Equalizer option

[JacobusdeKerle]

The EQ on COG is excellent and much better than the generic 5 or 10 band ones on most programs. And thank heavens there are none of those silly presets!

A suggestion for the current one: I doubt that anyone needs +/- 20dB adjustment. Maybe only 12db and add some horizontal lines at 3dB intervals?

An alternate EQ option to the very comprehensive 1/3 octave bands might be a 3-band parametric with adjustable Q and center frequency. This would probably provide as much adjustment & flexibility as most of us need.

[kode54]

I don't have a control over what the bands are set at. I'm using Apple's equalizer filter in the 31 band mode. Parametric equalizer would require me to use a different equalizer filter.

[JacobusdeKerle]

Thanks for the quick reply. I didn't realize you were using the Apple EQ (I don't use Logic so am not familiar with its EQ options.) It's still better than what other programs offer! :)

[kode54]

Yeah, it's a pretty great equalizer, all things considered. I'd rather not have to roll my own, since the system comes with a nice one. It also comes with a configurable parametric equalizer. I'll have to look into how that one is configured.

[JacobusdeKerle]

Ah.... please do. I come from a classical music background and used to do some professional audio recording, so I sometimes "fuss" about things like this :)

[kode54]

This looks like it will be usable, but sort of limited. I'm thinking of just adding the ability to insert arbitrary AudioUnit effects into the output chain, around the same place where the Equalizer currently goes.

This is what the NBandEQ filter can do:

# https://developer.apple.com/documentation/audiotoolbox/1389745-aunbandeq_parameters
kAUNBandEQParam_BypassBand = 1000
kAUNBandEQParam_FilterType = 2000
kAUNBandEQParam_Frequency = 3000
kAUNBandEQParam_Gain = 4000
kAUNBandEQParam_Bandwidth = 5000
kAUNBandEQParam_GlobalGain = 0
#
kAUNBandEQProperty_NumberOfBands = 2200
kAUNBandEQProperty_MaxNumberOfBands = 2201
kAUNBandEQProperty_BiquadCoefficients = 2203
#
kAUNBandEQFilterType_Parametric = 0
kAUNBandEQFilterType_2ndOrderButterworthLowPass = 1
kAUNBandEQFilterType_2ndOrderButterworthHighPass = 2
kAUNBandEQFilterType_ResonantLowPass = 3
kAUNBandEQFilterType_ResonantHighPass = 4
kAUNBandEQFilterType_BandPass = 5
kAUNBandEQFilterType_BandStop = 6
kAUNBandEQFilterType_LowShelf = 7
kAUNBandEQFilterType_HighShelf = 8
kAUNBandEQFilterType_ResonantLowShelf = 9
kAUNBandEQFilterType_ResonantHighShelf = 10
kNumAUNBandEQFilterTypes = 11

Max number of bands from the dialog it provides appears to be 16 bands.

[JacobusdeKerle]

I'd think that 3, maybe 4 max., selectable bands would be enough (KISS Principle etc.) Personally, I find I only ever want to make slight adjustments to the HF (and occasionally LF). I remember the old Baxandall EQ from ages ago and as I recall it was pretty good.

As to adding other AU effects, other COG users might disagree, but IMHO I'd resist the urge to do so, on the basis that we're listening to already-recorded and -engineered music and should really only need to make small adjustments. I briefly tried another playback program about a year or so ago (although its name has left an indelible blank on my memory now) which claimed to be the be-all and end-all of audio perfection, and it could call up the entire AU arsenal, 99% of which I had no need for. Unfortunately, a few of the features never worked properly and they never answered queries, so I dropped it - and fortunately found COG :) My enquiry about changes to the EQ is really just "icing on the cake."

[JacobusdeKerle]

Addendum- I see there ARE presets; just hadn't noticed them before. Well, OK, for those who want 'em...

But one added feature to the EQ that would be very useful is to be able to save a few presets of our own, rather than just one "Custom", if that's possible.