Bauer stereophonic-to-binaural DSP plugin
Reply #98 – 2007-09-01 00:30:46
Now, in 50 words or less why would mixing the channels "normally" result in a treble rolloff? And, following, why would anyone want the "Easy" option to be anything but on? May be Chu Moy (http://headwize.com/projects/showfile.php?file=cmoy1_prj.htm ) has an answers: ... decreasing the value of R1 would "widen" the soundstage and create a smoother response with the existing treble boost. ... I set R1a to 200 ohms (40% of the original value) (my note: original one is Linkwitz version). Since all recordings are not the same, I added a "PERSPECTIVE" switch (S1) to customize the processing with an alternate R1 value. At R1b = 150 ohms, the low frequency separation between channels goes up to about 10dB and the overall output increases by about 2dB. Toggling from R1b to R1a, the soundstage appears to move further away (lower output, more narrow soundstage, slightly softened highs)." Anyway, why asking what someone hear? Yours feelings is more interesting. Here's a more layman description of Chu Moy's PERSPECTIVE switch which can be found further down on his project page: "With the PERSPECTIVE switch set to high crossfeed, the soundstage narrowed and the top treble softened, yet there was more depth, more dimensionality - as though it had been moved further back. Recordings that polarized the stereo presentation with instruments or vocals to the extreme left and right had an substantially improved sense of aural continuity." So I think Boris' EASY switch is similar to Chu Moy's PERSPECTIVE switch, except logically reversed. Easy switch OFF (bs2b) = Perspective switch HIGH (Chu Moy) Easy switch ON (bs2b) = Perspective switch LOW (Chu Moy) But I think with 3 Crossfeed settings, the Easy switch makes it confusing, since the overall result is the same as adding less or more crossfeed and/or moving closer or farther away from the virtual soundstage. The bs2b plug-in has 6 distinct settings, as already documented:3: 700 -5.5 -2.5 # high crossfeed level 2: 500 -6.75 -2.25 # middle crossfeed level 1: 360 -8 -2 # low crossfeed level 6: 700 -8 -2 # high easy crossfeed level 5: 500 -9 -1.8 # middle easy crossfeed level 4: 360 -10 -1.6 # low easy crossfeed level If I try to interpret the settings from a purely virtual soundstage representation, "4: low easy [on] crossfeed" should be closest to the soundstage whereas "3: high [easy off] crossfeed" should be farthest away. But in testing by ear, this is not what happens. Going from setting 6 to 1, the soundstage becomes closer, not farther away, so these 2 middle settings are counter-intuitive. And settings 5 and 2 are much too similar to my ears. So I think it would be easier for users if you delete the Easy switch, and simplified to just 4 settings in soundstage logic order: 3 "High" (700 -5.5 -2.5) 6 "High easy" (700 -8 -2) 1 "Low" (360 -8 -2) 4 "Low easy" (360 -10 -1.6).