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Windows => JRiver Media Center 34 for Windows => Topic started by: MarcVRML on May 08, 2025, 04:01:03 am

Title: Feature Request - Real Time MultiBand Compressor Linked to a Tag
Post by: MarcVRML on May 08, 2025, 04:01:03 am

Hi folks,

Trigger warning for purists : Stop reading now.

I've been reprocessing some of my losslessly ripped CD audio tracks through Adobe Audition's Multiband Compressor in order to get some extra oomph and sparkle, and found that, almost without exception, their "broadcast" settings enrich the audio tremendously. Of course, to get this done the original tracks have to be overwritten so the method is quite destructive. However, Audition does allow multiband compression to occur in realtime, and it occurred to me that having an onboard realtime multiband compressor similar to Audition's would be a boon for Media Center, especially if it could be selectively triggered to different pre-sets based on tag information on the audio track.

There ARE some VST plugins but these are pretty expensive.

Any chance of adding this into the feature set?

Best,

Marc

Title: Re: Feature Request - Real Time MultiBand Compressor Linked to a Tag
Post by: JimH on May 08, 2025, 05:50:15 am

Have you explored what can be done with MC's DSP Studio?

Title: Re: Feature Request - Real Time MultiBand Compressor Linked to a Tag
Post by: MarcVRML on May 08, 2025, 06:11:09 am

Hi Jim - Yes, and found that results don't translate well across different musical genres or recording styles, whereas the dynamic nature of multiband compression with Audition's "broadcast" settings are pretty much spot on regardless of the source. The inherent toolset in MC doesn't seem to give that same level of flexibility, although if I'm missing a trick I'll happily test it.

For reference, the settings I use (if anyone wants to sanity check this with their own MB Compressor) are :
Output Gain 0
Brickwall Limiter On

Output Limiter:
Threshold : -10db
Margin : -0.1db
Attack : 4ms
Release : 500ms

Crossover
Low : 137Hz
Mid : 1147Hz
High : 6910Hz

Channel 1
Threshold : -20.2db
Gain : 1db
Ratio : 3:1
Attack : 1ms
Release : 100ms

Channel 2
Threshold : -17.6db
Gain : 0db
Ratio : 2:1
Attack : 1ms
Release : 100ms

Channel 3
Threshold : -24.8db
Gain : 0db
Ratio : 2:1
Attack : 1ms
Release : 100ms

Channel 4
Threshold : -25db
Gain : 3db
Ratio : 3:1
Attack : 1ms
Release : 100ms

I've fiddled around with many of these settings but keep coming back to the defaults stated unless the musical source is especially weak in certain bands.

Best,

Marc

Title: Re: Feature Request - Real Time MultiBand Compressor Linked to a Tag
Post by: JimH on May 08, 2025, 07:57:14 am

You can apply DSP per zone and use different zones for different genres.  The wiki covers Zones and ZoneSwitch.

Title: Re: Feature Request - Real Time MultiBand Compressor Linked to a Tag
Post by: MarcVRML on May 08, 2025, 08:12:18 am

What DSP settings would I need to use to get the equivalent of the multiband compression I've just illustrated?