DSP

General

DSP means Digital Signal Processing. It isn't necessarily a real enhancement of digital datas: volume control is a DSP for example. The user can improve the sound or really decrease it if ill-managed.
The foobar architecture is sufficiently evolved to allow simultaneous use of several DSP or effects.As its decoding and engine work in 64 bit floating mode.
To activate a DSP, just put in in the left column (from Available DSP to Active DSP). The order of DSP has its importance (use the up and down button to do so, the chain proposed on the picture might be a good one). If you don't have a lot of CPU, put the resampler at the end for less processing. Always put the soft clipping limiter or the advanced limiter at the end, so as to manage sound enhancement and have useful measures against clipping.
Now to configure a DSP, click on the Configure selected button
The following list is far from being complete as DSP available are numerous but I will just describe the most useful ones. If DSP developers want to see their panels in this page, they can e-mail me.

Quick FAQ

Which order should I use?

DSP order has an impact on how will be changed your files. For example adding a dynamic compressor after an advanced limiter could create clipping while putting the Limiter at the end of the queue should avoid this problem.

Resampler Other DSP Any Limiter

Description

Complete list of DSP for 0.9.X version
: click to open the official page
: click to open the related topic

• Advanced Limiter : This DSP is really useful to avoid clipping problems, it will detect peaks and cut those to avoid any kind of clipping, it cuts what is needed and is not limited unlike the hard -6dB limiter. It could be useful with Replaygain , (even if the use of this option theorically avoids this problem). It's use is recommanded as its efficiency is high, but needs "a lot of" resources.
  You should put it at the end of your DSP queue.
• Resampler (PPHS) : Resampler is useful especially for low frequencies sampled tracks (radio recorded for example).. It will resample better than the audio cards drivers your music . The Ultra mode is not recommended as it uses more resources. Users who have audio cards supporting high sampling frequencies (88200, 96000, 192000 Hz) won't have a real improvement from 44100Hz but could be useful to add "dead" datas. Just remember that the audio hearable zone of humans is from 20Hz to 20000Hz and that the high harmonics have lesser impact as their frequency is high (CD are sampled at 44100Hz)
• Skip silence: Useful lugin to skip silence in tracks (especially before bonus tracks). You can choose under which threshold their is a silence.
• Crossfeed :The same as above but you are not able to manage the crossfeed level.
• Equalizer : it has 18 cursors, which makes it very accurate. It has been created to compensate hardware defaults of your hi-fi components.
• Continuator : Use it for enhanced crossfading ,
• Channel Mixer : Will replace the several downmix or upmixing DSP like downmix channels to mono, convert stereo to 4 channel, convert 5.1 to stereo, convert mono to stereo channels . Additional component for a complete detail of its ability, click the corresponding icon.
• Bauer stereophonic to binaural DSP : listening to music with headphones is tiring because the brain is hearing sounds without stereo "enhancement". It tries to compute where the sound comes from but it can't because channels are "split". Crossfeed should be used so as to use your headphones as if they were speakers with all of their qualities without the defaults quoted above. Desactivate it if you do not use headphones. For a better explanation go to this site: Meier Audio
• Resampler (SSRC) The same as above, maybe a little slower.
• Hard -6dB limiter : Will do the same as the advanced limiter but it is limited to a -6dB cut. Preferred over the advanced limiter.
• Post-Track silence : It inserts a configurable amount of silence after each track to help external devices like MiniDisc players to sync track changes.

September 26 2007 00:26:41.