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[scthom]

Well, I've been plugging away at the events interface for the EQdb plugin, and I have something workable enough to call it 2.0.0.  As always, posted on the Sourceforge site in my sig.

I've added a window for the file setting so you can now compare whats in the file vs what's in the mixer.  Currently having some issues with the mixer events, though, so it doesn't update the window as expected.  Everything works fine otherwise, it's just that changing the mixer doesn't update the display.  I almost left in a polling routine to make it work, but it's relatively minor.

I also don't quite know yet how it will respond with multiple zones.

[datdude]

How did you decide what EQs to set for each song?

[Alex B]

Thanks scthom,

However I wasn't able to try it. The plugin didn't register on my PC.


MJP install:




Plugin Manager:

Media Center Registered 12.0.213 -- C:\Soft\MC12\

Microsoft Windows XP  Workstation 5.1 Service Pack 2 (Build 2600)
Intel Pentium 4 2779 MHz MMX / Memory: Total - 1048 MB, Free - 513 MB

Internet Explorer: 6.0.2900.2180 / ComCtl32.dll: 5.82.2900 / Shlwapi.dll: 6.0.2900 / Shell32.dll: 6.0.2900 / wnaspi32.dll: 4.71 (0002) , ASPI for Win32         DLL, Copyright © 1989-2002 Adaptec, Inc. / Aspi32.sys: 4.71 (0002)

Ripping /   Drive F: TSSTcorpCD/DVDW SH-W162C  Mode:ModeSecure  Type:Auto  Speed:Max
  Drive G: HL-DT-STRW/DVD GCC-4480B  Mode:ModeSecure  Type:Auto  Speed:Max
  Drive H: LG      CD/DVD-ROM        Mode:ModeSecure  Type:Auto  Speed:Max
  Drive O:   Mode:Normal  Type:Auto  Speed:Max
  Digital playback: Yes /  Use YADB: Yes /  Get cover art: Yes /  Calc replay gain: Yes /  Copy volume: 32767
  Eject after ripping: Yes /  Play sound after ripping: No 

Burning /  Drive F: TSSTcorp CD/DVDW SH-W162C   Addr: 1:1:0  Speed:4  MaxSpeed:4  BurnProof:Yes
  Drive G: HL-DT-ST RW/DVD GCC-4480B   Addr: 2:1:0  Speed:4  MaxSpeed:48  BurnProof:Yes
  Test mode: Yes /  Eject after writing: Yes /  Direct decoding: Yes /  Write CD-Text: Yes
  Use playback settings: No /

Portable Device Info
  Removed devices:

Device info dump for 'HHE':

WMDMName:
DeviceUID: {B22514B2-F604-40CC-9CFC-85B89FBCE2AD}
CanonicalName:
VendorName: ; VendorID:
ProductID: ; FirmwareVersion:
WMDMSerialNumber: NULL
DeviceType: 4; DeviceID: ; DeviceName: ; UnsupportedDevice: 0
IsDrive: 1; DriveLetter: ; DrivePath: E:\HHE; MainDriveLetter:
IsJanusCapable: ; IsIpod:
SupportsAlbumArt: ; AlbumArtEnabled: 1
SupportsFolders: -1; PlaylistFormat: 0; EjectMode: ; AlwaysPumpCOMMessages: 0
SupportedFileTypes: mp3;wma;jpg;wmv
ContextMenus:
MemoryTypes:
InstallURL:
ApplicationName: Media Center
ImageName:
RootBasePath:
AudioBasePath: [Artist]\[Album]\
ImageBasePath: Images\
VideoBasePath: Video\
DataBasePath: Data\
PlaylistBasePath: Playlists\
DatabaseBasePath:
AudibleBasePath:
MatchKeyExpression: If(IsEqual([Media Type], Image), [Name]
[File Size, 0]
, [Name]
Clean([Artist], 1)
[Album]
[Genre]
FormatNumber([Track #, 0])
[Media Type]
)
ChangeKeyExpression: [Rating]


Interface Plugins:
  Library Server (Active/Enabled)
  TiVo Server
  UPnP Server
  Cover Art Finder 3
  MCXMLExport
  Replace Master

[jgreen]

Me too. I tried both methods of install, as Alex did, and got the same messages.  I'm running WinXP SP2, all updates.  I am SO bummed . . .

