zambz
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2012
- Posts
- 316
- Likes
- 80
Hey guys, hope everyone is well. I would like to guide you through the most elegant way I have found to run any quality parametric EQ on your audio output so that you may equalize your headphones for the optimal listening experience.
What Software You'll Need
Loopback: https://rogueamoeba.com/loopback/ - $75
AU Lab: http://www.apple.com/itunes/mastered-for-itunes/
TDR Nova EQ (AU plugin): http://www.tokyodawn.net/tdr-nova/
Of course, there are many choices for EQ plugins, but this parametric EQ by Tokyo Dawn Labs is absolutely awesome and also compensates the output volume based on your applied EQ to avoid distortion. It's free and more powerful than most of us will need. If you do wish to go further, check out offerings by DMG Audio and FabFilter or the gentleman's edition of Nova.
Please install each piece of software and proceed below.
Setting it all up
Open Loopback and create a virtual audio device, adding all input sources you want equalized to the device, leave all other options in their default state
e.g.
You may now exit Loopback. You'll never need to use this again unless you wish to add more music players to your virtual output.
Now, open AU Lab, set "Audio Input Device" to your "Music Players" loopback output and set "Audio Output Device" to your audio interface:
e.g.
Now, simply insert Nova in the Effects slots in the Audio 1 channel, you may now go ahead and EQ sound to taste and also view an FFT by enabling the analyzer, use the BYPASS button to A/B with the EQ on and off:
e.g.
You may save your setups in AU Lab for various headphones and then simply open them from Finder when you wish to activate the EQ for that pair of headphones.
This particular approach (with included software) has many benefits to using Soundflower and certain other EQ plugins:
* The EQ output volume is compensated based on your implemented curve (great job TDR)
* Loopback will automatically mute the regular output when you open AU Lab, thus allowing the EQed version to come through, the advantage of this is that you may use OS X as normal with no EQ and easily enable EQ by opening your AU Lab project. With Soundflower, once setup, your output will be muted completely until AU Lab is open, and so you'll need to keep switching audio devices if you wish to just listen to the output without opening AU Lab.
I think that Loopback is a bit pricey for what it does, but it is a very elegant solution to this problem.
Hope this helps someone out there
What Software You'll Need
Loopback: https://rogueamoeba.com/loopback/ - $75
AU Lab: http://www.apple.com/itunes/mastered-for-itunes/
TDR Nova EQ (AU plugin): http://www.tokyodawn.net/tdr-nova/
Of course, there are many choices for EQ plugins, but this parametric EQ by Tokyo Dawn Labs is absolutely awesome and also compensates the output volume based on your applied EQ to avoid distortion. It's free and more powerful than most of us will need. If you do wish to go further, check out offerings by DMG Audio and FabFilter or the gentleman's edition of Nova.
Please install each piece of software and proceed below.
Setting it all up
Open Loopback and create a virtual audio device, adding all input sources you want equalized to the device, leave all other options in their default state
e.g.
You may now exit Loopback. You'll never need to use this again unless you wish to add more music players to your virtual output.
Now, open AU Lab, set "Audio Input Device" to your "Music Players" loopback output and set "Audio Output Device" to your audio interface:
e.g.
Now, simply insert Nova in the Effects slots in the Audio 1 channel, you may now go ahead and EQ sound to taste and also view an FFT by enabling the analyzer, use the BYPASS button to A/B with the EQ on and off:
e.g.
You may save your setups in AU Lab for various headphones and then simply open them from Finder when you wish to activate the EQ for that pair of headphones.
This particular approach (with included software) has many benefits to using Soundflower and certain other EQ plugins:
* The EQ output volume is compensated based on your implemented curve (great job TDR)
* Loopback will automatically mute the regular output when you open AU Lab, thus allowing the EQed version to come through, the advantage of this is that you may use OS X as normal with no EQ and easily enable EQ by opening your AU Lab project. With Soundflower, once setup, your output will be muted completely until AU Lab is open, and so you'll need to keep switching audio devices if you wish to just listen to the output without opening AU Lab.
I think that Loopback is a bit pricey for what it does, but it is a very elegant solution to this problem.
Hope this helps someone out there
