Help Contact

In order to serve you better, this website makes use of Cookies. By clicking "I agree" or by continuing to use this website, you agree to the placing of these cookies.



Bass section

Bass enhancement effects.

Immersive Bass adds "warm", "car radio" bass.

True Bass adds deep subharmonics that are often missing on older recordings, that were optimized for vinyl releases.

The Bass Clipper controls the amount of bass that goes into the final clipper, and replaces peaks by some harmonics, that can give the impression of more bass on small speakers.

Settings panel


Place in chain panel

Sets the place in the processing chain.

Bass Exciter panel


Main settings panel



Immersive Bass section

Generates "warm", "car radio" bass.

If enough deep bass is present, then when listening on good quality speakers everything may sound great. But as soon as you start listening on smaller sized speakers, some songs may still have bass, and others may appear to have almost none at all.

The reason is that deep bass cannot be properly reproduced on such speakers. If there happens to be enough mid-bass, it will still sound ok, but if there is very little or no mid-bass, there may appear to be no bass at all.

Immersive Bass generates this mid-bass from the lower bass frequencies.

Warning: Simply turning Immersive Bass on may cause bad effects on presets, because the added Immersive Bass may share the multiband compressor/limiter bands with the deep bass. So turning Immersive Bass on can lead to a reduction in deep bass. So, presets need to be tailored to handle the extra mid-bass pressure.

General panel

The main Immersive Bass settings.

  • Immersive Bass
    Enables Immersive Bass generation.

Place in chain panel

Sets the place in the processing chain.

  • Location
    Sets the place in the processing chain.

Bass amplification panel

Effect strength.

Immersive Bass panel


Effect panel


Input lowpass filter panel


Output bandpass filter panel


Harmonics levels panel


Unwanted harmonics settings panel


  • Effect strength
    Controls how much Immersive Bass is added.

    Adding too much may sound bad, and may reduce the amount of deep bass.

  • Minimum amplification
    Amount of Immersive Bass that may be added, relative to the amount of deep bass present.

    See also Maximum amplification, the maximum of these two is used.

  • Maximum amplification
    The maximum amount of Immersive Bass that may be added, relative to what is already there.

    Adding a lot of Immersive Bass to very clean deep bass sounds without any other sounds present to mask the effect can sound weird and somewhat distorted. This setting limits how much may be added, compared to the audio already present around the same frequency.

    See also Minimum amplification, the maximum of these two is used.

  • Frequency
    Lowpass frequency for the input signal.

    The Immersive Bass is generated based on the lowpassed input signal.

  • Slope
    The slope of the lowpass filter for the input signal.

    The Immersive Bass is generated based on the lowpassed input signal.

  • Highpass frequency
    Highpass frequency for the output signal.

    Immersive Bass may generate low frequency rumble, which is filtered out below this frequency.

  • Highpass slope
    Slope of the highpass filter for the output signal.

  • Lowpass frequency
    Lowpass frequency for the output signal.

    The generated Immersive Bass signal is removed above this frequency.

  • Lowpass slope
    Slope of the lowpass filter for the output signal.

Harmonics filtering panel


  • Cleanup unwanted harmonics

  • Offset

  • Bypass artifact cleanup filter (for testing only)

Harmonics maximum levels panel


  • Maximum level x2

  • Maximum level x4

  • Maximum level x6

  • Maximum level x8

  • Maximum level x10

  • Maximum level x12

  • Maximum level x14

  • Maximum level x16

  • Maximum level x18


True Bass section

Lost harmonics generator.

True Bass attempts to generate harmonics that either weren't recorded properly (due to for example a highpass filter, a bad microphone) or appear to be missing.

It can generate bass at a specific frequency, which matches the rest of the signal. True Bass was designed to only generate bass that sounds like it should always have been there.

Some examples: Input: Square wave, 50 Hz, with the base frequency (50 Hz) filtered out - only 150, 250, 350, 450 Hz etc. remain. True Bass will recreate a 50 Hz tone in this situation:

Input:

Output:

However, if instead of a square wave, we feed it a sine wave at 150 Hz, it will [b]not[/b] generate a subharmonic:

Input:

Output:

General panel


  • True Bass
    Enables True Bass.

Place in chain panel

Determines where True Bass is located in the processing chain.

  • Location
    Sets the place in the processing chain where True Bass is performed.

