Why Volume Bias Fools Mixing Engineers
Every audio engineer knows the oldest trick in the book: louder sounds better. When comparing two mix revisions where Mix B is just 0.8 dB louder than Mix A, your brain will almost always trick you into thinking Mix B has better bass and clearer vocals, even if you actually made a bad compression choice.
Sabes Pro includes a built-in EBU R128 / ITU-R BS.1770 LUFS Loudness Matcher that levels the playing field completely.
Where to Find A/B Compare in the App
You can access the comparison tool in two easy ways:
- From the Top Bar: Click the A/B Compare tab located at the top of the Sabes Pro desktop window.
- From the Take Timeline: Hold Ctrl to select any two Takes on your timeline, and click Compare A/B in the action bar.
Step-by-Step: Comparing Two Mix Bounces
- Open the A/B Compare screen. You will see two audio slots: Slot A and Slot B.
- Drag and drop your audio files (WAV, FLAC, or MP3) directly into each slot, or choose rendered audio bounces from your tracked Takes.
- Click the blue button: Match Loudness.
- Sabes Pro analyzes both audio streams in real-time, calculating:
- Integrated LUFS: The true perceived loudness of both tracks.
- Loudness Difference (LU): The exact gain offset needed to balance them.
- True Peak (dBTP): The inter-sample peak level to detect digital clipping.
- Click Play. Use the [A] and [B] toggle buttons (or press A and B on your keyboard) to switch back and forth instantly while the music is playing.
What to Listen For During Blind A/B Auditing
With volume bias removed, you can make true, confident mixing choices:
- Vocal Sit & Balance: Does the vocal sit comfortably on top of the snare and bass, or is it buried?
- Low-End Mud vs. Tightness: Did your multiband compression actually clean up the 200 Hz region, or did it just thin out the track?
- Transient Punch: Did your master bus limiter crush the snare transient snap?
Next Steps
Ready to deliver your final master? Learn how to generate a cryptographic delivery certificate in our Take Certification Guide.