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Topic: Dolby Headphone Wrapper DSP (Read 336350 times) previous topic - next topic
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Dolby Headphone Wrapper DSP

Reply #25
I love this plugin. Produces very pleasing sound through headphones when the rest of the family are asleep.

Would love it if it was ported to 0.9.

Thanks.

Dolby Headphone Wrapper DSP

Reply #26
There will be 0.9 version. I'm in the process of switching from Visual Studio 6 to Visual Studio 2005 (required for compiling any 0.9 code) and this will mean some delay. And I'm doing this just for the plugin thing, because I was feeling very comfortable with my old good MSVC6...

Dolby Headphone Wrapper DSP

Reply #27
Quote
There will be 0.9 version. I'm in the process of switching from Visual Studio 6 to Visual Studio 2005 (required for compiling any 0.9 code) and this will mean some delay. And I'm doing this just for the plugin thing, because I was feeling very comfortable with my old good MSVC6...
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=376423"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


You won't regret switching to 2005. It's much better.

Dolby Headphone Wrapper DSP

Reply #28
I love this plugin ! too bad I discovered it only *after* I switched from v 0.8.3 to 0.9 ...

Dolby Headphone Wrapper DSP

Reply #29
Quote
I love this plugin ! too bad I discovered it only *after* I switched from v 0.8.3 to 0.9 ...
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=378211"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


...same here, I'll just have to wait, thank you Chungalin for the extra work involved.

Dolby Headphone Wrapper DSP

Reply #30
never knew about this plugin. i am excited to test it with my new shure e5c headphones!

Dolby Headphone Wrapper DSP

Reply #31
Quote
Quote
There will be 0.9 version. I'm in the process of switching from Visual Studio 6 to Visual Studio 2005 (required for compiling any 0.9 code) and this will mean some delay. And I'm doing this just for the plugin thing, because I was feeling very comfortable with my old good MSVC6...
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=376423"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


You won't regret switching to 2005. It's much better.
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=376859"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


I wouldn't be so sure. IMHO the only improvement in VS8 is the intellisense, as well as improved template support in the compiler, but it is possible to set VC6 up to use the free release of vc2003 which is almost as good. And I can run a few instances of VC6 at the same time as a few other apps. With VS8 everything grinds to a halt (yes, I know, I need to upgrade my system...)

Dolby Headphone Wrapper DSP

Reply #32
Today I've started the port to 0.9. There're many subtle changes that have to be studied and applied to code. Some of them I think will simplify the plugin's code (for instance, now the native sample size is 32 bit float instead of 0.8x oversized 64 bit doubles, so no pre/post conversions needed). Now I'm trying to figure out what is the difference between cfg_var's and dsp_preset's, among a bunch of other things...

You'll stay informed.

Dolby Headphone Wrapper DSP

Reply #33
Just uploaded the updated plugin for 0.9.x at 3rd Party Plugins website. Sorry for the long delay guys, but here we take things easy. 

Works like before, except:
1) Settings are not applied "live", they're applied after pressing OK in config dialog box.
2) Changes on the DLL selection are applied on next foobar2000 start, so the first time you use the plugin you'll have to access the DSP Manager pane, set the DOLBYHPH.DLL location and restart foobar. Please note that the DLL location setting is not included in the DSP preset data.

The plugin is full channel-config aware (new feature in 0.9), from mono to 5.1, but it won't do anything if supplied with audio with channels beyond 5.1 (that's enough speakers!).

As always, please use this thread for any comments or bug reports.

Dolby Headphone Wrapper DSP

Reply #34
Wow, I didn't realize the effect would be so drastic and so well done.  This is an excellent plugin; I may leave it on permanently.  Great work, and thanks for porting it to 0.9!

Now all you need to do is make a wrapper for a 5.1 DTS decoder! 

Dolby Headphone Wrapper DSP

Reply #35
While testing this new version I tried to feed the plugin with output from Skipyrich's foo_channel_mixer, since at that moment I didn't have any 5.1 AC3 file to test the plugin at its maximum capability. I tried upmixing normal Stereo stuff to 5.1 (using the included 5.1 profile). I couldn't say if it was better or just louder, but the overall effect was interesting.

I would like to hear opinions about this combination, if someone have the time an patience to test it. Theoreticaly DH should work well enough with a plain Stereo signal, but we all know that Dolby Headphone was specifically designed to recreate 5.1 stuff on headphones. Then it may seem logic that the DH-Engine should work better if supplied with 5.1 input.

