Important : see Vista Users ... prepare yourselves ...

Are you sure you read it before trying XXHighEnd's new feature : Processor Core Appointment ?
Please do. There are warnings, and an instruction on how to get it to work (if possible at all).

Anyway, expectatations on changes of Sound Quality : high.
Btw, Vista/Engine#3 only ...

What it comes to is that nothing (processes) in your PC should be able to influence Sound Quality. But it works a tad (or three) further deep down than only that. I can, but won't explain; the only thing you need to know is that your Q1 slider might have other best settings than before now (I'll keep mine at -4 /w Invert for the time being; it's WOW enough for the upcoming week. ).

Oh, to be honest : not *all* processes can be drawn away from the core XXEngine#3 runs in. That would need some Registry hacks I'll keep for some later time (and if preferrable at all).


Especially for Edward (who sure deserves some credits for inspiration), the only thread currently not appointed to "the other" core is the thread that loads the track. That thread has Lowest Priority though and at least does not influence Gapless playback (if all is right).


Issue : The "Engine #3 did not start within the expected time" message is now preceeded with an "End of track" message; when that message is pressed away within 60 seconds ... I don't know what happens; if all is right the last track is repeated. (It takes ages to debug this, since it so rarely occurs)

All,

Edit : This topic is a sticky and it is often referred to. This is always about the subject starting under Third thing below. So skip to there please.


In a few hours time (or earlier ) I will upload a 0.9m version;
In order for Vista users to be able to start right away with this and find out about the Sound Quality changes, you should prepare a few things.

First thing :
It might not work on your system.
It works for Engine#3 only;
Whether it works for Hyperthreading processors ... it's up to you. I cannot test this. It should work for a Core2Duo (E6x00) because I tested it on that.
If your hyperthreading processor is told to act as one core ... forget it (but this is a user setting; did you ever set it to act like one core, and you did it the way it should be done (at the "HAL" (Hardware Abstraction) Level), you can only go back by a fresh install of the OS (okay, there are other ways, but forget about them, unless you *know* them).

Second thing :
If you tick the checkbox as shown in XXCPU01 below, your PC will be changed into an Audio Dedicated Machine. I am listening to such a device right now, and I can tell you ... chicken skin. Brrrrr.
A small downside : Your PC will get back in normal state only after a reboot. Please make good notcie of this.
I could restore things myself, but only after more work, and it will be difficult to make that waterproof. Also, you might find other downsides why all doesn't work and has to be eliminated again. So I'll awaiten that first anyway.

Third thing :
In order to let things work there's an unavoideable prerequisite : you must operate XXHighEnd "As Administrator". But also, you must operate Explorer like that. That is, when you drag files from Explorer onto the Playlist Area of XXHighEnd you must. Otherwise you can't drop files (because of uneven security (of the both programs) as how it is arranged in Vista.
Now, there are two main methods on how to arrange for that permanently (in all cases you must have Administrator Rights ! (which everybody usually has)) :

• DISable UAC (User Account Control);
  
  Look at XXCPU03 below. Choose the appointed option.
  Now look at XXCPU04. The checkbox there is ticked by default. Untick it.
  Note : This avoids the ever asking questions "Are your sure ?", "Really ?", "Really sure ?" and all the nonsense.
  
  In fact now you're done. BUT :
  There is a major downside to this way of working. This is about when you Install things, they might not install as intended. You will by then have forgotton about this, and won't be able to proceed the whatever it is you wanted to do.
  So use this option only if you don't forget about this ...
  
  W7 users : When the UAC settings are changed, no messages is displayed that the system must be rebooted in order to let the changes come through;
  When the reboot is not performed, the changes work only half, and e.g. starting XXHighEnd by means of Alt-X (AutoHotkey) will not let start XXHighEnd "As Administrator" and messages accordingly will follow from XXHighEnd.
  
  
• Appoint both XXHighEnd and Explorer for Run As Administrator;
  
  Look at XXCPU05 below. In the left bottom corner you see my XX Icon (you might have it on the Desktop). Rightclick on it, and choose Properties.
  Choose Advanced and the righthand screen pops up.
  In there, tick the checkbox as indicated.
  
  Now do the same for Explorer;
  Look at XXCPU06. In the left bottom corner you see Explorer's shortcut icon. If you don't have one yet, make one (can be on the Desktop just the same).
  
  Here too there's a downside : Each time you start XXHighEnd / Explorer there's one "Are you sure" question again.

Btw, note that you also could start the programs each time with rightclick on the shortcut icon and then choose "Run As Administrator" from the context menu ...

Are we getting too technical afterall ? maybe. But I think it is for a good cause. Try it.

