Author Topic: VUMeter Plugin  (Read 50620 times)

hiccup

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hiccup

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What MusicBee version are you using?
latest
not the latest

As the readme of the plugin clearly states:
Minimum version of Musicbee required 3.6.9040

hiccup

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In case it is useful for testing foobar2000 VU meter skins or compatibilty, I thought to create a calibrated version of DejaVU Compact for foobar2000.



Note that the part of the scale from 0 – +6 dB is horizontally compressed (else those levels would not have fit within the VU meter at all), but the dB values there should be at the correct positions.

It was tested using foobar2000 32-bit with the older but well-proven 32-bit VU meter plugin.
Under Preferences > Advanced, make sure to set the preamp values for VU meter to 0 dB.
That version of the plugin uses RMS values, which are lower than peak values.
So e.g. a 0 dB 1 kHz sine-wave will display at -3 dB.
When playing music, depending on the content and dynamics, the values will be somewhere between 2 and 20 dB lower than peak.

download DejaVU Compact Calibrated foobar2000

edit
I have added a couple of sine-wave test tracks to the download.
Last Edit: October 11, 2024, 07:18:38 PM by hiccup

sveakul

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Man hiccup you got the chops!  Editing BIN files and whatnot.  Excellent!

Tested on Foobar 1.6.18 with original 32-bit DLL and preamp=0, very responsive and highly accurate.

Tested on Foobar 2.24 64-bit with the re-write of foo_vis_vumeter and level type set to RMS and works fine there too, sharp rendition (DX12), needle movement maybe a bit over-sensitive;  the DLL options include a sensitivity control (I set to 0dB) that can be adjusted, and rise/decay but I didn't go there.  You calibrated using the original DLL so that is going to make a difference also.  FWIW the new adjustable options with 0.1.1-beta: https://hydrogenaud.io/index.php/topic,126733.msg1051940.html#msg1051940

Congrats for this surprise!  Wishlist:  make a version of same meter calibrated for use with the new 32/64 bit DLL options;  use green instead of yellow LEDs through -1.0 (keep existing colors for 0, +1, +3) and make the fixed yellow 0-6+ bar red instead.

OK, folks I know this is a MusicBee not a Foobar forum, signing off.. :-[

hiccup

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Man hiccup you got the chops!  Editing BIN files and whatnot.  Excellent!
Tested on Foobar 1.6.18 with original 32-bit DLL and preamp=0, very responsive and highly accurate.
I appreciate the appreciation and the feedback!

Quote
Wishlist:  make a version of same meter calibrated for use with the new 32/64 bit DLL options
Well, that should not be necessary.
The VU meter (like all foobar2000 VU meter skins) was created using VUEditor, which is the official (and only) tool for that.
It allows for creating very precise response curves and exact dB reference points on a scale.
(most skins were not designed with such precision in mind, and are 'just' images or replicas of nice existing VU meters with a needle that moves in an acceptable manner)

This 'calibrated' skin of mine is precise according to VUEditor.
So if the new foobar2000 32/64 bit plugin does not show the correct dB values on the scale of this VU meter it's something that should be addressed on the side of the plugin.
After all, also all of the hundreds of existing VU meter skins were designed for the older version of the plugin, so the new plugin should be as compatible with that one as much as possible so all skins work as intended.

Quote
use green instead of yellow LEDs through -1.0 (keep existing colors for 0, +1, +3) and make the fixed yellow 0-6+ bar red instead.
I designed this one for the main purpose so that some educated testing, guessing and referencing/comparing can be done.
At this point we don't know if BoringName is going to succeed in getting these fb2k skins to work.
If he does, I'll then probably decide on which implementation I like better, and from then on either create/modify fb2k or AIMP skins.
I'll keep your request in mind when that happens. (or just remind me by that time)
edit
Are you using foobar2000 frequently, and would you be using this version frequently?
If so, I'll create version to your personal liking.
Last Edit: October 10, 2024, 07:09:47 AM by hiccup

BoringName

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In case it is useful for testing foobar2000 VU meter skins or compatibilty, I thought to create a calibrated version of DejaVU Compact for foobar2000.

That will be handy thanks. I've got everything loading from extracted files. I still need to sort out the different compression and file layout types. The bin files come in a number of configurations, some have the meters stored as separate files in the bin and some have all the data in a single file. I haven't really looked into how the meter actually scales. The bin files don't contain any info like the AIMP settings files in regards to min/max levels/angles etc... Well not that I've found yet. The only info specified is which frame is the zero level frame. I expect the rest is extrapolated from that.

