.45 Plugin levels screw up DXM plugin

Started by LPChip, September 19, 2006, 22:20:12

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LPChip

Some of you might know this, or not... :P

XMPlay supports modules that use most of the DirectX Media Audio effects that are supported by modplug. This is great, especially since I'm quite sure that bass also supports them. It has this ParamEQ effect which can be used to spice up your very low q song to a reasonable med q.

However, If you use the Plugin levels of RC2, it somehow got screwed up. Modplug somehow starts to cap the volume like a compressor was put on it. Normally my VU Meter goes all the way to the top with lots of dynamics, now it suddenly doesn't go above the middle and the dynamics are almost gone. As additional bad thing, the sound starts to crack because it seems to be pushed over a boundry that is too high.

If I choose Original Plugin level or RC1, the problem isn't there though, and this weird behavor haven't happened to VST plugins yet. I've tested it with most DXM plugins, and it happens to all. If this behavor is expected (which I highly doubt...) it might be benefitial to add somekind of protection in MPT, that when a DXM plugin is inserted, it gives a warning that its better to switch to original plugin levels, with the option to do by clicking yes.

Eg: Your song is currently using a RC2 compatible plugin level. This plugin is known to cause quality loss if you keep it at RC2. Do you wish to set the plugin levels to Original instead? [yes] [no]
"Heh, maybe I should've joined the compo only because it would've meant I wouldn't have had to worry about a damn EQ or compressor for a change. " - Atlantis
"yes.. I think in this case it was wishful thinking: MPT is makng my life hard so it must be wrong" - Rewbs

rewbs

So are you saying sound quality degrades in OpenMPT if you are playing a sample through a DMO plugin and you switch from original plugin levels to RC levels?

Can you send me an example track that displays this behaviour? I tried briefly but could not reproduce.

LPChip

Yeah sure. And yes. I added parametricEQ, and the volume was cut in half and the sound got distorted. I'll send you an example song, where setting the plugin settings BACK to RC2 will make the song sounds like crap.
"Heh, maybe I should've joined the compo only because it would've meant I wouldn't have had to worry about a damn EQ or compressor for a change. " - Atlantis
"yes.. I think in this case it was wishful thinking: MPT is makng my life hard so it must be wrong" - Rewbs

LPChip

After some investigation, it seems that wrong pre-amp values can cause for this behavor.

Do not set preamp at max when working with DX Plugins, in combination with RC2 levels. Preamp at 33% with a global volume of 128 works great.

Closing this bug.
"Heh, maybe I should've joined the compo only because it would've meant I wouldn't have had to worry about a damn EQ or compressor for a change. " - Atlantis
"yes.. I think in this case it was wishful thinking: MPT is makng my life hard so it must be wrong" - Rewbs