DiscoProJoe’s Rockbox EQ Presets, Version 4.1 (complete user guide)
- Thread starter DiscoProJoe
- Start date
Well, well,...I just made another discovery. (But probably won't be making another new version of these presets in light of it.)
Here's the discovery: instead of using the presets "X Boosted Treble 10," "X Classic 10," "X Less Treble 9," or any of the "Dull" presets on the particular songs that need them, it's better to use both...
A. Either "X Additional Boosted Treble 10" or "X Classic 9", and also...
B. The Rockbox treble feature that's separate from the equalizer, and can be used to reduce the treble further.
(On a Rockboxed iPod Classic, the treble feature can reduce the highs by as much as -10.5 dB, in steps of 1.5 dB.)
Due to technical reasons explained in the article, there's a tendency to run into the -24 dB EQ floor with the treble on the high bass increments in DiscoProJoe's Rockbox EQ Presets. If you've ever used the presets "X Boosted Treble 10," "X Classic 10," or "X Less Treble 9" for any songs that need them, you might notice that the treble doesn't sound very smooth. This is because the 16 kHz band has long since run into the -24 dB floor, and the 4 kHz and 8 kHz bands are still being lowered. As a result, the high-end treble sounds too bright. It overpowers the mid-treble, and can mess up the soundstage.
So instead of creating another new version update for this, here's a better solution that you can take on your own. Just follow these steps:
1. In Rockbox (on your Rockboxed music player), go to Settings > Sound Settings > Treble Cutoff, and select "1." (If there is no "Treble Cutoff" selection, then just skip this step.)
2. In the Sound Settings menu, hover your cursor over the "Treble" listing, and press and hold the select button for at least half a second.
3. Choose "Add to Shortcuts."
So now, in the Rockbox main menu, you can go to "Shortcuts," and can find the "Treble" listing there. (I'm already personally using the "Bass" and "Brightness" features on the two axes of my Quickscreen menu, so the "Treble" feature will have to be relegated to the Shortcuts menu.)
Anyway, here's some examples of songs that I'm using the Rockbox treble (reducing) feature on:
-------------------------
Mariah Carey "Vision of Love" (1990)
Was previously using "Lite Boosted Treble 10." Now, am using "Lite Additional Boosted Treble 10" with the Rockbox treble feature set to -4.5 dB.
-------------------------
J. Geils Band "Centerfold" (1981)
Was using "Lite Classic 10." Now am using "Lite Additional Boosted Treble 10" with the Rockbox treble feature set to -9.0 dB.
-------------------------
NKOTB "You Got It (The Right Stuff)" (1988)
Was using "Lite Less Treble 9." Now am using "Lite Classic 9" with the Rockbox treble feature set to -7.5 dB.
-------------------------
NKOTB "I'll Be Loving You (Forever)" (1988)
Was using "Ultra Lite Less Treble 9." Now am using "Ultra Lite Classic 9" with the Rockbox treble feature set to -6.0 dB.
-------------------------
Heart "If Looks Could Kill" (1985)
This particular song recording has a ridiculous amount of high-end treble. Was (and still am) using "Lite Reduced Treble 8." But prior to this latest discovery, I had to pick my poison: either leave it at this preset and endure the excessive treble, use "Lite Reduced Treble 8 Dull" and (no pun intended) kill off the soundstage, or use "Lite Treble Out 7" and be left with less sub-bass than I'd prefer.
Now, I can use "Lite Reduced Treble 8" with the Rockbox treble feature set to -6.0 dB, and it all comes together perfectly! Yay! No more settling for less.
--------------------------
Anyway, these are just some examples of songs that sound very significantly improved with this new way of doing things -- when using the higher bass increments in the EQ presets -- where previously there were challenges at keeping the treble sounding smooth.
This Rockbox treble feature really comes in handy in certain situations and makes a big difference when it's needed.
Oh well,...have fun, and happy Rockboxing!
Here's the discovery: instead of using the presets "X Boosted Treble 10," "X Classic 10," "X Less Treble 9," or any of the "Dull" presets on the particular songs that need them, it's better to use both...
A. Either "X Additional Boosted Treble 10" or "X Classic 9", and also...
B. The Rockbox treble feature that's separate from the equalizer, and can be used to reduce the treble further.
(On a Rockboxed iPod Classic, the treble feature can reduce the highs by as much as -10.5 dB, in steps of 1.5 dB.)