[scthom]

Installation problems:  look for gdiplus.dll in your system folder.  I haven't been able to pin down why this is required, but this error has occurred for other plugins too.  There is a link in the README.TXT file inside the zip if you don't have it.

EQ Settings (datdude):  I don't, you do.  That's the point    You can save an EQ setting on a per-track basis, using the user field "EQ".  It will then set your mixer to that setting every time that song plays.  Don't blame me, it was jgreen's idea 

[datdude]

Totally, it's a great idea.  I'm just wondering not physically how you do it, but what logic do you or others place in figuring out what settings you want for each song?  If anything if you are going to do this you should add additional fields for small speaker vs. headphone vs. loud speakers.  That would be the ultimate, whatever that would get me, but I like it!!!

[scthom]

Well I suppose the first stepping stone would be to just do it by genre, so that classical songs get the classical preset, rock songs get the rock preset, etc.

But the beauty of per-track (in the database) is that you can customize it however you'd like.  Maybe since jgreen was the one who asked for it, he can tell you how he has it set up.

[jgreen]

(jgreen glances around nervously, startled to discover that the entire auditorium is staring at him, waiting.  He stands up, tentatively.)

Well, (cough, cough), the genius in the program is really owing to scthom's briliant simplicity.  (jgreen nods in the direction of scthom).  All I did was make one off-hand comment about a database of EQ settings, and scthom did everything else.  (Brief applause at the mention of scthom, always the crowd favorite.  jgreen misinterprets this as encouragement, and soldiers on).

Originally, all I was hoping for was a method to fine-tune the replay gain settings.  I thought that 90% ot the time they were fine, but a few seemed to make odd choices between max amplitude and average amplitude, and I wanted to trust my ears, not the computer.  So my original request to scthom, in the form of "Wouldn't it be nice if . . .", was for a way to introduce basic replay gain adjustment, along with maybe a handful of genre-related presets, and the ability to apply them to individual tracks.

Of course, what he came up with, EQdb, goes way beyond that . . . .

(The noise of the crowd coughing and impatiently checking their watches is so thunderous that jgreen can plausibly misinterpret it as an ovation.  He bows repeatedly, oblivious to the fights breaking out at the exits.)

Dude--

Like scthom says, try it first with a handful of genre-based EQ setting.  You can load the Mc preset for "Rock" in on an appropriate song, and then EQdb will save it off.  Once it's in the db, you can copy/paste to all the rock songs in your library, as defined in your "genre" field.  And so on with "classical" and whatnot.

Then, you can make sub-genre adjustments.  On any rock song, where the "rock" preset loads automatically, you can use the MC EQ GUI to make per-track adjustments interactively, which EQdb will save off automatically.  Say the vocals are too hot--bring down the mids.  Or the bass thumps too loudly--bass down.  In this way, I "remixed" a lot of songs which I enjoyed but where the mix was (IMO) too obnoxious. 

Remember, none of these changes are destructive.  They can easily be altered, reset to default, or un-applied during any particluar playback.  The flexibilty is brilliant!

Ultimately, I ended up employing a "chain" where the MC parametric EQ did the global, or room correction, and EQdb did per-track remixes.  It's like "launch control" for audio!

IMO, EQdb is core audio functionality for the digital audiophile.  Or would be, if I could get v.2 to load on my machine. 

But never fear!  (jgreen chuckles hollowly.)  No reason to panic--I'm sure it'll all get worked out eventually . . . .

[datdude]

Great.  Now I have a reason to waste thousands of hours more in MC.