New feature request
System-wide PC Audio Equalizer and Effects app for Windows 7 to 11
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One thing I've noticed is that the tray icon does not properly reflect the toggled state if I've previously used a hotkey to activate a config. So if I activate 'Bass Boost' via hotkey, then look at the tray, there is no checkmark.
Yep, that's a small bug. I've corrected it.
Yes, the new automation tab isn't that easy to understand but this counts probably for all tabs. Your info sentence might provide more info although one should refer to the manual before automating something. Anyway, I'll keep it in mind but for now I have to conclude this version. Maybe I'll introduce it in the next one.
Mmm, I should have recording the old activation sound ;)
Thanks for testing the new automation feature. You've already caught one bug :)
I've put the version 1.5.3.2 online with the new Activate by hotkey tab on the Automation window. Now everyone can benefit from your idea :)
Excellent! So many downloads this week, you love to see it :)
Been using the new hotkeys regularly without a hitch. The implementation is great.
Yes, it's nice to see that many users upgrade to the latest version.
And thanks for sharing your experience of the hotkeys feature.
I would like an export option to save any settings, e.g. a custom Equalizer preset, to a location of my choice. I reinstall a Windows backup every x months or so, and don't really want to go through the setting up process again.
Oh, and a way to make sure that only a single instance of Peace can be run.
Thanks
Last edit: Anton Van Tonder 2020-01-14
For a proper mechanism of things (such as desktop shortcuts) and because the configurations (presets) list is always on the main Peace window, there isn't a way to use different locations (folders). But I could investigate the possibility of creating a feature of changing the main location from c:\program files\equalizerapo\config to another folder of choice. I've check the program code and I see some issues to be solved so I can't make a promiss but I'll look further into it.
On the Settings window there is a special tab for backing up and restoring your presets called "Backing up and restoring". By default the presets are saved in your documents folder, subfolder Peace. The settings peace.ini file can also be backed up.
In the past I've looked into a single instance of Peace but I ran into some issues. Anyway, I'll look into it again.
I'd also like to see FIR (linear phase, so no phase shift, and can be configured as brick wall) high-pass and low-pass filters based on the modified Blackman function (with a0 = 0.42, a1 = 0.5, a2 = 0.08). Don't use the exact values, use those truncated values, because (as many DSP guides will tell you) the truncated values give a faster roll-off.
As well as elliptic (Cauer) high-pass and low-pass filters with adjustable stopband attenuation (dB attenuation from 20 dB to -200 dB is in Gain, filter order up to 20 goes in the Quality field) and 0.1 dB passband ripple. These filters, in analog form, are commonly used for anti-aliasing filters in front of ADC's because of their extremely fast initial roll-off.
If you know how to build them with the standard Equalizer APO filters or with the custom filter command we could incorporate them into Peace like we did with the Linkwitz-Riley and Butterworth filters. The custom filter IIR command needs b0 to bm and a0 to am where m is the order.
Have a look at the ellip functions in MATLAB. Butterworth was straightforward, Chebyshev can also be done by cascading 2nd order sections and specifying cutoff frequency and Q for each section, but elliptic filters are not so much. I'm leaving the computations up to the computer. I'm not exactly sure how the coefficients for an elliptic filter are derived.
In MATLAB to get the a and b coefficients you go [b, a] = ellip(order, 0.1, atten, 2 * fc / fs).
If you're not willing to pay for MATLAB, GNU Octave is another option, but be careful not to use any "Octave-only" syntax.
I believ that it's also said in MATLAB documentation that certain filter types will behave better if designed via poles and zeros instead of coefficients.
Last edit: Duncan Yang 2020-05-22
I've attached the source code to a C program I found online. The program is from http://www.moshier.net/ellfdoc.html and they include key information for the design of elliptic filters.
That can make things easier. Thanks. I'll try to derive the needed calculations from it. I'll keep you posted on my progress.
1.5.4.3 64 bit user here. Windows 10 Pro 1903.
When changing presets through automation, the tray icon doesn't change in color and/or shape. This leaves me constantly doubting it's working.
