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Winamp

I’ve settled long ago on Winamp because of the way it handles the rather large MP3 collection I have here.

However, I thought I’d post what plugins I’m using with Winamp to make the system more livable.

First, I’m using MuchFX, which allows me to ‘stack’ DSP audio effects. This is really the most useful thing I’ve ever seen for Winamp’s effects since there isn’t a single plug-in that matches all the audio needs.

Inside MuchFX, then, is Enhancer v0.17. Sometimes, early betas get it right. This one allows simple pseudo-parametric EQ and some fairly basic broadband AGC, as well as some echo both of which work quite well so long as it’s kept in the low ranges. Don’t ask it to sound like your Pop FM station.

From there, tend to run Compressor and Wider v1.1, which is as it suggests, a fairly good broadband compressor, with the usual limitations, thereof.  It also allows you to play with the difference signal. Long as both of these abilities are handled with kid gloves, they don’t get objectionable. The compression I use in a very light mode to allow a fairly constant RMS level, since I generally have music playing softly in my office all day, every day.  The compression (Actually the combo of compressors, in my stack) is set so as to not change the quality of the dynamics so much as make up for variances in the recorded level in individual MP3’s… a management issue when you have a large collection. Without the compression I lose whole songs. (The different attack and release times tend to mask the AGC to some degree, which is why I’m running two of them.) Total stack gain comes up around 15 DB or so. Nothing dramatic.  In any event, I can always cut the processing out if I want to get to some serious listening. (I’m currently looking for a re-leveler that will re-write the MP3, resetting the zero level to a present. I know CDEX will do this, but not in batch… and 80 gigs of MP3’s are a bear to do by hand!)

Finally, my audio playtoy is Sound Solution v1.1, which reminds me of nothing so much as an old Orban 8100. True old-style Brute force processing for broadcast applications. I suppose if I ever had any designs on running a pirate radio station, I’d be all set with that one. It’s fairly CPU intensive, though, so if I ever do that, I’ll need a seperate computer to do it with.

I’m still playing with playlist managers, and have not really come up with one I like yet, mostly because when I started burning MP3’s from the collection of LP’s I have around here, I was initially rather sloppy with how the files were labeled… it was early on in the game, and ID3 tags didn’t even exist.

I’ll open up for comments, and suggestions for Winamp plugins, and tricks.