    For consistency, it's best to place it before the Multiband Compressor 1, or if you use 2 Multiband compressors, at least before Multiband Compressor 2.

    The effect on the audio is bigger if you place it after the multiband compressors, but you risk getting too loud bass in some cases, and the clipper can easily be overdriven if that happens.

  • Relative highpass filter frequency
    Highpass frequency for True Bass.

    True Bass can generate extremely low frequency sounds, that aren't audible and only cause problems in the rest of the processing. They are filtered out, below this frequency (which is relative to the Peak frequency).

  • Compatibility panel


    • Legacy level calculation (bad!)

    Speech panel


    • Reduce True Bass for speech by

    True Bass 1 panel


    True Bass 2 panel


    True Bass bands panel


    Main panel


    More True Bass settings panel


    Band 1 panel

    First True Bass filter.

    • Band 1
      Enables True Bass filter 1.

    • Strength
      The amount of effect that True Bass has.

      Using level 100% matches the 'natural' effect of the filter. Using more can give unnatural effects.

    Advanced panel

    True Bass audio controls.

    • Peak frequency
      The frequency around which this True Bass filter works.

      The filter drops off pretty steeply to higher frequencies, but also to lower ones.

    • Look at frequencies up to
      Input frequencies to look at to generate harmonics.

      If this frequency is set very high, asymmetrical sounds such as voices can cause rumbling effects. If it is set too low, if only one harmonic is seen the filter will not do anything (see the images of a square wave and sine wave above), a too steep filter will make the filter "think" that a square wave which' ground frequency is gone is actually a sine wave.

    • Upper slope
      Steepness of the lowpass filters.

    • Drop steepness (relative to 300%%/oct)
      Rolloff steepness of the effect of the filter below Peak frequency.

    • Pre-ringing filter level
      Amount of pre-ringing allowed.

      Since the subharmonic frequency is lower, it can sometimes start before the original bass sound started. This sounds very strange. This setting determines how much pre-ringing is allowed. Setting it too low will also remove reconstructed bass harmonics if they are a lot louder than the original.

    • Assume voices are above
      Assume that voices start above this frequency.

      Voices (and other asymmetrical sounds) can cause rumbling bass in the output. If there's very little content below this frequency, the effect of True Bass is reduced. This avoids having weird bass harmonics during news broadcasts, for example.

    • Allowed voice rumble
      Amount of voice rumble that is allowed through.

    Band 2 panel

    Second True Bass filter.

    This can be used to boost bass at multiple frequencies.

    • Band 2
      Enables True Bass filter 2.

    Advanced band controls panel


    Sub Bass Boost panel



    Sub Bass Boost section


  • PEQ

  • Equalizer panel


    • Sub Bass Boost

    • Parametric EQ

    • Difference

    • Hear

    Parametric equalizer panel


    • Frequency

    • Q

    Effect panel


    • Effect strength

    • Reduce boost for already loud bass

    Loudness detection panel


    • Threshold

    • Limiter

    • Attack speed

    • Release speed

    • Ratio

    • ITU-BS.1770

    • Release hold


    Basstardizer section

    The bass boost filter deforms the bass sounds to make them sound louder, without causing very big volume spikes as a normal equalizer would do.

    If you have enough bass on newer music but not on older music, you should look at Power Bass instead.

    General panel

    General Bass Boost settings

    • Phat Bass
      Enables the Bass Boost filter.

    Place in chain panel

    Sets the place in the processing chain.

    • Location
      Sets the place in the processing chain.

    BS panel


    Compatibility panel

    Settings for old preset compatibility.

    • Use legacy mode (Bass Boost)
      Setting for old preset compatibility.

      Do not turn this on.

    Frequency ranges panel


    Strength panel

    Controls the amount of bass boost.

    • Strength
      Determines the amount of bass boost that takes place.

      0% is no change, 100% is maximum boost.

    Frequencies panel

    Determines the frequencies at which Bass Boost works, and how it sounds.

    • Maximum boost from 0 up to
      Determines the frequency upto which the maximum amount of bass boost takes place.

      Set this slider higher to have more bass boost - but the bass will sound distorted if it is set too high.

    • Then dropping to no boost at
      Determines the frequency above which no bass boost occurs anymore.

      Frequencies above this frequency are completely ignored in the bass boost filter.

