Thread: DIY DSP - Audio Tuning with Software and Computer

Redo from MP3CAR wiki article lost in space. Be patient as all formatting lost and has to be converted to a forum friendly format.

1 Background
2 Hardware

2.1 Computer Requirements

2.2 Soundcards

2.3 Mic preamps

2.4 Other/Network Audio

3 Software

3.1 Audio stream capture/signal routing
3.2 VSTSHELL/Host for plugins
3.3 Plugins

4 Plugins / VST's

4.1 Shell or Host

4.2 Crossover or Filter

4.3 EQ

4.4 Polarity / Phase / Delay

4.5 Convolvers / Impulses

4.6 Digital Room Correction (DRC)

4.7 Ambisonics

4.8 Ambiophonics

4.9 Vector Based Amplitude Panning

4.10 Other Spacial/Multichannel

5 Examples

Background

Tuning via PC
In the quest for sound adjustability, a few of the users of MP3Car.com researched ways to do all of this tuning via the PC. What you will find below is the results of our research. If you are interested in contributing or would like to read the entire thread, please follow this link.

Terms you need to know

ASIO
Audio Stream Input Output is a protocol for low-latency digital audio specified by Steinberg.
ASIO provides an interface between an application and the sound card. Whereas Microsoft's DirectSound is typically for stereo input and output for consumers, ASIO provides for the needs of musicians and sound engineers. ASIO offers a relatively simple way of accessing multiple audio inputs and outputs independently. It also provides for the synchronization of input with output in a way that is not possible with DirectSound, allowing recording studios to process their audio via software on the computer instead of using thousands of dollars worth of separate equipment. Its main strength relies in its method of bypassing the inherently high latency of operating system audio mixing kernels, allowing direct, high speed communication with audio hardware.

Find more here: FAQ: All You Need To Know About ASIO

VST
Virtual Studio Technology and its acronym VST refer to an interface standard for connecting audio synthesizer and effect plugins to audio editors and hard-disk recording systems. VST and similar technologies allow the replacement of traditional recording studio hardware with software counterparts.

Hardware

Computer Requirements

Soundcard

Internal Signal Routing Drivers (Separate hardware from the software side connection)
Recommended Soundcards (some have been tested some are recommended due to driver flexibility but are untested)-You must do your own research to see if it fits your needs. Most of these SHOULD have the necessary hardware/software routing capabilities.

• M-Audio 1010 / 1010LT - Example on how to setup routing
• MOTU Ultralite
• RME Fireface 400/800
• RME 9652
• Audiotrak Prodigy LT or HiFi 7.1 - Download Config file here
• ESI Pro MaxIO 32e/MaxIO XD
• ESI PRO ESP1010
• EMU 1616
• Creative Sound cards that support KX drivers
• ASUS with OE or original drivers (loose one pair of channels)

"High End"
These are high-end consumer level cards that may require more difficult 3rd party ways of routing the signals, or can be used with foobar player without the 3rd party signal routing.

• Auzentech
• ASUS
• Onkyo SE-200
• Barracuda

Software

1 Audio Stream Routing/Capture to use with VSTSHELL/VSTHOST programs and ASIO
This is a crucial step.The audio player stream sends the signal through the soundcards driver and DSP chip to the physical hardware section. In order for this to work, you need to be able to interrupt the audio stream going to the hardware. There are several options if the soundcard driver does not support pro-audio signal routing.

Virtual Audio Cable / VAC - designed to capture the audio signal from media players using KS/Direct sound/WDM to be routed to VSTSHELL programs or any program that needs/uses ASIO. For soundcards that don't have built in hardware AND software routing capabilities.

Reaper - captures the audio stream with the "REAroute" function built inside of it.
See this [2] thread for how it was used

Directwire - Only available on ESI PRO and some Audiotrak Cards
Some M-Audio cards also have this capability. The Delta 44, Delta 66, Delta 1010, 410 and Firewire 410 can do it for sure within the driver control panel. Example here.

Another option is to use the SPDIF OUT looped back to the SPDIF IN if the card has both available.
See this [3] thread.

M-Audio and RME have it built into the drivers as well

JACK Audio - for Linux and Windows

2 VSTSHELL for combining/wiring/stringing VST plugins together
Console is a VSTSHELL that works with ASIO. It routes the cards in and outs and gives you the ability to wire up multiple VST plugin effects how you want them. It does not stream audio from the actual media player unless the output of the player is ASIO.

