michi95

@ Nick

You have to be very careful especially with the Volume and the Harmonic Treble sliders !
The settings I use are based on a wide variety of different sources.
If you use higher values for Harmonic Treble you will run into trouble with some modern tracks ( ➡ e.g. results to very harsh hihat sounds).
If you use higher values for Volume (this is the AGC !) the only benefit would be pumping, but not higher loudness.
So if you really need higher loudness (for your portable player) you should use a good limiter post Enhancer instead.
For example this freeware VST plugin:
http://www.kvraudio.com/db/classic_mast … rhus_audio
http://audiosoftplanet.com/kjaerhus-aud … lugins.htm

So my settings for Enhancer give you the best loudness and spectral balance for all kind of sources.
Especially the Volume (aka AGC) max setting I use is based on many detailed listening tests to preserve as much dynamic range as possible.
Try tracks like "Don McLean – American Pie" (the original album version) or similiar music like the Cohen stuff.
Compare it with BA Live, Volume Logic, Stereo Tool, etc.:
Intros tend to be too loud (relative to the main parts).
Ok, in Breakaway you can adjust (reduce) the range setting, but this lowers the loudness too – so you finally end up with almost the same dynamic range.

So lets hope that the day of Breakaway V1 release will arrive soon, to get access to Jesse`s Passive Aggressor preset that should solve this problem.

[quote author=”JesseG”]But I still wanna hear your perfect AGC.[/quote]
[quote author=”michi95″]A) You will like it a lot.
or
B) You will LYAO ![/quote]I have warned you !
[attachment=1:2yliwayw]Active Defender.jpg[/attachment:2yliwayw]
[attachment=0:2yliwayw]Active Defender SA.zip[/attachment:2yliwayw]

Download page for Enhancer (free Winamp DSP plugin):
http://www.i-adrian.home.ro/enhancer.htm

http://www.google.de/search?tbm=isch&hl … 20l6-1l1l0

The purple colored rack is the VST version (but this is also a pure DX chainer !).
The Winamp DSP and the DX version have grey colored racks.
You can cascade multiple DX or/and VST instances of the VB FFX-4 rack if you need more than 4 plugins !

If you want to chain VST plugins (and do not own one of the commercial VST to DX wrappers) you have to use the free Acon Effect Chainer (you can chain as many plugins as you want and even combinations of VST and DX plugins):

[quote author=”knigget”]How can I use Waves plugins (specifically MaxxBass) without installing the entire program?[/quote]What program ?

Afaik (older) Waves packs support VST and DirectX.
For VST it uses its own shell structure that might be incompatible with some hosts.

The simplest (less complicated) method would be to install the free VB FFX-4 DX chainer (the Winamp DSP version).
http://vb-audio.pagesperso-orange.fr/us … dxrack.htm
➡
Load the VB FFX-4 DSP as effect-plugin with Breakaway Live.
➡
And then load MaxBass (DX plugin) with the VB FFX-4 rack.

The first question is:

Do you need audio processing to enhance objectively the audio quality of the music by reducing the loudness and spectral differences or do you use processing to subjectively compensate the limitations of your listening gear and environment.

IMO the only way to listen with activated processing of Breakaway Live/Enhancer or Volume Logic is to use a post EQ to reduce the artificial high frequency energy.
Play some masters like "Pink – Family Portrait" or "Avril Lavigne – I`m With You" or similar stuff via HQ headphones without any post EQ – it`s horrible with every preset (even worse than the unprocessed master ).

There is only one exception:
Ironically Volume Logic`s Acoustic preset (with default settings) is very close to the frequency balance of modern CD masters and even let the Pink and Avril Lavigne songs pass almost without additional damage.
But all other Volume Logic presets (except General – same as Acoustic but with extra bass punch) are of course and noticeable worse than most Breakaway Live presets.

Focusing Breakaway Live, I think that Zenith OB has the best frequency balance (a little bit less artificial highs than Reference Settings), but I would definetly prefer (if I had no other processing alternative) Volume Logic`s Acoustic preset.

Second question:

If you want to do batch processing, what is your file destination ?
I guess most people "needs" Volume Logic, because they want to process their music for a portable playback device using a lossy data compression codec (mp3, aac, etc.).

The problem:
Volume Logic`s output is peak limited approx. @ -0.2 dB.
So it is save to write WAV files.
But using an alternative disk writer output plugin for lossy codecs (mp3, aac, etc.) introduces clipping to the resulting files.

So if you really want to use Volume Logic than I highly recommend, that you use two steps batch processing
(if you use LAME.exe it is not necessary, because you can use the command line scale switch as an alternative):

1. Using Volume Logic (Acoustic preset with default settings !) to write WAV files.

2. Convert the WAV files to your lossy destination by applying a suitable gain reduction (this differs dependant of the codec and the data compression settings you use).
IMO this method is easier and audible superior than to apply the emphasize/de-emphasize trick (there was a topic where Leif wrote about this emphasize/de-emphasize method).

If you think that the spectral balance for most titles of your music collection is ok and the most important problem is the difference in loudness then you need a good working AGC !
If you want I can post a preset for another vintage processing plugin that mimics Volume Logic`s Acoustic preset.
This is a Winamp DSP freeware plugin !
But I hesitate to post further information here, because this a product forum for Breakaway products.
Though IMO this information would not do any harm, because it does not interfere with the professional broadcast purpose of BBP (advanced clipper technology) or BA Live.
And since there is actually no batch processing product in the Breakaway portfolio IMO that’s quite another cup of tea.
But I wait for Jesse`s reply (maybe he can ask Leif) if I can post those information here !?

[quote author=”DjSmoothOrl”]Bump.

Replacement for Volume Logic still needed.[/quote] 😆
If Volume Logic`s processing quality is good enough for your ears then you have dozen alternative Winamp DSP and VST plugins to do batch processing (even many freeware solutions with superior audio quality).

Even if Breakaway (Live) would have a batch option the main reason to use it would be its unique simplicity and elegance of the GUI relative to its good sound quality.

But you can create VST plugin chaines (even completely based on freeware plugins) or other DSP stereo tools to have similar or superior processing quality.

➡
Stop waiting (for something that won`t happen).

[quote author=”j0han”]is there ANY way whatsoever that i could run the FLOORFISH.dll plugin in BreakAwayLive?[/quote]
[quote author=”JesseG”]Sure, with a VST to Winamp loader plugin. There’s a dozen some ways to load VSTs into Winamp.[/quote] 🙄
Dozen ?
But not even one link for such a wrapper !?

@ j0han
➡
http://www.savioursofsoul.de/Christian/programs/winamp/
Personally, I would prefer to use version 1.0 (because it is the only version that pops up automatically) !

If you want to use more than one VST plugin you can use the free Acon EffectChainer
➡
http://www.kvraudio.com/db/effectchaine … ital_media
http://www.acondigital.com/us_Downloads.html

If you own the commercial Cakewalk VST Adapter (VST to DX Wrapper) or in combination with the Acon EffectChainer you can use the free VB FFX-4 DX Rack Winamp DSP version
➡
http://vb-audio.pagesperso-orange.fr/us … dxrack.htm