Due to technical reasons explained in the article, there's a tendency to run into the -24 dB EQ floor with the treble on the high bass increments in DiscoProJoe's Rockbox EQ Presets. If you've ever used the presets "X Boosted Treble 10," "X Classic 10," or "X Less Treble 9" for any songs that need them, you might notice that the treble doesn't sound very smooth. This is because the 16 kHz band has long since run into the -24 dB floor, and the 4 kHz and 8 kHz bands are still being lowered. As a result, the high-end treble sounds too bright. It overpowers the mid-treble, and can mess up the soundstage.
So instead of creating another new version update for this, here's a better solution that you can take on your own. Just follow these steps:
1. In Rockbox (on your Rockboxed music player), go to Settings > Sound Settings > Treble Cutoff, and select "1." (If there is no "Treble Cutoff" selection, then just skip this step.)
2. In the Sound Settings menu, hover your cursor over the "Treble" listing, and press and hold the select button for at least half a second.
3. Choose "Add to Shortcuts."
So now, in the Rockbox main menu, you can go to "Shortcuts," and can find the "Treble" listing there. (I'm already personally using the "Bass" and "Brightness" features on the two axes of my Quickscreen menu, so the "Treble" feature will have to be relegated to the Shortcuts menu.)
Anyway, here's some examples of songs that I'm using the Rockbox treble (reducing) feature on:
-------------------------
Mariah Carey "Vision of Love" (1990)
Was previously using "Lite Boosted Treble 10." Now, am using "Lite Additional Boosted Treble 10" with the Rockbox treble feature set to -4.5 dB.
-------------------------
J. Geils Band "Centerfold" (1981)
Was using "Lite Classic 10." Now am using "Lite Additional Boosted Treble 10" with the Rockbox treble feature set to -9.0 dB.
-------------------------
NKOTB "You Got It (The Right Stuff)" (1988)
Was using "Lite Less Treble 9." Now am using "Lite Classic 9" with the Rockbox treble feature set to -7.5 dB.
-------------------------
NKOTB "I'll Be Loving You (Forever)" (1988)
Was using "Ultra Lite Less Treble 9." Now am using "Ultra Lite Classic 9" with the Rockbox treble feature set to -6.0 dB.
-------------------------
Heart "If Looks Could Kill" (1985)
This particular song recording has a ridiculous amount of high-end treble. Was (and still am) using "Lite Reduced Treble 8." But prior to this latest discovery, I had to pick my poison: either leave it at this preset and endure the excessive treble, use "Lite Reduced Treble 8 Dull" and (no pun intended) kill off the soundstage, or use "Lite Treble Out 7" and be left with less sub-bass than I'd prefer.
Now, I can use "Lite Reduced Treble 8" with the Rockbox treble feature set to -6.0 dB, and it all comes together perfectly! Yay! No more settling for less.
--------------------------
Anyway, these are just some examples of songs that sound very significantly improved with this new way of doing things -- when using the higher bass increments in the EQ presets -- where previously there were challenges at keeping the treble sounding smooth.
This Rockbox treble feature really comes in handy in certain situations and makes a big difference when it's needed.
Oh well,...have fun, and happy Rockboxing!
I just discovered that the original default setting for the "Bass Cutoff" is "2" (and not "1") when first installing Rockbox on an iPod Classic, and that the original setting for the "Treble Cutoff" is "1."
After saving and backing up my main configuration file in Rockbox (named "config.cfg"), I went to the Settings > Manage Settings > Reset Settings option, and tried it, just to see what all the original default settings in Rockbox were. So I found this out.
(And then, of course, reinstalled my saved config.cfg file to put everything back to the way I had it all set.)
Anyway, what this means is...on Rockboxed music players besides iPod Classics that don't have an option for "Bass Cutoff" (such as Rockboxed Sansa Clips, iPod Nanos, iRivers, etc.), DiscoProJoe's Rockbox EQ Presets might not have the correct amount of midbass, and might not sound ideal, when using the main midbass categories. When using the main midbass categories in these presets, it is essential to have the Rockbox bass-boost feature set to +12 dB, and the "Bass Cutoff" set to "1." IPod Classics have these options, but other Rockboxed players may not.
So if your player doesn't have these options, then it might be best if you keep the Rockbox bass-boost feature turned off (i.e., set to +0 dB), and use the "special" midbass categories named "Wicked," "Wild," "Cool," and "Xtra Smooth," instead of the respective "Hot," "Cool," "Lite," and "Ultra Lite." You'll have the equivalent of 4 bass increments' worth of less sub-bass than when using the ideal settings.
