Stereo Tool

Uploaded 019A VST version.

Please note: If "Block on startup" is not enabled, it takes a few seconds before the Exciter starts working the first time you enable it, or when you change the settings!

First, I'm sorry that I've tested the apparently incorrect version. I just thought that the link, the "\ _ /" has provided me is the current beta version I find that what you currently develop so great that I can not wait to test a new beta.

But now to the current version. Thank you've provided me. The default settings work, and the performance is really good! But what strikes me is, the higher the value of the block size, the less accurate is the result. From a value of ~ 350 I get no more results. I have found that values around the 16 sound somehow cleaner than the default value of 32. Furthermore, the result of complex audio recordings a block size of 5 a little better. Could you tell me what is the "Band Distance" option perhaps? I have ever tried various options, but hardly able to detect a change.

The filter uses a number of bands.

Block size (hm, I guess I should rename that to 'band width') sets the width of a band. Wider will give more distortion and also more MP3-ish artifacts. But, wider also means less bands so better performance.

Band distance is the distance between bands. Smaller means more overlap between bands (50% is actually the maximum that's kinda ok, 25% should be optimal.). But again, more overhead means more CPU load.

Ow, there might be something wrong with the Beta19 (standalone): when I open StereoTool, I only get Mono and phasey audio on both Normal and MPX-Out (record: http://www54.zippyshare.com/v/ALV416Pw/file.html). To make it work properly again, I have to enable the new Polar-Stereo-Feature, then Stereo Sound comes back, and then disable it again for normal FM-MPX-Signal. Strange...

7.85 BETA021

Windows 32 bit:
Windows stand alone: http://www.stereotool.com/download/ster ... 85-021.exe
Winamp DSP: http://www.stereotool.com/download/dsp_ ... 85-021.exe
Windows VST 32 bit: http://www.stereotool.com/download/vst_ ... 85-021.dll

CHANGED:
I'm in Paris right now and I haven't had much time to test, but I think I fixed the Polar Stereo issue from BETA019.
No further changes.

