Audio Quality Lowered after Uploading in Taxi Website

[subinthompson]

Dear Taxi Users,

Has anyone noticed there is a quality change in the files you upload in TAXI? Or does TAXI have a suggested audio quality that it has requested?
I just happen to listen to the audio file that I uploaded in Taxi just now.
It seems like the audio quality was considerably lower when compared to playing the same file in my local computer.

I just checked the properties of the file and it seems to be different.
I am also attaching a picture for your reference.

Quality change.jpg (138.47 KiB) Viewed 3734 times

The below picture is the properties of the same file before uploading to taxi and the one downloaded from taxi

Quality change 2.jpg (114.66 KiB) Viewed 3734 times

Original file bitrate is 192kbps and file downloaded from taxi is 128kbps - There is considerable/ perceivable quality degradation especially at the high frequencies (eg when listening to hi hats)
Is there something that I am missing?

Thanks,
Subin

[GBall]

If there is a CONSIDERABLE difference in perceived quality in the high hats as you say, (Never mind the difference in bit rate) I would tend to look for a problem elsewhere.

JMO.

Flame wars about audio quality not withstanding, the difference is not huge, especially for the relatively hot (small) dynamic range that is still expected for finished tracks. Lots of people have some amazing stuff uploaded here.

My uploaded tracks sound pretty much just like they do in iTunes on my local box, bitrate not withstanding. I used to fight that kind of problem until I fixed some things with my monitoring setup - the problem was basically that my mixes didn't translate as they should have.

[BradGray]

I was just posting this same question in another forum.

I thought it was actually my mix, and I went back and redid the mix, and uploaded. Since it's filled with percussion and cymbals, I noticed a huge difference in the sound.

I would think this affects the way a screener hears the piece.

[subinthompson]

If there is a CONSIDERABLE difference in perceived quality in the high hats as you say, (Never mind the difference in bit rate) I would tend to look for a problem elsewhere.

JMO.

Flame wars about audio quality not withstanding, the difference is not huge, especially for the relatively hot (small) dynamic range that is still expected for finished tracks. Lots of people have some amazing stuff uploaded here.

My uploaded tracks sound pretty much just like they do in iTunes on my local box, bitrate not withstanding. I used to fight that kind of problem until I fixed some things with my monitoring setup - the problem was basically that my mixes didn't translate as they should have.

Thanks for the reply GBall,
I wasn't concerned about the bitrate until I heard a perceivable difference. I happened to check it (the numbers) only after I heard the difference, and it proved me right.
Moreover, I was listening to two different files with the same setup. (I have an acoustically treated room with decent pair of monitors and my mixes always translate very well) So, we can negate the fact about the setup.

Subin

[subinthompson]

I was just posting this same question in another forum.

I thought it was actually my mix, and I went back and redid the mix, and uploaded. Since it's filled with percussion and cymbals, I noticed a huge difference in the sound.

I would think this affects the way a screener hears the piece.

Hi Brad,
I am glad that you noted the same! Yes indeed. I think this would impact a screeners judgement if the track has a lot of information in the high frequencies.

Subin

[ttully]

Just because it DOWNLOADS at a lower bit rate does mean that Taxi screeners listen at a lower bitrate.

[subinthompson]

Just because it DOWNLOADS at a lower bit rate does mean that Taxi screeners listen at a lower bitrate.

Hi ttully,

It's not just the downloads. its after the upload in taxi, to be precise. The taxi player itself sounds different than the original file that's in my computer. I downloaded it to verify. And I believe that is what the screeners listen to.

Subin

[ttully]

Taxi screeners have access to the backend.


Tim

[RobScruggs]

I noticed this too. When I posted mp3 files and played them back through Taxi they sounded a little less there.
However, when I submitted and listened to a WAV file track through Taxi player it sounded spot on just like the original!!
Robbie

[subinthompson]

I noticed this too. When I posted mp3 files and played them back through Taxi they sounded a little less there.
However, when I submitted and listened to a WAV file track through Taxi player it sounded spot on just like the original!!
Robbie

Thats great to know Robbie. Back to good old wave files then. The metadata is changed to taxi format anyway. Thanks so much!

Subin