I know it's working, if I hover on it the correct configuration is always shown. But since I have several shortcuts to activate different sound devices (done through SoundVolumeView utility, sometimes I don't remember the state the machine is in. And looking at the tray icon would (and should) provide an immediate visual feedback. Even the checkmark under "Configurations", when you right-click on tray icon, is kept at the old value before automation switched configuration. Only hover information is correct.
If I click on the tray icon, Peace says "Refreshing interface to show configuration" and the tray icon updates correctly.
Thanks for fixing this if you can and thanks for the awesome product. :-)
Last edit: gorman 2020-06-26
Yes, it's a bug which I've stumbled upon a few weeks ago. Anyway, it will be fixed in the next release. And thanks for mentioning it!
The new released version 1.5.5.5 doesn't have the bug you've stumbled across (about the tray icon not changing color and shape).
Thank you for letting me know. Much appreciated.
Hi Peter, I really like Peace Equalizer and all it's features, but is it possible in the future updates to add "karaoke" feature with or without pitch change just like in Realtek HD Audio Manager. It disables voice in music for example and you can listen to instrumental of the song without voice.
"Sound Effects" tab in Realtek HD Audio Manager doesn't exist anymore and we lost that kind of feature, I guess it's because of Peace EQ.
Thank you for the answer!
Hi Bane,
I understand your request for a karaoke feature. Unfortunately, Peace doesn't have access to the audio stream, Equalizer APO does but it hasn't a feature to remove a voice from the audio.
All you can with Peace is trying to suppress a voice with its equalizer but that isn't really a good way of doing things. As for the pitch change, Equalizer APO should be able to if it had a built-in pitch feature but it hasn't.
Hi Peter,
I love the work you have put into Peace, as a GUI for Equaliser APO.
One feature I love to see in Peace is multiple export options to other eq programs, like for JamesDSP on android as an example.
I can understand that as now only to Audacity is possible. But it depends on two things: Does JamesDSP have an import feature and what is the file structure of this import. Do you know these things? Of course these need to be known for all possible exports.
I noticed in JamesDSP has an "Arbitrary Magnitude Response Equalizer" in the "Magnitude response string" it requires the following format "GraphicsEQ: 0.00.0;" this looks like the exact string used in Peace under the "Commands" option, under "Commands of your equalizer created by the program" It seems to work when adding them. But only for custom profiles that have been created for both ears.
But I wonder what other syntax is acceptable in that section in JamesDSP.
Last edit: HatchetEgg 2020-11-22
The GraphicEQ command is an Equalizer APO command. When you want to export to JamesDSP click the EQ button at the left of the Import button. Then Peace will created a GraphicEQ command for Equalizer APO to process. This is put in the peace.txt file which the Peace command window shows. So exporting is either copying the command from the Commands window or from peace.txt. To have an EQ for both ears JamesDSP must allow for an Equalizer APO channel command. Other syntax would be XML as JamesDSP probably uses to save presets to XML files but I couldn't find more info on that.
Hi Peter,
Really love your work and the results of using it
One feature that I wish it had is some kind of sign in the tray icon when equalizer is deactivated, like a greyed out icon when equalizer is deactivated and a coloured one when activated. Or even a quick deactivate/activate button on context menu on tray icon
It would be really useful for users who switches outputs on dacs/amps, as sometimes I just switch from speakers out to headphones out
Thanks!
Hi Renato,
That would be a great addition. I'll try implement the greyed out icon and perhaps also the on/off switch menu item of the tray menu. I'll keep you posted here on my progress.
Peter
Renato, I've implemented your request. You can download the beta version 1.6.5.2 Peace.exe file from my Dropbox. Copy it to c:\program files\equalizerapo\config, overwriting the current Peace.exe file.
As you've suggested a greyed out icon is shown in tray when Peace is off. I've not only made it grey but also slightly different so the visual impaired could also see the difference between on and off. And I've added a Switch Peace on and off menu item.
Let me know if this works for you.