      Set this slider higher to have more bass boost - but the bass will sound distorted if it is set too high.

    • Allow harmonics from 0 up to
      Bass boost artifacts below this frequency are not cleaned up at all.

      Set this slider higher to have more bass boost - but the bass will sound distorted if it is set too high.

    • Then drop to no harmonics at
      Bass boost artifacts above this frequency are completely removed.

      Set this slider higher to have more bass boost - but the bass will sound distorted if it is set too high.

    Behavior panel

    Some other settings that control Bass Boost's behavior.

    • Relative to automatically detected peak level
      Scales Maximum bass peak level according to the predicted bass level coming out of the AGC and Multiband filters.

      If this is disabled, the maximum bass peak level does not change if any other settings are changed. If it is enabled, the filter will make a prediction of the maximum bass level coming out of the AGC and Multiband filters, and assume that 100% is this maximum level (short bass spikes in Multiband are ignored in this calculation).

    • Maximum bass peak level
      Determines the maximum bass output level.

    • Preserve louder peaks if needed to preserve bass volume
      Stops the bass level from being reduced if the input bass level is louder than the configured Maximum bass peak level.

      If the bass that comes in is louder than the level set in Maximum bass peak level, the louder peaks are preserved if this is enabled.


    Bass Exciter section


    Effect panel


    • Bass Exciter

    • Difference

    • Hear

    • Effect strength

    • Swap channels

    • Quality

    • Generate bass above

    • Slope up to

    Speech detection panel


    • Reduce Bass Exciter for speech by

    Advanced settings panel


    2nd Harmonic panel


    • Volume

    • Up to

    • Effect strength

    • Above

    • Stop at

    • Phase shift

    3rd Harmonic panel



    Bass Clipper section

    Clips the bass before the final clipper.

    The purpose is threefold: Protect the final clipper against excessive bass, control the bass tightly so it's constant in level, and generate a small amount of harmonics to make the bass more audible on small speakers.

    Settings panel


    General panel

    Main Bass Clipper settings.

    • Bass clipper
      Enables the Bass Clipper.

    Place in chain panel

    Sets the place in the processing chain.

    • Location
      Sets the place in the processing chain.

    Clipper type panel


    Lowpass input panel


    Lowpass output panel


    Levels panel


    More bass clipper settings panel


    Unwanted harmonics settings panel


    Harmonics levels panel


    Frequency response panel


    • Input lowpass frequency
      The Bass Clipper works on input audio below this frequency.

    • Input lowpass slope
      The steepness of the Input lowpass frequency.

    • Output lowpass frequency
      The output of the bass clipper is removed above this frequency.

      Note that if no clipping occurs, the result of both filters (input and output lowpass) is nothing.

    • Output lowpass slope
      The steepness of the output lowpass filter.

    Stage 1 panel

    Bass Clipper audio configuration settings.

    • Shape
      The bass clipping flavor.

      Bass clipping can be done in hard, soft or ultrasoft mode. The mode determines the amount and type of harmonics that are generated.

      See also Overshoot softness.

    • Overshoot softness
      The amount of overshoots that loud bass may create.

      More overshoots make the bass louder (at the same Threshold level), and reduces the amount of harmonics that are generated.

      See also Shape.

    • Create flat top areas instead of valleys
      Makes the bass shape flatter.

      Filtering after bass clipping tends to cause a "valley" in the waveform. This reduces the strength of the bass, and increases harmonics. This setting attempts to remove such valleys.

    • Drive
      Boosts the audio level before the bass clipper.

      This slider can be handy to quickly add some more bass, but it should actually never be needed...

    • Threshold
      The threshold for the bass clipper.

      If a bass sound waveform peaks above this level, it is clipped (see also Overshoot softness).

    • Asymptotic mode deform factor (strictness)

    Stage 2 - overshoot protection panel


    • Post clipper

    • Post clipper (relative)

    • Perform post clipping after harmonics filter

    Harmonics filtering panel


    • Cleanup unwanted harmonics

    • Configurable levels

    • Apply offset on all these values

    • Bypass artifact cleanup filter (debugging)

    Harmonics maximum levels panel


    • Maximum level x3

    • Maximum level x5

    • Maximum level x7

    • Maximum level x9

    • Maximum level x11

    • Maximum level x13

    • Maximum level x15

    • Maximum level x17

    • Maximum level x19