Winamp MAD pugin

[nickchen]

The Mad plugin for Winamp 2.x has been highly recommended in some other thread, so I organized & installed it. As I've written before, the sound improvement was hardly to be realized, maybe a little bit when listening with 170% concentration.

I could tolerate that IDv2 are not supported by Mad. But what I can not tolerate is the fact that Winamp's EQ refuses working when being fed by anything else than the original in_mp3.dll. You can stone me to death if you wish to, but I sometimes use my EQ, especially with my tiny Btech HP amp which obscures frequencies > 10000 when driven with cans > 120 Ohms.

So here we go with default Winamp values again, and everything's fine.

 

[lordgibbness]

Actually, the Nullsoft in_mp3 plugin is higher quality that the MAD plugin. This didn't used to be the case, but since version 2.79 or something they released a higher quality decoder. Do a search on google and there's a big test with all the major decoders, which MAD fails due to low-quality dithering or something. Anyway, most people use the Shibatch mpeg plugin nowadays (but make sure you disable mp3, mp2 and mp1 in the default plugin to use Shibatch)

 

[sgrossklass]

Winamp's EQ is totally antiquated low-quality crap (written for the likes of Pentiums which only go so far). Use the Shibatch Super Equalizer plugin instead.

 

[nickchen]

Allright, I'll try out both Shibatch plugins and post my impressions later. Thanx folks.

 

[nickchen]

2 hours later: Shibatch isn't THAT impressive either. The inmpg123.dll isn't available anywhere, instead you get a pulk of cryptical *.c or *.h files. Maybe these are for compiling or what the screw, surely they are not for me.
The Shibatch EQ works, but I don't need an EQ which only can put frequencies into minus (no matter how accurate it works). Maybe I did not understand this parametric THINGWAY completely, looks like from nerds for nerds.

Greetings to japan: [size=large]Torana-Tanakasama...HOI !!!!![/size]

Instead, I found kinda "stepless" EQ at winamp.com, called "equilizer by nevi" (dsp_neq.dll). I will test this. (...) But later. Enough plugin playing for today.

 

[sgrossklass]

While we're at DSP plugins, you can cascade 'em via MuchFX. Just got the thing and cascaded Speakers Simulator and Super EQ (in that order, since who knows what Speakers Simulator would do to the EQ).

The Shibatch in-mpg123 plugin in a compiled version is to be found at:
http://www3.cypress.ne.jp/otachan/in_mpg123.html
(The downloadable file is a 7-Zip archive.)

Quote:

Originally Posted by nickchen The Shibatch EQ works, but I don't need an EQ which only can put frequencies into minus (no matter how accurate it works).

Ahem. What do you think happens when you've set the gain to +(insert positive integer here) dB and a 0dBFS signal is to be played back? It would invariably be clipped (louder than 0dBFS ain't gonna happen in the digital world), which is not what you want to happen. BTW, it's one of the few DSP plugins to at least accept 24-bit audio streams.

 

[lordgibbness]

Here's the input plugin http://www3.cypress.ne.jp/otachan/in....html#DOWNLOAD
Now, to use it you must go to input plugins in the winamp prefs and configure the nullsoft mpeg plugin (in_mp3). Remove mp1, mp2 and mp3 from the list and hit ok. To verify that you are using the Shibatch plugin, pressing alt-3 to view the id3 tags should bring up the windows file info instead.

 

[nickchen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sgrossklass [size=xx-small]While we're at DSP plugins, you can cascade 'em via MuchFX. Just got the thing and cascaded Speakers Simulator and Super EQ (in that order, since who knows what Speakers Simulator would do to the EQ). The Shibatch in-mpg123 plugin in a compiled version is to be found at: http://www3.cypress.ne.jp/otachan/in_mpg123.html (The downloadable file is a 7-Zip archive.) Ahem. What do you think happens when you've set the gain to +(insert positive integer here) dB and a 0dBFS signal is to be played back? It would invariably be clipped (louder than 0dBFS ain't gonna happen in the digital world), which is not what you want to happen. BTW, it's one of the few DSP plugins to at least accept 24-bit audio streams.[/size]

Ah, yes, us two again, sgrossklass.

MuchFX is a good tool. Fact. Thanx.
Cascaded Speakers Simulator is kinda nice idea, but for my taste everything sounds best when it's actually not active. I have "speaker sound" with my Beyers anyway

Have got the in_mpg123.dll running now, same as Mad plugin, looks like my ears are not sensitive enough to figure out any sound differences. So I'll keep the original dll for it provides ID3 tags. No tragedy

What you state about "digital EQing" sounds really logical -- but the built-in Winamp EQ DOES + values. Maybe it clips, but I can't hear it at +1 or +2,5. I use it only for quieter volumes, where I raise the mids and highs SLIGHTLY. Remember, I've got that DT 770 (recessed mids at low volumes), so (for some music styles & qualities) I have to do something to counterbalance the can's characteristics. The Shibatch EQ surely is a serious thing, but it does not work in my situation.

 

[sgrossklass]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nickchen What you state about "digital EQing" sounds really logical -- but the built-in Winamp EQ DOES + values. Maybe it clips, but I can't hear it at +1 or +2,5. I use it only for quieter volumes, where I raise the mids and highs SLIGHTLY. Remember, I've got that DT 770 (recessed mids at low volumes), so (for some music styles & qualities) I have to do something to counterbalance the can's characteristics. The Shibatch EQ surely is a serious thing, but it does not work in my situation.

You're an old analogic, you know that?

If you want to increase the volume for certain frequencies, just use the "Down" button until you've got enough headroom, then adjust the levels relative to this level. Once you're done press "Up" until the highest level reaches 0dBFS. Sure you'll need to turn up the volume at the amp (or for the soundcard output), but that shouldn't be a problem.

 

[lordgibbness]

Or you could try foobar out.

 

[nickchen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordgibbness Or you could try foobar out.

I use it actually at work. Ugly, but good. Quite like Columns UI.

 

[nickchen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sgrossklass You're an old analogic, you know that? If you want to increase the volume for certain frequencies, just use the "Down" button until you've got enough headroom, then adjust the levels relative to this level. Once you're done press "Up" until the highest level reaches 0dBFS. Sure you'll need to turn up the volume at the amp (or for the soundcard output), but that shouldn't be a problem.

I am as digital as an almost 40 year old creature shaped by the 80's can be.

Tried your wisdom out and pushed everything down to -6 and mids up to 0. I was scared about working out some boring Senn 595 sound, but that theory was wrong. Your theory worked -

BTW is it very funny to be always right ?

Last thing that is "unsolved": What the screw is that "parametric" thingway? I played with all thinkable values, but everything sounded similar.

 

[sgrossklass]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nickchen Last thing that is "unsolved": What the screw is that "parametric" thingway? I played with all thinkable values, but everything sounded similar.

I'm not familiar with parametric EQs, but what's Google for? Definition of parametric EQ.
Seems this is mainly useful for removing narrow peaks or dips in the frequency response.

 

[Imyourzero]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nickchen I use it actually at work. Ugly, but good. Quite like Columns UI.

Well, Foobar definitely isn't anything special to look at in its stock form, but it doesn't have to be ugly...