WASAPI Output Plugin 'Maiko' (VISTA & later only)

[SilverBird775]

Funny thing indeed.

There is no scenario Maiko utilize the Windows resampler even for a shared mode. Some basic windows mixer parts are active still... for a shared mode.

You may want to confirm this for a exclusive mode too. Another player test with WASAPI support would be nice too.

[kutjong]

Hm, strange. I haven't been able to recreate the anomaly from yesterday. Today when I play back @ 24/96 it passes the udial test.
I also tried out the JRiver Media Center which has its own WASAPI output. Yesterday it had the same problem, failing udial @ 24/96. Today it also passes without any problem.
So I don't know, maybe the sound card was just acting up in some way. Now it seems to be working fine.

[Aminifu]

Hi SilverBird775,

Just wanted to let you know I installed version 0.50 and it seems to work as well as version 0.49. When I first saw the size of it compared to 0.49, I thought it was a download error. That was a great job of code clean up.

[Aminifu]

I spoke too soon. 0.50 will not accept a matrix value change. Any attempt returns 0.

[SilverBird775]

Too much of code was cleaned

Please re-download.

[Aminifu]

Thanks, 0.50.02 seems to fix things in the matrix mixer. Still an impressive amount of clean up.

However, there is now another issue. After closing the Maiko configuration window, the Output plug-ins window in the WA General Preferences is empty. Clicking on another preference heading and then back on 'Plug-ins - Output' repopulates the window.

I guess your config window is supposed to trigger a refresh of the Output plug-ins window (when it is closed).

[SilverBird775]

Aminifu,

Reproduced the configuration exit bug. Now tracking the cause.

[MPDL]

Hi Silver, first off great plugin.

My question is that somehow I can't get the 80 bit thing on the Shared Mode, I don't know what I'm missing here. It works excellent in all the other ways. My setup is:

Windows 7 64 bit Home Premium
3 gb Ram
Winamp 5.63 with FFSox input plugin set to 24 bit and Winamp`s 24 bit mode allowed.

Thanks in advance.

[MPDL]

Oh I forgot and on board 24/192 Conexant Smartaudio hd or 24/96 Creative 5.1 x fi surround pro usb for sound cards.

Can't get it with any of the two.

Thanks.

[SilverBird775]

That is all you can do. This capability is far beyond winamp decoders and FFSOX requirements, "classic" thought. I believe the winamp input plugins are doing the final bit conversion too early. They do assume the output is always a copy routine straight to the DAC. That is not a certain case because the input plugin have no DAC probe. Other advanced players are using a later bit adaptation, letting the output plugin to realize the actual output configuration.

Converting to 16\24 bit by input plugin and by output plugin is not the same. Let's me explain this. Every device have a certain capability and a preferable modes. Maiko is able to read their status and to decide what is optimal for them. There is no such a knowledge in decoders that is why output plugin have an great advantage quality wise. It just sure knows what to do. There is a second scenario. You are switching the playback device right in the middle of the track. How in the world the decoder may know now what's going on next to his backyard? Postprocessing is not his business indeed.

Maiko works 80bit internally and support up to 80bit input. But so far there are no 80bit decoders released yet in public. Although i have the MPEG one in mind which i hope to finish someday. Good news every other unofficial configurations supported too, otachan 64bit input plugins including.

Considering FFSOX. I've tried to explain the FFSox author that it is better to output the data as it is, untouched. He amazed on me as i'm doing an extra work myself! What an output must do - to output what's decoded and processed bit to bit. I'm like: what?! So bumped the brick wall that telling me that every output device should be stereo only and that being capable to tweak the channels gains to avoid the clipping is a bad idea. I do not use FFSox because of it's build-in non unpluggable postprocessor. It is clipping - i cant fix that, it create bad trasformation matrix - i cant fix that too, it transform bit precise formats - i'm unable to turn that off. In every other aspect it is simply amazing software.

[MPDL]

I believe the winamp input plugins are doing the final bit conversion too early. They do assume the output is always a copy routine straight to the DAC.

