Equalizer APO - Stereo Surround Upmixer

[Fx7]

@Ferather
As far as I have seen and experienced, when the apo driver you use is hacked, full control cannot be achieved through the windows interface. (I think because it is not patched.) You have developed your own methods. You are constantly using register scripts and various on-off tricks. I guess he probably doesn't want to go down this road. For example, that's why I'm using his old patched driver. People tend towards the practical. (Maybe I misunderstood everything. if so, don't mind me.)

 

[Ferather]

Its up to you what you want to do, the registry tricks are for non-Realtek devices (other than turning Interactive on-off), normally the data would be included in the driver .inf.
Instead of writing drivers for various devices such as AMD, Nvidia and so on, I found it easier to simply add-replace the data, as if installed with the driver.

In terms of a Realtek device, you simply install the driver and off you go, nothing special to do, or going on.

Alt package: Some people might also need, or prefer, a different Realtek driver package (perhaps because of OEM), but want to add Ultra and-or Interactive.

 

[Hoak]

Has HRTF convolution filtering and HRIR been implemented in Equalizer APO, or by some other FOSS project to work with Eq APO? There was a thread discussion about this here some years ago, but I haven't followed the progress since:

Equalizer APO / Discussion / General Discussion: binaural HRTF and HRIR processing

sourceforge.net

Upmix has been possible for some time, but this is not the nice binaural experience you can get with good HRTF convolution filtering and custom models. I know it's been possible to do this with commercial VST plugins with Equalizer APO, but as everyone's ear shape and spacing are unique, the tweak-ability of open source models is much more compelling.

Edit: Just found this which makes it sound like HRTF and HRIR are now implemented in Equalizer APO (?):

HeSuVi

Download HeSuVi for free. Headphone Surround Virtualizations for Equalizer APO. This tool imitates the 7.1 to binaural sound effect of many surround virtualizations by making use of Equalizer APO's convolution filter. Available are impulse response that were recorded with activated...

sourceforge.net

 

[Ferather]

Yes, although for me it's not very good, and generates noise. I provided some VFX (convolution) files with the package (from HeSuVi), however you might be better off using HeSuVi directly.

You can TRY this Sound Unbound package, technically it shouldn't need a driver to work, but I have not tried it that way, make sure you disable MS store auto updates.
If the app is auto updated, the included license will be deleted, or essentially not take effect, other alternatives I suggest are Access or Boom 3D.

 

[Ferather]

Updated version (See post 1, and so on for instructions): https://www.mediafire.com/file/5g99v2g4fvkd10d/E-APO_Stereo_Upmixer_v4.0.0.7z



Analogue: Speakers, Headphones | Digital: SPDIF, HDMI | You can balance the outputs. Adjust any setting to suit.

Note: Transfer the files, not the folder (delete any old ones if needed first).

 

[Ferather]

Radio Sample (SFX Upmix)(1)

MediaFire is a simple to use free service that lets you put all your photos, documents, music, and video in a single place so you can access them anywhere and share them everywhere.

www.mediafire.com

Radio Sample (SFX Upmix)(2)

MediaFire is a simple to use free service that lets you put all your photos, documents, music, and video in a single place so you can access them anywhere and share them everywhere.

www.mediafire.com

This excludes any MFX and EFX enhancements (recorded after SFX).

====

Some devices might need to be disabled first, changes made, then re-enabled.



It's a rare bug, more notable on HDMI, but stops the issue.

 

[grifers]

Hello again @Ferather. I'm the guy who opened this thread, I'm back at it:

Need help with SPDIF sound in my new motherboard | TechPowerUp Forums

I installed Equaliser APO and now if it works, it makes me upmixing in the SPDIF output ..... But there is a problem, it makes me the same sound in the rear speakers that in the 2 front speakers, is not supposed that in the rear speakers should be heard the voice of the singer in "echo" and sounds of some instruments?, is that I remember that with Dolby Pro Logic was like that, it was a very successful virtual 5.1.What the equaliser APO does in my case is that you can hear in the rear speakers the same as in the front ones, like a 2.1.

I don't know if this is normal or if I have to configure something. I have it like this:



I hope you understand what I said XD. Basically it is that, that in the rear speakers of my home cinema you hear the same as in the front speakers, and I remember that Dolby Pro Logic did make me a more realistic virtual 5.1, hearing in the rear speakers the echoes of the singer and some instruments of the song. In the front speakers and the center speaker you could hear the singer's voice and the instruments.

I was these weeks with the VLC that also makes me Upmixing as we spoke, and although this one makes it more realistic in that sense that the APO equaliser, the sound of the Subwoofer lost much force with the upmixing that makes me the application of VLC, for that reason I tried to test now with the APO equaliser.

