Better sound in iTunes using EQ and Volume Logic

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Haydn
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Better sound in iTunes using EQ and Volume Logic

#1 Post by Haydn » Thu Aug 24, 2006 7:50 am

I use iTunes on my Mac, and I've recently discovered I can get a lot of older tracks to sound better by creating my own customised EQ settings, and also by using the excellent 'Volume Logic' iTunes plug-in.

http://www.volumelogic.com/index.asp?co ... icPlugins2
(You can download a free 30-day demo)

Anyone else had either good or bad results from iTunes using customised EQ settings and/or Volume Logic?

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la musette
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#2 Post by la musette » Fri Aug 25, 2006 8:46 am

I set some of my old tinny tracks to 'dance' or 'bass boost' and that made them sound a little better.

Haydn
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#3 Post by Haydn » Fri Aug 25, 2006 1:08 pm

la musette wrote:I set some of my old tinny tracks to 'dance' or 'bass boost' and that made them sound a little better.
Have you tried making your own EQ presets?

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la musette
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#4 Post by la musette » Fri Aug 25, 2006 1:45 pm

Haydn wrote:
la musette wrote:I set some of my old tinny tracks to 'dance' or 'bass boost' and that made them sound a little better.
Have you tried making your own EQ presets?
I haven't. The Volume Logic Plug-in says it isn't compatible with Intel macs yet so I guess I can't use it yet.

Haydn
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#5 Post by Haydn » Fri Aug 25, 2006 3:03 pm

la musette wrote:
Haydn wrote:
la musette wrote:I set some of my old tinny tracks to 'dance' or 'bass boost' and that made them sound a little better.
Have you tried making your own EQ presets?
I haven't. The Volume Logic Plug-in says it isn't compatible with Intel macs yet so I guess I can't use it yet.
They say the new 'Intel Mac' compatible version is under development, and they will have a public beta available soon -
http://www.volumelogic.com/index.asp?content=news

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sonofvu
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#6 Post by sonofvu » Fri Sep 08, 2006 1:45 pm

Haydn, What are your eq settings and what tracks (name, artist, album) did you play that sounded better?
Yard work sucks. I would much rather dj.

Haydn
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#7 Post by Haydn » Sun Sep 10, 2006 3:56 pm

sonofvu wrote:Haydn, What are your eq settings and what tracks (name, artist, album) did you play that sounded better?
Virtually every track sounds better with a custom EQ than no EQ.

EG -

Blue Minor/Chick Webb
Rockin' Rollers' Jubilee/Erskine Hawkins
Massachusetts/Gene Krupa
Well, All Right Then/Jimmie Lunceford
Apollo Jump/Lucky Millinder

Sorry, can't list exact albums at present.

I don't know how to show you the EQ settings I have used. If you tell me how do it, I am happy to do so. Basically, I listen to each track and either apply an EQ setting I already have, or make a new one. A pattern I have noticed is that increasing the high end and low end and reducing the middle makes the overall track sound better to my ears. This sort of EQ pattern certainly gives old tracks a lot more 'punch'.

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wspeid
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Volume logic & BPM counters

#8 Post by wspeid » Wed Sep 13, 2006 12:00 pm

I don't know which I'm happier about this week:

- trying out Volume Logic and seeing how well it punches up my bass and treble ends to balance the mid-range. It gives you a whole new appreciation for things.

- discovering a shareware BPM counter (MixMeister BPM Analyzer 1.0) that automatically uploads bpm info into the Itunes GetInfo screen when you browse past the entry. No more evenings of 15 seconds on the big hand x 4 equals....

Bill

Campus Five
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#9 Post by Campus Five » Wed Sep 13, 2006 3:56 pm

wow, that BPM analyzer is pretty off. It clocked something at 100bpm, that was really 170. Being off by half I can understand, but its not even close. I did an entire album and 3 out of the 17 tracks were right plus or minus 5bpm.
"I don''t dig that two beat jive the New Orleans cats play.
My boys and I have four heavy beats to the bar and no cheating!
--Count Basie
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www.myspace.com/campusfive
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Surreal
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#10 Post by Surreal » Wed Sep 13, 2006 7:21 pm

This is what I use for BPM's...
http://www.mustiala.hamk.fi/pub/~parikka/laskuri2.htm

I just saved the page to my hard drive and do everything manually from there. After the first mouse click, you can just use the spacebar.

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