So that would be the case for EVERY default Winamp input plugin not just an added one like FFSoX? I'm just using FFSox for Flac and Wav only. and I don't get the result even with the allow 24bit option disabled.

There is a second scenario. You are switching the playback device right in the middle of the track. How in the world the decoder may know now what's going on next to his backyard? Postprocessing is not his business indeed.

Not sure what you mean by this, but I didn't switch anything in the middle of any track.

Maiko works 80bit internally and support up to 80bit input. But so far there are no 80bit decoders released yet in public

What I don't understand is how you do to get the 80 bit input, like I have seen in some pictures that you posted in this thread, that's why I was asking.

I understand what you're saying about FFsox, but the thing is that I have many 24bit flac and Wav files and if I don't use this thing the Winamp default ones chops off 8 bits of it, even with it's flaws I prefer it to the Winamp ones.

[SilverBird775]

FFSoX and first party winamp plugins are 80bit incapable, 64bit incapable, 32bit incapable (only integer type supported). There is nothing Maiko can do with this.

The 80bit ones on my screens are generated by Maiko MPEG plugin prototype.

By the way, you do not need 80 bit for a FLAC's or WAV's. 24 bit FLAC means 24 bit resolution no more no less. Extended precision only matters for a MPEG kind lossy formats.

Here is a quote from my article for plugin developers and advanced users.

Originally Posted by http://maiko.elementfx.com/forum/index.php?topic=22.0

Best output format for decoder - as is
The optimal input format for a Maiko is extended float point, 80 bit float. It's internal format for the plugin.
For a bit-copy mode it does not matter what the input format is, it will just copy through. Though it almost not possible to copy data without any change in bit-copy mode with the float point on the input. So, in exclusive WASAPI bit-copy mode the Maiko plugin will convert the float data to the integer. The decoder do it anyway right? Not so. The best Maiko usage is to output the decoder's internal format without any change, no upsampling, no downsampling or any kind of converting and just letting maiko to adapt the input format to the actual hardware because Maiko knows how to adapt each input format to each output format in the most shortest and quality way.

For example, there is a winamp's OGG or MPEG decoders. Their internal format is 32 bit float. The input plugins convert it to the 24bit. But what if you want to process something? The Maiko then convert the integer 24 bit (i24) to the float 80 bit (f80), then process it, and convert it to the hardware optimal integer depth (i24 probably) or f32 for a shared mode, because f32 will be most optimal for a windows mixer (so the windows mixer would not do i24 -> f32 conversion again!!!).

Winamp's common plugins works not in a good way:

Nullsoft OGG
[decoder f32][convert f32->i24]
Maiko
[convert i24->f80][processor f80][convert f80->f32\i24]


How it should work from a Maiko perspective:

Otachan's MPEG (the most correct way - it's so simple!!!)
[decoder f32]

Maiko
[convert f32->f80][processor f80][convert f80->f32\i24]

As you can see, for a second scenario there is a lot more possibilities for a Maiko to shortcut the computing, it can even bypass the f32 to f32 unchanged when possible! The idea behind logic that decoder is never knows the situation, but Maiko knows because it supervising the actual device. Even then, f32->f80->i24 will be substantially better then f32->i24->f80->i24. Also, everything in Maiko is optional, the plugin do not compute for a sake a of computing.

[Aminifu]

Hi SilverBird775,

Version 0.51 corrects the configuration exit bug. Do you have a target date for the release of a working balance tab?

The output volume is much louder in exclusive mode than in shared mode. Can you explain why this is so?

[MPDL]

Thanks for the replies.

Besides Otachan's MPEG, are there any other third party input plugins for Wianmp that you would recomend for using with yours (for lossy or lossles codecs)? Or ANY Winamp input plugin that works in the right way when used with yours?

One more quick question, 64bit float output in Otachan's is recommended to use with Maiko in any of the ways of your plugin? or it's better to use 32f in some cases?

Sorry for the annoying questions man, just trying to get my audio right. Digital audio is driving me crazy.

Thanks again.

[SilverBird775]

Originally Posted by Aminifu

Do you have a target date for the release of a working balance tab?

Christmas time i hope.

