This one is going to be hard to describe without giving to much away...
Those of you with small high quality stand and bookshelf speakers might get the most benefit from this. The files are all labelled and consist of the unmodified original and then three versions, each with with a progressively higher degree of manipulation.
The manipulation is done in the analogue domain with a simple opamp based circuit (this is not my own idea, it was published some years ago) and I thought some of you might find it interesting.
What you might hear... are an increasing solidity and apparent increase in LF response (but this manipulation is not a tone control or graphic equalizer or anything along those lines). You might also feel the image improves in its focus. The effect of the LF increase can be very pronounced under certain conditions (recording dependent). See warning below.
WARNING... play the manipulated files (particularly level 2 and level 3 versions )initially at a low level because it will be easy to overdrive your speakers at the bottom end, and the thing is you wont know until you hear it distorting as the cone hits the end stops.
Try it with headphones too... same warnings apply.
The first folder called Enhanced Files contains two classical pieces, an excerpt from Loius Viernes 'Carillon de Westminster' and the opening of 'Also sprach Zarathustra (Strauss)'
The second folder contains a classic vocal track excerpt. The files are short and all MP3 320kbs to keep them managable.
See what you think.
ENHANCED FILES
and,
ENHANCED VOCAL FILES
And watch those levels on playback.
Those of you with small high quality stand and bookshelf speakers might get the most benefit from this. The files are all labelled and consist of the unmodified original and then three versions, each with with a progressively higher degree of manipulation.
The manipulation is done in the analogue domain with a simple opamp based circuit (this is not my own idea, it was published some years ago) and I thought some of you might find it interesting.
What you might hear... are an increasing solidity and apparent increase in LF response (but this manipulation is not a tone control or graphic equalizer or anything along those lines). You might also feel the image improves in its focus. The effect of the LF increase can be very pronounced under certain conditions (recording dependent). See warning below.
WARNING... play the manipulated files (particularly level 2 and level 3 versions )initially at a low level because it will be easy to overdrive your speakers at the bottom end, and the thing is you wont know until you hear it distorting as the cone hits the end stops.
Try it with headphones too... same warnings apply.
The first folder called Enhanced Files contains two classical pieces, an excerpt from Loius Viernes 'Carillon de Westminster' and the opening of 'Also sprach Zarathustra (Strauss)'
The second folder contains a classic vocal track excerpt. The files are short and all MP3 320kbs to keep them managable.
See what you think.
ENHANCED FILES
and,
ENHANCED VOCAL FILES
And watch those levels on playback.
Karl, on a quick listen to the first lot, on a laptop, nothing particular in the bass region - which of course is to be expected! But, the processing is killing the life in the track, which may be compensated by what's happening elsewhere, for people who can hear it - the sound is "tinyfied", has a boring quality added to it - as a specific, the triangle at the end of the Strauss has become dead meat ...
I am getting some phase artifacts for sure, but there is also a nice increase in bass.... what exactly did you do?
Wow, this one was unexpectedly emotional for me! My mom was an organist, and the Vierne was one of her all-time favorites. We miss Mom... 🙁 Nice memories though.
May I ask: Do you know if this effect has been packaged as a commercial product at some point in the past? Because it sounds kinda familiar... 😉
-- Jim
I have tried the first batch on Logitech desktop computer speaker.
I think the opamp was added only in the manipulated files (level 1-3). This way, what stand out is then the inferiority of the opamp, if we compare non-manipulated with manipulated ones.
Compared to the original, the manipulated ones have:
(1) "improved" bass that can easily make you throw-up. Bad idea.
(2) higher distortion and noise floor thus lower resolution.
Compared to lightly modified, the highly modified have:
(1) "improved" bass that can easily make you throw-up. Bad idea.
(2) higher resolution that makes the soundstage easy to view. But this cannot justify the fatiguing effect of the "improved" bass that is too costly
Enhanced bass, loss of treble and loss of resolution, phase inversion and probably phase manipulation, quite high DC component 😀
Lot of fun, but I doubt it can "improve" anything 🙂
High cone excursion of woofers with "enhanced" files, bass tones unrealistic.
Lot of fun, but I doubt it can "improve" anything 🙂
High cone excursion of woofers with "enhanced" files, bass tones unrealistic.
Some very mixed opinions and impressions here and so I'll reveal a little more later on.
Jim, the Vierne is a terrific piece I think, and I'm sorry to hear about your Mom.
Jim, the Vierne is a terrific piece I think, and I'm sorry to hear about your Mom.
WoW ! After all your mumbling about "the system" you mention such thing and you make conclusions !
Don't you think "man" is also part of the system ?!
... so a little respect, please !😛😡
Part of the technique could be arranged that way.
There was something similar I believe (20-25 yrs ago) but I don't think it was as sophisticated as this.
Thanks for giving them a listen Pavel. I suspect that everyone's impression will vary dramatically depending on the equipment, and in particular the speakers used.
Karl, I have tried Vierne files. The "unmodified" sounds most natural to me, "level 1" maybe still acceptable, level 2 and 3 unacceptable. I know exactly what you want to demonstrate.
BTW, I will be recording organ in one of the biggest churches here next Saturday, I can send you some files then for processing 😉
BTW, I will be recording organ in one of the biggest churches here next Saturday, I can send you some files then for processing 😉
Thanks man. She could really jam - we were all proud of her. Plus, she played at a huge local church with about a 4 second RT60 - what a sound! 😎
-- Jim
Yes, its good to repeat the warning from earlier. The cone excursion at LF can be dramatic so be careful !
Not with you here, pico! The laptop speakers don't "do" bass, so I'm not going to hear funnies here - but that doesn't stop me hearing what's happening in the rest of the spectrum. I don't have the obsession with bass that many do, and I have no desire to get onto that bandwagon, especially when I hear the poor quality of a great deal of it, out there, 😀.
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