Winamp "Classic Spectrum Analyzer" plugin with MusicBee

[sveakul]

Hi Blowout:  The vis display window size was made adjustable for the Bottom Panel in MusicBee versions at or greater than 3.2.6695 (grab the top of the window border);  the top of the window bar is also adjustable when the spectrum is used in the Right Sidebar.  Be sure you're using the latest version of MusicBee.  The FFTScale setting in the spectrum's ini file controls the height (amplitude) of the spectrum bars within the window.

I had some crashing when first setting up the spectrum to my desired look for performance/effects/size, but since then it's been completely stable for me.  Of course, this could be locally affected by what other plugins are in use, skin, OS, etc.  I'm glad you got your size issue resolved.  If you have any more questions, feel free to post and I (and others) will try to help.  I love this spectrum!

[Sofocl]

Source code; https://github.com/WACUP/vis_classic
It would be nice if somebody could adapt it to MB.

[sveakul]

It would be nice if somebody could adapt it to MB.

You can say that again     It would be nice to be able to use the wonderful built-in Options GUI instead having to modify the ini file by hand.  I'm just glad everything still works as well as it does, considering.

[KangNi]

Hi Sofocl,

are you pretty sure that the Github link you was posted is really contain the source code of THAT visualizer what was published hereinafter by "prowler7" in 2007 ?

http://forums.winamp.com/showthread.php?threadid=270809

If so - it would be awesome.

I've tried to contact the developer "prowler7", just before I've read your post. I've let him known that his work is still very popular. Of course I put some hope in it, that maybe he would/could start again to support his own plug-in.

Let's see if he respond.

Greetings

[Sofocl]

Hi Sofocl,
are you pretty sure that the Github link you was posted is really contain the source code of THAT visualizer what was published hereinafter by "prowler7" in 2007 ?

Yeah, also a new version from dr0 but unfortunately it doesn't work with MB at all.

I've tried to contact the developer "prowler7" in two ways, just before I've read your post. I've let him known that his work is still very popular. Of course I put some hope in it, that maybe he would/could start again to support his own plug-in again.

Let's see if he respond.
Greetings

I think\hope that some of the forum participants could prepare a version for MB, the benefit is the source code.

[KangNi]

Hi there,

I've got a reply from Mike Lynch some days ago. He friendly explained that he isn't interest to put more efforts in his visualizer plugin, so thats the reason why he decided to publish the source code after he was contacted by supporters of the WACUP (WinAmp Community Update Project).

Sofocl,
you wrote "a new version from dr0 but unfortunately it doesn't work with MB at all".
I'm pretty sure that's because the code was modified to work with WACUP and the Winamp SDK 5.666.

However, in the github history the original code from Mike Lynch can be found too.
I've gave it a try, downloaded and compiled the code with MS Visual Studio 2017 (v15) - and it worked  

I've got a ~180 KB .dll with version 1.1.0.0 © 2007 Mike Lynch - and it just running in MussicBee.


Now we need someone who is familiar with C++ to fix the minor flaws of the plug-in, like:
- ability to open the context menu
- option for transparent background
- bug fix to work reliable with streams

Hope we can find a Stakeholder here  


Greetings

[sveakul]

hey KangNi, great work on doing your own compilation of the dll!  Do you know what changes he made from the original 1.0.0.0 version to the 1.1.0.0 one you now have?  And, would you mind linking to your new dll somewhere?

Also, you mentioned one of the flaws still is an inability to work with streams;  my original version works just fine with radio streams, which is 60% of what I listen to.  Are you not seeing that with yours?

[KangNi]

Hi there.

I haven't really compared v1.1.0.0 and v1.0.0.0., but also didn't recognized any difference in the GUI and behavior. I'm pretty sure now that all changes after V1.0.0.0 where implemented by WACUP supporters and are NOT part of the original source code release by Mike Lynch.
So, other than I mentioned in my last post, I hasn't used the oldest (original) but also not the latest source branch from Github, because in the latest one there was linked missing resources I just couldn't find anywhere.