Originally Posted by Aminifu

The output volume is much louder in exclusive mode than in shared mode. Can you explain why this is so?

Should be about equal on 0db.

Originally Posted by MPDL

Besides Otachan's MPEG, are there any other third party input plugins for Winamp that you would recomend for using with yours (for lossy or lossles codecs)? Or ANY Winamp input plugin that works in the right way when used with yours?

Any lossless codec is. Usually any lossless are leaving the input untouched, untouched is good that is the point.

Originally Posted by MPDL

One more quick question, 64bit float output in Otachan's is recommended to use with Maiko in any of the ways of your plugin? or it's better to use 32f in some cases?

64 bit float is a preferable mode when used with Otachan ASIO or Maiko WASAPI.

Originally Posted by MPDL

Sorry for the annoying questions man, just trying to get my audio right. Digital audio is driving me crazy.

Empty worries. Just take what pleases your ear the most.

[Aminifu]

Originally Posted by SilverBird775

Should be about equal on 0db.

Hi,

I do not understand that answer.

When I start WA with Maiko in shared mode, the volume is at a certain level depending on the Windows master volume control. If I switch to exclusive mode while the track is playing the volume increases. Switching back to shared mode the volume stays at the increased level.

When I start WA with Maiko in exclusive mode, the volume is at this increased level.

The Maiko volume control on the balance tab is set to 230. The volume in WA is set to 90%. The WA equalizer is set to 0 dB (or 31 in winamp.ini) for the pre-amp and all the frequency sliders. I'm also using the "Enhancer" DSP plug-in (makes no difference if it is enabled or not).

It's like starting in or switching to exclusive mode gives my sound card a power boost of about 3% on the Windows master volume scale (with no change of this control's displayed setting). Maybe it's some quirk of my sound card driver.

[Aminifu]

Hi SilverBird775,

Version 0.52 sounds great, but it breaks the ability to save matrix mixer changes in shared mode. Mixer changes in exclusive mode are saved.

Looking through the change log, I see that version 0.36 listed "Volume control for Exclusive mode is now pre-amping". This may explain why the volume is louder in exclusive mode than it is in shared mode.

[SilverBird775]

Okay, we'll see what's gone wrong.

...
(The rest of the post is the boring loundness thing rant.)
...
There is two ways of amplification, ere (before) processing and post processing. They are making essential difference. Early multiplier scales the signal before any other processing took a place. Later multiplier scales the signal after every other job is done, clipping including. Early input signal scaling gives more room for a power bursts, which will be otherwise cutted off by clipper. The clipper chop off the maximum overlimiting, everything chopped off is the excessive raw power, distort loudness. The pre-scaling actually preserves the excessive amount of power as there is some details along with a power bursts. When the user attenuate the signal it scales down but the bursts still there, the just comply with acceptable absolute maximum range, though bursting over user intended level.
Then, it is just a half story.
The Windows mixer clipping math includes a dithering, any dithering lowers a high frequency domain, the most benificiant of the overclipping. Less audible hissing and smoother signal steepness makes an impression of a lesser loudness. Perhaps the lower loudness themself could be part of a loudness war coutermeasures. The modern overcompressed music gives enormous clipping. There is no room for any "smoothing" filter to go any bit higher, just to do anything you need to reduce the overall output raw power first, the loudness i mean, need to scale it down a little.

It's a well known effect that a bitperfect loundness are usually sharper and louder then filtered and toned down shared mode. It's the same observation for any general purpose player more or less. The google explains the loudness war phenomenon, me don't dare to repeat its just too intricate to be explained by my wrecked english. The record industry is hopelessy ill. You may just wonder how much brand new legal CDs i just throw off because of ridiculous compression. For example i presented the gorgeous CD license catching with nothing else at disposal in time, hoping to buy it again, and i did it just to discover the newly issued CD's screwed the loundness making it way too noisy and super loud. I had to visit the new owner of beloved CD to make a copy. And so on...

