Re: Why Do I Even Need a Dash Mounted EQ?


"Soundy" <soundy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1143331289.505427.138340@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
It's too bad that we can encode EQ settings in the header info of MP3
files. The headunit would then read the info when it loads each file,
make the EQ adjustments specified, and, presto, every song is played at
the perfect settings.


Yes, that would be SO great. And I would certainly take the time to make
at
least some rudimentary adjustments. I mean, there are songs that I
ALWAYS
have to turn the bass up or down. It would be so nice if before I burned
a
disc I could make these adjustments to the MP3 file.

Nice idea, but highly impractical...

Not impractical at all, just not implemented at this time.

First, you'd need to find some way to encode the info into the file in
such a way that it wouldn't interfere with the audio data. ID3 tags
don't have a spec for that info.

That method already exists, although the tags would certainly have to be
expanded.

Second, you'd have to devise a standard for the info, including how
many bands of EQ and how many steps per band... and then get the HU
manufacturers to agree to support that standard.

Yes. This is true, but not impossible. Let's set that right now -- is ten
enough? Do we need 15 or 20? Plus or minus 5dB for each band? Steps in
..01 dB? Say encoded like 0.00,0.00,0.05,0.25,0.5, 1.0, 1.15, . . . . and so
on. Of course there are those whose settings for the lowest five or so
bands will be 5.0, 5.0, 5.0, 5.0 :-p

Third, they'd all have to support it the same way - +3 steps at 100Hz
would have to sound the same on every HU or it negates the whole
purpose.

Not true. As long as I can adjust my MP3 files to sound the way I want them
to on *my* HU then that's all that's required. The differences between HUs
are going to be present regardless of technology and I don't think this can
be overcome. (Nor should it, becuase if they all sounded the same
compeitition would be reduced to flashing lights and dancing dolphins -- not
a good thing.) In any case a file that needs the bass boosted probably does
so regardless of player.


Fourth, you'd need software to embed the data on the computer end...
that would require either a separate program to either replace your
regular media player or use separate from it, or it would require every
other software maker (Microsoft for Windows Media Player, Apple for
iTunes, WinAmp, Real, just to name four of the biggest ones, and there
are literally hundreds of others) to subscribe to your standard. Some
players might allow it with the use of plugins, but many won't.

Easily added to all of the above. The fact that it doesn't exist now does
not mean it is impossible or even difficult to create.

Fifth, what sounds good on your computer speakers is probably NOT going
to sound anywhere near the same on your car system, which kind of
nullifies the whole point of the exercise.

Again, not true. As I said in my original post, it would be a tedious
process to make notes in your car when a particular track is played and then
change the settings next time you burn a CD, but the end result would be
worth it. You could probably even learn to correlate the sound on your PC
to the sound in your car and know what adjustments to make on your PC to
make it sound like you want when in your car.

Better way to implement this kind of idea is to have the HU itself
remember the settings you apply for a given song or disc. With
pre-packaged music CDs, this would be easy using every disc's embedded
serial number (same data your software players uses to look up CDDB
info). Once you adjust the EQ for that disc, you have the HU store
those settings so it can recall them anytime you insert that disc.

That may be fine with pre-packaged CDs, but with ordinary MP3 files the
quality control is simply not there. While it's relatively easy to
normalize volume on the files, other factors such as can be addressed by a
good EQ are wildly different from file to file. If a HU could be set up to
remember the EQ settings on a track by track basis then that's a solution
that would work. I don't see an option for remembering the settings for an
entire disk because the individual files vary so much. Either way, it would
be nice to be able to auto-adjust the EQ on a song by song basis. If the
setting were encoded in the MP3 header then it would work across all
players, even though they wouldn't sound the same a file that needs the
mid-range boosted probably does so regardless of the player.

It's a real need, and regardless of the solution I think we can expect to
see a solution in the future. When there's a perceived market a product
will be produced to address it.

PD


.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Star Wars DVD Trilogy - THX Calibration Menu
    ... > I assume on the Sony you made your adjustments in the DEF group? ... if there were settings in the ... the patterns are to the right, ... squares, there is a grid pattern - squares that are supposed to be ...
    (sci.electronics.repair)
  • Re: Setup Vista Media Center Using Mouse
    ... Depending on how you connect to the LCD and what settings are available, ... available if the monitor is connected via VGA. ... That just leaves the adjustments in the ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.mediacenter)
  • Re: Why Do I Even Need a Dash Mounted EQ?
    ... least some rudimentary adjustments. ... regular media player or use separate from it, ... remember the settings you apply for a given song or disc. ...
    (rec.audio.car)
  • Re: whirlwind spinning discs problem
    ... as everyones does if you have it in that mode in the settings. ... BTW- different software has different settings in adjustments. ... need to make his comment ("first time pin owner - or so he ...
    (rec.games.pinball)
  • Re: Help with colour settings
    ... You can adapt ... posts that there are settings that can be adjusted to compensate. ... adjustments in order to get a closer colour match. ...
    (comp.graphics.apps.photoshop)
Loading