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Parametric Equalizer for Mac. Good options?

post #1 of 17
6/10/09 at 1:04pm
Thread Starter 
After reading the article about custom equalizer settings to suit individual headphones I set out to try to find a parametric equalizer to work with. After searching head-fi, KVR, and google I have yet to find something suitable.

I'm running OS 10.5.7 on an iMac (Intel). I'm flexible as far as what arrangement I use. Standalone or plug-in, I'm not too picky about what player I use (so long as it offers bit-perfect playback and supports ALAC files- though if I had to I could convert the files.)

I've found a couple plug-in equalizers (both support VST and one supports AU)
KVR: Darrell Tam DtBlkFx - Virtual Effect
KVR: slim slow slider Linear Phase Graphic EQ - Virtual Effect

I know that using Audio Hijack is an option, I was hoping that there was a simpler/cheaper (read: free) option.

I looked into Cog and Songbird, but from what I can tell neither supports plug-ins, am I wrong about that?
So in short,
-is there a media player for MacOS that supports VST or AU plug-ins?
-is there a parametric equalizer for iTunes that I just missed?
-is there a stand-alone parametric equalizer?

I'd prefer free, but if necessary would be willing to spend a little money.
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post #2 of 17
7/18/09 at 2:03am

Does this count as a Zombie thread?

What I use on my MacBook Pro is iTunes with Audio Hijack Pro

Edit: Didn't see that you'd said that you didn't want to use AHPro. It works well though, give it a try.

First post! Woo!
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post #3 of 17
7/19/09 at 4:16am
Thread Starter 
Since this post I've discovered that Play can support AU plug-ins and using Jack Audio you can route the output of iTunes through Play (and thus a parametric equalizer) and thus have your cake and eat it to (fo' free!). Once I figure out which EQ to use I'll make a post about it/how-to
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post #4 of 17
7/25/09 at 11:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by madelvice View Post
Since this post I've discovered that Play can support AU plug-ins and using Jack Audio you can route the output of iTunes through Play (and thus a parametric equalizer) and thus have your cake and eat it to (fo' free!). Once I figure out which EQ to use I'll make a post about it/how-to
Could you please explain this? Play?
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post #5 of 17
7/26/09 at 1:38am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by gilency View Post
Could you please explain this? Play?
Play is an audio file manager/player (like iTunes, WinAmp etc) that can be downloaded here:Play from sbooth.org

It supports AU (Audio Unit) plug-ins. AU plug-ins are designed for use with Core Audio applications (in laymen's terms, Core Audio is the system that Macs use to play/manipulate audio)

These plug-ins are added to audio software (anything from playback software such as Play or foobar to recording/editing such as Reason, or Cubase etc.) to manipulate audio. There are all sorts of plug-ins that range from equalization, to delay, to distortion, to compression.

At any rate, iTunes does not support plug-ins (a fact that I found most annoying seeing as it is lovely in terms of organization.)

This whole thing started because I wanted a parametric equalizer so that I could fine tune my EQ settings. There are a few parametric EQ's available as plug-ins. So now I needed software that would support these plug-ins.

Now, I could have just used play as my primary software, had my plug-in and been done with it. However, I have all sorts of settings, playlists and the like set up in iTunes and I didn't feel like migrating.

What I've done is used JACK Audio to connect the output of iTunes into Play and then Play to my headphone out.

so what used to be: 'music file' ->iTunes ->headphone out
is now: 'music file' ->iTunes-> Play (with the EQplugin) -> headphone out.

Like I said, I'll be sure to post instructions (with pictures and diagrams and sorts of goodies) once I get some time. Probably in a week or two after my class is done. Hope that helped.
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post #6 of 17
7/26/09 at 3:01am
this is very helpful. Thanks. Subscribed.
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post #7 of 17
7/26/09 at 2:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gilency View Post
this is very helpful. Thanks. Subscribed.
Me to!
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post #8 of 17
3/30/10 at 10:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by madelvice View Post
Play is an audio file manager/player (like iTunes, WinAmp etc) that can be downloaded here:Play from sbooth.org

It supports AU (Audio Unit) plug-ins. AU plug-ins are designed for use with Core Audio applications (in laymen's terms, Core Audio is the system that Macs use to play/manipulate audio)

These plug-ins are added to audio software (anything from playback software such as Play or foobar to recording/editing such as Reason, or Cubase etc.) to manipulate audio. There are all sorts of plug-ins that range from equalization, to delay, to distortion, to compression.

At any rate, iTunes does not support plug-ins (a fact that I found most annoying seeing as it is lovely in terms of organization.)

