When using Equalizer, sound goes up & down erratically Options

[AudioGuy2000]

I'm new to Foobar2000 and so far loving it! I'm running it on a laptop and my HTPC, both Windows 7 OS. When I enable th built in equalizer and adjust the settings, the music sounds horrible. It seems to fade in and out automatically as it plays. Kinda like music compressing and de-compressing (reminds me of the old dbx compression, but magnified many times).

This happens on both my laptop and HTPC. Makes the equalizer useless. What am I doing wrong? I don't have any other DSP effects (that I'm aware of).

Foobar components log:

Core (2012-02-04 13:05:48 UTC)
foobar2000 core 1.1.11
foo_albumlist.dll (2012-02-04 13:04:12 UTC)
Album List 4.5
foo_cdda.dll (2012-02-04 13:03:52 UTC)
CD Audio Decoder 3.0
foo_converter.dll (2012-02-04 13:04:00 UTC)
Converter 1.5
foo_dsp_std.dll (2012-02-04 13:04:14 UTC)
Standard DSP Array 1.0
foo_input_std.dll (2012-02-04 13:05:10 UTC)
Standard Input Array 1.0
foo_rgscan.dll (2012-02-04 13:03:48 UTC)
ReplayGain Scanner 2.1.2
foo_ui_std.dll (2012-02-04 13:04:08 UTC)
Default User Interface 0.9.5

Thanks for any suggestions!

[db1989]

What am I doing wrong?

Using positive gain somewhere, probably. Generally, don’t do that. It can easily lead to clipping or, perhaps in your case, automatic limiting in hardware or software (i.e. Windows’ mixer). Positive adjustments should only be made if you are sure they will not cause the resulting signal to peak over full-scale, and this is not something that is particularly easy to judge.

Use the button Auto level to automatically adjust all your sliders to avoid this (or start again from zero if you really want).

This post has been edited by db1989: Apr 26 2012, 21:51

[css]

I have the same issue. It happens with not only the equalizer but many other DSPs, like VST wrapper. I even tried deleting replay gain scanner component, didn't work. I think it's a serious issue in DSP basis

[lvqcl]

http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index....showtopic=78050
http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index....showtopic=84454
...and several other threads

[AudioGuy2000]

Actually, db1989's answer worked for me. I used auto level and the music turned back to normal after equalization. But I did have to turn up the volume quite a bit more. I understand what was happening with too much gain. But I wonder why this was never an issue back in the analog days of using an equalizer.

[db1989]

Actually, db1989's answer worked for me. I used auto level and the music turned back to normal after equalization.

Great!

But I wonder why this was never an issue back in the analog days of using an equalizer.

Clipping does not work the same way between the analogue vs. digital realms. What might simply have created louder sound from your speaker in the former may instead push the signal past the upper/lower limit of the digital resolution, cut the wave to a flat top, and create obvious and displeasing broadband distortion. Not to say you couldn’t have distorted or even blown out your analogue equipment with a sufficiently amplified signal, but you can’t expect to be able to compare the two directly.

[css]

What am I doing wrong?

Using positive gain somewhere, probably. Generally, don’t do that. It can easily lead to clipping or, perhaps in your case, automatic limiting in hardware or software (i.e. Windows’ mixer). Positive adjustments should only be made if you are sure they will not cause the resulting signal to peak over full-scale, and this is not something that is particularly easy to judge.

Use the button Auto level to automatically adjust all your sliders to avoid this (or start again from zero if you really want).

since I was new to this forum, at first I couldn't see replies!
thanks anyways, yes it was clipping.