I was playing around with these two equalizers and found significant reproduceable problems with both. I am hoping some others can confirm the problems and ultimately have someone with the necessary skill correct them if possible.

With supereq, simply activating the plug-in with a flat curve, ie no changes in any band, causes a clear reduction in the higher frequencies and a distinct loss of clarity. This problem is present with music and is especially noticeable with a pink noise sample created in cool edit.

The native winamp equalizer causes a sharp reduction in tones around 10khz with upward adjustment in the 60hz band. This effect is most apparant to me with the pink noise and is harder to pick up with actual music tracks.

I have often heard that Winamps equalizer is terrible but at the moment it seems to add less coloration than supereq.

I use winamp 2.81 with the 48khz resampling plug-in (output) created by Peter.

What does it take to create a good quality software equalizer? Is there something out there that I can purchase even that will be more transparant?

What? I've never had such a problem. Usually I just use directsound-output. I don't know if peter's plug-in would effect the DSP or not. Are you sure that the higher frequencies is reduced? Try to set the output to disk writer and analyse the output file.

Yes. Winamp eq is crap. Don't use it. Shibatch is better and Foobar2000 also use shibatch super eq.

Have you tried RTEQ? I believe KikeG has recommended it in the past as an alternative to SuperEQ. I think his reason was that its FFT size was configurable, and when set to a lower value than SuperEQ, it can introduce less time-domain ringing.

Edit: hmm, looks like KikeG mentioned this EQ near the end of another big EQ thread (which I think you started), so I guess you already know about it. Remember all of Frank Klemm's and DSPGuru's math gobbledygook?

Hi. RTEQ crashes eveytime I try and use it.

As far as analyzing the output files, thats a good idea. I will try it and get back to you.

The difference is clearly audible though. It happens with or without the resampling plug in.

PS - I was really hoping that the math goobldy gook was going to develop into a better EQ for us all but Frank and the others have bigger fish to fry I guess

The latest version of RTEQ works fine on my Winamp install. You could try downloading the latest RTEQ, but it probably won't help. Winamp is really strange about crashing; I've got plug-ins that work fine for everyone else but crash when I load them, too. Sometimes you can get things working again by uninstalling Winamp, deleting its directories, and re-installing everything, but that's a real pain.

Maybe if you just install Winamp again to a second (temporary) directory and put the RTEQ plugin there, you can see if it still crashes.

Hello. Lazy as I am, I finally have the samples ready.

The first is a pink noise sample generated by cool edit. I ran it through the disk writer plug-in with a 6 db boost at 60 hz with Winamp's native eq. The bass goes up fine but there is a corresponding dip up around 6 to 8 k but I didn't do any spectral sweeps or anything yet.

The second is a clip of music run through disk writer with shibatch supereq in the loop but at idle, with no gain in any band.

The difference is easy to ab on my system.

I need someone to tell me how to get the files linked to this thread though.

I aped them then zipped them up, but 4 ten second samples is still 20megs.

The tests were simple enough to run if you dont want to d/l, though.

I found an eq that does not seem to disrupt the sound at all. It is by an outfit called Waves and is a 5 band paragraphic eq claiming linear phase. To me it is perfectly transparent when switched in and out of the circuit. I had to use the adapt-x interface to get it to work.

It seems to use a lot of cpu cycles but I don't really care too much.


PS - Just out of interest, there was lots of variability in ape's ability to compress the files, especially the shibatch file, which theoretically at least, should have little difference from the original.

The Winamp 2.90 beta supposedly has a new equalizer:

* updated PCM equalizer with code from 4Front Technologies/George Yohng. Quality is a lot better.

Thanks. I will try it too. But this Waves Linear Phase EQ is starting to win me over pretty quick.

Can anyone tell me why these samples sound so different to me?

(assuming I ever get them uploaded) These ape files are still too damn big.

Well, I did the same test like yours. But I can't find any difference in shibatch eq with no gain. The only difference is 1 bit dithering process which I can't abx them. Do you have something in parametric eq setting? delete them all. Or may be you have another equalizer installed?

Latest version of RTEQ crashes with Winamp 2.90 beta 2

Your right. When I did the listening tests a week or so ago, there were a few very low bass parametrics in place. And when I made the samples today I did not recheck them.

I am going to have to re-check my samples, but it should not affect the winamp stuff.

well, who can tell, if the new winamp eq is superior to the old one.

All right have to jump in here quickly as well. Maybe it's a bit off topic, but I seem to have found the right people for my question.

What about actually just using the Equalizer iin the Sound Card Control Panel and leaving out all software eq's?

Have tried that out on my system for a while now and am actually quite happy with the sound I have now.

well, now your eq is done by software made by creative labs. I wouldn't trust in any software (including drivers) by them anymore.

but I won't try out. then I 'd have to install their software.

Sorry mate.

Running Terratec.

No Creative product will ever make it back onto my machine