'cause I really couldn't tell (with my bargain Audio-Technica headphones). 

But I can easily tell the difference between the SoundClick file and the original played locally. The original is much crisper and spacious-sounding. I know, that sounds like audiophile-talk. It's hard to describe, but the streamed version just sounds muffled and dull by comparison. And less stereo-y.

Although SoundCloud purportedly accepts WMA, which my "C" sample was, it could not be uploaded after three attempts. I'm guessing nobody cares about WMA anyhow.

Another downside to SoundCloud, and I guess every similar song-hosting service: SPAM. I've had these files up for less than an hour and they've already attracted spam comments. One "alyssa211" thinks the song sounds good and should be promoted - for a fee - by her friends on facebook. To paraphrase my favorite philosopher, Bender: Alyssa211 can bite my shorts.

All the brits are watching futbal soccer.

So Daryl may not see this for a while.

Can't vouch for the others though. 

What would you have done if England lost?

Listen on these?

daryl1968


If England lost - I wouldn't be quite so perky would be an Arse 

Ja, I know what you mean

For me D is the PCM

HAH!

Out of three guesses (criagb and I) 2 A's and (Daryl) one D.

Further proof I'm prolly wrong (unless Bit keeps flipping them ).