Independent Swedish record label I/O Music have recently released a handy new tool that provides artists, engineers, producers and labels with a convenient way to share and feed back on mixes and masters. Talkback is an all-in-one environment that offers A/B/C mix comparisons along with loudness information and streaming codec previews, allows collaborators to add timestamped notes and even features a built-in overdub feature.
Designed to help out at every stage of a production, from rough demos through to a final master, the tool has been developed to provide a convenient alternative to file-sharing platforms. Users can flip instantly between multiple mix versions with Talkback maintaining the playback position, with a Match Loudness function ensuring that levels remain consistent across versions; when working on an album, each track is hosted in its own A/B/C player, meaning that it’s still possible to compare multiple versions of each individual track.
Comprehensive onboard analysis tools offer an insight into LUFS, True Peak and LRA values, and Talkback is capable of creating a QC report that provides users with a pass, warning or fail notice based on their material’s loudness, true-peak overs, clipping and DC offset. Audio previews when using the tool are lightly compressed, and it’s possible to audition streaming codecs that preview what impact the likes of Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Tidal, Amazon Music or Deezer’s processing has on their material. Once a project is approved, lossless files can be downloaded directly from the Talkback website.
Once members are signed up and have an active plan, mixes can be uploaded and shared with others via password-protected links. Only the primary user requires an account and subscription — others can listen and comment for free via a web browser. Users are able to add timestamped comments simply by clicking on the waveform display, making it simple to highlight issues or ideas that relate to specific parts of the track; the communication system includes threaded replies and allows users to react to comments and approve or reject them.
Pricing & Availability
Talkback is available now, with pricing starting at €7 / month. a free 14-day trial version is available. More information can be found via the link below.