This whole thing started because I wanted a parametric equalizer so that I could fine tune my EQ settings. There are a few parametric EQ's available as plug-ins. So now I needed software that would support these plug-ins.

Now, I could have just used play as my primary software, had my plug-in and been done with it. However, I have all sorts of settings, playlists and the like set up in iTunes and I didn't feel like migrating.

What I've done is used JACK Audio to connect the output of iTunes into Play and then Play to my headphone out.

so what used to be: 'music file' ->iTunes ->headphone out
is now: 'music file' ->iTunes-> Play (with the EQplugin) -> headphone out.

Like I said, I'll be sure to post instructions (with pictures and diagrams and sorts of goodies) once I get some time. Probably in a week or two after my class is done. Hope that helped.
which equalizer did you end up using with this setup?
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post #9 of 17
3/30/10 at 11:36pm
If you use Play (Play from sbooth.org) you can just use the Apple audio plugins which are really good.
You get: band pass, dynamics processor, delay, distortion, filter, graphic EQ (10 bands, or 31 bands), hi pass, high shelf filter, peak limiter, low pass, low shelf filter, multiband compressor, matrix reverb, net send, parametric EQ, roger beep, sample delay, pitch.

and you can use other DSPs with it.
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post #10 of 17
3/31/10 at 3:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gbacic View Post
If you use Play (Play from sbooth.org) you can just use the Apple audio plugins which are really good.
You get: band pass, dynamics processor, delay, distortion, filter, graphic EQ (10 bands, or 31 bands), hi pass, high shelf filter, peak limiter, low pass, low shelf filter, multiband compressor, matrix reverb, net send, parametric EQ, roger beep, sample delay, pitch.

and you can use other DSPs with it.
played around with the apple plugins and they will suffice, the troublesome thing for me now is after reading this thread i want to use that jack audio program to connect itunes to play however i cannot get jack audio to allow me to set play as the output so either i am flunking at understanding just what i am supposed to do or the correct option isn't showing up. I can see both itunes and play as input sources. Maybe i should just cut my losses and port over to play, or find a different software that jack can link to which allows me to use equalizer plugins. since google searches and reading the jack audio documentation has left me in a daze.
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post #11 of 17
3/31/10 at 5:24pm
Yeah I also don't know how to get Jack to work properly, so I gave up.
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post #12 of 17
4/1/10 at 1:22am
Thread Starter 
Sorry I can't give more detailed help:

poke around on the internet for a JACK guide. It should be pretty easy to find... I've gotten iTunes to output through JACK so it's certainly possible. JACK isn't amazingly hard but it's not so blatantly obvious that you could necessarily figure it out without a little help. Once you find the guide you'll hopefully be able to get it to work in no more than 10 minutes or so.
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post #13 of 17
4/1/10 at 3:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by madelvice View Post
Sorry I can't give more detailed help:

poke around on the internet for a JACK guide. It should be pretty easy to find... I've gotten iTunes to output through JACK so it's certainly possible. JACK isn't amazingly hard but it's not so blatantly obvious that you could necessarily figure it out without a little help. Once you find the guide you'll hopefully be able to get it to work in no more than 10 minutes or so.
i have no trouble finding the instructions/guide, and setting up the itunes side of it is no trouble it's setting it up to connect to play that is proving to be the problem. maybe i need an older version of play or something, i have enabled the jack-insert DSP but it doesn't seem to offer me any change in play's options or in jack's settings/connections for that matter. if i change plays output source to jack i can set play up as an output source but finding a way to set play as an input receiver is a no go.
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post #14 of 17
4/2/10 at 1:26am
Thread Starter 
Try starting the JACK server with Play closed and then open Play.
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post #15 of 17
1/31/12 at 1:44pm

Ok so here is another 'old' thread…

 

I tried the jack/play combo and all it did was crash my Mac.

 

So I deleted all of it and went in search of, and found (ta da!)

 

Audio Hijack Pro

 

It is WAY kewl, only costs $32, has an archive of older versions (for G5 cpu's), comes with parametric EQ modules and, and, on and on…  Oh and you can try it for free (for 10 minutes at a time)

 

I've got it configured with 5 parametric EQ modules so far but I'm still fussing.

Here is an article that describes what it is and does

http://tidbits.com/article/7961

 

Here is the web site

http://www.rogueamoeba.com/audiohijackpro/

 

Oh yeah I'm already using their LineIn S/W which has a minor bug but works as advertised.

 

Yeah you have to figure out how to calculate the Q and there isn't anyway to see what the results of all this fussing is.  BUT it's a start and it's ALL in the digital domain.

 

JJ

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