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Use this to apply an EQ / sonic maximizer / crossfeed or any other type of effect plugin to whatever youre playing in windows. Useful for example if you have a dark sounding headphone and want to pep up the sound in a way that sounds better than that cheap software EQ in your music player can do. This is just what Im using it for but there are many different effect plugins out there, so get creative. This is only tested in Windows 7 so Im not entirely positive this actually works in 10. If somebody could confirm wether it does or not that would be great.
1) Buy and install DDMF Virtual Audio Stream. The cheaper version without plugins is sufficient: http://ddmf.eu/virtual-audio-stream/
This software installs a driver in windows that can take any audio device as input signal, apply VSTi effects to it in a chain, and then spit it out again to any sound device.
2) Go to playback devices in windows and choose one of the 4 new devices for example "Stream 1" as the default playback device.
3) Launch the app "DDMF Effect Rack" that installed with the package. Were just going to work with one stream for the purpose of this guide (the one on the left).
4) Go to Options - "Change settings for first stream". For output, select the audio device that transmits the final signal to your headphones / speakers. The input should be Stream 1 if thats the default playback device you selected before. Here you could also choose ASIO if supported, change sample rate, and buffer size if you wish to. I dont personally experience any latency with just "Windows Audio" selected as audio device type. Click away the adio settings.
5) Drag and drop whatever effect plugin .dll file you have from windows explorer into the empty Stream 1 area on the left side of the Effect Rack. Notice a green box representing the plugin appears with 2 connecters on top of it and below it. If nothing appears or you see an error message, try the x86 version of your plugin or vice versa.
6) Click and hold on each connector on top of the plugin to link up to the connectors on "Audio Input" in the top of the rack. Do the same for the connectors below the plugin down to "Audio Output". Double click the green box of the plugin to open the plugin interface and configure it. Any app that is using "default audio device" for sound should go through your rack. You can ofcourse connect multiple plugins in serial. Thats it. Restart your music player and what not and it should work now.
7) When everythings configured perfectly go to File - "Save As" to basically create a save state of the entire rack along with all settings within the plugins to a .filtergraph file. As far as I can see you have to manually load this .filtergraph file when windows starts. But theres probably a way to execute the app with the file and put that shortcut in the startup folder.
Note if you are using an external DAC then switch it on before you log on to windows. Otherwise Effect Rack cannot detect the audio device when it launches, and youll have to go to options and re-select it.
Recommended plugins:
- BBEs D82 Sonic Maximizer - A great way to make your equipment sound a bit more bright and crisp. Try setting the process knob to 3 or 4 and dont touch the others.
- iZotope Ozone - mastering suite with a good EQ, harmonic exciter, stereo seperation and so forth. Awesome plugin for this but also pretty expensive.
- TB Isone - apply some crossfeed / reverb.
- Any free EQ plugin out there... or a reverb for fun.. play around!
1) Buy and install DDMF Virtual Audio Stream. The cheaper version without plugins is sufficient: http://ddmf.eu/virtual-audio-stream/
This software installs a driver in windows that can take any audio device as input signal, apply VSTi effects to it in a chain, and then spit it out again to any sound device.
2) Go to playback devices in windows and choose one of the 4 new devices for example "Stream 1" as the default playback device.
3) Launch the app "DDMF Effect Rack" that installed with the package. Were just going to work with one stream for the purpose of this guide (the one on the left).
4) Go to Options - "Change settings for first stream". For output, select the audio device that transmits the final signal to your headphones / speakers. The input should be Stream 1 if thats the default playback device you selected before. Here you could also choose ASIO if supported, change sample rate, and buffer size if you wish to. I dont personally experience any latency with just "Windows Audio" selected as audio device type. Click away the adio settings.
5) Drag and drop whatever effect plugin .dll file you have from windows explorer into the empty Stream 1 area on the left side of the Effect Rack. Notice a green box representing the plugin appears with 2 connecters on top of it and below it. If nothing appears or you see an error message, try the x86 version of your plugin or vice versa.
6) Click and hold on each connector on top of the plugin to link up to the connectors on "Audio Input" in the top of the rack. Do the same for the connectors below the plugin down to "Audio Output". Double click the green box of the plugin to open the plugin interface and configure it. Any app that is using "default audio device" for sound should go through your rack. You can ofcourse connect multiple plugins in serial. Thats it. Restart your music player and what not and it should work now.
7) When everythings configured perfectly go to File - "Save As" to basically create a save state of the entire rack along with all settings within the plugins to a .filtergraph file. As far as I can see you have to manually load this .filtergraph file when windows starts. But theres probably a way to execute the app with the file and put that shortcut in the startup folder.
Note if you are using an external DAC then switch it on before you log on to windows. Otherwise Effect Rack cannot detect the audio device when it launches, and youll have to go to options and re-select it.
Recommended plugins:
- BBEs D82 Sonic Maximizer - A great way to make your equipment sound a bit more bright and crisp. Try setting the process knob to 3 or 4 and dont touch the others.
- iZotope Ozone - mastering suite with a good EQ, harmonic exciter, stereo seperation and so forth. Awesome plugin for this but also pretty expensive.
- TB Isone - apply some crossfeed / reverb.
- Any free EQ plugin out there... or a reverb for fun.. play around!