Equalisation [EQ]

[WishTree]

Found the tutorial! Now I am checking out the possibilities to enhance voices on movies.

 

[shooter]

Sorry Wishtree, i've just seen this.

Great, you've found the tutorial

For all interested parties its here: http://www.dctrwatson.com/2011/06/os-x-system-equalizer/

Have fun!

 

[WishTree]

Sorry Wishtree, i've just seen this.

Great, you've found the tutorial

For all interested parties its here: http://www.dctrwatson.com/2011/06/os-x-system-equalizer/

Have fun!

Thanks Shooter..

I have found some other link as well which was quite helpful. It looks like some body has written a script to take care of everything and just by running it all the inputs / outputs are all configured. I just configured two EQ settings one for playing music (which I am still not using) but another for movies which is really helpful to boost the center / vocals to help dialogies. I really need to fine tune the EQ settings for movie watching but more or less it is my solution for avoiding the center speaker and an AV Receiver (just stay with HiFi setup) for computer based movie watching.

The xtract and the link are as below

Apples AU lab - I think is the best option. Install Soundflower than download AU Lab, unzip, open DMG and copy to Applications "AU Lab", than open "Correction.trak" by it. You may need Xcode to download (but I am not sure). One good thing about AU Lab is that you can use not just 1 EQ, but also compressors and others VST plugins and audio units. Also check out http://www.dctrwatson.com/2011/06/os-x-system-equalizer/

The second post in the link below

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3582946?start=0&tstart=0

 

[mykspence]

Most hi-fi systems don't get close to live. Some do.

Some are good at reproducing the recorded sound, but it's impossible to record the whole sound. All you can ever hope to do is to hear what the engineer heard in the final mix.

 

[WishTree]

This learning experience is just amazing..!!

I just managed to tame the slight harshness in vocals by reducing the 1Khz to 3khz by 0.5db. This is such a minute change but the whole equation changed!!

Sound Mixing Engineer who mixed the track is no longer in-charge, I can over-ride him where & when & if I need

 

[shooter]

This learning experience is just amazing..!!

I just managed to tame the slight harshness in vocals by reducing the 1Khz to 3khz by 0.5db. This is such a minute change but the whole equation changed!!

Sound Mixing Engineer who mixed the track is no longer in-charge, I can over-ride him where & when & if I need

I'm glad your finding it usefull, the minor tweaking is very effective at getting some good results. I was sceptical to begin but after playing around with it, i now couldn't live without it. The only caveat is that i cant find a way to get it to work wirelessly. iTunes native EQ will work streamed via an AEX or ATV, for some reason i cant get the AULabs EQ to stream, there may be a way but i havent found it yet.

I just configured two EQ settings one for playing music (which I am still not using) but another for movies which is really helpful to boost the center / vocals to help dialogies. I really need to fine tune the EQ settings for movie watching but more or less it is my solution for avoiding the center speaker and an AV Receiver (just stay with HiFi setup) for computer based movie watching.

Yep, it's a great little tool AU Labs and along with the other effects that you can play around with makes it a versitile application.

Personally i think this is the best way to have a cinema set up, 2 or 2.1 channel with a phantom centre is better than a dedicated 2 mid 1 tweeter centre, you hear a mix of direct and reflective sound with the reflective sound adding delay, you don't get that with a phantom. 8)

 

[WishTree]

I'm glad your finding it usefull, the minor tweaking is very effective at getting some good results. I was sceptical to begin but after playing around with it, i now couldn't live without it. The only caveat is that i cant find a way to get it to work wirelessly. iTunes native EQ will work streamed via an AEX or ATV, for some reason i cant get the AULabs EQ to stream, there may be a way but i havent found it yet.

I guess that is because AU Labs does it at the sound out put level. May be you have to output the iTunes sound to Soundflower and then back from Soundflower to iTunes? (I do not know it is possible or not) but it looks like iTunes streaming / Airplay is only at that particular app level where as AU Labs with Soundflower does input / output via multiple applications.

Yep, it's a great little tool AU Labs and along with the other effects that you can play around with makes it a versitile application.

Personally i think this is the best way to have a cinema set up, 2 or 2.1 channel with a phantom centre is better than a dedicated 2 mid 1 tweeter centre, you hear a mix of direct and reflective sound with the reflective sound adding delay, you don't get that with a phantom. 8)

I am sorry, I did not get this correct.

What is Phantom center? I am right now using EQ on movies through Mac Mini to boost the voices. Is there a better / effective way to get vocals clearly (with out increasing the overall volume) in a two channel set up?

 

[shafesk]

I've had some great results using a digital EQ in my system of late because for a long time i've had issues with very poor bass responce. I set the speakers up the best i could at a 1m off the corners and 30cm off the back wall, that possition gave the best overall balance, further away from the back wall and the sound started to get 'thin', closer and the bass started to 'boom', the overall sound still lacking though, basically i needed more cones.

I've lived with the set up for a few years but over time have been putting all my music on a HD and playing it through iTunes. With it i started playing around the iTunes own 10 band EQ which gave me the option of tweaking and it helped with the poor low frequencies in the room though but felt i needed more control.

Now i'm using Apples free AU Labs 31 band EQ with Soundflower which gives me more control. I dont know if its totally transparent but it has transformed the music, just by adding a very small amount of db's (scaled 0 to 2db's) from 50hz down to 20hz has added a solid foundation with bass that goes deep but still stays clean, perfect!

As a bit of fun i've also been able to play around with the EQ to counteract the "energy" i have in the upper mid by flattening the peaks a db or two.

Chuffed!

Playing with EQ? :shhh: Well most audiophiles would never touch an EQ with a large pole, I for instance have an amp which does not have bass or treble controls. I much prefer to tune the sound with cables and interconnects, I find it more organic. The thing is, the perfectionist side of me needs that...I couldn't live with myself if I use an EQ, it takes away the fun out of tweaking. I'm happy for you, if it achieves the same results then its great, you've done for free what I achieved with a lot of effort and time. I hope I'm not contradicting myself here, I'm just trying to state that people take different measures to solve the same problem. Some would have thought that me, having a masters in economics would prefer the free solution. The heart wants what it wants I guess. Cheers to you buddy, glad to see you have found a solution to your problems. :cheers:

Best Regards,
Shafin

 

[CnoEvil]

Playing with EQ? :shhh: Well most audiophiles would never touch an EQ with a large pole, I for instance have an amp which does not have bass or treble controls. I much prefer to tune the sound with cables and interconnects, I find it more organic. The thing is, the perfectionist side of me needs that...I couldn't live with myself if I use an EQ, it takes away the fun out of tweaking. I'm happy for you, if it achieves the same results then its great, you've done for free what I achieved with a lot of effort and time. I hope I'm not contradicting myself here, I'm just trying to state that people take different measures to solve the same problem. Some would have thought that me, having a masters in economics would prefer the free solution. The heart wants what it wants I guess. Cheers to you buddy, glad to see you have found a solution to your problems. :cheers:

Best Regards,
Shafin

This would kind of be my view as well.

For 2 channel, I like to have it balanced so it doesn't need it; but for watching films, I think it's very useful. If the room is what is wrong, then I would rather sort it.