What does it do?

This program is meant to be run once you have mastered your audio but before you send it off for publication. It is not meant to be used in place of an actual engineer. As it’s name implies, this program is meant to give you a “second opinion” about the state of your audio files.

This program checks the following:

Does each file peak at or below a specified value (-3.0dB by default)?

Does each file have an Average RMS within a range (between -18.0dB and -23.0dB by default)?

Were all files recorded with the same number of channels (mono by default)?

Were all files recorded at the same sample rate (44.1k by default)?

Do all files have an acceptable length (between ½ and ¾ of a second by default) of silence (-60.0dB or less by default) at the head?

Do all files have an acceptable length (between 3 and 5 seconds by default) of silence (-60.0dB or less by default) at the tail?

Does the retail sample have a length of 5 minutes or less?

This program also reports the total length of the audio for all files rounded down to the last full minute (as required for direct submission to Audible).

As of Version 2.0 (July 5, 2017), all of the settings above are customizable.

When this program locates an issue, it is labelled as an ERROR.

ERROR – This piece of audio does not meet one or more of the specifications

If your audio did not pass inspection, repair your audio and re-run this program.

How do I use it?

Start the application by double clicking on it Toggle settings to fit your needs (including file type: WAV, FLAC, or AIFF) Click Select & Analyse Locate a folder containing your audio files

This program expects the retail sample’s name to end _sample.filetype

(Example: Walden_sample.flac, Walden_sample.wav, etc). It treats the sample slightly differently than other files. If you have included one, please follow this naming convention.

The program writes its findings both to the window and to a file inside the folder called 2ndOpinion-Report.txt. If it finds errors, once you have corrected them and you run the program for a second time, it will append its new findings to the end of the same 2ndOpinion-Report.txt.

If the program finds no errors while it runs, it will let you know. 🙂

How much does it cost?

The program is free to use, but I always appreciate…



A Cup of Coffee A ridiculous amount of caffeine was consumed while researching.



Add some fuel if you would like to help keep me going!



$5 • $10 • $15 • $20 • $25 A ridiculous amount of caffeine was consumed while researching.Add some fuel if you would like to help keep me going!

Which file should I download?

Version 3.6 released June 11, 2020

What’s New?

macOS Catalina Compatibility (sort of) for v3.6

Speed Improvements for v3.6

Sample Detection bug fix for v3.53

Preferences/Permissions saving fixed for v3.52

File Detection bug fix for v3.51

More speed optimizations for v3.5

Remembers custom settings between sessions for v3.5

Saves custom settings as sharable file in your Documents Folder for v3.5

Compiled in 64-bit for Mac for v3.02

Code improvements for v3.02

Fixed macOS Execution Error (broken in v3.02)

Ability to ignore Retail Sample (added in v3.01) added!

Progress Bar calculation (broken in v3.0) fixed!

Speed improvements for v3.01

Rewritten from the ground up using LiveCode (was TCL/TK) for v3.0

Choose Directory and Analyze combined into a single button for v3.0

Support for more OS versions (Mac & Windows)

Automatic New Version Checking (always stay up to date)

Max Noise Floor detection error (broken in v2) fixed!

Licensing updated (see below)

How do I install it?

Mac OSX

Unzip 2ndOpinion-mac-v3.zip

Move the application to the Applications folder (recommended)

Open System Preferences and go to Security & Privacy.

Set Allow apps downloaded from: to Anywhere

If you do not see a setting that allows you Allow apps downloaded from Anywhere, please follow this guide from Apple.

Windows

Unzip 2ndOpinion-win-v3.zip

Run Installer

What does it look like?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why doesn’t this software take MP3s as input?

This program is designed to work with lossless audio (like WAV, FLAC, or AIFF) rendered straight from your DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). It is best practice to do all edits in a lossless format before converting to a lossy format like MP3.

Why doesn’t this software convert the audio to MP3 automatically upon successful completion?

During development, an earlier version of this software did just that. When the feature didn’t perform consistently from user to user, I decided that it wasn’t worth the effort since there are already great programs out there to do just that.

The newer versions (v2, v3, etc.) only checks my file, v1 fixed stuff for me. What happened?

Through numerous bug reports, it became clear that the automated fixes were not always the best choices for the audio in question. Since the goal of this software has always been to “double check” the editing/mastering of your audio, the automated fixes were always out-of-scope for the project.

The v2 code will run faster and more efficiently on all computers and the added customizability in the settings allows for 2nd Opinion to be used on a wider variety of projects.

I can’t select my audio file! The program is broken! What’s going on?

As the instructions at the top of this page clearly state, you are supposed to select a folder that contains audio files, not individual files. In fact, even the window where you are trying to select a file states that you should be selecting a FOLDER, not a file.

The program says the head/tail of my file(s) is/are too short, but it’s wrong. The program is broken! What’s going on?

The program starts at the beginning/end of the file and then measures the length until the audio exceeds the maximum Noise Floor (-60 dB by default). If you select your head/tail and measure it using True Peak (not samples) you will see that the program is correct. Your audio has indeed exceeded the maximum noise floor at that point (which is all that the software can check).

The software cannot tell whether the noise was a random thump, a truck driving by outside, a stomach gurgle, or you speaking. All it knows is that a sound exceeded the maximum. If, upon visual inspection of the file, you see that your head/tail seems to be of the proper length, simply normalize the head/tail to a number under -60 dB (like -65 dB), then re-run the program.

Can I change any of the other settings?

As of v2.0+ just about every setting is now customizable. If there are other parameters that you would like to change, let me know. Trying to allow for customization without cluttering the interface is a tricky thing. But, if your suggestion adds value without being out-of-scope for this project, I will do my best to incorporate it.

It crashes when I try to run it. What’s going on?

Permission-based issues on both Windows and Mac OS X can cause problems. Try moving the program itself to your desktop and running it from there. Make certain that the folder you have selected with the audio files that you intend to analyze is writable for both you and the program itself. And, be certain that the audio files are not currently open by another program when you are attempting to analyze them.

I’m on macOS Catalina (or higher). Why won’t it run?

Because Apple is becoming increasingly hostile to independent developers who give away software for free. To make the program work on Catalina (or higher), you may need to do the following…

Put the new 2ndOpinion in your Applications Folder, then Right-Click on it and choose Show Package Contents

Find SOX in the folder shown, Right-Click on it and choose Open

Then, quit Terminal, close the extra open windows, and start 2ndOpinion. It should now function normally.

Geeky Explanation: This fixes the issue because macOS Catalina (or higher) needs you to allow the embedded library (sox) as an approved application. After manually starting sox once, you mac now knows that running it as part of 2ndOpinion is safe and not an issue.

I wish there was another way to fix this that did not involve this kind of manual messing around in the system, but as I said, Apple is no longer a friend of open/free development.

I have an idea for a new feature! Will you implement it?

Maybe. Contact me. Let’s talk.

Licenses, Notices, & Information