New blind-testing ABX software!

[chconnor]

UPDATE: version 2 is now out (see more recent posts in thread)

UPDATE: version 2.1 is now out (see more recent posts in thread)

UPDATE: and 2.2 now out... adds drag and drop.

UPDATE: and 2.3: load/save file sets, change/set play position more easily, bunch of other UI improvements

UPDATE: 2.35 fixes a hang/freeze some Mac OS X users were seeing

UPDATE: 2.36 adds shootout individual file scoring, file change auto-detect, keyboard shortcuts, test-data loss prevention, and UI improvements

UPDATE: 2.39 adds FLAC support, new key shortcuts and othe raccessibility stuff, config file, new-version checking, bug fixes, optional audible bell/buzzer for ABX testing...



------------------------

Hi there -- Every time someone (including myself) said to do a blind ABX test, i was frustrated with the apparent lack of a cross-platform recently-coded well-functioning program, so I ended up writing my own.

It's at: http://lacinato.com/cm/software/othersoft/abx

Tell me your thoughts/suggestions. I will be adding the ability to play a particular file region at some point. I may also add the ability to have arbitrary numbers of files in the test pool (ABCDEF...X) which would be handy for shootouts, etc. Depends on interest.

It runs on Linux, Windows, and Mac (64 bit only on the mac).

It's in Java, but you don't have to install Java to use it. Just download one of the pre-packaged files, unarchive it, and click the executable file. Nothing to install. The files are big as a result, but hey, modern internet, no big deal. :-)

If you have a 64-bit Mac, I'd appreciate you testing it for me -- i have no access to such a computer, so it's untested there.

Thanks! Enjoy. And may your listening be honest and unbiased. :-)

[casey campbell]

bravo dude. pretty cool.

[Snarl 12/8]

Does it automatically volume equalize the files? That'd be cool.

[chconnor]

Does it automatically volume equalize the files? That'd be cool.

Nope -- that is on the "maybe in the next version" list, though; at least having little volume knobs for each audio file. That's two votes for it so far. :-)

[JWL]

Totally agreed, this is fabulous. And thanks for releasing a Linux version.

Make it 3 votes for normalizing audio.....

JWL

[chconnor]

And thanks for releasing a Linux version. ;-)

You'll notice it was first in the download list. :-)

So, between four possible next features:

1) playing from more than 2 files (ABCDE...X)
2) normalizing levels (auto and manual)
3) playing in a certain region of the files
4) adjusting offset of each file (e.g. if the heads of the files have differing lengths of silence)

...it sounds like #2 is the most desired. Besides that, which among the others would be next?

And I repeat the request for any info from Mac users as to whether it even works there... Thanks!

[jgimbel]

This seems like a great tool!

And I repeat the request for any info from Mac users as to whether it even works there... Thanks!

I've downloaded the .tgz and .jar files from the website and haven't been able to get them to work. I'm on a Macbook Pro, 64 bit. Unfortunately I get this result with both files:



(Error 1 - Operation not permitted.)

I've tried it in a few different spots, all with the same results.

[chconnor]

This seems like a great tool!

And I repeat the request for any info from Mac users as to whether it even works there... Thanks!

I've downloaded the .tgz and .jar files from the website and haven't been able to get them to work. I'm on a Macbook Pro, 64 bit. Unfortunately I get this result with both files:

I saw this too, but i had hoped it was because i was on an ancient mac...

Would you please go the site again, download the mac version again (it's now a .zip file) and see if you have better luck with that? Thanks!

[chconnor]

This seems like a great tool!

And I repeat the request for any info from Mac users as to whether it even works there... Thanks!

I've downloaded the .tgz and .jar files from the website and haven't been able to get them to work. I'm on a Macbook Pro, 64 bit. Unfortunately I get this result with both files:

I saw this too, but i had hoped it was because i was on an ancient mac...

Would you please go the site again, download the mac version again (it's now a .zip file) and see if you have better luck with that? Thanks!

Ooops... sorry, the new files are not yet in place... give it another 5 minutes...

edit: ok, ready now.

[The Scum]

Really cool idea!

So, between four possible next features:

1) playing from more than 2 files (ABCDE...X)
2) normalizing levels (auto and manual)
3) playing in a certain region of the files
4) adjusting offset of each file (e.g. if the heads of the files have differing lengths of silence)

...it sounds like #2 is the most desired. Besides that, which among the others would be next?

3 and 4.

I've got an old Technics CD player that has a really cool looping feature...you pick loop in and out points, and it'll cycle between them until you stop it. It's great for referencing a mix where all you really want is a little bit of the back 8, and could care less about the intro, verse and chorus.

