Home Forums Breakaway Audio Enhancer Can I regulate volume on a playlist?

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  • #844
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Recently I’ve been listening to talk radio mp3s using a playlist. I’m having a problem though in that the files are at extremely different volumes, so while I can set the volume at a comfortable level for one, the next one starts and scares me half to death. Not good when I set them to play at bedtime! I have BAE v1.20.12 running. How do I get it to normalize the volume between files, not just on one mp3?

    Thanks,
    Teresa

    #5225
    michi95
    Member

    [quote author=”whispurr”]How do I get it to normalize the volume between files, not just on one mp3?[/quote]Breakaway (working as post processing system driver) does not "know" where one mp3 file ends and another one starts.
    So it already tries to make one file (original quiet) louder and others (orginal loud) quieter to match a relative constant volume by analyzing and processing the whole incoming audio stream in one go.

    For files at extremely different volumes it can improve the volume (make the differences smaller), but cannot create a perfect result.
    Some presets are better for files at extremely different volumes than others.

    What preset and what settings (slider values) do you use ?

    #5226
    Anonymous
    Guest

    I have it on Easy Listening, Range 100, Power 52, Speed 99, Bass Normal, Bass Shape 0.

    On the Setup window I have:
    Input – Interface = KS, Audio Device = Breakaway Pipeline 1, Buf Size = 441, Buffers = 4, Rate = 44100, Channels = 2
    Output – Interface = DS, Audio = Realtek HD Audio Output, Buf Size = 480, Buffers = 4, Rate = 48000, Channels = 2
    Bypass – Realtek HD Audio Output, Manage is checked
    Common – Audio Realtime Priority is checked, Adaptive SRC is checked
    Test – Mode: Pass through

    I haven’t had this problem in the past, but I did have some problems with Breakaway a few months ago that caused me to have to re-run the configuration wizard, so perhaps a setting got changed. I’m no audio expert, so I’m pretty much relying on very basic knowledge and whatever the wizard sets up for me.

    Thanks for your help!
    Teresa

    #5227
    michi95
    Member

    [quote author=”whispurr”]I haven’t had this problem in the past[/quote]With the same talk radio mp3s (without volume jumps) ?
    Using the same settings:
    "Easy Listening, Range 100, Power 52, Speed 99, Bass Normal, Bass Shape 0" ?

    [quote author=”whispurr”]On the Setup window I have:
    Input – Interface = KS, Audio Device = Breakaway Pipeline 1, Buf Size = 441, Buffers = 4, Rate = 44100, Channels = 2
    Output – Interface = DS, Audio = Realtek HD Audio Output, Buf Size = 480, Buffers = 4, Rate = 48000, Channels = 2
    Bypass – Realtek HD Audio Output, Manage is checked
    Common – Audio Realtime Priority is checked, Adaptive SRC is checked
    Test – Mode: Pass through[/quote]These I/O configuration settings have no influence on the processing characteristic (for example volume) !
    As long as you have no clicks or pops in your audio playback your I/O configuration is ok !

    I am a Breakaway Live user.
    Breakaway Live has more presets than Enhancer.
    I will look into the Enhancer presets to figure out what preset is the best for files with extremely different volumes.

    Using Range 100 (your Easys Listening settings) is for your purpose the best choice.
    Do you have tried other presets with Range 100 ?
    It might be that some settings (especially Range 100 and other presets than Easy Listening) do not sound good with normal music files.
    So for sure, it is impossible to find one preset (plus slider settings) that fits all kind of (different) audio sources.

    #5228
    jameskuzman
    Member

    Hello Whispurr,

    As Michi95 pointed out, as long as you have the Breakaway Pipeline set as your input device, BAE will process all audio passing through. Whether the .mp3 is part of a playlist or not isn’t relevent, except perhaps to point out by way of contrast as you play back-to-back files recorded at different levels that your output isn’t consistent.

    I can’t imagine with the speed and range maxed out – regardless of preset – that you should be having this issue if BAE is processing the audio. It’s hard to believe that you have audio files that are 20 or 30 dB different from one another.

    I run a playlist or stream music or talk when I go to bed at night as well using the Magnifying Glass preset with the Range at 40, Power at 30, and Speed at 10. It’s remarkably consistent even at these rather moderate settings.

    A couple of questions – forgive me if you’ve already thought of these – are you sure BAE isn’t bypassed? Do you see meter activity? If you click on the bypass button, do you hear a change in the audio levels?

    Mine stopped working after a Windows update last week (Win7-64) and although the meters were moving and the configuration was correct, BAE wasn’t processing the audio. In fact, when I ran the wizard prior to the re-install and ran "test" with a tone, I got the audio streaming through AND the tone simultanerously. I un-installed BAE and re-installed it, and haven’t had an issue since.

    May I suggest an un-install/re-install to you?

    Jim

    #5229
    michi95
    Member

    [quote author=”jameskuzman”]I can’t imagine with the speed and range maxed out – regardless of preset – that you should be having this issue if BAE is processing the audio. It’s hard to believe that you have audio files that are 20 or 30 dB different from one another.[/quote]I agree.
    I checked whispurr’s preset settings:
    "Easy Listening, Range 100, Power 52, Speed 99, Bass Normal, Bass Shape 0"
    with different audio sources (very loud and very quiet).
    It should do the job.
    Maybe pushing Power 52 to 100 could make the output a little bit more constant.
    Though I would prefer to use Reference Heavy (cleaner sound) instead of Easy Listening (really damages the original sound characteristic with Range 100).

    whispurr are you sure that all files are processed by Breakaway ?
    Are there any differences in In/Out oscilloscopes and meters ?

    #5230
    michi95
    Member

    I have just received a PM from whispurr.

    Case closed !

    She had inadvertently bypassed Breakaway.

    @ Teresa (aka whispurr)

    No problem.
    That’s what friends are for. :mrgreen:

    I will answer your PM in detail later (maybe tomorrow).
    Now it’s time for FIFA World Cup !
    Italy vs. Paraguay

    #5231
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Sorry, I guess I should have posted it here. I had bypassed breakaway and forgotten to un-bypass it. 😳 I don’t know why I didn’t think of that, I do it all the time! For some reason it just slipped my mind this time. I’ll chalk it up to old age or something….

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