Stereo Tool

The last 2 weeks I have heard from several people that they find the 'Pre-emphasize output' button in the FM settings confusing.

What I intend to do: Disable it as soon as either stereo or RDS-encoding is enabled, and then always output a pre-emphasized signal. Is there *anyone* who needs a de-emphasized signal with stereo or RDS output?

I cannot realize what is the interfere with this button ? And to who it interfere ? button like button . If you like turn it on , if you like turn it off . What is the problem ? But nevermind , if needed remove it.

People didn't know that they had to turn it on, listened to Stereo Tool sound on air, thought it lacked highs and moved to another processor. So... I really had to do something.

Hans, make it hidden. If nobody complains you can remove it later. In case people want it back you can make it visible again and think about a solution later.

I actually need to make the sound card stuff easier to setup in the future. For now I'm disabling the button whenever RDS or stereo coding is used, in the future it should indeed disappear.

Update MAC builds (all 64 bits!); fixed some small VST version issues.

VST: http://www.stereotool.com/download/stereo_tool.vst.zip (Requires a 64 bit VST host!)
Stand alone: http://www.stereotool.com/download/stereo_tool.zip
Command line: http://www.stereotool.com/download/stereo_tool
You need to have JackOSX installed for the first 2 to load (I still need to fix that).

VST: Note: I have put ST in a separate window, because of some issues between the GUI layer that I'm using and the VST interface. It should be usable this way though, and it might even be better (you can always leave the ST window open). Let me know if it works

Hans is a kind of right .
If stereo encoding is enabled for normal air listening emphasis is required , so may be only the checkbox for Pre-emphasis may stay ? Only one checkbox, cause they are now two. But if people don`t need to enable/disable it then remove them. Or maybe hide it for the simple interfaces of the program . I mean only visible in tweaker mode- i think this sounds good

Windows:
Winamp version: http://www.stereotool.com/download/dsp_ ... 25-023.exe
Windows stand alone: http://www.stereotool.com/download/ster ... 25-023.exe
Windows VST: http://www.stereotool.com/download/vst_ ... 25-023.dll


Changes:
- Add presets
- Mac: VST: Simple workaround: Simple GUI with "Show Stereo Tool window" checkbox. Also has an (unplanned) advantage: Window is resizeable. Might even be a good idea to support this in Windows as well!
- Mac: VST: Why doesn't the new window open in a separate window? Other windows (such as About) do...
- PC: Copy ASIO per-output channel settings to main ASIO screen.
- Remove pre-emphasize output
- Update version number
- Mac: Try bigger block size when sending data to screen (eldoradofm). -> Big difference, will change it. Also for Linux?


Fixed previously:
- Bob Hawkins built-in preset crashes
- Flat Frequency Response: Built-in presets use default value, should use conversion function.
- MB default frequencies on startup incorrect
- Default settings for ND -> Use latest from Bojcha based on JesseG's
- Fix Limiting display (must show dB's).
- Limiter: Fix (check) limiter
- Limiting works MUCH better with no lookahead - seems to use the smoothed signal when using lookahead. Remove that and perform some smoothing in backward direction (probably based on drop speed) to remove crackle.
- Added Release Inertia
- Improved limiter: Flatter frequency response, better behavior at low frequencies, more accurate level measurements, tighter (Bojcha, do you still hear the distortion from the previous beta? If so I can smooth things a bit more)
- Added Traditional Peak detection mode to compressor; this mode should not be used unless you have a lack of CPU power -> Brian, I think with this setting the new multiband compressor will perform about the same as the old one.
- Hangup when pressing Natural Dynamics in bottom display
- ND license incorrect
- AZIMUTH default settings: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=4875
- Phase rotator: Change name "As early as possible" (unclear!) and hide in most modes?
- Organize ND settings better
- Fix loading existing presets (Gamma values, "As early as possible" etc.)
- Split ND settings in to GUI modes
- Remove old ND implementation (saves memory and makes STS files smaller) -> 8 MB less memory usage
- Multiband: Improved Flat Frequency Response. Good values seem to be between 0.50 and 0.60 (depending on other settings!)
- Multiband: Added Attack and Release Gamma. See below.
- Phase rotator: Added checkbox to place it at the start of the processing chain (just before Natural Dynamics)
- Multiband/Natural Dynamics: Cleanup small spikes in Flat Frequency Response graph.
- Multiband/Natural Dynamics: Improve flat frequency response further.
- Mac: Default priority value to 46.
- Mac: Menu bar with Close APPLE+Q -> wxEntry exits but rest of software doesn't -> crashes.
- Mac: Cleanup named semaphores on exit
- Mac: RDS binary values
- Multiband/ND: Flat frequency response: value automatic conversion. ((v / .58) ^ .5) * .58
- Decide to which license to link ND -> Now linked to Declipper
- MB Knee does not work -> Yes it does...
- Linux: Test if everything still works. -> Yes, some small fixes were needed. Also removed printing to screen in Jack loop (bad!)
- Compressor: Place Gamma somewhere logical without making the interface too crowded.
- Display ND in bottom section
- ND handle changing number of bands
- Mac: Add auto-generating of .zip file with proper plist.
- Mac: Add icon
- Changed ND default settings (experimental!)

Remaining:
- Wait for last 2 Bojcha presets
- Adjust new FM preset BS412 levels
- Fix low latency sound card support bug introduced in v7.24.
- Adjust Generic levels of new presets
- Try to build Mac 32 bit VST version with latest GCC compiler for performance
- Maybe add J-Type as BS412 preset as well

Later:
- ND artifacts band 1 (JesseG) - is this still an issue with larger drop times? -> Later
- Compressors: Add Reverse Release to improve start of loud highs -> Idea might be good but it doesn't work this easily. Postpone.
- Try to reduce MB/ND volume measurement CPU load. Maybe ignore some bands if there's nearly no signal there etc.
- Multiband/ND: Flat frequency response: Add separate settings for each crossover?)
- MB bands limiting display - Really difficult to fix (without increasing CPU load); it works fine without band coupling, and shows the actual reduction level if band coupling is used. So keeping it like this for now...
- Mac: VST: Child window support. Difficult... Maybe later!
- Mac: GUI performance.
- Mac: Cursors not supported. (Keep like that for now).
- AGC behaves bad: Different speeds at different locations.
- ND boosts highs in Dragana S track - should not do that-> later?
- Band coupling separate settings per crossover -> bit problematic, can this be postponed?
- MB Gamma and Inertia default values - but without changing existing presets
- Somehow try to estimate Attack/Release vs. Gamma/Inertia?

People I have spoken to about ST say they have tried it but the lack of documentation sends them looking at other (hardware) units.

Either an update of the on-line documentation or a good PDF manual would be very much appreciated so those of us who came onto this software later in its development get to understand all the features.

Clipper

Mac VST update: No longer needed to install Jack:
http://www.stereotool.com/download/stereo_tool.vst.zip (requires a 64 bit host!)