Anyway, if anyone has more than one Rockboxed music player, and if one of them has a "Bass Cutoff" option and a +12 dB bass-boost-feature capability, and if the other music player doesn't, then I'd be curious to know how the midbass compares between the two players when using DiscoProJoe's Rockbox EQ Presets. If anyone knows, then be sure and post your comparisons on this thread.
After saving and backing up my main configuration file in Rockbox (named "config.cfg"), I went to the Settings > Manage Settings > Reset Settings option, and tried it, just to see what all the original default settings in Rockbox were. So I found this out.
(And then, of course, reinstalled my saved config.cfg file to put everything back to the way I had it all set.)
Anyway, what this means is...on Rockboxed music players besides iPod Classics that don't have an option for "Bass Cutoff" (such as Rockboxed Sansa Clips, iPod Nanos, iRivers, etc.), DiscoProJoe's Rockbox EQ Presets might not have the correct amount of midbass, and might not sound ideal, when using the main midbass categories. When using the main midbass categories in these presets, it is essential to have the Rockbox bass-boost feature set to +12 dB, and the "Bass Cutoff" set to "1." IPod Classics have these options, but other Rockboxed players may not.
So if your player doesn't have these options, then it might be best if you keep the Rockbox bass-boost feature turned off (i.e., set to +0 dB), and use the "special" midbass categories named "Wicked," "Wild," "Cool," and "Xtra Smooth," instead of the respective "Hot," "Cool," "Lite," and "Ultra Lite." You'll have the equivalent of 4 bass increments' worth of less sub-bass than when using the ideal settings.
Anyway, if anyone has more than one Rockboxed music player, and if one of them has a "Bass Cutoff" option and a +12 dB bass-boost-feature capability, and if the other music player doesn't, then I'd be curious to know how the midbass compares between the two players when using DiscoProJoe's Rockbox EQ Presets. If anyone knows, then be sure and post your comparisons on this thread.
Quick update: just wanted to mention that for the last couple of months, I've often also been using this same Rockbox treble feature to fine tune the treble between treble subcategories in DiscoProJoe's Rockbox EQ Presets.
If the treble sounds a tad bit too bright, then I can try setting the Rockbox treble feature at -1.5 dB or -3.0 dB to get the sound just right. If I need -4.5 dB, though, then I simply leave the treble feature set to 0.0 dB, and use the next duller treble subcategory in the EQ presets, instead.
Hope this helps.
If the treble sounds a tad bit too bright, then I can try setting the Rockbox treble feature at -1.5 dB or -3.0 dB to get the sound just right. If I need -4.5 dB, though, then I simply leave the treble feature set to 0.0 dB, and use the next duller treble subcategory in the EQ presets, instead.
Hope this helps.
All right, everyone,...I've just come out with another new, improved version:
DiscoProJoe's Rockbox EQ Presets, Version 5.0!
A. Got rid of redundant presets that I never use anymore
B. Added two lesser sub-bass increments at the bottom of each list within the treble subcategories, (i.e., the new increments "0" and "1")
C. Shifted all the other presets up two numerals (the old "0th" sub-bass increments are fairly similar to the new "2nd" sub-bass increments, the old "7th" ones are fairly similar to the new "9th" ones, etc.)
D. The 40 Hz band's decibel boostings are all whole numbers now (+0.0 dB, +3.0 dB, +6.0 dB, +9.0 dB, etc.), instead the half numbers (+6.5 dB, +9.5 dB, etc.) in all the previous versions
E. The old "6th" sub-bass increments and up (which are now the new "8th" increments and up)...have slightly-better sound quality, and sound a little more solid.
F. This new version is meant to be used with the Rockbox treble feature, explained in the posts above on this thread from earlier this year.
I also wanted to mention that, recently, I changed my Quickscreen menu. It now contains the Rockbox treble feature and screen brightness adjustments, and I've moved the Rockbox bass feature adjustment to the Shortcuts menu. I personally tend to fine-tune the treble between the treble subcategories (in DiscoProJoe's Rockbox EQ Presets) very, very often as I listen. But the Rockbox bass feature...I usually just leave set at +12 dB and don't need to change it too frequently -- especially now that I have two additional lesser sub-bass increments at the bottom of the lists in Version 5.0.