Peter

Additionally ... Q1 settings generally vary per DAC. So from what you have currently you can learn nothing. Also, I have the hunch that an SPDIF connection allows better "to get more from the DAC". I can't be sure though. It would count for my TwinDAC+ though.

Jon,

The only problem I could see is that you did not find your best setting yet, and all sounds lousy ...
May be not the best for a show (which is not about XXHighEnd but about speakers I guess ...  )

You know, audio ...

Peter

Hi Jon. Most probably you have a driver issue. Sound hangs with Engine#3

Please come back on me if you can't get it away.

Peter


PS:

Better not start adjusting per track. You'll get crazy.

IMO we must try to hear what's good in one setting, in order to hear what's wrong with the other (or the other way around).
E.g. if you hear cracking like from vinyl, *or* it's always there but often you don't hear it (and the setting would be WRONG), *or* you hear the cracking of vinyl in that setting, hence it's really there and the setting unveils it (that would be GOOD) ...

So if the latter is theoretically supposed to be good, what can be wrong with the other setting you actually like better (but dont hear the details) ?

It's just an example ! (which does not apply to your situation Dave, it only looks like it).

Ah, so you're using Analogue Out ...

I don't think I have ever seen that working ...
I must honestly say I never dove into it, but it looks like that using Analgue Out of a soundcard just will not allow Exclusive Mode.
If you'd have a DAC to put behind it ... (spdif)

The next problem you (we all) have, is that the combobox (where yours shows 24/192000) does not allow for 16/44100 (or does it ?). I mean, what would be output from the program is 16/44100 (or 16/88200 at Double/Uprate), and since Vista *ALWAYS* resamples to the selection in that combobox, the program tells you that the samplerate is not supported ... (because it isn't). Note : "always" is except for Exclusive Mode.

All would leave you with Engine#1 or #2, and the only thing you'd get from that is ... resampling. Not worth a thing ... bad sound.

Did you tick the two checkboxes as shown ?

If yes, did you get the latest (signed) drivers for Vista ?
Does your device show (left screen below) as your sound device properly (opposed to "loudspeakers") ?

Lastly, did you make your device the Primary Device (as per green tick in the left screen below) ?

Peter

Hi Gerard,

It depends ...
Many recordings have been recorded with the wrong absolut phase. But also, many individual microphones etc. are connected with the wrong polarity. This can imply that the whole track is okay, and only the singer is wrong. etc. etc. etc.

If you don't hear the difference, this is because you did not learn how to hear it. Generally things which blow start to suck or things which need to suck now blow when wrongly recorded. A voice does both, but a drum just as well. It will be in the attack and decay where things are audible (but upside down windblowing also is strange). Note that IMO it is not so that physically the suck/blow thing happens (it would require the track to play in reverse order), but what happens is similar; where you speaker oughts to push, now it draws. So it happens at the micro level.

I, so far, never checked the Invert, just because I don't like to be bothered by switching the thing each 5 minutes (and back because things got worse). However ...

As it occurs to me acoustical phase can change per jitter influence. Thus, the Q1 at -4 might require Inverted Phase in order to be normal again.
Note this is not proven (let alone science), but it just seems to be so that in certain areas of the Q1 value, Inverted Phase is better.

That we can be fooled by "different" dynamics is another thing. A blow which sounds like a suck will be less dynamic. So, things that originally suck are going to blow now, would give more dynamics. Generally you could perceive it better, but it would be fooling.

Ok. Sucked enough for now.

Edward,

Do you mean with Invert the SQ has changed ? that's possible.
Without Invert ... impossible.

Or ?

Solved ...

http://www.phasure.com/index.php?topic=204.0

Nothing else changed ...

What are you going to do about that ?

Nothing much. But the truth is that with Inverted I already lowered the output in that area (which would be DSPing  ) and it doesn't help so far.

But by now I collected a few CRACKling tracks myself. Now how to deal with them ...

Ok, I'm working on that now. But Johan,

At last I tried your PMd Truffazz track ... But there's a warning here;
With or without Invert it cracks. BUT, this track is clipped at many places (several per second). Maybe the cracks are a tad louder with Invert, but that might be because of the inverted phase itself (it might express better the "dynamics" of a crack, hehe).

I don't say the problem is not there, but be careful with what you actually listen to.
It can well be that clipped data (which is just about the volume reaching the digital max) is audible with today's "quality", whereas before this just was merged in the fuzzyness (?).

Peter

Ok, all clear now. I will implement those features. Something to fill the Settings tab.
(and now you understand my question about wanting to appoint XXEngine3 separately from the parent process).
If you have anything else for good ideas ... let them come.



Yes of course. I did not realize that.

On the crackles on Invert ... sadly, no. But it is the first thing on the agenda.

Thanks for everything,
Peter