SpecScript 1.8 - 5.1 AND 7.1 upmix scripts and utilities (now 1.9)

[zeerround]

The audio library I'm using to read/write files in the VST hosting code insists on having an audio device, even though we aren't using it.

So, you need to have a working audio device set as default in the Windows sound control panel. It can be stereo (doesn't need to be 5.1).

Whatever is on your motherboard should be fine.

 

[ar surround]

The audio library I'm using to read/write files in the VST hosting code insists on having an audio device, even though we aren't using it.

So, you need to have a working audio device set as default in the Windows sound control panel. It can be stereo (doesn't need to be 5.1).

Whatever is on your motherboard should be fine.

Thanks, Glenn. That did the trick.

 

[ar surround]

Regarding the post-processing scripts:

I don't have a subwoofer. Has anyone tried flipping the Center and LFE channels using a DAW then running it through the 5.1 to 4.1 script? I'd like to mix the LFE into the fronts on a few songs where I believe that I can get better results rather than having the AVR do the conversion.

Yes, I could mix the LFE into the fronts using the DAW, but I'm wondering if the Script would yield a balanced result without having to futz with the channel levels.

Of course, I would use the DAW to flip the Center and (now silent) LFE back into their proper positions afterwards.

 

[zeerround]

FYI in SpecScript the LFE is "in addition to" not "instead of". In other words there is nothing removed form any channel to make the LFE. It is made as a mono lowpass at 90 Hz. from the original stereo. No Highpass filter is applied.

The default LFE gains/levels are intentionally kept 6 to 13dB below the other channels (depending on the method).

 

[ar surround]

FYI in SpecScript the LFE is "in addition to" not "instead of". In other words there is nothing removed form any channel to make the LFE. It is made as a mono lowpass at 90 Hz. from the original stereo. No Highpass filter is applied.

The default LFE gains/levels are intentionally kept 6 to 13dB below the other channels (depending on the method).

Thanks, Glenn. However, I'm not speaking of manipulating an upmix made with SpecScript, but rather an existing "third party" track where I want to get the LFE information out of the LFE and mixed into the front channels. I gave it a try, and it seems to have worked (at least listening to the fronts before and after through headphones):

Track "As found":

After flipping Center and LFE, mixing into fronts with SpecScript 5.1 Post Processing 5.1 to 4.1, and flipping Center and LFE back into correct sequence:

 

[admsh]

but rather an existing "third party" track where I want to get the LFE information out of the LFE and mixed into the front channels

Does this not happen automatically when you tell your AVR that you have no subwoofer? That's how my new system is set up and I've been feeling like I'm getting too much bass from the fronts. Need to play with this more but was under the impression that's how it works?

 

[mandrix]

Does this not happen automatically when you tell you AVR that you have no subwoofer? That's how my new system is set up and I've been feeling like I'm getting too much base from the fronts. Need to play with this more but was under the impression that's how it works?

Well that's how it works on mine. If I tell mine "no sub" then it makes the fronts "full range" unless I change it. But not sure that's what he's looking for.

 

[ar surround]

Does this not happen automatically when you tell your AVR that you have no subwoofer? That's how my new system is set up and I've been feeling like I'm getting too much bass from the fronts. Need to play with this more but was under the impression that's how it works?

Well that's how it works on mine. If I tell mine "no sub" then it makes the fronts "full range" unless I change it. But not sure that's what he's looking for.

Yes, my Marantz AVR routes the bass to the fronts. I can also attenuate the LFE as much as 10 dB, so I don't have too much bass from the fronts. I was just playing around with a particular track with an LFE that was giving me some problems.

 

[AYanguas]

Does this not happen automatically when you tell your AVR that you have no subwoofer? That's how my new system is set up and I've been feeling like I'm getting too much bass from the fronts. Need to play with this more but was under the impression that's how it works?

I discover recently how my DENON manages the absence of the SUB. I have my (single) SUB broken (its broken amp generates only a pulsating bump each second).

Then I have reconfig the AVR, without SUB and all speakers BIG (they go almost to 25Hz). The LFE channel goes to four speakers: the two fronts and the two Side Surround speakers.

