How great would it be to have a listening profile option in the left menu. In that place because it would be easily accessible. The profile would load with one click the various listening settings: audio device, equalization, processing, volume control, and possibly streaming service and local library of choice.
When you switch headphones, DAC or amplifier, you don’t have to manually adjust the different settings, but can do it with a click. Different users can create different usage profiles.
I want it!
Generally it is possible to save EQ presets in the plug-in and depending on the file type and sample-rate parameters can be adjusted in real-time… How often do the majority of users swap DACs routinely day to day and what other processing would need to be fiddled with day to day?
It’s not the dac, although that is not impossible, but it’s the type of music and the thousands of recording values. Each recording is different.
I believe the "real-time EQ adjustment is detrimental to outpurpt… that’s what like I read.
The scenario that you are describing is a re-mastering approach to listening… To facilitate this best would require some level of automatic preset call-up in the track/album meta-data, that is read and applied to the equalizer prior to playback… Can you imagine the tediousness of entering this preset parameter information?
Generally, a equalizer preset will have encompassed the relative tonal adjustment of different musical genre and/or hearing deficiencies or headphone and speaker/room compensations… Real-time adjustment will be required to set parameters for a preset. Once the desired tonality is achieved (never), the adjustment is saved as a preset and presets can be fine-tuned over time…
I say ‘never’ in achieving tonal ‘nirvana’ because it is like chasing ghosts… Tonal changes in any region of the signal will precipitate other harmonic and dynamic anomalies that were not imbued in the original master recording/encoding and assessment of tonality is subject to perceptual biases and influences that change minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day, and so on… I know some folks cannot live with the tonal quality of any given recording… I see the reproduction of any given master encoding, like viewing a photo that may or may not appeal to my aesthetic, but accept that it is what it is… The desire to fit everything into a personal aesthetic in the context of equalization is somewhat pathological in nature from my point-of-view. Compensation for hearing anomalies is a different story, and if this is the case, equalization presets will manage hearing compensation very adroitly.
Audirvāna already supports automatic track by track or album volume normalization, this is easily enabled.
Dear Agoldnear,
Please stay on topic. Your extensive explanation has nothing to do with my suggestion and will probably scare off users who are interested in listening profiles.
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I am on topic… a ‘profile’ is a preset of personalized choices stored for recall.
Some people have loudspeakers and headphone, the latter e.g. with cross feed plug-in, in different “rigs” with different DACs. in this case, a profil is very usefull.
I understand…
(rhetorical) How many seconds does it take to enable a plug-in preset configuration to suit a particular playback scenario or profile…? Not many.
However the demographics of the playback scenario you are describing is quite esoteric in the broader perspective of the majority of Audirvāna users… I use HRTF processing and r8Brain modulation to DSD for all PCM file playback, as my playback scenario is headphone-centric and there is no reason for a profile preset, as this is my only listening scenario. All other Audirvāna and DAC settings once configured are static and have been this way for years. If I were to replace my DAC, it will be likely that some settings may need re-calibration… Nothing really changes in my playback experience, except my attitude and attentiveness…
The value question is whether or not there exists an overwhelming user demand for such a function in Audirvāna and whether or not adding this function impinges on the established playback performance/sound-quality the we have come to expect and currently enjoy… My bet is the average user playback scenario is quite simple, some more complex in application.
Well. I’m a little overwhelmed.
My comment refers to the possibility of altering the EQ for specific instances where an original recording is bass/treble heavy. I specifically refer to a Nina Simone recording tgat seems over-miked and very bass. To listen comfortably I lower volume and alter EQ.
It is a little frustrating to stop playback. Open EQ preferences. Moderate values. Close EQ and then, finally, resume playback.
Only to reverse that process for my next selection.
A quick setting change button would suit me marvelously.
Seems a reasonable thing to do.
What say you to this Sir?
I understand… I see this sort of personalization to be more complicated in application than it would seem… It can be implemented by virtue of some track/album meta-data that is automatically read into a EQ plug-in when you select the track(s) or album, which for sure will introduce latencies in playback start-up… Entering the desired settings will be tedious… Remember you can have multiple instances of a plug-in available, so you can have a couple of different iterations with different settings available to enable and disable at any given time.
Edit: Also this data must be stored and managed… and in some case become quite cumbersome.
I’m not quite sure I fully understand what you mean by the metadata reference. Help me please to effect this.
If that changes that “changing values process” I outlined above it would be welcomed.
A simple choice in the left menu (lots of space there for a drop-down or fold-out menu) would resolve this issue. Choice of value set-ups for “Jazz Vocal” or “Classical Piano” or “… whatever you choose…,”
I don’t know about coding but I do know from my experience with using software, including Audirvana, InDesign et al. that all kinds of set-ups are possible.
For sure this can be implemented… Meta-data, similar to the information you choose regarding playback gain/volume and album sorting data… It will add another level of complexity that must be managed and presents another level of frustration factor when the operational functions don’t meet the user expectations… we see this now with user frustrations… This sort of stuff will eventually impinge on the performance of the audio-engine on a large demographic of computer platforms that are running minimal system attributes like RAM and CPU performance.
I think that’s overstating the issues. This is not a demand for ANYTHING to be implimented. It originated from @DionDs original post -
“How great would it be to have a listening profile option in the left menu. In that place because it would be easily accessible. The profile would load with one click…”
I believe a simple *is anyone interested in this idea? “,” is it possible", “what do you guys think?” for the Audirvana team to look at maybe. If it degrades the Audirvana great-sound-concept nobody would want it… me-thinks.
I don’t know any way of altering the metadata for a track to effect an EQ alteration… does anyone because if you do I would love to have that information.
Based on this premise:
Separately, I am breaking this down into the synergistic elements of what a personalized profile may entail… Starting with something that does not exist… * Profile-driven, dynamic changes of an equalizer’s parameters and how this may be accomplished on a per-track or album playback basis.*
The addition of an automatic ‘profile’ setting of EQ parameters that dynamically changes on a per-track or album basis, is one of a series of technological elements required to implement the idea of a personalized profile of which you both are describing. I am only suggesting how automatic personalized changes to something like an equalizer might be implemented if such a thing were to be integrated into the Audirvāna operational scheme. In the implementation, there will be associated computational overhead and data storage that could impinge on the Audirvāna system performance… These are some of the considerations in developing a rationale for integrating such a concept.
We will see how much traction this idea will get…
Good suggestion to add listening profiles for those that want to use them +1
I may be over thinking… I’m thinking that ten or so EQ presets would cover my needs, whether it’s a different DAC or track or album or singer… whatever your personal criterea is… that quick one or two-click action would be easy to set up.