I'd like to see emplode modified so that if you select a track that's in a playlist (assuming you've connected and downloaded current lists), you have access to a control panel that displays all the current sound settings for that track.

This would be vol, balance, fade, equaliser preset in operation (etc.), and of course, the current graphic selected.

On the control panel, you tweak around all these settings as you wish.

When you synch, the settings get sent down and associated with that track, so that when the track plays back, all the settings are picked up and set before the track starts. You could then have unique sound settings for every track in the database (I can just hear Mike groaning here).

Even better. When you have set your settings, you should be able to drag and drop the settings as one object into a palette of "Sound Settings". To change the setting for any track visible in a playlist open in emplode, you just drag a Settings object onto the track, and Bingo! It accepts them as changes for the next synch. This way you could set up hundreds of tracks in minutes.

The Sound objects could be serialisable, so you could save them to disk outside emplode, and then we could exchange Sound objects on the forum for a lark. This does tend to leave you open to malicious sound objects though..... (I doubt I would download "BassBomb.snd", for instance )

I don't see why you'd want anything but the EQ to be a part of that scheme. Why would you want to change the fader and balance for each song? Why would you want the same vis to appear each time that particular song is played?

I hope that the Empeg folks are still planning on adding the ability to select an EQ preset for each song, but I can't see needing any other sound settings to be song-dependent.

Tony Fabris
Empeg #144

I don't see why you'd want anything but the EQ to be a part of that scheme

I've been thinking and been consciously experimenting with playback of normalised MP3s ever since you guys started your discussions on running a normalisation job on Emma . I've come to the conclusion that it's way to difficult to work. As said in the other thread, the perceived sound pressure of a song is more dependent on the mastering skills than on the physical peak volumes that can be found in the data of tracks.

I have some 12GB of of track on (in?) Emma now, all normalised through AC using the default setting to increase max volume to 99% if the loudest found in a file is below 91% or so, and I still find myself continuously adjusting the volume during playback. I've concluded that sound pressure adjustments are too difficult for the current (AC) normalisation process and require manual (subjective) adjustments. The adjustments that I make on normalised files are significant: some Stones albums blow the roof off, while others need a volume push of up to 6 db to sound right!

I'd really appreciate to have the ablity to store a volume offset to any track during (or immedeately after) playback in Emma. It would take a while (I've close to 2000 tracks recorded now), but after a while, tracks would sound much more equally than today and I would be able to hold the steering wheel more often than the remote control.

Any chance to add volume offsets in beta-15 or so, Hugo/Rob/Mike??? Forget Rob's request for all settings, or Tony's for per song EQ adjustments. It's track volume adjustments that we(at least I) need most.

Henno
# 00120 (6GB+18)

??? Forget Rob's request for all settings, or Tony's for per song EQ adjustments. It's track volume adjustments that we(at least I) need most.

Okay, I say we settle it like men, with a standard-rules cage match. Winner gets to request his pet feature.

Actually, I think that a per-song volume offset would be nice, too. Something to consider, though, is that a per-song EQ preset could solve the same problem. You could have some EQs that simply boost or cut all frequencies. Of course, with only 16 presets, you'd run out of EQs fast if you needed more than just a couple volume levels. It would be just about enough for me... I forsee having 15 EQ variations (normal, less bright, more bright, less bass, more bass, and normal/louder/softer variations on each of those).

As said in the other thread, the perceived sound pressure of a song is more dependent on the mastering skills than on the physical peak volumes that can be found in the data of tracks.

Yeah, imagine my surprise when I found out that the quietest album in my collection was already peak-normalized. I spent a little time trying to run compressors on the .wav files, and realized that good compression is an art form best left up to the professionals.

So you're probably right- a manually-selectable per-song volume offset is likely to be the only easily workable solution. You'd probably need to set the value by cutting the volume on the loud tracks rather than vice-versa. Boosting the volume of the quiet tracks would cause them to go above 0db if your amps are properly adjusted.

Tony Fabris
Empeg #144

...a per-song EQ preset could solve the same problem...

Sure, like engaging reverse while driving forward and then releasing the clutch can be used to decellerate....