Diptych helps musicians compare parts of tracks with AI assistance
Diptych: Scoped, AI-Interpreted Comparison for Reference Listening in Music Production
Human-Computer Interaction
Summary
Comparing different parts of songs is important for music producers, but current tools don't let users decide exactly what they want to compare. The authors made Diptych, a system where users pick parts of tracks to compare and get AI explanations of differences in sound. Musicians who tested Diptych found more useful differences and clearer ideas for improving their music. The system shows detailed audio features and lets users explore comparisons without the AI making final decisions.
What this means in practice
- •For music producers: Support comparing selected segments of tracks during mixing using AI to highlight relevant audio differences and guide adjustments.
- •For audio engineers: Improve reference listening sessions by inspecting structured audio features with user-controlled scope and transparent AI insights.
Authors
Chongjun Zhong, Abhinaba Roy, Archishman Ghosh, Kejun Zhang, Dorien Herremans
Abstract
Reference listening is a common strategy in music production, but current comparison tools often obscure a key human judgment: deciding what should be compared. We present Diptych, an AI-assisted system that lets users define comparison scope across whole tracks or independently selected segments, while inspecting structured audio features and scope-specific AI interpretations. We evaluated Diptych in a within-participants study with 12 musicians, complemented by source-blinded ratings from four expert listeners. Participants used the system to surface additional differences, nine of ten of which received at least partial expert support, and reported good usability and greater clarity about possible next steps. These findings suggest that AI support for creative comparison should prioritize user-defined scope, inspectable evidence, and actionable guidance, while avoiding authoritative judgments that exceed what the evidence can support.