In short, the modern records are overcompressed, there is little dynamic and too much raw power. It makes no good to the DAC which have to deal with extreme, unnaturally steep signal, higher power consumption to reproduce more raw power. Excessive power = distortion. Reducing the power a little may pull the most DAC's away from an overload currents. This is why i kept the optional software volume control for exclusive mode, to fight the loudness and extreme overcompression. The only best method to fight the excessive raw power is to scale it down as early as possible before it starts to make damage (distortion). Remastering the source file is not a good option either as you may reconsider your opinion about optimal loudness based on your health, sleepiness, environment, mood.

[Aminifu]

Originally Posted by SilverBird775

It's a well known effect that a bitperfect loundness are usually sharper and louder then filtered and toned down shared mode. It's the same observation for any general purpose player more or less. The google explains the loudness war phenomenon, me don't dare to repeat its just too intricate to be explained by my wrecked english.

This was not well known to me. Thank you for taking time to explain. I have some research to do. The bottom line is since I discovered your plug-in my digital collection has never sounded so good. I had no idea that bitperfect could make such a difference.

[Aminifu]

Hi SilverBird775,

Further observations on version 0.52.

When the exclusive mode "Free device when idle" option is not checked the output delay for the finest samplerate converter is 4 or 5 seconds less on my system, but the matrix mixer changes are not saved even in exclusive mode. A restart reverts to the automatic mixer setup.

Once the balance and delays controls are working, changing the matrix mix will hopefully not be necessary. I only do it now for 'room corrections'.

I don't mind the output delay in exchange for a better samplerate converter, but others might. Do you think you can significantly shorten the delay?

As you know, the 'Loudness War' predates digital music and I don't think the music industry is going to stop it any time soon. Thanx again for the info provided in your last post. Anyway, I now prefer the sound of your plug-in's adaptive exclusive mode (with upsampling & upmixing) when I'm focused on listening to my music. It is 'sharper' and a little more detailed. It's also nice to have the option of having the output match the input for hearing what the studio intended. Shared mode (with upsampling & upmixing) is great for background listening, when I'm focused on other tasks. I'm now content with waiting a while longer on upgrading my soundcard and speakers. Thanks to you, I no longer need "Matrix Mixer" and I can bypass the Windows mixer too. I only lose crossfading, but with gapless output, that is not a big deal.

[HeldImZelt]

Out_maiko.dll v0.53 doesn't show up in Winamp v5.63, Win7/32Bit. Any ideas?

Edit: Nevermind... no SSE2 CPU (AMD K7/Athlon XP-M).

[big_blue]

Hey, just stumbled upon this plugin, it worked great for a while but now it only works on exclusive mode. I have the system volume turned up and my speakers are enabled and everything, but in shared mode I can't hear the music at all. I can see it playing, and registering the sound, but can't physically hear it unless I turn it to exclusive mode. I like using winamp in the background and don't want to have to close it every time I want to listen to another program. Lemme know what you can come up with, thanks.

Edit: Also, I don't suppose I'll be able to utilize the rest of my 5.1 system in shared mode? My current mixer settings allow me to, I believe.

[Aminifu]

@SilverBird775; Version 0.53 is working great on my system. Mixer changes are now retained in both exclusive and shared mode. What do you mean by "Resampler quality switch fixed" in the change log? That part seems to work the same for me, although it seems to take longer for the output to start (around 15 seconds).

@big_blue; Can you provide more details on your system? What did you select for device setup in Maiko? What other plug-ins are you using? Have you checked the WA volume level in WA and on the Balance tab in Maiko while in shared mode? It's easy to inadvertently change WA's volume with the mouse wheel. There is a plug-in to block that feature if you don't want mouse wheel volume control. Also, if using Vista or Win 7, check the Windows Volume Mixer's level for WA. It should not change by switching Maiko's modes, but it may have.

I don't understand your last question. Shared mode lets all apps have independent and simultaneous control of your sound subsystem.

[SilverBird775]

What do you mean by "Resampler quality switch fixed" in the change log?
CPU Exhaustive caching is using when the finest samplerate checkbox have a check mark. It's a trade off for either little bit more precise resampler or an instant start. Exhaustive precaching give an unpleasant pause every time the resampler changing it's lookup coefficients.