Audiomulch - Another host, probably the most features and best layout, but the price has doubled since it's inception.


Plogue Bidule - I don't know if it is supported or being developed anymore but I believe it is still available.

VSTHOST (Freeware)

3 Plug-Ins
VST Effects
A VST effect is a type of VST plug-in that is generally used to process audio. Types of VST effect include (among others) reverb processors or phaser effects.
VST Effects can be used in real-time when used with an appropriate software and hardware configuration, such as a sound card that supports ASIO, software that bypasses Windows' slower audio engine and so offers much lower latency times, allowing for effective real time playing. Modern Macintosh computers typically ship with low-latency audio drivers.
WinAmp VST Plug-In
WinAmp Direct-X Plug-In

Plugins/VST's

Host/shell

• kX Project - works only on selected Creative Labs Soundcards (Driverheaven is more up to date on this then the official page.
• Console - Combine/Wire multiple VST plugins together - $50
• Audiomulch - Combine/Wire multiple VST plugins together - $180
• Plogue Bidule - Combine/wire multiple VST plugins and other types of audio tweaks - $75
• VSTHOST - Combine/wire multiple VST plugins together - $Free
• MAX/MSP - Very advanced and not so user friendly and expensive
• Pure Data - Geeky, no user friendly interface
• Csound

Crossovers / Filters

• Frequency Allocator (VST & ASIO) - $149
• Foobar2000 DSP Crossover (Foobar Player) - Free
• UFX Plugins - (KX Project) - Donation
• Simple Bass Management crossover (VST & ASIO)- Free
• Audiolense XO (FIR filters and Room Correction (VST & ASIO) - $280
• Rubber Filter
  
  -Up to 384db/octave) (VST)
  -2 channel lowpass, highpass, bandpass
  -Butterworth only
  -Free
• BruteFIR
• ACXO
• ElectriQ posihfopit edition
• Easy XO - 2 way(VST) $Free
• LS Filter - 4 way (VST) $Free
• Crossvolver - 4 way FIR filter (VST) $Free
• rs-met - Crossover 3-Way - (VST) $Free

EQ's

Graphic
1/3 Octave Graphic Equalizer Studio Version 2006 - $49 - Programmable 31 band display
Anwidasoft - GEQ31V - $69 - The GEQ31V is a professional graphic equalizer plug-in.
Graphic EQ Series - 15/21/31/41/61 Bands - 174 EUR
31-band Graphic EQ VST - free VST 31-band EQ
Free VST 31-band EQ
Free 31-band EQ Specifically: efm-eq31-96k.zip
Linear Phase Graphic EQ 2 - Free VST 61-band EQ


Parametric
ElectriQ Full 64 Band - $99 One of the "best" EQ's according to some members at KVRaudio forums
ElectriQ posihfopit edition - Free VST or Winamp 64-band EQ. Supposed to be one of the "best" EQ's according to some members at KVR but it's probably the pay verison.



Other EQs
ProFX (kX Project)
10 band EQ for kX Drivers
Parametric EQ Plug-in

Time Delay / Phase /Polarity

Time Delay / Alignment
Frequency Arbitrator (VST & ASIO) - $89
UFX Plugins (KXProject) - free
Voxengo Stereo Delay (VST & ASIO) - free (Donate)
Voxengo Audio Delay (VST & ASIO) - free and replaced the Audio Delay plugin
Foobar2000 DSP Crossover (Foobar Player) - Free

Phase Control
kX Project
Voxengo PHA-979 Phase Delay (VST & ASIO) - $39.95
Phase Arbitrator (Built into Full version of Frequency Allocator) (VST & ASIO)
Phasebug (VST & ASIO)

Polarity
Flipper - Audio Polarity/Phase Inverter (VST/ASIO)

Convolvers / Impulses

Convolvers

• Farnia X-Volver (Download Farina X-volver .xml and .zip files to the VST Plug-ins about halfway down the page) - Free
• Foobar Convolver
• Voxengo Pristine Space Multi-channel convolver - $50
• BruteFIR
• Convolver VST

Impulses (use with Convolvers)

• RACE (Ambiophonic)
• CXC Choueri (Ambiophonic)
• Noisevault - impulse files of real spaces