OLD CHANGES:
- Exciter: Fix 'bump' in spectrum at start frequency.
- Exciter: Check why lowest part (just above start) is too soft.
- Exciter: Fix pre-ringing problem in initial filter (?)
- Exciter: Make it possible to bypass 4x oversampling
- Exciter: Make multi-threaded
- Improved Exciter performance Note: Crashes when you change settings, I will fix that.
- Exciter: Smooth curve to avoid ringing (which is now filtered out by later steps, but that's bad).
- Exciter: Add slider for Band Width
- Exciter: Add slider for Band Overlap
- Exciter: Add slider and checkbox (?) for Band Shape (half cosine, cosine, squared/square root)
- Added (not yet fully ok) Polar Stereo support for OIRT FM stations.
- Added option to switch between 1 and 160 bands for Exciter.
- Error (crash) on some systems should be solved
- Exciter generates more highs than the previous version (which generated too little). The amount of filtering is reduced though!
- Improved Exciter: Increased number of bands from 40 to 160. MP3-like artifacts AND distortion should be gone now.
- Exciter: Calculate target amplification levels for each bin using white (?) noise!
- Fixed some Exciter issues (which might have been the cause of errors that some people reported).
- Improved Exciter: Now using 40 bands instead of 1
- Show something in settings that have been changed (for example a dot next to the name of the setting).
- Add license check function: extern "C" bool stereoTool_IsLicenseValid(gStereoTool* st_instance);
- Added some filtering to make sound less 'sandy' (distorted).
- Exciter: Check why it sometimes boosts audio around 10 kHz (?) more than it should (Johnnie Cash) - protection filter appears not to work completely. Compare what happens without protection filter! -> Fixed (more or less)
- Added a soft of exciter (not an FM exciter but something that generates highs). I've placed it (for now) under True Bass, and it cannot be configured yet. Not really sure what to make of it yet, I think I like it but it does sound a bit "rough" sometimes. Note: It can cause pre- and post ringing at higher latency settings (I will fix that later, first want to get a bit of a feeling for what it does).
- Make scope skinnable
- Bug: i found one malfunction in the BS412 Section: If your switch off the FM Option and leave the BS412 Limiter in On-Position the Advanced Clipper only works in a reduced way: You can´t change the Clipper drive even if you pull the handle. The BS412 Limiter is greyed out instead so maybe someone doesn´t find the failure. If You switch the BS412 to off everything works fine again! Just a small detail, but maybe someone will have problems… -> I think I have fixed it (but there are a lot of different combinations of settings that can impact the result, I hope I haven't missed any). The next version shouldn't have this problem anymore, also, when BS412 is used I have now disabled the Advanced Clipper Drive slider.
I've been busy hiding a lot more deprecated features (if they are set to their default value). This should make the GUI a bit simpler. Stuff that's now hidden (still there and still functional if you really want to use it):
- "Bass AGC (Old)" panel
- "Classic Multiband Compressor" panel
- "Classic Singleband" panel
- "Pre-limiter" panel (in Advanced Clipper)
- "Leif's clipper efficiency modification" checkbox
- "Composite clipping Strictness (CPU)" checkbox
- Phase rotation: ""At start of processing" checkbox
- AGC "Compatibility & behavior" header
- All Singleband and Multiband "Compressor type" (Analog/Digital) pull-downs
- Multiband and Natural Dynamics "Compatibility mode (bad)" for Flat Frequency Response checkbox
- "Bass protection (Deprecated)" header in Advanced Clipper -> Bass
- "Highs gap protection: *" in Advanced Clipper -> Highs
- "Smooth slope" in Advanced Clipper -> Distortion
- "Upsampled highs clipping (useless)" in Advanced Clipper -> Distortion
- Stokkemask: "Force Stokkemask even if not using Composite Clipping (bad for audio)"
- BS412: ""De-basser non-ITU.1770 compatibility mode (bad)"
- Right clicking now restores default again, mid or double right clicking restores last loaded preset (or startup) value.
Bug: If you use FM and Normal output, with separately processed audio for streaming for Normal output, and for FM output enable pre-emphasis but *not* pre-emphasize output, then Normal output is not processed separately!
- What is the pink line in the BS412 display? Maybe remove it. http://i.imgur.com/70mWvqp.png -> Ah no, it's the adjustment of the compressor thresholds. Needs to be added to Help page.
- BS412 has VERY narrow jump on de-basser from 240 to 250 Hz. (Jump of multiple dB's). -> No, brown line jumps but actual output is smooth, so no problem.
- BS412 bass filter doesn't use ITU1770 as it should but some weird other shape that goes up to about 250 Hz.
- Need to support 2 default values and a RESET TO LAST LOADED VALUE reset option.
- Hide not selected deprecated stuff - partially working!
- Move Copyright stuff etc. also to command line version (maybe just copy it?)

TODO:
- Show help in gui
- MP3?
- Add Polar stereo viewtopic.php?f=16&t=6233&p=33031#p33031
- Continue with finding parameters to hide
- Try adding phase delay compensation
- O skin
- Also show help for blocks of parameters.
- Blog post pre-processing
- Blog post MP3 and declipping

Unfortunately still the same issue. The clipper is also going crazy, almost full gain-reduction until I do the workaround with enabling/disabling polar stereo.

Hm, it seems to work fine here - can you send me your settings so I can check what's going on?

I've sent you the settings via PM.

Hm, this is one of those "I found the bug, but I have no idea why it did work in some situations" bugs. Anyway, it should be fixed now (next beta).

I think this "polar" thing is very very unneeded one ! Looks like it causes bugs wih other things. So why this thing must even exist ?
I propose one time the very old classic multiband and all old stuf to be removed. There was enough versions with them and everyone who wants them - to use old version anyway.