Wrongnoterod
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why do my tracks in SONAR sound different than when played in Foobar or Audacity?
anybody have an ideas how I can make them all sound the same? Tracks played in Foobar and Audacity sound exactly alike.... but files created and played in SONAR sound fine on their own - then played back thru Foobar or Audacity, the bass is much too loud.
This is weird - anybody else ever experience this?
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bitflipper
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Re: why do my tracks in SONAR sound different than when played in Foobar or Audacity?
2017/12/31 00:59:29
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Internal or external sound card? File format (e.g. wav, mp3, FLAC)?
Import the exported file back into SONAR and A/B it against the project mix. Do they sound the same?
 All else is in doubt, so this is the truth I cling to. My Stuff
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SergeQ
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Re: why do my tracks in SONAR sound different than when played in Foobar or Audacity?
2017/12/31 14:30:53
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sonar uses asio, foobar - win drivers (that can be with "enhancers")
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Wrongnoterod
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Re: why do my tracks in SONAR sound different than when played in Foobar or Audacity?
2017/12/31 16:27:33
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OK, that might explain it. Thanks for the help.
I check my mixes in either Audacity or Foobar. Do they both use windows drivers? Because the mixed tracks sound identical in Audacity and Foobar, and somewhat different than listening to the same track in SONAR. And yes, the imported mixed wav sounds identical inside SONAR, A/B with the project mix.
Basically, SONAR sounds one way, good, but Audacity and Foobar both sound another way... the tracks to me actually sound better in Audacity and Foobar.
Theres another issue compounding this and I wonder if it is the root of the problem.. I have a lousy cheap soundcard, a Soundblaster... it has no ASIO drivers so I'm having to use this wretched third party thing called ASIO4ALL in SONAR.
Does anybody (besides me) think that might be the issue? That SONAR is going thru ASIO4ALL and the other two programs are not, and somehow ASIO4ALL is coloring the sound?
thanks for any help.
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SergeQ
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Re: why do my tracks in SONAR sound different than when played in Foobar or Audacity?
2017/12/31 16:42:44
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you already have right answer =)
happy new year
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Wrongnoterod
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Re: why do my tracks in SONAR sound different than when played in Foobar or Audacity?
2017/12/31 16:47:37
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Ha! thanks, I knew it.
Should I start a new thread about "which soundcard to buy for Windows 7?"
I dont have a lot of money maybe 200$ tops. I looked on sweetwater and there is NOTHING in that price range.
I'd rather go PCI soundcard than a USB interface. I'm completely tapped out with USB ports, all are in use.
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jimfogle
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Re: why do my tracks in SONAR sound different than when played in Foobar or Audacity?
2017/12/31 18:18:35
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Finding a new, non Creative, internal soundcard that plugs into a PCI motherboard port will be difficult. Motherboard manufacturers replaced the PCI port with the more versatile PCI-E standard. Most new internal soundcards use PCI-E connections.
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Wrongnoterod
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Re: why do my tracks in SONAR sound different than when played in Foobar or Audacity?
2017/12/31 18:34:10
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OK, I was wrong, I have PCIe.
Didnt know there was a difference until I looked at the soundblaster box.
The card has been in the machine for a long time now, so its been a long time since i even considered what kind of slot I had on the motherboard etc
does that make a difference?
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35mm
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Re: why do my tracks in SONAR sound different than when played in Foobar or Audacity?
2017/12/31 18:54:10
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Also, I assume you are playing back at the same bit rate and sample rate? This will make a difference.
Splat, Win 10 64bit and all sorts of musical odds and sods collected over the years, but still missing a lot of my old analogue stuff I sold off years ago.
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Wrongnoterod
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Re: why do my tracks in SONAR sound different than when played in Foobar or Audacity?
2017/12/31 19:41:12
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yes, both SONAR and Audacity are set to 44.1 and 16bit
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Anderton
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Re: why do my tracks in SONAR sound different than when played in Foobar or Audacity?
