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Question for those of you who buy the audiophile edition:
Is the juice worth the squeeze? Is the difference in quality noticeable to you?
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Hey Pat, there's at least a dozen or so topic chains over in the BIAB Windows forum regarding that exact topic. Matt's usually been pretty vocal on the subject since he's owned it for several years. Buy what you can afford is my favorite line on the subject.
 Steve BIAB/RB 2022, Pro Tools 2020, Korg N5, JBL LSR 4328 Powered Monitors, AKG/Shure Mics.
PC: Win11 PRO, 4 TB M2 SSD, 2 TB HD, 128 GB Memory
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Hi Pat. And thanks, Steve. "Worth" is a relative concept that's harder to address, but quality is something we can discuss. I wrote an article about this several years ago and to my knowledge, it's still accurate. PG Music commented, too, and made it a sticky. I think it's the most-viewed topic on the forums. So, almost all I can say on the subject is already here: https://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=378939#Post378939You'll see your post in there at the top. If I'm misunderstanding what you want to know, by all means write back. I'll give it my best. I almost missed this post because it's in the Off-Topic Forum. I think it's very much worthy of a main BIAB Product Forum topic.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Thanks Steve and Matt for providing a direct link to the info I need!
I waste wayyy too much time trying to find information online. Google is great, but it sends me down other rabbit holes that use up my time; and I value time over money. There are a hundred ways to get more money, but zero ways to get more time. At my age the time I have left on the planet is all the more precious, so I thank you for expediting my quest
Good point about the forum choice. I guess I've been away for so long my head isn't tracking protocol.
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Hi Pat, I think the only real answer is that can you hear the difference between a a compressed file and a wav file? You may want to find out what compression PGMusic is using and take a wav file, compress it, then see if you can hear the difference. I would do that with a number of different wavs.
Love is grand.
Divorce is twenty grand!
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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Hi Pat, I think the only real answer is that can you hear the difference between a a compressed file and a wav file? You may want to find out what compression PGMusic is using and take a wav file, compress it, then see if you can hear the difference. I would do that with a number of different wavs. Thanks for weighing in Mario! Hope you are doing well! What got me thinking about this was Christmas carols. Somewhere along the line my wife ripped all her holiday CDs to mp3, and I was listening to the MP3s. The same songs on the CD sparkle. The MP3s, not so much. When I'm learning cover songs from MP3, then listen to a better quality recording of the same song, I can frequently hear parts that are just not distinguishable in the MP3. I wonder if asking "can *I* hear the difference?" might be the wrong question. I already know my own hearing is impaired. But my audience...? If my end product was a CD, then I'd need WAVs. But more and more, people listen to streamed music, which is compressed. Which leads to the argument about compressing a file that's already compressed. At the end of the logic, unless you are a hobbyist who has no audience, it makes sense to work with wavs, assuming the budget allows. If the song gets compressed later by a streaming service, at least that will be the first and only compression.
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Pat, when your wife ripped the CD songs to MP3, she may have had a choice of sample rates and chosen poorly. I won’t even consider anything under 192 and usually encode at 320. 128 would definitely remove enough for me to be very unhappy.
It’s a catch 22 to decide how to prepare music for audiences, particularly younger ones, when your own hearing is compromised. Better to use the best you can.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Thanks for weighing in Mario! Hope you are doing well!
What got me thinking about this was Christmas carols. Somewhere along the line my wife ripped all her holiday CDs to mp3, and I was listening to the MP3s. The same songs on the CD sparkle. The MP3s, not so much.
When I'm learning cover songs from MP3, then listen to a better quality recording of the same song, I can frequently hear parts that are just not distinguishable in the MP3.
Thanx Pat, we are all doing well here. Hope you are doing well also.
The real question is at what compression rate were those MP3s made? Many people can't tell the difference between a compression rate of 320kbps and a wav. Anything below that is a gamble.
I wonder if asking "can *I* hear the difference?" might be the wrong question. I already know my own hearing is impaired. But my audience...? If my end product was a CD, then I'd need WAVs. But more and more, people listen to streamed music, which is compressed. Which leads to the argument about compressing a file that's already compressed. At the end of the logic, unless you are a hobbyist who has no audience, it makes sense to work with wavs, assuming the budget allows. If the song gets compressed later by a streaming service, at least that will be the first and only compression.
Love is grand.
Divorce is twenty grand!
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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Here is a spectral view of a RT 3063 Vocal Aahs.. the top track is wma and the bottom is wav with the same sections, both are direct from the RT folder on the Audiophile drive without processing using Biab Track Injector that allows you to use any file type compatible with Reaper. You can see the head space difference. Zoom++ 
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With my old ears, I can't really hear the difference between the normal BB compressed files and those of the audiophile version.
I know a few folks who have the audiophile version so when I get a wave from them I know it's a real, full, uncompressed wav file. I can't really hear the difference.
In random tests most folks can't hear the difference between the MP3 @ 320kbs and a wav file..... and what we tend to listen on and with, it really doesn't matter too awful much. If I was in a treated room, and could A/B 320kbs mp3 with wav on a really good speaker system..... perhaps.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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sometimes when you talk through a topic, the answer becomes obvious. I'm a hobbyist, with no audience and no compelling reason to spend more for capability that would mostly be useful when collaborating with pros. Which I don't. And at my age and circumstances, I don't see that changing. Soooooo... once again, I bought the Ultrapak.
Thanks to everybody who took the time to thoughtfully reply. Y'all are the best!
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Pat, you are a fine musician. Don’t sell yourself short.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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