Anyway, it was a ton of work going through all of the preset files and updating everything for the way I use it now.
But here it is.
The "EQ presets 1" set now has 611 presets, and the "EQ presets Cayin C5" set now has 606.
(For technical reasons, the "Ultra Lite" midbass category in the "Cayin C5" set does not have any 12th sub-bass increments.)
Over the next several weeks as I have time, I'll be re-writing a new technical article for this new version, which will also include the stuff about the Rockbox treble category in it, as well. I'll also make a new, short video announcing the new version, and showing some of the updated menus on my Rockboxed iPod Classic.
Here's the download links for Version 5.0:
Dropbox
https://tinyurl.com/ydymx77l
Baidu (if you are in China)
https://pan.baidu.com/s/1c1031Pu
Just download the .zip file, extract the "EQ presets 1" and "EQ presets Cayin C5" folders to your desktop, connect your Rockboxed music player to your PC, delete the old EQ-preset folders on it, and copy these two new folders over. Reboot your music player and have fun!
DiscoProJoe's Rockbox EQ Presets, Version 5.0!
A. Got rid of redundant presets that I never use anymore
B. Added two lesser sub-bass increments at the bottom of each list within the treble subcategories, (i.e., the new increments "0" and "1")
C. Shifted all the other presets up two numerals (the old "0th" sub-bass increments are fairly similar to the new "2nd" sub-bass increments, the old "7th" ones are fairly similar to the new "9th" ones, etc.)
D. The 40 Hz band's decibel boostings are all whole numbers now (+0.0 dB, +3.0 dB, +6.0 dB, +9.0 dB, etc.), instead the half numbers (+6.5 dB, +9.5 dB, etc.) in all the previous versions
E. The old "6th" sub-bass increments and up (which are now the new "8th" increments and up)...have slightly-better sound quality, and sound a little more solid.
F. This new version is meant to be used with the Rockbox treble feature, explained in the posts above on this thread from earlier this year.
I also wanted to mention that, recently, I changed my Quickscreen menu. It now contains the Rockbox treble feature and screen brightness adjustments, and I've moved the Rockbox bass feature adjustment to the Shortcuts menu. I personally tend to fine-tune the treble between the treble subcategories (in DiscoProJoe's Rockbox EQ Presets) very, very often as I listen. But the Rockbox bass feature...I usually just leave set at +12 dB and don't need to change it too frequently -- especially now that I have two additional lesser sub-bass increments at the bottom of the lists in Version 5.0.
Anyway, it was a ton of work going through all of the preset files and updating everything for the way I use it now.
But here it is.
The "EQ presets 1" set now has 611 presets, and the "EQ presets Cayin C5" set now has 606.
(For technical reasons, the "Ultra Lite" midbass category in the "Cayin C5" set does not have any 12th sub-bass increments.)
Over the next several weeks as I have time, I'll be re-writing a new technical article for this new version, which will also include the stuff about the Rockbox treble category in it, as well. I'll also make a new, short video announcing the new version, and showing some of the updated menus on my Rockboxed iPod Classic.
Here's the download links for Version 5.0:
Dropbox
https://tinyurl.com/ydymx77l
Baidu (if you are in China)
https://pan.baidu.com/s/1c1031Pu
Just download the .zip file, extract the "EQ presets 1" and "EQ presets Cayin C5" folders to your desktop, connect your Rockboxed music player to your PC, delete the old EQ-preset folders on it, and copy these two new folders over. Reboot your music player and have fun!
hqssui
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Thanks for continually improving your RB eq @DiscoProJoe. Much appreciated. I was using some of your eqs with rockboxed Xduoo X3 until it died on me.
I just posted an updated article for the latest version, Version 5.0, at this link.
If you're currently subscribed to this old thread for Version 4.1, then be sure and subscribe to the new thread if you'd like to follow it.
If you're currently subscribed to this old thread for Version 4.1, then be sure and subscribe to the new thread if you'd like to follow it.
so joe, i noticed you mention "cool" twice. so which one is it?
so joe, i noticed you mention "cool" twice. so which one is it?
With the Rockbox bass feature turned on (i.e., set at +12 dB), then the "Cool" midbass category works like normal. But with the Rockbox bass feature turned off (set to 0 dB), then "Cool" will sound like the "Lite" midbass category with the bass feature turned on.
This is explained in further detail in the article for the latest Version 5.0.
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