I was about to release another version before I start doing some major changes and then I found this sucker - Grundig. I just fixed a few problems for skins with upside down needles but this thing isn't working at all.

edit: Nevermind, it's working I've just fried myself staring at binary crap for the last few days and didn't notice I had a huge DB offset. So yeah, I'll probably post a new version tomorrow and then get cracking on some of the bigger changes mentioned previously.

hiccup

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In case it is useful for testing foobar2000 VU meter skins or compatibilty, I thought to create a calibrated version of DejaVU Compact for foobar2000.
That will be handy thanks. I've got everything loading from extracted files. I still need to sort out the different compression and file layout types. The bin files come in a number of configurations, some have the meters stored as separate files in the bin and some have all the data in a single file.
Just in case it's useful or interesting, there are now two versions of the skin in the download: a dual-bin version (often used for left/right skins) and a single bin version that has the two combined.
While both work fine in the older 32-bit fb2k version of the plugin, I just noticed that new 64-bit version doesn't seem able to handle such a combined bin.

sveakul

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After all, also all of the hundreds of existing VU meter skins were designed for the older version of the plugin, so the new plugin should be as compatible with that one as much as possible so all skins work as intended.
Quote
use green instead of yellow LEDs through -1.0 (keep existing colors for 0, +1, +3) and make the fixed yellow 0-6+ bar red instead.
I designed this one for the main purpose so that some educated testing, guessing and referencing/comparing can be done.
At this point we don't know if BoringName is going to succeed in getting these fb2k skins to work.
If he does, I'll then probably decide on which implementation I like better, and from then on either create/modify fb2k or AIMP skins.
I'll keep your request in mind when that happens. (or just remind me by that time)
edit
Are you using foobar2000 frequently, and would you be using this version frequently?
If so, I'll create version to your personal liking.
OK on VUEditor.  Now that the new 32/64 bit DLL is out with the myriad of options people will be moving to it steadily as I did.  I may even get rid of my 32-bit Foobar now after the list of it and its other plugins have pretty much completed the move to 64-bit.  The good thing is it won't affect the existing BIN structure of yours or any other existing skin so it's just a matter of sliding those over so to speak.

I have no doubts that BoringName will be able to shortly release his own MB compatible BIN skins.

Yes I do use Foobar freqently, as much as I do MusicBee actually.  The Deja Vu Compact LED Calibrated Elemental I modified and posted a while back in the skin repository thread is actually my favorite MB-specific skin.

hiccup

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Yes I do use Foobar freqently, as much as I do MusicBee actually.  The Deja Vu Compact LED Calibrated Elemental I modified and posted a while back in the skin repository thread is actually my favorite MB-specific skin.
Ok, let me know if you are using a specific foobar2000 skin that the VU meter should blend-in with.
(or a screenshot will do)

sveakul

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I was about to release another version before I start doing some major changes and then I found this sucker - Grundig. I just fixed a few problems for skins with upside down needles but this thing isn't working at all.

edit: Nevermind, it's working I've just fried myself staring at binary crap for the last few days and didn't notice I had a huge DB offset. So yeah, I'll probably post a new version tomorrow and then get cracking on some of the bigger changes mentioned previously.
Hmm, actually I have been using that same Grundig plugin for a while now with the last couple of versions of your VUMeter below my lyrics panel, and it's always worked fine here as-downloaded, actually one of my favorites.  The needles aren't upside-down they are side-to-side, as designed. What problems were you having with it?  At any rate, looking forward to your new 1.8 plugin!!

Last Edit: October 10, 2024, 09:43:56 AM by sveakul

sveakul

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Yes I do use Foobar freqently, as much as I do MusicBee actually.  The Deja Vu Compact LED Calibrated Elemental I modified and posted a while back in the skin repository thread is actually my favorite MB-specific skin.
Ok, let me know if you are using a specific foobar2000 skin that the VU meter should blend-in with.
(or a screenshot will do)
https://getmusicbee.com/forum/index.php?topic=41767.msg228505#msg228505  ;D

sveakul

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Comment from the developer of the new 32/64 foo_vis_vumeter plugin, might assist BoringName or hiccup:

"The skin I used to calibrate is the Model 702 skin that I extracted from the original DLL using Resource Hacker. Generally, it tracked well in Peak by tweaking the sensitivity. RMS and LKFS less well. It is very dependent on the curve that the skin designer used in VUEditor. There is a zero-crossing frame in the skin file. I decided not to set sqrt(2) to that point because there is much more overhead. 100% is the last frame and 0% is the first one, the amplitude in the foobar2000 data is -1.0 to 1.0 and whatever value the calculation lands on is the frame picked. I'm thinking that in a properly designed skin, the zero-crossing frame would be the RMS 100% and the peak sqrt(2) but that might be bad assumption."

hiccup

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Comment from the developer of the new 32/64 foo_vis_vumeter plugin, might assist BoringName or hiccup:
In case there are things regarding this that you'd want to raise at the fb2k forum, and my skin would be helpful with it, feel free to share it with them.

sveakul

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Will do, but sounds like you got it covered!