Favorite DSP Plug-ins?

[Dulce]

I've been unsuccesfully trying to add dsp plugins (originally meant for winamp) to QCD. Can someone please explain the process? Also, which of these audio enhancing plug-ins are worth their download? Thanks.

[Tokelil]

The only one I really liked was Octimax from Octiv. I have stopped using any DSPs a while ago though, because I didn't want any compression and it distorted some of my music. Others are using a lot of DSPs though... (Enchancer is good too)

Some DSPs will only install to a winamp folder and they look for winamp.exe. So create a winamp subfolder in your QCD folder and make an empty textfile in that folder called winamp.exe. This will fool the plug-in installers and they will install to that folder. Then you just have to move the DSP .dll file to your QCD/plugins folder.

[Dulce]

Hehe. Sneaky :gasmask: ;) . Thanks a bunch.

[Toe]

Also, which of these audio enhancing plug-ins are worth their download?
Pretty much none of the above, IMHO. I've tried pretty much all the well-known WinAMP DSP plugins. At best they sounded 'different' - neither better nor worse. Most of them made it sound like I was listening to my music underwater, in an echo chamber, and with a big flabby sub. If that's your taste in sound, by all means go for it.

The only DSP plugs I wouldn't hesitate to reccomend are Shibatch's equalizer plugin, which is probably the nicest EQ available for any software music player, and AdaptX (I think that was the name, anyway), which lets you use plugins for professional audio apps, which are generally MUCH higher quality.

Well, I guess there's also Oddcast DSP, but that's not really a DSP at all, and last I tried I couldn't get it working with QCD.

[Cabinessence]

Enhancer 017
Stereo Expander

Love the sweet sound of those plugins :cool:

[ace2701]

I use enhancer in all my machines, at home and at work. Very good sound on so-so speakers.

[#The fREaK!]

I use a bunch of DirectX plugins through Adapt-X and VB FFX16 Rack

Some of the best DX plugins I have found are:


PSP MixPack (MixBass, MixTreble, MixPressor, Mix Saturator)
PSP StereoPack (PseudoStereo, StereoAnalyzer, StereoController, StereoEnhancer)
PSP VintageWarmer
PSP PianoVerb
Timeworks Equalizer
Timeworks Mastering Compressor
Timeworks Mastering EQ
Ultrafunk fx: Compressor
Ultrafunk fx: Gate
Waves C1
Waves C4
Waves DeEsser
Waves L1
Waves L2
Waves LinMB
Waves RComp
Waves RVox
Waves TrueVerb
BBE Sonic Maximizer

[t_journeyman]

I use a bunch of DirectX plugins through Adapt-X and VB FFX16 Rack...Man, freak, after all those does it even resemble the original? ;)

[Rex_Mundi_Incarnit]

I dont use DSP plugins, too much fuss, too much CPU usage. Just give me the real deal :chinese:

[#The fREaK!]

Man, freak, after all those does it even resemble the original?

That was a list of DX plugins with very high quality, not a list of what I currently use.

My current plugin chain looks like this: (the ones with "VST" in front of them are VST plugins wrapped through an adaptor)

Waves RComp
VST endorphin
BBE Sonic Maximizer
Ultrafunk fx: Compressor
Waves LinMB
PSP MixBass
Ultrafunk fx: Compressor
PSP VintageWarmer
VST PeakComp2 (Sinus Peak Compressor)
PSP MixTreble
Waves DeEsser
Waves TrueVerb
Wave Arts WaveSurround
PSP StereoEnhancer
PSP PianoVerb
Timeworks Mastering Compressor

And yes, it actually sounds quite similar to the original, thanks to all those hours of fine-tweaking done after each major change. Just bigger, wider, louder, and with a massive, punchy bass with good pressure. The second instance of Ultrafunk fx: Compressor is used as an upward expander. The other compressors and limiters in the list (RComp, endorhin, Ultrafunk Compressor, LinMB, MixBass (contains a bass compressor), PeakComp, Timeworks Mastering Compressor) are all used at a small effect. They have different characteristics, and compress in different ways, so the result is both loud and transparent. (the typical RMS level in a loud track is ~-6dB while the PPM value often stays long at 0dB)

The bi-effects are a smooth, incredible transparent yet strong normalizing effect made by layers of soft compression (single and multiband, in stereo and in m/s mode), saturation and sometimes (gahhh!) a little noticeable clipping introduced by zero-stop filters.

[brian]

The fREaK! is certainly the Dalai Lama of DSP. But perhaps Dulce would appreciate some more basic thoughts on where to start? My suggestions are that he try out Enhancer first of all, as the only free general-purpose DSP; then DFX, Ozone, and Octimax as good paid-for options. I use DFX most of the time these days, partly for sound quality and partly because it is skinnable, which Ozone and Octimax unfortunately aren't. QCD and DFX with matching skins look great together. But I only have the fidelity, dynamic boost and hyperbass enabled, not the ambience and surround sound, so there's very little distortion of the original.

[Toe]

I use enhancer in all my machines, at home and at work. Very good sound on so-so speakers.
Yes, I should qualify my earlier post. If you're stuck with, say, laptop speakers, run-of-the-mill DSP plugins CAN have a pleasing effect on the sound. But if you've got some speakers or headphones a little nicer than what comes with an eMachines system, I'd stay away. :)

[#The fREaK!]

