Stereo Tool

Stereo Tool 6.00 is available on the download page!

Changes w.r.t. version 5.02:
# Noise gate: Fixed crackling sounds in first band.
# Added FM Hiss filter. Removes FM hiss from input signal, useful for re-transmitting FM signals.
# AGC: Added 'Based on volume before Pre Amp' checkbox to make it easier to create presets with consistent behavior at different Pre Amp settings.
# AGC bug fix: Behavior was different at different input sample rates.
# AGC: Lock band 1 to band 2; if the bass is loud but not extremely loud it is not lowered. This avoids sound changes caused by the AGC, and results in a warmer, more natural sound.
# Multiband: Added 'Flat frequency response' mode which works much better.
# Multiband: Added display of the median amplification, useful for configuring Multiband settings.
# Singleband: Added 'AGC style' mode. Doesn't seem too useful though.
# Final Limiter: "DIFF" mode fixed.
# Final limiter is now automatically bypassed when Loudness is used (improves audio quality and reduces CPU usage).
# Loudness: Added filters to protect highs against loud bass sounds. The bass level can now be set much higher without causing distortion, even if Punch is used.
# Loudness: Added 'maximum mirror reflection' to make the sound more natural (less metalic) and louder.
# Loudness: Fixed 'Improved loudness distortion protection' artifacts.
# Loudness: Fixed 'Very deep bass distortion protection' artifacts.
# Loudness: Removed 'Allow louder lows' slider (no longer needed).
# Loudness: De-esser: Replaced 'Allow louder highs' by an AGC.
# Loudness: Added a slider to increase the dynamics of the output (by allowing some more harmonic distortion).
# Loudness: Added a filter to protect certain sounds (female voices) against vibrating.
# Loudness: Fixed dynamic Loudness input level behavior of Punch
# Hard Limit: Added an extra slower Hard Limit phase; volume comes up slower when the peaks are really loud.
# Added 'Lossy Compression (MP3/AAC/OGG/...) output optimization' filter for webradio stations. See this image for a display of the effect of different pre-emphasis values on 128 kbit/s MP3 files; this image displays a frequency analysis (high frequency content means clipping), again 128 kbit/s MP3, Post Amp at 90%.
# FM Output: Repaired the lowpass filter which sometimes caused artifacts.
# VST plugin notifies host of the delay.
# VST plugin: Bypass mode fixed.
# VST plugin: Removed separate window border, now loading inside host window.
# VST plugin now also works in mAirList.
# Improved handling of hiccups in the stand alone version when the CPU load gets very high.
# Presets: Made Generic and Web Radio presets sound much closer to the sound of modern CDs.
# Presets: Made FM presets sound much closer to that of popular hardware processors (more bass and highs, among others).
# Presets: Added new user presets, removed some obsolete ones.
# Command line version: Files larger than 2 GB can be processed now.
# Linux version added! Both a standard command line version and one with a GUI.

Downloading now! THANKS HANS!!!!!!!!!

Michi95 wrote this in another thread:
In the next version I'll also store the latency in .STS files.

Ok, good idea to have it as part of STS preset.
But it would even better (for the usage of STS and internal presets) to add to
stereo_tool.ini
dsp_stereo_tool.ini
vst_stereo_tool.ini
......
a new (hidden) key option.
Something like
Ignore Preset Latency=0
(as default = off)

This way experienced users could turn it on (to keep their own latency for STS and internal presets):
Ignore Preset Latency=1

Under certain circumstances this might help even to protect against instability on low power CPU systems (Atom, etc.).

And what about a key for amount of "Recent Preset Files" menu entries ?
Recent Preset Files=10
(default)
And values from 1 to 20 will be accepted.
Other values (0 or above 20, negative and whatever junk string) result to the default 10 entries.

Ah, I had forgotten:

Only recently loaded external STS presets are showed in "Recent Prest Files" list.

Why not recently loaded internal presets, too ?

Sorry, Hans these are all little things I should have asked before the version 6.00 release !
Though experienced users prefer a quick update policy with X.01, X.02, etc. builds more (because you see that improvements are added quickly) than this well-known behaviour of major companies to release X.00 versions and keep them for months (independant if buggy or not) and every user has to download a patch from a (almost hidden) download location.

No problem; even if you had I would have released the new version today anyway. Because 99% of the Stereo Tool users were still downloading version 5.02, and 6.00 is really a lot better. So I wanted to get it out there ASAP (which in this case meant: As soon as I had a complete and bug-free version).

I also need time the next few weeks for some other project I'm working on, so I had to either finish Stereo Tool this week or put it on hold for a few weeks.

Just keep posting these minor things, and I'll re-read everything when I create a new version (which is probably a few weeks from now, sooner if a really important bug is reported).


Right now the next steps are:
1. Wait a few days for bug reports.
If nothing big is reported:
2. Put a message on the server that triggers older Stereo Tool versions to display a message that a new version is available.
3. Submit this new version to other sites as well (such as the Winamp site).

Congratulations Hans ,
Good luck for the new version . I test it and for now nothing to worry.

yea thanks for all the hardwork Hans I appreciate it.
and so does every one else.

superb work hans

Hello Hans,

The problem i described in the other topic is there in version 5.02 and 6.00. When i test version 4.22 it works ok. Maybe it has something to do with the maximize option? When i see the gray planes and i click the icon with the animated meters in the right corner then some more meters appear and when i then hover with the mouse over them, all of them re-appear. But it doesn't matter if i minimize the window when it's maximized or when it's standard width.