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Hi guys!
If any of you happen to have an small FM transmitter you want to use with Breakaway Audio Enhancer, I have now written a guide to help calibrating it for the best possible sound.
Please note, I’m talking about the $29.95 standard consumer version — not the Broadcast version!
http://www.claessonedwards.com/index.ph … icle&id=84
You can get MUCH better sound from small FM transmitters by running Breakaway properly calibrated, so if you’re serious about audio, it’s worth doing.
Please make sure to use the very latest BAE beta which you can download here.
I’ll be happy to answer any questions of course.
Best,
///LeifI added the 400hz test tone, which I realized was necessary while writing the calibration instructions 🙂.
///Leif
Hi Leif,
Thanks a million for including the FM Mode in the BAE version, the calibration guide and tool. You’re awesome!
A couple of questions for you:
1. I was using the calibration tool, and when doing the Sweep Tone portion I have a convex area right off the bat. Do you have a recommendation to resolve that? (it wasn’t covered in your tutorial)
2. I have a small EDM FM transmitter, should I use the Plutonium preset, or the Reference Heavy preset like you show in the tutorial?
3. Is there an option I can set so that Breakaway will not to run at startup? (I only need it if I’m running my FM transmitter)
Thanks!
KevinYes — that’s what the MF EQ is for!
Indeed I should cover that.
Start by setting MF EQ Width to around 0.25 oct
If the shape is convex () then set MF EQ gain to -10dB or so.
If the shape is concave )( then set MF EQ gain to +10dB or so.This makes the EQ very visible.
Then, adjust MF EQ Freq until the peak (or dip) ends up in the middle of the peak or dip. (There’s a typo in the program — it says MF Freq. I’ll fix this in a later version.)
Finally, adjust the gain to a more reasonable value (probably closer to the middle of the slider), and increase MF EQ Width until you find the value that makes the response the flattest. You probably need to fine-tune both, to get closer and closer to ideal flat shape.
Kevin, could you help me my following these instructions, and revising them according to your own findings, and posting them back here?
Since I do this stuff all the time, it’s very hard to write understandable instructions for someone who has never done it before, so I would really appreciate your help 🙂.
Reference Heavy is cleaner, more open, more dynamic, easier to listen to. Plutonium is big, bold, fat, and loud. It depends on your taste! I personally use Reference Settings, which is lighter than Reference Heavy.
There’s no user interface option to disable running on startup, but you can use a 3rd party tool to disable it. Please note that if you’re using Vista or Windows 7, you’ll have to manually change your default sound playback device in windows, so that it doesn’t reach a dead end when going to the Breakaway Pipeline, as that would mean no sound.
I personally like this free tool: http://codestuff.tripod.com/products_starter.html
Best regards,
///LeifHi Leif,
Thanks for the additional guidelines to help me with the convex curve. I still ended up having to fiddle around quite a bit to get it (due to my exceedingly novice level about such things), but the one thing I can add that might help with the tutorial is the importance of the MF Freq slider. The MF Freq slider radically changes the shape of the curve as you adjust it. I ended up changing the MF EQ Width and MF EQ Gain to the settings you suggested, then adjusted the MF Freq slider until the shape of my curve matched yours at the start of your tutorial (in my case, 16.0 KHz). Then I was able to follow your steps to get a nice flat shape. Thanks again.
Now I have one question and one request.
Question: If you click on the Bypass button, is the FM Mode still functioning like the Volume slider is? (I’m hoping it does)
Request: I don’t want Breakaway to change my default audio device when I run the program. I want to keep my original audio device. I would love to see a button that allows the user the option to turn that on/off. I’d still like an on/off button for running the program at startup too. Even if they were on by default, I’d love the ability to turn them off. Would save me the hassle of resetting the default audio device every time I run Breakaway.
Thanks very much!
KevinHi Kevin!
Thanks for the MF Freq suggestion.
[quote author=”kevinutz”]Question: If you click on the Bypass button, is the FM Mode still functioning like the Volume slider is? (I’m hoping it does)[/quote]
Yes! FM Mode is still active even in bypass, to prevent overmodulation and prevent distortion.
[quote author=”kevinutz”]Request: I don’t want Breakaway to change my default audio device when I run the program. I want to keep my original audio device. I would love to see a button that allows the user the option to turn that on/off. I’d still like an on/off button for running the program at startup too. Even if they were on by default, I’d love the ability to turn them off. Would save me the hassle of resetting the default audio device every time I run Breakaway.[/quote]
Easy, open the Settings and uncheck the "Manage" button. 🙂
///Leif
Hurray! Thanks very much Leif!
-KevinHi Leif,
When I right click on the meters button I do not get FM calibration. What’s up. What am I doing wrong because it’s aways my fault. 🙁 ThanksDick
I didn’t mean the meters button, I meant the meters themselves. You can also right-click on almost any button EXCEPT the meters button. 😉
///Leif
Thank you much, it’s working now.
Dick 😀
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