The fREaK! is certainly the Dalai Lama of DSP
lol!

Anyway, I think Enhancer is better than DFX, a long as you refrain from using the boost or harmonic bass features. (you can use the harmonic bass feature with smaller speakers and headphones, however, since they cant play sub bass anyway) DFX adds distortion to the beginning of loud tracks (or to any track if you use one of the effects at a high level) then it lowers the volume. The dynamic boost feature is a low-fi compressor-like effect. Enhancer's AGC-like output limiter however, is actually pretty good. Enhancer's reverb is also much more controllable and doesnt limit the volume that badly. Still, Enhancer cant compete with a good set of DX plugins.

[bmc152003]

enhancer 017 is fine for me

[traveller]

enhancer 017 is fine for me

I agree. I use Enhancer to "normalize" the volume of my tracks as they are playing. I've played with some of the effects, but they just sounded weird to my ears. OctiMax worked OK, but I have a preference for free stuff (go figure). :bandit:

[Tamar]

I come from audio recording and production, not computers (I still prefer analogue in most instances.).

The use af DSP's to compensate for small speakers, sound-card variabilities, room accoustics, and personal listening preferences--------is legit! And should be encouraged!

Digital audio needs all the help it can get, I recommend the iZotrope Ozone DSP (the cheapie)!

All the best,

Tamar

[Psy]

I've tested several DSP plugins trying to raise the volume of my unpowered speakers, and found that most of them do a nasty work trying to "enchance" the sound: raising the background sound to a point that it overlaps the "peak" tones. The result is that the music sound loud and powered, that's true, but also seems to be washed out.

The best I found was "Enchancer" and Compressor & Wider, but thease also aren't free of problems.

[rorythedog]

I've tried most of them and, at best, they only have a novelty value.

As the saying goes - "You can't make a silk purse out of a Sow's ear".

It's all in the encoding. If that's up to scratch, i.e. natural sounding, then no amount of processing can make it sound better, only different. If that's all you want, fair enough.

As for laptop users or people with naf speakers, save up or get headphones.

[thor]

I'm a totally Enhancer fan. It is a great DSP and is the only one that i finally let in my effects chain.
Using the base EQ with just a little Enhancer retouch, the sound remains clear, close to the original, but with the extra back that makes the powered Edifier ramble 1000 speakers sound bigger and colorfull.
This is my basic configuration.

http://www.orbita3.com/thor/enh.jpg

As you can see, i prefer not increase so much the Enhancer Volume, to avoid the "push down" effect of the limiter.

Please, other Enhancer users, post your own configuration settings.

[Roj]

I dont use DSP plugins, too much fuss, too much CPU usage. Just give me the real deal :chinese:That would be my mindset. :) It's warped and twisted enough when the engineer gets done with it without me contributing to the mess.

BTW, want to test your system with a truly close-to-the-original recording? Try and locate a CD called "Jazz At The Pawnshop". It's a live recording of jazz musicians and is widely regarded as one of the ultimate tests of any system because it's extremely well recorded and largely untouched by the boys in the booth.

Those of you with myriad DSPs will likely want to pass on this... :)

[brian]

The negative comments on DSPs may well apply when playing tracks you hold on your hard drive - if you have good quality, well encoded originals they don't need enhancement. But it's a different story with audio streams. Many internet radio broadcasters, who otherwise play an excellent choice of music, are either disinclined or can't afford to use the best available technology. The result is that without a DSP plugin, you often end up with a muzzy, too-quiet sound that's miles away from what the recording artists can possibly have intended. With a good DSP (I never tire of singing the praises of Sound Solution) you get a crystal clear, strong, well differentiated sound that I'm sure the artists would be much happier with!

[Roj]

Many internet radio broadcasters, who otherwise play an excellent choice of music, are either disinclined or can't afford to use the best available technology.I can see your point. I use Internat radio primarily as background noise to what I'm doing so I'm not too picky about what it sounds like. It's kind of like radio to me...

[countryjoe]

i use enhancer and i like vol.on 5 h.bass on 3, drum bass on 3, dry s. on 10, h. treble on 5, ambience on 7, a. range on 5. sometimes i put the ambience on 5, i like a lot of reverb. to me it makes the music sound live, but i've found that enhancer is about the only plug-in from winamp that works good and is free, some of their dsp's are only trial versions. qcd player is super dooper cool too. keep on rock'in. :cool:

[ace2701]

Please, other Enhancer users, post your own configuration settings.
Here's my configuration. Great with two small speakers and a sub woofer.

[Roj]

Here's my configuration. Great with two small speakers and a sub woofer.
I'm looking at this pic you posted and chuckling - I can set a lot of this stuff with the control panel of my sound card (M-Audio Revolution). :)

[ace2701]

I'm looking at this pic you posted and chuckling - I can set a lot of this stuff with the control panel of my sound card (M-Audio Revolution). :)
Well, my machine is about 4+ years old, with a simple soundcard. Haven't had the desire to upgrade it (except going from 128 to 256 meg ram) since it does everything I want it to with audio and video. Have no sound control panel to speak of, so Enhancer is the way to go for me right now to improve the sound (for my ears, anyway). When I retire, I'll get my next computer with all the bells and whistles. Until then, I'm quite happy with what I have :) .

[countryjoe]

enhancer 017. love that reverb sound. super bass thru my altec lansings.