Also, if using Vista or Win 7, check the Windows Volume Mixer's level for WA. It should not change by switching Maiko's modes, but it may have.
I'd guess its a mute cause. The Maiko traybar icon context menu still reserve the spot for a mute checkmark (not working atm.) which is meant to be synhronized with a windows mixer panel. The windows shared mode mixer can mute any other application aside from a volume control. Volume control and mute have no relationship except they are both the standard attributes to any shared mode stream. You may set the volume knob to any position but if it's muted too it would have no effect then. Since the mute is not emulating for exclusive mode it does not matter what the actual mixer 'mute' checkmark readings are for a windows volume mixer.

[Aminifu]

Originally Posted by SilverBird775

It's a trade off for either little bit more precise resampler or an instant start. Exhaustive precaching give an unpleasant pause every time the resampler changing it's lookup coefficients.

You're the expert. Little bit more is kinda vague.
Is the increase in precision worth the start delay?

Bad question? I can only assume you think yes, or you would not have added this feature.

[mark007]

Hi SilverBird775. I'm still using you're plugin to great effect, very happy. I use my PC connected to my Samsung HDTV which in PC Mode has about 50ms delay compared to audio, so I delay audio in all playback software to match up.

However when I try to delay output by 50ms from maiko wasapi 0.53, the sound skips / stutters. I'm not sure if you can reproduce on your end or if you'd like any information from me. I'm using Xonar HDAV Deluxe 1.3 analogue, Win 7 64bit.

[big_blue]

@Animifu & @SilverBird775, thanks for the SPEEDY replies.

To Animifu, my speakers are selected in device setup. Also, in the log, the input and output say I'm using a 2.0 (Stereo) setup whilst in exclusive mode. When in shared mode, however (still with no sound from the speakers), the output recognizes my modified 7.1 (actually 5.1) setup through Windows. I'm assuming I can set the appropriate channels in the mixer (for exclusive mode) but I really don't know how as I'm pretty new to this, haha. Hope that sheds some light on the situation somehow.

Also, I checked the volume mixer in WA and everything is set to the correct volumes, no mutes in use whatsoever. Could there be a confusion with my speaker setup when Maiko gives full control to the Windows Mixer? The plugin works just fine otherwise. Here's my status log with all boxes unchecked in the exclusive tab (which I assume is full shared mode):

Input stream:
24 bit PCM encoding in 2.0 (Stereo) setup. 44100Hz rate
MAIKO buffer/latency: 3835 samples (86962 µs)

Output stream:
32 bit float PCM encoding in 7.1 (Surround) setup. 48000Hz rate
Client buffer: 16384 samples (341334 µs)
Client latency: 10667 µs
Mixer scheduling period (latency): 10000 µs
Minimum device period (latency): 3000 µs

Shared mode renderer

Plugin latency reported to Winamp: 181 ms
Peak output loudness detected: - db
------------------------------------------------

Also, the balance doesn't really help me, only two of the bars are actually moving and nothing happens when I adjust them. Is there an issue in compatibility with Realtek sound drivers?

Sorry if I'm being extremely vague, I'd be more clear if I knew how haha. Would I be better off just switching to directsound when I want Winamp playing in the background? I'd rather run my music strictly through Maiko if possible, and use exclusive mode (with all my speakers in use however) when I want strictly music. My music sounds fantastic in exclusive mode, I'd love to use the plugin to its fullest potential.

Edit: Oh, and I'm using the MAD plugin for input. I also downloaded an equalizer called "Enhancer".

[HeldImZelt]

@SilverBird775:
Can you add an SSE runtime path or release a separate SSE version? Is the source code available somewhere?

[Aminifu]

Hi big_blue,

The Maiko balance tab features are not fully working yet. The only thing on that tab that is working correctly, from what I know, is the overall volume control. The delays and bass cutoff on the matrix mixer tab are also not working yet.

I suggest you try disabling the MAD input plug-in and only use the official Winamp input plug-ins.

Also take a look at post #266 on page 7. It is very strange that you hear your music in exclusive mode and not shared mode. I would expect any problems to be the other way around. I'm also using the Enhancer DSP plug-in with no problems. What is shown on the mixer tab while playing a song in shared mode?

