From: Jens Arnold <arnold-j_at_t-online.de>
Date: Tue, 06 Dec 2005 09:45:45 +0100

Hi

Recently, the sound scaling patch was committed to CVS. Since I
think that this patch over-complicates things, I want to suggest
an alternative solution which I think is better.

I prepared a patch that changes the following things:

- Removed the various sound scaling options again
- Volume setting in dB on all targets, with the 'natural' range
  defined by the respective DAC
   -78..+18 dB for archos Player
  -115..+12 dB for archos Recorders and Ondios
   -84.. 0 dB for iriver H1x0 and H3x0
- No artificial volume limiting. On the targets which need this
  handling (archos Player, iriver), the prescaler is used at
  lower volumes to avoid clipping like before, but at high
  volumes, prescaling is reduced again.

Patch #1374123 on SourceForge:
http://sourceforge.net/tracker/index.php?func=detail&aid=1374123&group_id=44306&atid=439120

This has the following advantages:

- Less option clutter with less confusion
- More KISS and more uniform code across targets
- 0 dB volume mean line level on all platforms

- Sound settings always represent the actual values.

It was less-than-optimal before when the volume was modified
in the background, but the sound scaling patch extended this
behind-the-scenes mangling to treble and bass, even in a
possibly unpredictable way when 'adjust current' is selected.


The sound scaling patch had one good effect: it forced me to
think about the volume scaling, and perform some experiments
which finally convinced me that not capping the volume is
better.

- We don't cap the volume on archos Recorders and Ondios for
  years
- Archos recorders and Ondios may even clip at the (equivalent
  of) 0 dB (92 %) with high treble/bass boost plus high
  loudness setting
- Maximum possible volume on iriver is lower than on all
  archos targets
- Future addition of EQ (iriver) / replaygain (archos) would
  complicate things even more, and force us to reduce maximum
  volume further if we want to continue to guarantee no
  clipping.


Now I am asking for opinions/ suggestions on this. I would
really like to commit this...


Regards, Jens
Received on 2005-12-06