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Hey gang:If any of you have been waiting for the minor bugfix of the Frequency Allocator version 1.010 to be fixed, well it's not just fixed, but improved as well.
They changed the delay algorithm to be in multiples of 1 sample, greatly simplifying the process - there is more low level detail than ever now.
If you are a DSP crossover fan, I would recommend you give the the fully functional demo a shot. You might find yourself pleasantly surprised. The best part of the Allocator is that since it's a VST plugin operating independently in it's own VST Shell it can accept audio streams from ANY audio app. You can even do A/B comparisons between Foobar and Winamp on the fly, using the SAME DSP crossover, thus comparing only the players themselves.
Cheers,
Presto
Follow Ups:
Hi Presto,I was wondering if you could give me a little info on what slopes you are using in the allocator and a bit about what your speaker setup is like. You seem to have spent a bunch of time tweaking so I'd love to know what you found the best in your system.
Hi Alan:I have run my three-way Focal DIY towers with a number of different configurations. The original passive crossovers are 3rd order butterworth with an L-pad only on the mids (since there are two 91dB mids in a D'Appolito config.). One of the "active" configurations, of course, is to mimic the passive crossover.
When I got into the Behringer DCX2496 outboard digital active crossover, I found that going LR4 worked just as well if not better, especially when the correct delays were dialed in. The Behringer, even with a great source, can't touch the software player / Allocator combo for low level detail. Not much can to be honest.
Right now I am crossing over LR4 (0.71 and 0.71 aka cascaded 2nd order butterworth), with delays for driver physical alignment only (measurements taken using impulses with no filters in place). I did this so I can differentiate between group delay and time-of-flight delays, which is helpful if one wants to toggle the arbitrator on and off for compartive purposes. You only need time-of-flight delay correction with the Arbitrator on, since it is "nullifying" the phase shifts that normally cause the group delay. With the Arbitrator off, you need to consider all delays.
So to answer your question, the crossover settings are more of an evolution - something I am just familiar with for those particular boxes. Truth be told, I've learned so much about baffle step, baffle shape, edge radius effect, and other design considerations that I figure those really nice Focal drivers in extremely basic and rectangular "crates" are likely not being done totaly justice. DSP and delay control helps, but you can't beat starting with the right baffle geometry to begin with.
I'm planning to either rebuild cabinets for the Focal components, or just start all over again... this time using all Scan Speak drivers! ;) My buddy wants to buy my Focal towers from me, and says he'll kill me if I tear them to pieces for parts. What he's offered to pay me for them, I'd probably be nuts to tear them down.
One thing is for sure - using *just* a software player and the allocator with the correct delays dialed in is going to give some considerably expensive players a run for their money!
When the bugs are ironed out of PC audio systems (we're very close already) I think a lot of "high-buck" CDP's are going to be too big for their britches. The folks here who are experimenting with PC audio might believe this. The folks with $5000 CDPs with a certain special "sonic character" they so love will probably not be so open minded. A lot of guys, too, are bragging up CDP technology that is 10 or more years old. In tech land, 10 years is a millenium if you ask me.
Hi Presto,Thanks for the information. What did you use to take impulse response measurements? When you say you did them without the filters in place, I gather you are only referring to the arbitrator filter, but not the crossover filter itself, or is the impulse a chirp of a specific frequency that you can send to a specific driver without worrying about a crossover?
I would love to see pictures and details of what you come up with if you rebuild your cabinets.
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