Parametric EQ Patch

Many of you have been asking for this feature in our wish list, and finally someone has managed to provide this feature as an Environmental Audio preset.

Windows 2000 Version

This patch was tested on drivers ver. 5.12.01.3207 and 5.12.01.3209 and SBLive! Value. It modifies the EMU10K1F.SYS found in WINNT\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS.

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Old Windows 9x Version

Note that this is an unofficial patch that modifies the EMU10K1.VXD file provided in the drivers, and also adds an Environmental Audio preset.

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This patch modifies the EMU10K1.VXD found in the \WINDOWS\SYSTEM folder. It includes 2 different patch files for the following versions:

If your version is v4.11.01.0711 (May-2000) USE: sblive-eq-patch-new.exe
If your version is v4.06.711 (Nov-1999) USE: sblive-eq-patch-4.06.711.exe

You need to reboot your system for the Environmental Audio preset to appear.

It does not work with Windows 2000 yet.

What Does It Do?

Basically, it allows far greater control over the equalization across the sound spectrum compared to the primitive bass and treble controls found in the Surround Mixer. You can set whether to boost or lower a certain range of frequencies.

You can set this to balance and compensate for the strong and weak areas of your particular speaker system. Some speakers do badly with bass and/or treble and this needs to be compensated with equalization. Music will sound much better!

Mark Muschett posted a detailed description in the 3DSS forum:

In general, a parametric equalizer allows you to specify the center frequency for the boost/cut and the bandwidth - how wide a frequency range it affects.

Once you install the (unofficial) Parmetic EQ patch you have to add the Parmetric EQ to an EAX preset, turn the level up (probably should be 100 percent) and turn the original sound volume to zero then and save it as Parmetic EQ (or what ever else you want to call it). At default it does nothing. Then what you do is adjust the parametic EQ settings to taste and you can save each of your custom configs under a name of your choice (although parametric equalization is typically used to compensate for some peculiarity in room acoustics so you would usually do this once and that would be it)

Then back to the EAX preset you can simply select the type of parmetric EQ within the single preset or you can select and save each setting under an entirely different preset name. You can also throw in some reverb at the same time to the preset if you want since I expect that most people are going to be using this EQ for purposes other than neutralizing room acoustics.

The setting are fairly self explanatory but I will offer a summary of my understanding of them. In case you are wondering, a boost of 10 dB is generally perceived to be about twice as loud as the original level.

Overall Gain - its bascially volume level. Default is 0 dB and it can go as low as -36 dB

Low Boost/Cut - default 0 db with a range of +-18 db

Low Cutoff Frequency - all frequenices including, and below, this frequncy will be cut or boosted by the number above.

Midrange #1 and Midrange #2 Boost/Cut - again, default of 0 dB, range of +-18 dB

Midrange #1 Center Frequency - this combined with the bandwidth setting determines the range of frequencies that will be affected by the boost/cut above. Default is 500 Hz, range is from 100 Hz to 1000 Hz.

Midrange #1 Bandwidth - this setting determines how much above and below the Midrange #1 Center frequency is affected by the boost/cut. The default is 1 octave (above and below) and the range is from 0.01 octave to 1 octave. An octave above a given frequency (e.g 500 Hz) is a frequency which is twice the given frequency and an octave below a given frequency is a frequency which is one-half of the given frequency. This mean that if we we use the default example of 500 Hz for Midrange #1 then the boost/cut will affect from 250 Hz to 1000 Hz at the default setting of 1 octave.

Midrange #2 Center frequency - as per Midrange #1 Center frequency except the default is 2000 Hz and the range is 1,000 Hz to 10,000 Hz

High boost/cut - default 0 dB, range +-18dB.

I just did a very quick search on parametic eqaualization and found this article http://home.flash.net/~rcollier/explaining_parameters.htm that will give you what looks to be a good intro to the topic. More info can be found on the main page http://home.flash.net/~rcollier/ for Collier Electronics. Have fun!

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Mark Muschett
3DsoundSurge