foobar audio player how-to thread

[loninappleton]

I have not seen reference to a foobar audio player thread for the purpose of learning the software and its plugins.

This thread can be a catch-all for foobar questions on the program, its skins, plugins and accessories.

I have just begun to seriously use foobar after letting it lay dormant for years thinking that a lot of programming skill would be needed to do the configuration.

Then I returned to it as a result of the discussion by single driver speaker builder Bob Brines in the single driver forum.

a link to that here: DSP and the Single-Driver Speaker

Questions about foobar began to build up and so a better place to discuss this digital product is in the digital forum.

After this introduction I will try to keep the messages short and stick to how-to info only. These will be questions for individual answer.

Here goes....

[loninappleton]

The last reference to foobar was in 2006 or some time from the threads that got pulled up. Three years later many add-ons have been made and I decided that now was the time to learn the details of the program.

Foobar runs on many platforms. I use Windows XP but discussion of foobar can range into MAC and Linux as well. It is open source and free.

My first step was to download the software. It comes as a zip file in the 7zip format.

Get Foobar.

Get 7zip and use that to open the directory. So far this is pretty straightforward. Foobar has a rather plain interface but many options are available via a number of control keys. I beginning this myself so I know only a little of it.

Readers should be aware that help with foobar for new users assumes no prior knowledge.

When I got foobar my primary purpose was for streaming internet radio that could play Ogg files. The site I use has Ogg as a format streamed from ibiblio. Foobar started up when selected from the Windows menu asking to select a player. Even the base grey control window shows a graphic display of output.

[loninappleton]

Where to go to ask questions?

I'm making this thread because the answers to questions are more generally forthcoming in DIY audio rather than the older forums which have had foobar on since it's inception.

The primary foobar discussion is at Hydrogen Audio, a mature site which may provide answers in a technical vein requiring more extensive inquiry.

That is here:

Hydrogenaudio Forums -> foobar2000

This foobar thread is intended to be an introduction where new users can ask simple questions.

After getting foobar going, I wanted an Equalizer that can do balance shift like winamp. The next subject will be on VST (Virtual Studio Technology) installation of the Classic EQ plugin for foobar. VST is required by foobar to install these third party plugins.

The recommended VST "wrapper" is here:

foobar2000 3rd party components

This is the direct link from the previous discussion.


This once again a zip file to open (check for viruses) and install. My thanks to Anders and others who helped me get this far.

more next time.

[mikje]

Well, hopefully I'm following the right intention here...
I've been using Foobar on a WinXP Media Center computer for over a year. I usually listen to FLAC or WAV files.
I think one of my favorite features is the ability to set the equalizer and save different settings for different configurations. For instance, when I listen to amp "A" with speakers "B," I like my eq one way. If I listen to amp "A" with speakers "C," I might need a different eq setting. Foobar allows me to save different settings and then open whatever setting I need for the particular configuration I'm using.
Great thread Lon.
Mike

[loninappleton]

copied from Ander's replies at full range forum:

Make sure that the vst wrapper is listed under components
http://www.superenkelt.se/images/components.jpg

Check that the vst wrapper is listed under active dsp
http://www.superenkelt.se/images/dsp.jpg

All other settings are configured via VST setup.

These two jpgs are very helpful.

At this point I have not used "rescan" at all.

My result from looking at the components tab gave George Yohngs' VST wrapper in the components tab.

My result in looking at the DSP tab is empty.

I have made the vst folder in Foobar and put the Classic EQ dll in there.

Am I ready to use the VST blue icon in the task bar to

1. Add that folder
2. Rescan

At this point I feel it is easy to do things out of sequence, or worse skip something.

Also I am really bad at using html highlights. But let's not get distracted.

I gave the key combination to open properties in Foobat incorrectly: it is control +p to open the window.

[loninappleton]

Still don't know what I'm doing with this but I opened the DSP configure:

control +p > playback >DSP

and highlighted one of the effects in the right hand panel. I clicked on the <-
arrow to move it to the active DSP panel. Then I did a couple more.
Then I put them back by highlighting and using the -> button between the left and right panels.

Like I said, I don't know what I'm doing but "configure" at least allowed me access today.

I haven't done the rescan yet. (see previous post.)

I am exercising all this caution so as not to screw up the Foobar that is running so far.

[loninappleton]

Today I fiddled with configure in VST setup:

Moved the George Yohng wrapper to active.
Moved 'Equalizer' ( not classic EQ)
Moved Crossfader

Also did the rescan for VST plugins folder. Only thing in vstplugins folder from my inspection of directories is Classic Eq. I don't see it in the VST configure right panel.

It all seems a bit opaque at this point.

I have two Equalisers that open to reveal the same thing.

[loninappleton]

I have now seen how to "Use VST Effect" first item when right clicking the icon on the task bar called VST. This may seem overly wordy but using this is still complicated.

Progress is that Classic EQ is indeed under Use VST Effect. After looking it over I did not see immediately how to make "balance" adjustments and have to review what Anders said about that.

The goal is to have a big slider that gives discreet right and left channel audio for A/B comparisons. I have not seen this on the panel in Classic EQ.

[loninappleton]

Trying to find a balance control I looked under the DSP option in Foobar-- not VST. Crossfader is in active DSP and selecting "Configure" opens the crossfader.

Crossfader is is not a balance control. I am familiar with using Fade In and Fade out with this audio editor:

GoldWave - Audio Editor, Recorder, Converter, Restoration, & Analysis Software

but in music streaming I do not see an application for Crossfade.

Editorial: doing DSP is surely like finding Usenet or the web for the first time. Trying to grab the dragon's tail only shows how much there is to control and so narrowing focus keeps the frustration level manageable.

[loninappleton]

The link button in Classic EQ gives control of left and right when turned off. Clicking on this gives no immediate screen feedback so using it at all took some time to locate and turn off.

Be careful using Output on these things. Jacking up Output will cause distortion and possible damage.

Classic EQ can give different levels using the Output. But there is still not a way to effectively do an A/B test.