As I've stated already, I didn't have any C++ skills. Because of that and I didn't have a glue of what I've really compiled now, I think it would not be a good idea to publish something immature.


About the flaws in connection with streams:

I've recognized that CSA* only working once after MB is started. As soon I switch to another radio station, CSA* stop working. But playing local files after that will re-animate CSA*. To get it running again with streams, MB need to get re-started.  


In addition - something very important, as I would say :

MB needs to get the ability running an embedded and an external visualizer in parallel !
Otherwise we won't be able to simply run i.e. MilkDrop in full screen, without disabling the "graphic visualizer" in the "Pannel Configuration" laboriously each time again. This is really a pain for everyone who would use both.  

If anyone would like to support this, here is the corresponding threat in the wishlist:
https://getmusicbee.com/forum/index.php?topic=25552.0

Since the source code of CSA* is published, it may also would be imaginable to implement that code into MB natively.  - Steven ? 


So far,
Greetings to everyone, and sorry for my late reply.


*CSA = Classic Spectrum Analyzer

[sveakul]

About the flaws in connection with streams:
I've recognized that CSA* only working once after MB is started. As soon I switch to another radio station, CSA* stop working. But playing local files after that will re-animate CSA*. To get it running again with streams, MB need to get re-started.  

Thanks KangNi for the info;  I can understand why you didn't put out the new build.  I'm puzzled though as to your issue with CSA not staying active when switching radio streams--I don't have that problem AT ALL here.  Can you try using CSA at the bottom of the Right Sidebar, instead of Bottom Panel, and see if that makes any difference?  Have you tried temporarily deactivating any other plugins you are using to see if one of those is interfering?  Other than being sure you're using the newest patched 3.3 MB which I'm sure you are, I don't know of any other suggestions.  BTW, when you use CSA with streams on XMPlay, do you have the same issue?

[KangNi]

I've updated MB to v3.3.6982 - no changes.

Regarding the stream problem:

I'v just recognized that obviously there are some specific station where the previously described problem occurs (at least for me):
- https://www.radioking.com/play/radio17bis  (Radio DixSept Bis)
- http://mp3stream1.apasf.apa.at:8000/listen.pls (Radio FM4)
- http://somafm.com/fluid64.pls (Soma FM | Fluid)

Just to give a few examples.

I didn't try playing streams in XMPlay yet, maybe I do it later. I never used XMplay again after I setup CSA  

[sveakul]

Did the stream issue start when you began using your own compilation of the CSA code, or was it also there in the original CSA download?  There's nothing odd about those links, they work normally here with CSA in MusicBee and XMPlay.  If rolling back to the original CSA doesn't solve it, try updating your video drivers at the manufacturer's (NOT Microsoft's) site.  After that I'm outta change  

[KangNi]

Okay, I've found something:

I've disabled "increase buffer size" and it worked! 
It was set 2,0 seconds.

I've re-enabled this setting again to 2,0 seconds, restart MB, and it still is working 
No idea what was wrong here.

Greetings

[KangNi]

It seem that another option is the reason:

I disabled the "resample to:" option.

This seems reproducibly the reason for the misbehave of CSA at streams. 
Before I've re-sampled audio to 192 KHz.

Greetings

[sveakul]

Hey, I'm glad to hear you got it solved!  I don't resample at all so that would explain why it never happened to me.  As one last check, does changing the output method (WASAPI, DS, Asio etc) but keeping resampling have any effect?  I have a feeling a latency issue with the timing of when CSA receives the signal is at the bottom of this.  But at least you solved the main issue.

[sveakul]

Now we need someone who is familiar with C++ to fix the minor flaws of the plug-in, like:
- ability to open the context menu
- option for transparent background
Hope we can find a Stakeholder here  

Looks like we have some hope here:  https://getmusicbee.com/forum/index.php?topic=25944.msg155952#msg155952