Stereo Tool

@brian: How do you measure the cpu load? Task manager is VERY unreliable - jumps of IPP 20% can occur with only very minimal changes in the actual cpu load.

I usually just test how fast I can process the audio instead.

@Vortan: I haven't heard your recording yet (still without internet, now working on gsm...), but for now I can say 2 things:
1. Declipping is broken in last few beta's! So keep it turned off.
2. Highs are now clipped stronger than before if more low freqs are present. What happens if you turn 'advanced highs protection' (loudness panel) off? Not sure if that was already possible in beta030.

It could also be the agc which may send louder audio into the other processing steps. In 6.6.10 and earlier versions the agc often reduced the level to mucb.

Its beta33, i´m sorry. Advanced highs protection off makes it a little better, but there is still a difference to 6.00. I´ll check that.

Reliable or not, there is a dramatic behavioral difference in my system. This did NOT exist prior to the Advanced Highs.

I'll try to dredge up some other monitoring software, I suppose... :sigh:

@Vortan: I've compared the code and the audio of ONLY the Loudness filter; there are differences but they are small (and mainly affect lower frequencies). So my guess - so far - is that it must be something else, most likely the AGC which has changed a lot in 6.20. By the way, I'll try to post a newer 6.20 BETA that has less highs clipping steps - I still have internet connection issues...

@Brian: So you actually notice the difference? It's not just some values in Task Manager? The odd thing is that there should be no connection between the new filter and the GUI updates. Can you tell me if your system has a single core or multiple cores?

I bet there is some Wireless Connection near.


"then move to non-strict at" - Is is possible to make it to go to about 2kHz ?

Yes, I notice a difference.

How do I say this as unoffensively as I can?

I brought up the issues about the declipper because it literally crushed my system for no benefit. I was doubted.

I am bringing up this issue about the Advanced Highs protection. I am being doubted.

I'm rather tired of being doubted.

You've had other people also saying that they were noticing stuttering and poor performance. I think someone so far has mentioned that the issue has gone away since disabling the Advanced Extreme Highs Protection.

My system is an AMD Athlon 3700+. Single Core.

I downloaded Process Explorer, and can now VISIBLY see that when I have the GUI up with the new feature enabled, your DLL starts consuming more processor time. Yes, it consumes more with just the GUI up too, but if this feature is enabled, it is double-digit increases, which, oddly enough, coincide with the amount of increase seen overall.

I can see this discourse is likely going to end the same way the declipper ended, so, if I'm imagining things, I'll just thank you for the ability to disable the new filter and stop bothering you.

@Brian: The declipper uses a huge amount of processing power - I know, I'm working on improvements. The S protection also used a lot of extra CPU power - most of that should be gone now (I'll try to upload the latest version in a moment using my laptop and a somewhat unreliable unprotected wireless connection from one of my neighbours).

What I said is that the GUI *SHOULD* not cause a CPU load increase. *SHOULD*. If it does, something really strange must be going on. I don't know what it can be - and it doesn't reproduce on my end. That's why I'm asking so many questions - I don't see anything here.


Ow, and I just noticed: AMD. That makes sense. One of the filters that's used a lot in the declipper is more expensive on AMD than on Intel.

BETA034:
Optimized 'S' protection further. CPU load is now approx. 5/6% higher than that of version 6.10. (on MY system!)

Winamp DSP plugin: http://www.stereotool.com/download/dsp_ ... 20-034.exe
Stand alone version: http://www.stereotool.com/download/ster ... 20-034.exe
VST version: http://www.stereotool.com/download/vst_ ... 20-034.dll
VST version (No SSE2): http://www.stereotool.com/download/vst_ ... 20-034.dll
Command line version: http://www.stereotool.com/download/ster ... 20-034.exe
Linux command line version: http://www.stereotool.com/download/ster ... ETA620-034 NOT AVAILABLE
Linux GUI version: http://www.stereotool.com/download/ster ... ETA620-034 NOT AVAILABLE

TODO:
- Fix loading changed multiband frequencies
- Add buffer and filter for SCA output (SCA1 ok, SCA2 ok)
- Finish AGC improvement - make mono value configurable (replace checkbox by slider) 1 hour --> NO, not needed - anything else needed? -> NO
- Fix Punch
- Check what to do with new filters (such as bass AGC) - keep them, remove them, change them? --> KEEP
- Save new BASS_AGC setting in VST mode
- Loudness: Annoying cracking sound in bass. Slightly present in 5.00, worse in 6.00, maybe even worse in 6.10. Only when bass is too loud. Much worse than in Final Limiter (at same input level!) - so this clearly indicates a bug. Most likely cause: The filter that was added to remove bass artifacts....... - No, it's the louder bass. But it can be fixed by changing some settings. Default settings updated, and behavior for 'not Very strict' improved. Also Deep bass boost and Very deep bass protection are enabled for latency 512 now.
- Fix crash at program close
- Fix VST plugin version (does not run)
- Dynamically drop 'Allow louder highs, even if it causes vibrations' to 0 when bass filter suspects noticeable voice vibrations. 1-2 hours
- Reduce Loudness CPU load days?
- Check and remove static variables
- Finish new de-essing filter (check what to do with the settings, remove at least some!) 1 day
- Finish declipping filter (clipping level detection + level reduction in dB). 2 days
- Update presets? (BASS_AGC etc.) 1 day
- Finish blind interface
- Change version number 1 hour
- Release 1 hour
- Add lowpass filter for stereo signal (will cause a lot of extra latency!) - it might be possible to avoid this latency using a Hilbert transform
- Add smarter clipping detection. Maybe something much simpler suffices: Current clipping detection with threshold + flat line detection