2017/12/31 20:53:13
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☄ Helpfulby bobguitkillerleft 2018/01/01 12:55:45
I was tricked once when playing a project I'd mastered back on a laptop. The "enhancements" were selected for the internal sound chip, and the music sounded like crap - compressed and trebly. I couldn't believe I thought I'd done a good mastering job 
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panup
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Re: why do my tracks in SONAR sound different than when played in Foobar or Audacity?
2017/12/31 21:49:17
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☄ Helpfulby bobguitkillerleft 2018/01/01 12:56:16
Anderton
I was tricked once when playing a project I'd mastered back on a laptop. The "enhancements" were selected for the internal sound chip, and the music sounded like crap - compressed and trebly. I couldn't believe I thought I'd done a good mastering job
Similar thing happened to me in the past: I had mastered a live jazz band album and I though I left it very natural. Few days later the client calls me saying he is very annoyed about all the hall reverb I have added to the mix. I could not understand how the tiny amount of natural room ambience was so disturbing and I promised to check the mix. Next day the client calls again: "I need to apologize my harsh language, I had surround enhancer effects on in my home stereos. I turned it off and now our band sounds awesome".
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bitflipper
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Re: why do my tracks in SONAR sound different than when played in Foobar or Audacity?
2018/01/01 04:52:00
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☄ Helpfulby bobguitkillerleft 2018/01/01 12:56:27
It's usually Windows Media Player that we hear about in this context. AFAIK, however, neither Foobar nor Audacity apply any effects - at least, not by default. And if it was the Soundblaster doing it (IIRC it does have some built-in effects), then the DAW output would have been similarly affected. So what middleware could alter audio this way, after eliminating the playback software and sound card?
All else is in doubt, so this is the truth I cling to. My Stuff
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jimfogle
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Re: why do my tracks in SONAR sound different than when played in Foobar or Audacity?
2018/01/01 20:20:23
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This is a true audiophile card manufactured by Asus: https://www.asus.com/us/S...sence_STX_II/overview/This card has been in Asus inventory since 2011. It has top of the line Burr Brown A/D & D/A convertors, supports professional headphones and operational amplifier chips can be swapped out with other brands (Different op amp have different frequency curve). The interface software is dated. Cost: $170 - $240 Online. Gaming card manufactured by ASus: https://www.asus.com/us/Sound-Cards/Xonar-AE/overview/Although this is a gaming card it has many features that fit your need. The card was released in April, 2017. It has a backplate that minimizes EMI interference and supports surround sound. The software interface is much easier to use than the card above. It uses Cirrus Logic D/A convertors. Cost $70 - $80 online.
post edited by jimfogle - 2018/01/01 20:49:44
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JoeBaermann
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Re: why do my tracks in SONAR sound different than when played in Foobar or Audacity?
2018/01/01 20:35:49
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bitflipper
It's usually Windows Media Player that we hear about in this context. AFAIK, however, neither Foobar nor Audacity apply any effects - at least, not by default. And if it was the Soundblaster doing it (IIRC it does have some built-in effects), then the DAW output would have been similarly affected. So what middleware could alter audio this way, after eliminating the playback software and sound card?
As I recall windows audio enhancements do not affect asio drivers.
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JoeBaermann
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Re: why do my tracks in SONAR sound different than when played in Foobar or Audacity?
2018/01/01 20:43:20
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Wrongnoterod
Ha! thanks, I knew it.
Should I start a new thread about "which soundcard to buy for Windows 7?"
I dont have a lot of money maybe 200$ tops. I looked on sweetwater and there is NOTHING in that price range.
I'd rather go PCI soundcard than a USB interface. I'm completely tapped out with USB ports, all are in use.
You could use a good powered USB HUB with a fast USB interface, I'm using one from TP-Link. Focusrite and a few others make descent audio interfaces for 200$ tops, I would rather go that way than getting PCI-E card if the purpose is recording and mixing in stereo.
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