I have now something like Quad SUBs and without further calibration It looks like more EQ bass than before and now there are no peak bass nodes and valleys around walking through the room, as before.

Of course I have less power bass than before. I will have to recalibrate and force an upper bass curve using REW/audyssey. So I'm not considering for now to repair or purchasing a new SUBwoofer. I don't know if it is has been a pitty or an opportunity.

 

[zeerround]

FYI when you choose or "I'm feeling Lucky" chooses SpecWeb, on Windows 11 22H2:

https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/forums/threads/specweb-on-windows-11-22h2.33439/

 

[admsh]

I ran this on Harrison's Cloud Nine, and the results are just astonishing. It's like the album was mixed in surround. I've had mixed results with this generally but for some reason it's like the script was custom made for this album from start to finish, very little I would change if I was mixing this myself. Highly recommend anyone who likes the album to give this a try!

 

[cherryduck]

I've had varied results with this but generally pretty good. Ben Howard's album Every Kingdom though is pretty mind blowing when ran through this! You've got his voice fairly centered for the most part, and then backing vocals sweeping expansively outwards, crowd vocals that surround you, intrumentation which bounces playfully but not distractingly around the speakers. An absolute beauty!

 

[petgabor]

Trying to use SpecScript 1.8 but it always quits after STAGE 3 CCL R

Any ideas?

 

[zeerround]

I had one other person report this and never got to the bottom and then they went silent.

Some things to try. In the bin directory, use a text editor (notepad++ recommended) to edit the ini file and set:

savetmp=true

in the options section. Then, in that same directory, double click on RefreshValues.bat. That will turn off deletion of a per track temporary directory, and we can examine what files are complete and what are not.

Also, try the Balanced method. That one doesn't use stage 3.

Any screen shots or videos of a failed runs would help. You can PM me with those.

What Antivirus are you using and have you checked to see if it is blocking something?

-Z

 

[zeerround]

Oh, also the SpecWeb method should work.

 

[petgabor]

Oh, also the SpecWeb method should work.

Ok, thanks. PM was sent. Hopefully you copme up with a solution for us users

 

[zeerround]

OK, I figured it out. See here: SpecWeb on Windows 11 22H2

The new "Windows Terminal" doesn't like the applications that were built to output sequences that were specific to Windows Console Host, and is crashing.

That should get you going again.

 

[EMR]

Clumsy of me, I guess, but I've just discovered the existence of SpecScript. Is this supposed to supersede SpecWeb? Or is SpecWeb now simply the "motor" running SpecScript? Be that as it may, will SpecScript work on old processors lacking the AVX/AVX2 instruction set, or would it need a legacy version of SpecWeb and/or modified versions of all the SpecScript components?

 

[zeerround]

SpecScript does succeed SpecWeb, however SpecWeb is included in SpecScript has a fallback method when it detects a "weak center", when you use "feeling lucky" for SpecScript to pick an upmix method.

I don't recall testing SpecScript on pre 2011 processors but I would expect it would work. If I recall the latest versions of SpecWeb supported both old and new? Intel intentionally broke (stopped providing a license for) my build chain and I'm not able to maintain SpecWeb at this point, so thing are basically try it and see.

 

[zeerround]

I did some testing on the oldest computers I could dig up:

2012 Intel CPU running windows 7: SpecScript worked, SpecWeb did not. Microsoft has a nice new (to me anyway) big warning screen about not running windows 7...

2010 AMD CPU running windows 10: Neither (modern) versions of SpecScript or SpecWeb worked. There was a really old version of SpecWeb already on the machine, which worked. I was able make SpecScript work by commenting out all the dynamics measuring stuff, however.

So, for Modern versions of SpecWeb and SpecScript, what I can support is still windows 10 or 11 and CPU's after 2011 (AVX support).

Windows 7 may work for SpecScript, also on CPU's after 2011, but without support from me ;0) I can tell you how to make SpecScript upmix, on older CPUs, without the dynamics measuring/matching, but I can't commit to any more effort than that.