Like you, I prefer the exclusive mode sound when I'm focused on just listening to music. But shared mode is great for background music when I'm doing other stuff.

[Aminifu]

Originally Posted by mark007

However when I try to delay output by 50ms from maiko wasapi 0.53, the sound skips / stutters. I'm not sure if you can reproduce on your end or if you'd like any information from me. I'm using Xonar HDAV Deluxe 1.3 analogue, Win 7 64bit.

Please excuse me for butting in. With all the buffering already going on in WA and Maiko, I have not been able to successfully add another also. Exactly what are you trying to do to introduce a delay?

My need is very different. I'm trying to buffer so that I can add a crossfading tool with an output plug-in stacker, but I keep losing sync. I figure if I can delay Maiko's output in a controllable way it may solve the sync problem.

WA's built-in crossfading only works with it's directsound plug-in and SliverBird775 is not going to add crossfading to his plug-in.

[Aminifu]

Hi SilverBird775,

I had a very strange event happen today. After the regular auto-update of my Avira anti-virus app's virus/malware signatures, the 0.53 version of the Maiko plug-in would not load (WA was reporting it could not find it even though it was in the WA plug-ins folder). Thinking the plug-in had somehow got corrupted, I tried to open the zip file I had downloaded 2 days ago to replace it and I could not open the zip file. Checking my error event logs, I found out that Avira was blocking both files. I had turned Avira's notifications off because it had a bad spell of throwing up false positives a few months ago. Anyway, Avira was claiming that both files were infected with "TR/Fakealert.47.14", whatever that is.

I assumed it maybe another false positive, so I tried re-downloading the zip from your website and was surprised Avira accepted the download. So I decided to overwrite the Maiko zip and dll files on my system and I noticed that the file sizes were different. Is there any way the zip file and it's contents on your website could have changed in the last 2 days? Everything is working again and the version number listed in WA's output plug-ins dialog box for the previous file and this new one are the same.

I have scanned my system with my backup anti-virus and malware apps and it is clean. I use 3 layers of protection and think it highly unlikely that something got through to target your files (the dll and the zip)!!! But almost anything is possible these days, so I thought I would let you know about this.

[big_blue]

Originally Posted by Aminifu

Hi big_blue,

The Maiko balance tab features are not fully working yet. The only thing on that tab that is working correctly, from what I know, is the overall volume control. The delays and bass cutoff on the matrix mixer tab are also not working yet.

I suggest you try disabling the MAD input plug-in and only use the official Winamp input plug-ins.

Also take a look at post #266 on page 7. It is very strange that you hear your music in exclusive mode and not shared mode. I would expect any problems to be the other way around. I'm also using the Enhancer DSP plug-in with no problems. What is shown on the mixer tab while playing a song in shared mode?

Like you, I prefer the exclusive mode sound when I'm focused on just listening to music. But shared mode is great for background music when I'm doing other stuff.

Disabling MAD plugin doesn't do anything. In Shared mode my mixer looks like this




and the balance shows that there's no sound. Even still, exclusive mode works, but only with my two front speakers and sub.

[schulze]

hi SilverBird775!

i'm following your plugin (and this thread) since the early beginnings and appreciate the work you put into it. i think it's great and i like using it.
but sadly i have to confirm what Aminifu stated above. i had exactly the same experience an reverted back until the situation clarifies. it's quite odd that the v0.53 i loaded from your website on 7th september isn't identical to the v0.53 offered now without further notice from your side.

hope to hear from you

[Aminifu]

Originally Posted by big_blue

and the balance shows that there's no sound. Even still, exclusive mode works, but only with my two front speakers and sub.

While a song is playing, is the Winamp volume control on the Balance tab set to a greater than 0 value?

I have a 5.1 speaker system. Your Mixer tab is showing settings for a 5.1 system. Maybe something is broken for 7.1 systems. Hopefully you will hear from SilverBird775 soon.

