Am I hearing things?

[William]

After converting to the Ilok VI and MIR 3D I've been trying to organize my enormous, terribly disorganized MIDI/VE files.  In doing so I've been listening to various old files now played through MIR Pro 3D.  They sound startling and extremely beautiful.  Am I just imagining this or does a file from the "old MIR" now played with 3D sound different?   

[Macker]

Good question, William. One way to be really sure is to set up some blind A/B listening tests, comparing new and old MIR on the same mockups. (Assuming that new MIR is able to coexist with old MIR in one computer.) There are several plugins that make this kind of blind testing a doddle, if you're ever inclined to go down that road.

Nevertheless, although I'm nowhere near as familiar as you are with old MIR, I can say I've been thrilled that new MIR has handed to me on a plate the kind of spatial ambience I've been struggling to achieve for years with algorithmic reverbs (using binaural mixing techniques). So yes, I don't doubt that new MIR really has indeed added some lovely new aspects to your existing mockups.

[Dietz]

@William said:

After converting to the Ilok VI and MIR 3D I've been trying to organize my enormous, terribly disorganized MIDI/VE files.  In doing so I've been listening to various old files now played through MIR Pro 3D.  They sound startling and extremely beautiful.  Am I just imagining this or does a file from the "old MIR" now played with 3D sound different?   

Hi William,

Like stated several times before, we have taken every possible precaution to ensure that projects set up with "old" MIR sound more or less identical in the new one, at least as long as you don't make use of any of the new features. But it's true that the result is NOT bit-identical, so it might very well be that these very subtle differences sum up to an audible change (for the better?) in case of a full-blown mix.

Fun fact: We conducted listening tests in Synchron Stage's much-lauded Control A at a very early stage of MIR 3D development, just to get a feel for the differences of our MIR Venues after they have undergone the "upscaling" process to Higher Order Ambisonics at IEM Graz. Pretty much everyone involved sweared that the new ones sounded considerably better - - so much so that I was a bit worried that we would be able to make old projects recognizable at all. :-)

[Dietz]

@Macker said:

[...] (Assuming that new MIR is able to coexist with old MIR in one computer.) [...]

No, they won't, but you can always bounce a track or a mix to disk for instant comparison. 😊

[William]

Everything is sounding right for levels and instruments in general, but there is a clarity and spacious quality that I don't remember even though I loved the "Old Mir" !