In Summary
A|B Assist2 has a raft of new refinements for a wider base of users, as well as slicker operation. With up to four mix candidates and more, here we take a look at A|B Assist2 to see if it really can banish bias for good.
Going Deeper
This One Or This One
We all like to think that when it comes to the big calls, we can make the right decisions based on what’s in front of us. Despite this, we are perhaps more suggestible than we think: anyone who has taken a step back to review that hard-won EQ move done accidentally in Bypass might agree! The same biases can creep in in any situation where the engineer is expecting something to sound a certain way; to counter this the benefits of true ‘double-blind’ testing are well-known. This is where neither listener nor tester know candidates’ identities.
A|B Assist2
Back in March 2023 we tried out the first incarnation of A|B Assist. You can read more about its basic functionality here. In the video we check out the new enhanced features in A|B Assist2. These include:
Comparison up to four audio sources.
Instances’ direct communication - no Send plugin required.
Auto-level matching based on short-term loudness in LUFS.
AB Assist2 also allows multichannel mixers to compare stereo versions of surround mixes of any channel count.
Mono-check feature compares mono fold-downs.
Smooth tool creates fades between sources.
The software also features a “trim” function, which allows users to trim the gain on one stream to match the subjective level of the other for even better decision-making.
When I tried out the first version of A|B Assist I was surprised that my favourite candidate was in fact the more heavily limited version. Without A|B Assist I can’t say I wouldn’t have felt inclined to pick the unlimited mix simply based on what ‘should’ sound better. This is just one example of how a blind testing tool can make the final decision one that’s closer to the engineer’s true instinct.
As a piece of software, Nugen’s A|B Assist2 does not know which candidate sounds best, making it the ideal tool to help engineers make decisions free from preconceptions. Building on the basic function of its predecessor, A|B Assist2 adds a number of welcome features to make banishing bias as simple as pressing a button.
Now all engineers have to do is decide whether they prefer life with A|B Assist2 or without… That’s with A|B Assist2… Or without.
A Word About This Article
As the Experts team considered how we could better help the community we thought that some of you are time poor and don’t have the time to read a long article or a watch a long video. In 2023 we are going to be trying out articles that have the fast takeaway right at the start and then an opportunity to go deeper if you wish. Let us know if you like this idea in the comments.