[Aminifu]

Originally Posted by schulze

hi SilverBird775!

i'm following your plugin (and this thread) since the early beginnings and appreciate the work you put into it. i think it's great and i like using it.
but sadly i have to confirm what Aminifu stated above. i had exactly the same experience an reverted back until the situation clarifies. it's quite odd that the v0.53 i loaded from your website on 7th september isn't identical to the v0.53 offered now without further notice from your side.

hope to hear from you

Thanx for the confirmation. This had me worried about my security precautions. Something strange is going on.

I would hate to lose this great plug-in.

[ThurstonX]

Greetings. I've been following this thread with great interest.

I ran the first 0.53 I downloaded through MD5summer, and then downloaded the one currently posted and did the same. Here's the comparison:

# MD5 checksums generated by MD5summer (http://www.md5summer.org)
# Generated 9/12/2012 6:23:05 PM

c6290174c43aba844786013c5a73fcc7 *out_maiko 0.53b.dll [latest ver. renamed]
6e4ab63c8e2ce16a0c156ecd21cf4967 *out_maiko.dll

That said, I scanned everything with the latest ver. of avast! and no threats were detected.

Cheers.

[Aminifu]

Originally Posted by ThurstonX

Greetings. I've been following this thread with great interest.

I ran the first 0.53 I downloaded through MD5summer, and then downloaded the one currently posted and did the same. Here's the comparison:

# MD5 checksums generated by MD5summer (http://www.md5summer.org)
# Generated 9/12/2012 6:23:05 PM

c6290174c43aba844786013c5a73fcc7 *out_maiko 0.53b.dll [latest ver. renamed]
6e4ab63c8e2ce16a0c156ecd21cf4967 *out_maiko.dll

That said, I scanned everything with the latest ver. of avast! and no threats were detected.

Cheers.

Thanks for your info. The version I downloaded on 9/10/2012 says it's 0.53. Checking the change log on the Maiko website today lists:

[2012 09 19][v 0.53]
! 0.47+ Prevented bogus calls to win shell on loading.
! Fixed some weird glitches on track change
after some options change and some other events...
! 0.52 Resampler quality switch fixed.

There is no mention of version 0.53b and today is 9/12/2012. What's with the 9/19 date? When I first downloaded on 9/8 and again on 9/10, the date in the change log was 9/7 but the zip files were different sizes. Something out of the ordinary is going on! Maybe his site has been hacked. But he has provided beta versions in the past that are not listed in the change log.

I will not be changing anything until we hear from SilverBird775. It would be good for him to provide MD5 checksums for what he provides so that the validity of what we download could be verified.

[big_blue]

Originally Posted by Aminifu

While a song is playing, is the Winamp volume control on the Balance tab set to a greater than 0 value?

I have a 5.1 speaker system. Your Mixer tab is showing settings for a 5.1 system. Maybe something is broken for 7.1 systems. Hopefully you will hear from SilverBird775 soon.

Yes, the volume is all the way up when I try. I also do have a 5.1 system, I think maybe it's recognized as 7.1 in my status log because that's the setup option in my Windows sound preferences (side speakers unchecked). Oh well, can only hope it works out in the end.

[Aminifu]

Originally Posted by big_blue

..., I think maybe it's recognized as 7.1 in my status log because that's the setup option in my Windows sound preferences (side speakers unchecked). Oh well, can only hope it works out in the end.

That could be the problem. Maiko gets info on the number of speakers from what is set for the OS via the Windows sound preferences. You have 'told' Maiko to connect to speakers that do not exist. In exclusive mode, Maiko bypasses the Windows mixer and connects directly to the speakers via the sound card/chip driver (or something like that). In shared mode, Maiko uses the Windows mixer to access the speakers.

Try changing the Windows sound speaker options to 5.1, it may not be enough to select 7.1 and disable the side speakers. Why would you want to do that anyway, since you do not have a 7.1 system?

[mark007]

Hi Aminifu,

I'm was going to use the plugins delay functionality, to make audio match up to video, so that things like beat visualization, or other visualization plugins correspond more exactly to audio output. At the moment my TV has a significant delay, which makes things like the audio beat visualization look silly, its so far off.