Dolby Headphone Wrapper DSP

Reply #36
While testing this new version I tried to feed the plugin with output from Skipyrich's foo_channel_mixer...


(execpt maybe for testing or for fun) it makes no sense to me to up-mix from 2 channels to 6 and then back to 2  .
In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is.

Dolby Headphone Wrapper DSP

Reply #37
I've just tried this plugin. Nice work, Chungalin.

(execpt maybe for testing or for fun) it makes no sense to me to up-mix from 2 channels to 6 and then back to 2  .
Give it a try...

 

Dolby Headphone Wrapper DSP

Reply #38
After much work, I figured out how to encode my DTS CD copy of Sting & The Police's greatest hits album into  6 channel FLAC files.  The effect is pretty damn cool, and it sounds awesome through my Audio Technica A-900s.  Those 6 channel flac files chew up ALOT of cpu time decoding though, even on my Athlon 64 3400+ (clawhammer core with 1mb l2 cache), and some songs were actually skipping occasionally if I tried to run other programs.  I rencoded everything into Wavpack normal, and it was surprisingly MUCH smoother.  Average CPU usage went from ~37% (spikes in the 50s) with flac to ~21% (never >30) with Wavpack (and the files were actually slightly smaller).

I'm gonna have to go buy up some more of these DTS cds!

Dolby Headphone Wrapper DSP

Reply #39
I have version 1.2.0.222 of DolbyHph.dll. I think it came bundled with NVMixer (NVIDIA's audio mixer application). Works awesome.

Dolby Headphone Wrapper DSP

Reply #40
Will it be possible to do something similar, but for X-Fi's CMSS-Headphone?

It would be great to add such plugin to DSP chain while converting some FLACs to MP3s, because now I cannot use CMSS power from my X-Fi card in my MP3 player.
"The brightest flame burns quickest..."

Dolby Headphone Wrapper DSP

Reply #41
Haven't got into this CMSS-3D thing, first of all because I don't own a X-Fi soundcard. And somehow you've already said it all:

Quote
I cannot use CMSS power from my X-Fi card in my MP3 player.


Yes, because one can expect that CMSS algorithms are implemented in X-Fi hardware, at least in part. Otherwise, if all that signal processing was performed by software using your CPU, there would be little reasons to buy an expensive X-Fi soundcard, right?

If someone who has an X-Fi can prove that I'm wrong, and that the CMSS-3D Headphone process is made via software (drivers) instead of HW, then maybe I could consider the idea.

Dolby Headphone Wrapper DSP

Reply #42
Ummm there is a Creative software bundled with the card that gives the user ability to "SuperRip" CD's with Crystalizer and / or CMSS-Headphone, so it's possible to use it to make a output file, but I can't do it the hard way (eg. run CMSS-HPH with some audio file and record results in some audio recording program - result will be plain, without processing).

I don't know, maybe SuperRipping is done by some driver port, or maybe CPU instead of card, but anyway - it could be possible to include in FB2k plugin.

I don't know if there is a single dll responsible for this effect as in dolby hph case.
"The brightest flame burns quickest..."

Dolby Headphone Wrapper DSP

Reply #43
Out of curiosity, does anyone know what ffdshow's similar "Virtual headphone spatialization", located at the bottom of the audio mixer speaker settings, is based on?

I'm not able to compare its effectiveness with the Dolby DLL, as I'm still using win9x, but the ffdshow one is (likewise?) very effective in getting sounds to come from outside of my cranium, without diluting the sound too much.

(On a daily basis in fb2k I've been using the Bauer plugin instead.)

Dolby Headphone Wrapper DSP

Reply #44
I am interested in trying this plugin out, but call me a total n00b, ......I can't figure out if I have the DOLBYHPH dll file.

I run WindowsXP Home SP2, do I have it? If not, can I find it/buy it? What's the deal?

Of course I'll NOT give any help about how to get that DLL.

Why?

<---n00b

(Again  )

If it was illegal for some reason I don't think Hydrogenaudio would allow it, so why will no help be given?
foobar2000 + EAC + Burrrn = Happiness

Dolby Headphone Wrapper DSP

Reply #45
Just use your computer's local search function and search for that file on your hard disks. If you find it, you're lucky.

Edit: I found a definite and legal download location for version 1.2.0.222 of the file. Download and install the NVIDIA PureVideo Decoder Platinum 30 day Trial. After the installation you will find the file in your system32 folder. Just copy the file to a save location and uninstall the software.

