Getting started

Install the free application

VinylRest ABC Player is free. Download it from the Mac App Store to receive the signed application and future updates through Apple.

1. Open the VinylRest ABC Player page on the Mac App Store.
2. Select Get, then complete Apple’s normal installation step.
3. Open VinylRest ABC Player from Applications. The first window starts with empty A and B file cards.

Prepare a compatible pair

A should be the original reference and B should be the processed version of that same recording. Before loading them, make sure both files have:

• the same sample rate;
• the same number of channels;
• the same exact frame count;
• a supported lossless container and codec.

Load A and B

1. Select Choose A · Source, then open the original file.
2. Select Choose B · Cleaned, then open the restored or otherwise processed file.
3. Read the format summary in both cards. A matching pair shows the same sample rate, channels and duration.
4. If the pair is incompatible, correct the export outside ABC Player and choose the replacement file.

Make the first comparison

1. Select A Source, then Play.
2. At a revealing passage, select B Cleaned. The sound changes immediately without moving the playhead.
3. Switch between A and B several times. Keep the Mac output volume unchanged.
4. Select C Difference to hear the live subtraction.
5. Drag the scrubber to another passage. Both files seek to the same frame position.
6. Use Pause to preserve the current position, or Stop to return to the beginning.

Open the files again later

ABC Player does not modify A or B and does not create a comparison project. When you reopen the application, select the two files again. This keeps every session tied to the exact files visible in the window.