[froasier]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lunatique /img/forum/go_quote.gif Can you render a before and after mp3 so we can hear what you're hearing? For most people, even the default setting should sound very good--far better than any software crossfeed out there. It should sound drastically different from the typical exaggerated stereo separation of headphones, and much more like the sound is in front of you.

It did sound more natural in terms of stereo separation, but I didn't get the effect that the sound was in front of me. As for mp3s, I don't really want to give out pieces of my upcoming release

but feel free to suggest (or post) another sample for me to use. I can probably find another vocal track, or pull from my music library or (drum) sample packs.

 

[Lunatique]

Quote:

Originally Posted by froasier /img/forum/go_quote.gif ...but feel free to suggest (or post) another sample for me to use. I can probably find another vocal track, or pull from my music library or (drum) sample packs.

Are you listening to tracks that are pretty much almost mono anyway? If you listen to tracks with lots of stereo information, you'll hear just how drastic the effect is. For example, this track has a lot of stereo delay, and the effect of Isone Pro will be very obvious:
http://www.waldorfmusic.de/assets/fi...emos/qwerk.mp3

 

[froasier]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lunatique /img/forum/go_quote.gif Are you listening to tracks that are pretty much almost mono anyway? If you listen to tracks with lots of stereo information, you'll hear just how drastic the effect is. For example, this track has a lot of stereo delay, and the effect of Isone Pro will be very obvious: http://www.waldorfmusic.de/assets/fi...emos/qwerk.mp3

I started with mono tracks, but also tried the full mix, which has plenty of stereo information. This file gives me similar results. The main difference I notice when toggling the bypass switch is a more natural stereo presentation, and in this file the snare sounds more distant with Isone on (still not really in front of me). It also reminds me of the music from Perfect Dark

 

[fiver]

I use the cross-feed functions on both of my Headroom amps and have normally preferred it.

I'm testing out a uDAC today and decided to try out some software crossfeeds which led me to this thread. At first I was not fond of this plugin. It seemed to me that all it was doing was making things sound muddy. After I went through the suggestions in the PDF manual and tweaked it out I really became a fan. I spent a good part of the afternoon doing A/B tests and really think it is fantastic.

 

[ironmine]

I tried Isone Pro and cannot understand, guys, what you are so excited about. I hear no improvement, only the degradation of the sound. I prefer the combination "Channel Mixer + Dolby Headphone".

 

[Lunatique]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ironmine /img/forum/go_quote.gif I tried Isone Pro and cannot understand, guys, what you are so excited about. I hear no improvement, only the degradation of the sound. I prefer the combination "Channel Mixer + Dolby Headphone".

How is there degradation? Any time you simulate a virtual environment you have to consider that any reasonable listening environment will change the frequency content. The virtual spaces are already designed so that they don't contain the undesirable artifacts of real life room modes, and would in fact sound better than your acoustically untreated living room or bed room. If you were to put sound in a virtual space without any change to its frequency content, then that space would sound "wrong." For example, some reverb devices have a dampen feature, which is to accurately simulate the gradual diffusion of the 3KHz~6KHz range as the virtual room's size gets bigger and bigger. All of this is supposed to make everything sound more realistic and natural. It's not "degradation" of anything.

Isone Pro is a professional audio plugin that has extensive controls and also playback device emulation so there's no need to burn a CD and then check the mix it on various consumer devices for optimal translation. It also has extensive controls for the various parameters that Dolby Headphone does not have. Simple crossfeed or channel mixers do not have sophisticated HTRF parameters or proper room size, room reverb, and speaker distance controls.

 

[ironmine]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lunatique /img/forum/go_quote.gif How is there degradation? Any time you simulate a virtual environment you have to consider that any reasonable listening environment will change the frequency content. The virtual spaces are already designed so that they don't contain the undesirable artifacts of real life room modes, and would in fact sound better than your acoustically untreated living room or bed room. If you were to put sound in a virtual space without any change to its frequency content, then that space would sound "wrong." For example, some reverb devices have a dampen feature, which is to accurately simulate the gradual diffusion of the 3KHz~6KHz range as the virtual room's size gets bigger and bigger. All of this is supposed to make everything sound more realistic and natural. It's not "degradation" of anything. Isone Pro is a professional audio plugin that has extensive controls and also playback device emulation so there's no need to burn a CD and then check the mix it on various consumer devices for optimal translation. It also has extensive controls for the various parameters that Dolby Headphone does not have. Simple crossfeed or channel mixers do not have sophisticated HTRF parameters or proper room size, room reverb, and speaker distance controls.

I don't care how extensive Isone Pro's controls are or how sophisticated its HTRF parameters are. I like the sound that CM+DH gives to me.

Degradation, in this case, means the loss of transparency and details.

My room is acoustically treated to a certain degree and it sounds a lot better than any headphones with or without any plugins. There's no comparison even.

 

[Lunatique]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ironmine /img/forum/go_quote.gif My room is acoustically treated to a certain degree and it sounds a lot better than any headphones with or without any plugins. There's no comparison even.

Well, the whole point of a plugin like Isone Pro is for those who sometimes have to do audio production (or watch movies/play games/listen to music) late into the night without disturbing neighbors/family/roomates. It's not a replacement for a well-treated room with high-end studio reference monitors. Unless it's late at night, I will always pick my Klein + Hummel O 300D's in my acoustically treated studio over any headphone or virtual space simulation. I use the JVC SU-DH1 for gaming and I think it's sounds pretty good for a small hardware device. But it cost a lot more than Isone Pro and I don't think it sounds better.

 

[froasier]

I think my HRTF is just not accommodated by Isone's settings.

 

[ironmine]

When I plan 5.1 audio material through Isone Pro Surround, I choose stereo mixdown, but the sound still comes out in 5.1 format (I can see it in Foobar), not in 2.0 as it should be. What's wrong?

 

[wgb113]

Can anyone recommend something similar for Mac users?

Bill

 

[ironmine]

I found good settings:

jb_isone_pro (or surround if you like it better)
HRTF adjustment cue strength - 0 - 10%
ITDs - ON, I use 50% for the head size and 50% for the ear size
Distance - 1 m (minimum)
Room - OFF

 

[Lunatique]

The developer's been getting lots of requests for a Mac version at kvraudio, but I don't know if he'll do it.

 

[Mad Max]

 

[ironmine]

I found out that Senn HD650 does not need Isone Pro as much as Denon D2000. Maybe because D2000 has closed cups and HD650 vice versa is open-type headphones. I wanted to demonstrate to my friend the Isone Pro plugin but it only degraded the sound of his HD650. While the same settings (see my message above) work quite well with my Denon.