How hard would it be to switch between live inputs, so I could compare different pieces of hardware, without having to record them? (I'd be happy to throw an Arduino and some relays into the mix, if that helps...)

[jgimbel]

Would you please go the site again, download the mac version again (it's now a .zip file) and see if you have better luck with that? Thanks!

Alright, I downloaded the zip and it unzipped fine. Maybe everyone here is just a lot more computer savvy than I am (I'm considered tech support for a lot of friends of mine, I wouldn't call myself computer illiterate in any sense) but I don't have a clue how to install any of the files I'm seeing. I just started trying clicking different files and they're opening in "Terminal" and just giving me text like the following:

"Last login: Thu Apr 10 13:09:57 on ttys000
Jesse-Gimbels-MacBook-Pro:~ jessegimbel$ /Users/jessegimbel/Downloads/ABX/ABX ; exit;
/Users/jessegimbel/Downloads/ABX/ABX: line 3: ./lib/jre/Contents/Home/bin/java: No such file or directory
logout

[Process completed]
"
or

"Last login: Thu Apr 10 13:13:41 on ttys000
Jesse-Gimbels-MacBook-Pro:~ jessegimbel$ /Users/jessegimbel/Downloads/ABX/lib/macjre1.8.0_64bit/Contents/MacOS/libjli.dylib ; exit;
-bash: /Users/jessegimbel/Downloads/ABX/lib/macjre1.8.0_64bit/Contents/MacOS/libjli.dylib: cannot execute binary file
logout

[Process completed]
"
In all honesty I've never seen a .jar or .dylib file before and I don't know anything about Unix, so maybe from here on out it's just my own ignorance of this stuff. But the zip file itself did download and open fine.

[chconnor]

Really cool idea!

So, between four possible next features:

1) playing from more than 2 files (ABCDE...X)
2) normalizing levels (auto and manual)
3) playing in a certain region of the files
4) adjusting offset of each file (e.g. if the heads of the files have differing lengths of silence)

...it sounds like #2 is the most desired. Besides that, which among the others would be next?

3 and 4.

I've got an old Technics CD player that has a really cool looping feature...you pick loop in and out points, and it'll cycle between them until you stop it. It's great for referencing a mix where all you really want is a little bit of the back 8, and could care less about the intro, verse and chorus.

How hard would it be to switch between live inputs, so I could compare different pieces of hardware, without having to record them? (I'd be happy to throw an Arduino and some relays into the mix, if that helps...)

I like what you're describing, and thanks for the offer of help, but I'll have to demur on that aspect... When I'm doing the next round of improvements I'll see about possibly switching between inputs in software (though I'm not sure I'll get to that either), but I don't have the life space to get into a hardware project. :-) It would be cool to have a blind ABX input switcher though. Oh wait, i guess that's what these are/were: http://home.provide.net/~djcarlst/abx_hdwr.htm

...seems like the world has moved away from the hardware route, though.

[chconnor]

Alright, I downloaded the zip and it unzipped fine.

Great. One hurdle down. :-)

but I don't have a clue how to install any of the files I'm seeing.

Ah yes, there was bug. You shouldn't have to install anything. What you did is right: just unzip, open the folder, and double click on "ABX".

I *think* i fixed it... If you would, please download anew and try again? Thanks!

-c

[jgimbel]

I *think* i fixed it... If you would, please download anew and try again? Thanks!

-c

I'm happy to help as much as I can. Different error this time:

"Last login: Thu Apr 10 22:22:10 on ttys000
/Users/jessegimbel/Desktop/ABX/ABX ; exit;
Jesse-Gimbels-MacBook-Pro:~ jessegimbel$ /Users/jessegimbel/Desktop/ABX/ABX ; exit;
2014-04-10 22:23:11.852 java[1429:903] *** NSInvocation: warning: object 0x118fd33a0 of class 'ThreadUtilities' does not implement methodSignatureForSelector: -- trouble ahead
2014-04-10 22:23:11.853 java[1429:903] *** NSInvocation: warning: object 0x118fd33a0 of class 'ThreadUtilities' does not implement doesNotRecognizeSelector: -- abort
/Users/jessegimbel/Desktop/ABX/ABX: line 11: 1429 Trace/BPT trap $DIR/lib/jre/Contents/Home/bin/java -jar $DIR/lib/ABX.jar
logout

[Process completed]
"

[chconnor]

Different error this time:

Mmmmkayyy... Hmm. I just made a tweak -- if you could re-download and try the new version and report back i'd continue to be much obliged.

This tweak i give a 30% chance of fixing it, but i don't have time right this sec to dig deeper. If it doesn't work i'll look into it more...

What version OS X are you using?

Thanks,
-c