foobar2000 and Dynamic DSP

[PleasantSounds]

I’d like to draw attention of the f2k users to a rarely mentioned component that I recently grew very fond of.
 
I’m talking about the Dynamic DSP: it allows configuring the DSP chain for each track in the playlist, based on the metatags.
I’m using it for the following purposes:

1. Upsampling 44.1 kHz tracks to 96 kHz which for some reason my DAC seems to prefer
2. Converting 5.1 sources to stereo
3. Equalizing some poorly mastered albums

Any other installed DSP could be used and configured, including VST plugins.
 
Here’s the link to the latest available version:
 
Once installed, the Dynamic DSP component needs to be inserted into the DSP chain. It can be the only DSP component or inserted among other components, even multiple times. When a track is about to play, Dynamic DSP evaluates it’s format script and inserts in its own place in the chain the components resulting from this evaluation.
 
Probably the easiest way to use it in practice is to create a dedicated metatag where the names of preconfigured DSP sets can be specified. I have created a new one called %DSP% but if that’s too much work then %Comment% can be used as well.
My DSP chain is configured as follows:
 

 
and the Dynamic DSP configuration:

 
When you double-click any of the chain names, it displays DSP config of that chain:

 
From this point configuration of the DSP is as usual.
 
The presets specified in the Dynamic DSP config can be then added to the track properties, for example:

 
Based on this, the specified track will be played upsampled to 96k and with some EQ applied.

 

[dmbr]

Been wanting this forever! Thank you!

 

[castleofargh]

when I found out about it, I was also pretty amazed. it a great a convenient idea. but in practice I used it only for a month or 2. because I just tend to convert my music with whatever DSP I want so that I can can also have it on my DAPs(where stuff like EQ usually suck big time), so sox, EQ, crossfeed or whatever, I just ended converting the track once and for all and remove the DSP from foobar.
I do keep a clean backup that I don't use for when internet explodes and I need a safe backup to go fight the zombie apocalypse.

 

[Fail]

Thanks for the info. I'm gonna set this up in F2K right now.
 

 

[PleasantSounds]

Another good DSP to be used dynamically is SkipSilence. I don't like having it on by default as it may adversly affect some classical pieces, but there are some CDs with hidden tracks where it does help - especially if you can load it only for the specific tracks.

 

[coli]

Bass boost  heaven!
 
Edit: I wish there's  peak normalization for foobar...

 

[PleasantSounds]

  Bass boost  heaven!
 
Edit: I wish there's  peak normalization for foobar...

 
Have you tried enabling ReplayGain? I strongly recommend it!

 

[coli]

   
Have you tried enabling ReplayGain? I strongly recommend it!

Yeah, but that's not what I want. I want the peak to be at 0, that's where DAC performs the best. 

 

[castleofargh]

 

   
Have you tried enabling ReplayGain? I strongly recommend it!

Yeah, but that's not what I want. I want the peak to be at 0, that's where DAC performs the best. 

from pop to old records or certain genres(jazz, classical...) it's easy to get up to 10db differences in perceived loudness, that's twice as loud. anybody using playlists or shuffle would feel the need to adjust the amp all the time.
I'm not against trying to get the best out of the gears we have, but not at the cost of making it become an actual bother. unless you only listen to one full album at a time, I don't see this a viable solution.
even if we stick to the "best sound possible" philosophy, if you don't have a volume knob on your amp that has something special(step by step with matched resistors, or digital control of the analogue volume), then you might hurt your sound more from channel imbalance than any lost bit could ever hope to do. and what about the amp output itself? did you make sure to have a gain setting that gets you the best the amp has to offer at desired loudness?
 
I suggest you take your chances with replaygain, as the songs that will be attenuated are the ones that are the most compressed anyway, having 100+db of dynamic for a 5DR pop song, that's a waste of efforts for artists that don't even respect themselves. and highly dynamic songs will be the one with peaks stuck close to zero by replaygain(just pick the prevent clipping option). it's not so bad as it may seem in the end, and sure is a lot nicer to listen to playlists.

 

[PleasantSounds]

 

   
Have you tried enabling ReplayGain? I strongly recommend it!

Yeah, but that's not what I want. I want the peak to be at 0, that's where DAC performs the best. 

 
The DAC itself may perform the best, but your audio chain starts with the CD (or other digital source file) and the player. MOST of CDs these days are recorded at levels that guarantee clipping - some as high as +13dB! Normalizing the output level will actually improve the output quality (bar the EQ and other DSP that may re-introduce it), as it will eliminate clipping entirely from all but the nastiest CDs.

 

[coli]

   
The DAC itself may perform the best, but your audio chain starts with the CD (or other digital source file) and the player. MOST of CDs these days are recorded at levels that guarantee clipping - some as high as +13dB! Normalizing the output level will actually improve the output quality (bar the EQ and other DSP that may re-introduce it), as it will eliminate clipping entirely from all but the nastiest CDs.

Not my tracks... Most songs peaks are at -10db, while OST tends to peak at -20db...