Best regards and thanks!

 

[Ferather]

I understand, you can add delay and filtering to specific channels if you wish. You will need to tinker so it sounds as close as possible if you have a reference.
You can either add to the upmixer directly, or add a new 'Include' to it, which create another .txt file, and you can use this for your modifications.




Edit: Personally I like clone and front spatial, so the sound is original but spatially enhanced.

Edit 2: If you are going to add-make your own file, keep it inside 'endif'.

 

[grifers]

I understand, you can add delay and filtering to specific channels if you wish. You will need to tinker so it sounds as close as possible if you have a reference.
You can either add to the upmixer directly, or add a new 'Include' to it, which create another .txt file, and you can use this for your modifications.

Edit: Personally I like clone and front spatial, so the sound is original but spatially enhanced.

Edit 2: If you are going to add-make your own file, keep it inside 'endif'.

Thanks for your answer. But it's hard for me to understand the steps , I don't know much about this program. I "activated" the upmixer and now I get it like this:



The next step would be what? I have to "touch" what is in yellow?And what is in green color I have to "touch" something (where it says 0.5



This part is hard for me to understand:

Edit: Personally I like clone and front spatial, so the sound is original but spatially enhanced.

What are these, profiles that have the APO equaliser application? I just want the rear speakers not to hear the singer's vocals. Thanks for your patience. It is that between that I find it difficult to understand the application and that my English language is very fair.....

 

[Ferather]

I can only give you instructions in English, so I can only reiterate what I have already said. Sorry. Hopefully these screenshots will help you more:





I made up the last image, you might need a VST or other features to get it to sound like Pro Logic.

 

[grifers]

I can only give you instructions in English, so I can only reiterate what I have already said. Sorry. Hopefully these screenshots will help you more:


I made up the last image, you might need a VST or other features to get it to sound like Pro Logic.

oh god, you will not believe it but it turns out that my Home Cinema model has the native way to transform the sound from 2 channels to 5.1, and the truth is that it does it wonderfully, in fact it also uses Pro-Logic 2 among other presets. It turns out that I always thought that it only worked if the sound came from analog signal (jack), but it turns out that it also does it with the digital signal (spdif). This is my Home Cinema model:

Specs Sony Stylish DVD home cinema system 5.1 channels 1200 W Home Cinema Systems (DAV-DZ830W) (icecat.biz)



I am using the preset with the red arrow, the Prologic 2 "music and film" presets also sound great, but the subwoofer power is a little low. With the preset with the green arrow you get a great spatial sound and the subwoofer sounds as loud as if I listen to it at 2.1:



The truth is that it's great this way, so I don't depend on external drivers, it's done by the device itself. Also when I watch movies with PowerDVD, I have configured the sound to go through passthrough, so if the source (movie) has DTS or Dolby Digital, the device immediately recognizes it and it appears on the screen of the device:



This is how it stays, it sounds great, very happy with this device Thank you very much for all the times you helped me, I'm sorry for bothering me when it turns out that the solution was in the device itself. Best regards and thank you very much!

 

[Ferather]

Much easier, no problem.

 

[devildothack]

First of all, THANK YOU, THANK YOU THANK YOU!! Just awesome work truly!

I got introduced to modded drivers using the awesome AlanFinotty's AAFDCHDriverMod since my native realtek drivers don't have DDS/DTS however for the life of me, I could only get DTS interactive to work (using optical SPDIF to 5.1.2 system Onkyo RZ830) but not PCM 2.0.

Anyways, I came up to your drivers, install it and DTS interactive works perfectly but still with the PCM 2.0 not working (not all my emulators properly output 5.1 so I have to use 2.0 and upmix it on the AVR using DTS Neural:X). Now using Equalizer APO plus your config settings..2.0 content sounds louder (plus the DTS Neural:X within the AVR is pretty good at creating extra effects for that front height speakers). Anyways, just wanted to say thank you for awesome work!!

By the way, you got any patreon or anything similar? I would like to donate just as a thanks for the work you put on this. Thanks!

 

[Ferather]

I don't accept donates for the DTS package, I'd rather see DTS get the money since they make the technology not me.
I don't feel like the E-APO guide alone is worth your money, it only took a few minutes to make.

P.S. there is a way to switch to 2 channel PCM, but you have to disable Interactive first.
If you like I can explain how to switch between the two outputs.

 

[devildothack]

I don't accept donates for the DTS package, I'd rather see DTS get the money since they make the technology not me.
I don't feel like the E-APO guide alone is worth your money, it only took a few minutes to make.

