Guide: how to recognise the quality of an audio recording
To recognise the real quality of an audio recording we need to make sure to be in a proper listening situation.
Technically speaking: provide ourselves with a reference listening system.
A reference listening system is a professional audio system, able to predict if an audio recording is going to sound good when being played by the majority of other audio systems.
A reference listening system will provide us with a quality playback.
Neutral, without any alteration.
(We’ve written a guide in which we explain what these alterations are: What is frequency response?)
Therefore, if somebody else is going to listen to our audio recording in a non-reference listening system, which will alter the recording sound quality, there’s going to be only one sound alteration: the one coming from their own system.
Hence, the name “reference listening system”: because it’s going to guide us during the creation and recognition of market ready audio materials.
(Also, if all of our listeners were inside a recording studio, they’d clearly hear any possible flaw in our audio recording)
To evaluate audio recordings from a non-reference listening systems means that we won’t be sure if it will sound good when played by all the other systems.
If we optimized the audio recording using a non-reference listening system, our following listeners will hear something that’s been fine-tuned in an altered system.
Something that already has an inner flaw.
Which is going to add to the alteration given by their non-reference listening systems.
Our upcoming listeners will hear a recording that’s been altered twice.
In other words: a garbage recording.
If you don’t have a reference listening system, you have nothing else to do but trust somebody who owns one.
Music production and recording studios invest time and money in the optimization of their listening systems to provide a crucial quality check service for audio recordings.
We’ve created tutorials on how to create reference listening systems.
In these guides we’ll explain how build a reference listening system, that will allow you to recognise and even create quality audio material.
- 8 rules to choose the right audio monitors
- 14 rules to buy the right audio card
- 11 rules to buy the right audio gear
- Tutorial: 9 steps to set up well your studio monitors
- 5 advices to improve your room acoustics
- 10 rules to buy the right headphones
If you want to know the reason behind the realization of these tutorials, you’ll find it here:
Also, on our website you’ll be able to listen to the products of our expertise.
Let us hear from you!
If you have found this post to be useful, share with us your experiences on our socials!
Maybe you could also add a link of what you’ve created, and by using the hashtag #lmkmprod we’ll be able to find all of you.
We’re looking forward to hearing from you!
I like what you said about using a neutral playback system. My car needs new speakers and wiring. I’ll have to consider getting an audio system installed by a professional.
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