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Hello all. First of all, let me say this is some great program! I never used any audio enchancers I just tried it out cuz I found it on 1 site and was interested by description so I downloaded and tested it with some music I have and WHAM! I actually sounded better even though I can’t really tell the difference between "good" and "bad" sound (unless it’s really bad and distorted). So I can say this program works wonders.
Only problem I have is with some presets’ discription (or lack of them). Just let me explain what I (don’t) understand from current discriptions:
Reference Classical – best to use with classical music
Reference Jazz – best to use with Jazz music
Reference Movies – best to use when watching video (Movies, cartoons, Anime etc…)
Reference Settings – can be used with anything with optimal results (default)
Reference Heavy – Same as above + increases volume on quiet parts
Reference Heavy NR – Same as above + reduses background noise and or interfierence
Easy listening – Best to use with voice only audio
French kiss – ??? (Description seems to be in french not english)
Helix – ??? (No info in description other then creator)
Magnifying glass – It says "won’t let you miss anything" not really sure how can you miss something if you using Reference heavy ince it up a volume?
Oldies – best to use with old records (whatever they are) I mean you can’t play vinyl discs on pc can you?
Perfect blend – ??? (what does "tail latte" means?)
Radio Magic – best to use when listening to online radio or recorded radio program
The regulator – Best to use with Rap or Hip-hop music
Zenith – ??? (Description not really informative ) I mean not sure what to use it with for best results.Correct me if I misunderstood anything and could you please give more detailed descriptions in this thread and (if possible) in next version?
Since I don’t really understand this sound stuff (bass and stuff) I tend to stand clear of additional controls, using only presets.
Those graphs look cool though.
Sorry for my bad english, I’m from Russia.
Maniak2000, the descriptions don’t say as much as what you discover from trying them, and there should be a manual with the program, a nice PDF or web file that explains some details and a few of the pitfalls and advanced settings and features that aren’t immediately apparent to everyone.
Yes, there are USB turntables, and with a pre-amp and a nice sound card with line-in, you can listen to oldie records, or even the same on CD. My father recorded most of the record collection to digital files for my mother, and the Oldies preset would be useful.
I wouldn’t know how to describe Helix. It used to have a certain sound now it’s different.
Zenith – brand name of American TV maker, maybe it’s good for watching TV on your computer?
“tall latte” would be a big glass of milk, but I think in this case is caffè latte (coffee and milk). To me it has a warm sound; a compromise between the Magnifying Glass and the Jazz preset — it has more bands than Jazz, but a better balance between bands than Magnifying Glass.
There are many places on the forum here where details are mentioned that are found nowhere in documentation. It would be great if they were gathered and translated into the various languages for people to read and understand more about how to get much better sound from their PC.
Hi Maniak!
No need to apologize — your english is MUCH better than my russian!
The problem with Preset Descriptions is that they are a very subjective thing. It’s all about what sound you like — not really about what music you play.
For example, "The Regulator" preset, I originally designed it for use with Hip Hop / Rap / RnB music.. But, I know of at least one *major* radio station, using it for their web stream, and they play oldies! Music from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s.. And it sounds great! I was extremely surprised when they told me they’re using The Regulator.
It’s not true that you need to change presets when you change the music you’re playing — quiet the opposite! Pick a sound you like, and then forget about Breakaway — just leave it running. This way, you will get consistent audio no matter what you play.
It’s true that there should be better descriptions for presets though. I’ll work on it.
A few clarifications:
*All* presets increase volume on quiet parts.. This is a large part of what Breakaway does. However, you can adjust how each preset does it, by using the Speed / Range / Power controls.
The French Kiss description is a bit of a joke — you’re right, I will write a better description. This preset is designed to audibly "pump", and makes any dance music sound like it was made by Daft Punk. Some people like this sound — it’s very punchy.
Magnifying Glass has very strong normalization, it brings up quiet sounds more than even Reference Heavy.
Perfect Blend is maybe half way between Ref Heavy and Ref Settings, but has slightly less treble, for a very smooth sound.
Radio Magic is not best for listening to online radio — rather, it makes any music you play sound like you’re listening to FM radio. It’s a very compressed, dense sound — definitely not HiFi, but some people love it!
Really, the only answer is, listen to the sound with your favourite music, and pick the one you like best. The description really doesn’t matter — I mean, how can you describe sound in words? 🙂
The controls, Speed / Range / Power, actually have good descriptions in the Tooltips. Just point at them with your mouse, without clicking, you will see the description appear. Don’t be afraid of the controls! Adjust them, hear how they affect the audio. If you make a large adjustment you will hear easily what each control does, and then you can fine tune more easily.e
Thank you very much for your comments — you have given me a lot to think about! I am always thinking about how to make Breakaway more user friendly, and you raise important questions.
Best regards,
///LeifIt’s true, at first you might hop around a bit trying each preset, but eventually you may settle on one that you like. Now I only rarely change the presets, and that’s only when the source sound changes drastically and no longer sounds quite right.
The biggest benefit I get from it is now being able to hear DJ’s (with poor mic technique) talk between songs where as before the music would be cranked then the speech between songs would be 12 db down and if I was at all interested in what was being said, I would twist the knob and back again when the music started.
It is not easy to go back once hearing sound processed in Breakaway.
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