P.S. there is a way to switch to 2 channel PCM, but you have to disable Interactive first.
If you like I can explain how to switch between the two outputs.

Got it, I went ahead and purchased DTS Headphone:X. You are right, I always love DTS stuff, glad to support them.

Yeah, that would be highly appreciated if you make the guide. In truth, around 90% of the time, I'll be using the DTS Interactive format since a lot of the content I play does support the 5.1 nicely. However, for those that do not..I plan to use PCM 2.0 as an alternative. Thanks.

 

[Ferather]

Indeed buy a full Sound Unbound license and allow DTS to continue their work (some bugs here and there with the Ultra app), good choice.

1. Regedit, location: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\DTS\APO - Change 'DTSEnableInteractive' to 0.
This a global, off for every device that has Interactive programmed on it, then select a stereo format.



2. DTS Settings, FX Config (in the package) for the GUID, and set a single device to stereo (edit the .reg files).
Video here (although a little old), this is device specific, not globally, I suggest this method.




To get 'External Speakers' with Ultra and SPDIF, you need this pack.

 

[devildothack]

Indeed buy a full Sound Unbound license and allow DTS to continue their work (some bugs here and there with the Ultra app), good choice.

1. Regedit, location: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\DTS\APO - Change 'DTSEnableInteractive' to 0.
This a global, off for every device that has Interactive programmed on it, then select a stereo format.

View attachment 232060

2. DTS Settings, FX Config (in the package) for the GUID, and set a single device to stereo (edit the .reg files).
Video here (although a little old), this is device specific, not globally, I suggest this method.

View attachment 232061
View attachment 232062

To get 'External Speakers' with Ultra and SPDIF, you need this pack.

Just perfect! Thank you!

Heck, the change is immediate. I don't even have to restart computer. I created a simple two reg files, one to enable it and one to disable it on the fly. Thanks again for all your help!

 

[Ferather]

Its a flexible package with some knowledge, no problem. Edit: To keep E-APO, you need to edit a line in the .reg file again (sorry I forgot).

"{d04e05a6-594b-4fb6-a80d-01af5eed7d1d},5"="{EACD2258-FCAC-4FF4-B36D-419E924A6D79}"

You replace the minus (-) with the E-APO key.

 

[itsalic]

Thanks for all the wisdom you've been sharing with everyone Ferather. As you mentioned earlier (at least for me) youtube, and even spotify amongst others things wil use a 6 channel output, but with only sound coming from the front F & R speakers. After trying inputChannelCount == 6 it does fill all.

Do you know if its possible within Equalizer APO's scripting, to do an

If: RL volume/gain < 1db or RR volume/gain < 1db
then your plugin, else don't (keep the 6 channels).

If that would be possible then it could switch on the fly, and I would be a very happy man

In the meantime I will have a look at the APO docs and see if I can get familiar with the syntax to potentially modify it myself.

Edit: I had a go, it can't evaluate R > RR or RR < 1 (an arbitrary number) as it logs Can't evaluate function/operator "<". It says < is a supported operator in the docs, it must not work with channels like I tried with (maybe they need evaluating first?)

 

[Ferather]

I had the same idea as you in the past, but volume dB is not a programmable constant.

 

[itsalic]

Ah I see, you cant even compare channel volumes to each other?

Its surprising anyway, as a simple gate, e.g. a noise gate, would have to compare the volume of the audio signal to some profile. It must be possible, but maybe via a more sophisticated VSTplugin.

 

[Ferather]

It might be possible with a VST, I am not sure.

 

[itsalic]

If you would like an update. I have spent quite some time over the last few days writing a VST plugin for this (which works in Equalizer APO).

Works perfectly, so now if I play stereo content, it plays on all speakers and the Subwoofer (high and a low passes), and seamlessly if you play a surround signal, it won't activate itself and the surround signal will play natively. I have only written it for 5.1 surround sound, but it can be tweaked to do 7.1.

I don't steal your thread Ferather, but if anyone wants it let me know I'd be happy to share (I can't believe no one has created a solution before me!)

 

[Ferather]

Feel free to post it here if you want, I have no issues with that. Very nice to hear you wrote it your self.

 

[itsalic]

Just made a little writeup. There's a download button with a zip with the VST plugin .dll in, which is all you need.

GitHub - itsalic/StereoToSurroundUpmixer: Adaptive Stereo to 5.1 Surround Upmixer

Adaptive Stereo to 5.1 Surround Upmixer. Contribute to itsalic/StereoToSurroundUpmixer development by creating an account on GitHub.

github.com