Stereo Tool

Version 7.51 is released!

• Added separate FM and AM lowpass frequency setting; stream output uses a different frequency than FM/AM.
• Added separate volume for 1st and 2nd MPX output.
• Added Multiband Pre-Limiter. Protects clipper against volume effects (pumping) and distortion.
• Added Bass Boost "Drive" slider for better control.
• CPU load: Added faster processing paths for SSE3, SSE4.1/2, AXV and AVX2. Upto 20% performance improvement.
• CPU load: Optimized Delossifier.
• CPU load: Optimized Stokkemask (CPU load reduced by around 70%).
• Delossifier: Disabled at low latencies and monitoring output (adds latency, makes no sense in lower latency modes).
• Compressor/Limiters: Moved limiter before compressor. Slows down the attack speed when limiting, giving a more stable sound.
• Limiters: Solved distortion when limiting bass sounds.
• Limiters: Default "Limiter Distortion" values changed. Range increased downwards from 1.0% to 0.2%.
• Advanced Clipper: Stokkemask: Redesigned to have less impact on the audio.
• Advanced Clipper: Made highs clipping level configurable.
• Advanced Clipper: FM Multipath protection: Improved the behavior, effect is much bigger now.
• Web interface improved (scales to screen size, many widgets added).
• GUI: Simplified tilt correction. Only one slider left.
• GUI: Added CPU load display (as text) to the CPU load sliders.
• GUI: FM: Add volume meters which show MPX and Left/Right above 100% modulation
• GUI: Added warning that it's better to use ASIO and setting the sample rate correctly in Windows.
• GUI: Changed band steepness minimum values for Multiband/Natural Dynamics from 6 to 3 dB/octave.
• Code improvement: Assigned unique ID's to built-in presets, to make it easier to add, remove and shuffle presets.
• Code improvement: Added lots of extra checks that will warn in case of certain software bugs.
• Bug fix: Potential audio dropout in FM output with Tilt correction enabled solved.
• Bug fix: Potential audio dropout in several other filters (ACR Stereo among other) solved.
• Bug fix: Potential GUI error caused by same cause as audio dropout solved.
• Bug fix: Potential erroneous insertion of very high frequencies at lower latencies solved.
• Bug fix: Single-channel file in plugin version caused crashes when using the composite clipper.
• Bug fix: GUI: Tilt calibration was reset when loading a preset, removed.
• Bug fix: RDS ClockTime summer time mode on 64 bit OS's fixed.
• Bug fix: Stokkemask "Skip Smoothing" mode didn't work properly.
• Bug fix: Bug that caused sliders and top menu to stop working fixed.
• Bug fix: Calculation of FM MPX left/right peaks was wrong when using Composite Limiter.
• Bug fix: MPX Power calculation was wrong after switching to a different sample rate.
• Bug fix: Fixed broken GUI display in AM mode when in full-screen
• Added new and removed old presets.

Thanks for the new version, Hans!

The multiband bands cut at a different place now, is this intentional or a bug (e.g. 2 bands at 100Hz and 10000Hz met at 1000Hz before 7.51, now at around 1111Hz)?
What do I need to do to fix all my presets?

This is a really great update. Fantastic work!

However, I have noticed a bug in the web interface. When for example Latency mode "4096 samples" is chosen in the normal GUI, the web interface then shows "512 samples". When I change to "4096 samples" in the web interface, 512 samples is then activated in the normal GUI (thus the processing). And vice versa.
Same thing happens other places, for example when chosing bands in the prelimiter. 32 bands is activated in the normal GUI, but the web interface shows 512 bands. SSB Type and other dropdown boxes (not all) is also affected.

Running 64-bit version of Stereo Tool 7.51 on Windows 7.

I thought about the problem I mentioned above:

If the bands are only displayed incorrectly it is just a small GUI bug.
But if they actually changed all presets from before 7.51 now sound different and need to be fixed. Will there be a conversion tool to achieve that or must that be done by hand?

Any advice? Thanks!

I'll have to look into this, because I haven't changed anything in the code that calculates the bands. So everything should be the same as before...

I never thought possible to sound better, but it does. I'm listening to the Beatles "Hey Jude". I can hear every pluck of the bass notes by Paul McCartney - every strike of the tympani by Ringo Starr comes thru clearly. Breathtakingly clean and clear. Super work on this Hans. Thanks!

I'm wanting to make sure I understand this; is this the compressor / limiter in the AGC section? I can't see putting the mutliband limiters before the multiband compressors, but I wanted to be sure.

_________________
Gene Savage
BlackLight Radio
https://BlackLightRadio.com
Tulsa, Oklahoma USA

This means that they respond as if they were before the compressors. Which means that the compressor attack gets slowed down when limiting occurs.

So, in a way, the compressor attack times are "dynamic," based on whether or not limiting is taking place... yes?

_________________
Gene Savage
BlackLight Radio
https://BlackLightRadio.com
Tulsa, Oklahoma USA