Dolby Headphone Wrapper DSP

Reply #46
Alright, I may have found some insight as to what this thing actually does, with respect to regular stereo music. 

http://www.dolby.com/consumer/technology/headphone_faq.html

The link above takes you to the Dobly Headphone FAQ.  In it, it explains that the DH engine ONLY accepts a 5.1 signal.  What happens when you give it a stereo (or less than 5.1 channels), is it runs the sound through the Dolby Prologic II engine and upmixes it to 5.1.  I have some 5.1 DTS cds which I encode into 6 channel wavpack files, and they sound VASTLY superior (they're absolutely amazing) to any stereo music file being run through the Dolby headphone engine, lossless or otherwise.  So I'm thinking this DLL has some kind of Prologic II encoder in it for stereo signals.

I tested this by adding the "Convert 5.1 to Stereo" DSP in front of the Dolby Headphone wrapper while playing one of my 5.1 surround music files, and the sound got significantly worse.  It sounded... fake?  Kinda plasticy, not sure how to describe it - but there was a very stark change in the sound itself and not just the posistioning/soundstage.  It seemed like the bass got alot boomier (like it was suddenly being run through a bad EQ with the lower freq's jacked up).  The main thing I found though, was that It sounded like just about all my 2 channel stereo music files do when played through the headphone wrapper.

I also tried running stereo music through the ATSurround 5.1 plugin to upmix the music to 5.1 (thus theoretically bypassing the prologic or whatever it is in the headphone dll) before going through the Dolby Headphone DLL, and it sounded alot different.  The boomy bass and extra volume instantly went away, and it sounded somewhat cleaner, although crossfeed alone still sounds ALOT better (alot of detail is lost through the ATSurround plugin I think).  But whether it sounded better or not isn't the point - the point is that when fed a 5.1 signal the headphone dll doesn't seem to add any extra bass or anything, but when it gets something in stereo the sound definitely gets some strange bass boosting.

Anyone with some really good headphone setup want to test a little further?  My Turtle Beach Santa Cruz is probibly holding me back alot...

Dolby Headphone Wrapper DSP

Reply #47
Just use your computer's local search function and search for that file on your hard disks. If you find it, you're lucky.

Edit: I found a definite and legal download location for version 1.2.0.222 of the file. Download and install the NVIDIA PureVideo Decoder Platinum 30 day Trial. After the installation you will find the file in your system32 folder. Just copy the file to a save location and uninstall the software.

Thanks for your efforts dude.
foobar2000 + EAC + Burrrn = Happiness

Dolby Headphone Wrapper DSP

Reply #48
I also tried running stereo music through the ATSurround 5.1 plugin to upmix the music to 5.1 (thus theoretically bypassing the prologic or whatever it is in the headphone dll) before going through the Dolby Headphone DLL, and it sounded alot different.  The boomy bass and extra volume instantly went away, and it sounded somewhat cleaner, although crossfeed alone still sounds ALOT better (alot of detail is lost through the ATSurround plugin I think).
Hi, I'm the author of ATSurround Processor. Just to help you guys along, ATSurround sounds cleaner because the audio is more focused towards the front channel (not because it throws away detail, please  ). The ATSurround+ASr mode follows the Pro Logic II specifications quite closely (but not entirely).

I've done quite a bit of testing myself on Dolby Headphone using a stereo input. It seems that DHP does not upmix stereo sources to 5 channels before running through the Headphone filters. It simply applies Headphone processing to the input as it is. That is, if the input was stereo, it would just assume the surround channels were mute. (There is no built-in surround matrix decoder/upmixer in DHP.)

So, if you wanted to simulate stereo=>5 channels on DHP, you need to first pass it through a surround matrix decoder, then pass the 5 channel audio to DHP. This can be confirmed by reading the DHP FAQ (http://www.dolby.com/consumer/technology/headphone_faq.html) point #8.

Personally, I liked DHP, but didn't get exactly what I wanted to hear. The Headphone mode in ATSurround does 2=>5 channel decoding, then applying DHP-like filters (again, following DHP specifications quite closely, but not entirely), but without the echoey reverb. That represents my listening preference when using headphones.

Ultimately, you are the best judge of what you like to hear. So, when deciding what DSP chain or setup you want to use, trust your ears.
Andrew Tan

Dolby Headphone Wrapper DSP

Reply #49
Can someone please put the 0.8.3 version up somewhere?

TIA