DSP tutorial book written by mitchco

[Bob Stern]

Mitch Barnett (mitchco) just published a 327-page tutorial on DSP as a Kindle-format eBook. It's $10 at:

 

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FURPS40

[wgscott]

Excellent find, Bob! Thanks for posting this.

 

Looks very Acourate-specific.

[audiventory]

My congrats for Mitch (mitchco)!

[hvbias]

Congrats Mitch, should make for some fine summer reading

[Octagon]

Great book Mitch! Thank's a lot for taking the time structuring your experience and knowledge, writing all that down and share it with us. I have an idea how much work is behind this

 

Well done

Thomas

[mitchco]

Thanks guys, I really appreciate it.

 

Cheers! Mitch

[Keith_W]

Thanks for the heads up! I have bought myself a copy.

[AaronBodle]

Purchased, thank you Mitch!

[Keith_W]

Mitch, I have read your book cover to cover several times. Your book only mentions Acourate filter installation in JRiver. I prefer to use HQPlayer (and so would many people on this forum who would be using Roon).

 

If you are going to write a second edition of this book, I thought you might be interested in the procedure to install filters into HQPlayer (with thanks to Miska for his gracious help):

 

1. Generate the filters using Acourate. Note - you need MONO filters, one per channel.

 

2. Set HQPlayer to 5.1 mode.

 

3. Plug your cables in using this convention:

- Left: Channel 1 to left subwoofer*

- Right: Channel 2 to right subwoofer*

- Center: Channel 3 to left mid

- LFE: Channel 4 to right mid

- Left back: Channel 5 to left high

- Right back: Channel 6 to right high

* In my case, because I only have one subwoofer (for now), I plugged both cables into the JL Audio sub and let it do the summation.

 

4. Install the convolution filters using the Matrix Pipeline setup (columns Channel In, Mix Channel, and Filter). Acourate users will know the file naming convention of Acourate - "Cor1L192.wav" means, "Corrected Filter, Left, 1st channel, 192,000Hz":

- 1 - 1 - Cor1L192.wav

- 2 - 2 - Cor1R192.wav

- 1 - 3 - Cor2L192.wav

- 2 - 4 - Cor2R192.wav

- 1 - 5 - Cor3L192.wav

- 2 - 6 - Cor3R192.wav

 

5. Using the Speaker Setup feature of HQPlayer, verify (AT LOW VOLUME!) that the channel assignments are correct. The procedure is: move all the sliders to the left (-20dB). Click on the "Enable Test Tone" box. This will send pink noise to all the channels. Slide the sliders up to 0dB one by one and verify that it is the correct driver which is producing sound, then slide it back to -20dB. Do this for each driver. Once done, turn off the test tone, return all sliders to 0dB, and switch off Speaker Setup.

 

6. Sit back and listen to music!

 

IMHO, Acourate filter installation into HQPlayer is more straightforward than JRiver. You do not need to edit a text config file.

[mitchco]

Hi Keith, thanks for purchasing my eBook, much appreciated. Yes, there will be a second edition with many new additions. Thanks for your procedure. Yes, that will be in the 2nd edition. There are so many different music players and convolvers, each with their own unique attributes. So many to cover, so little time :-)

 

One reason I like JRiver is being able to play videos with no lipsync issues while using linear phase correction filters. I must say my favorite convolver at the moment is Uli's AcourateConvolver. Aside from no config, as the filters load directly and automatically switch based on sample rate input, it is AcourateFlow which I am particularly enamored with as it fixes the phantom center image we all encounter when listening to stereo. This will also be another addition to the 2nd edition.

 

I am on vacation at the moment and can't find the links to a couple of forums that go into the details, but this paper provides some insight: http://www.sfxmachine.com/docs/FixingThePhantomCenter.pdf When I get back from vaca, I will supply the links to the forum discussions.

 

Again, thanks for purchasing my eBook Keith, and the procedure for HQPlayer. I hope you are enjoying the music!

 

Kind regards, Mitch

[mitchco]

Purchased, thank you Mitch!

 

Thanks AaronBodle!

[Keith_W]

Mitch, this weekend is something of a landmark. Six months after I purchased your eBook, I have tried every single method you have described. Each time I failed, it was because I glossed over an important point. Go over it carefully, and the result is success. Every time.

 

As I learn more about Acourate, I am starting to think you have enough material for a second eBook, rather than a second edition of the first. Here are some suggestions for topics (I am NOT criticizing you - I hope you find these suggestions constructive):

 

- tell us more about AcourateConvolver and Acourate Flow.

- other options for using Acourate generated correction filters, e.g. HQPlayer, JRiver, MiniDSP.

- virtual double bass array (nice writeup here)

- multichannel workflow (as posted by Matt Khan) - writeup here.

- you could expand a little more about subwoofer time alignment. Your eBook currently instructs readers to do a search in the Acourate forum.

- expand on how to use virtual cables and ASIO bridges to perform loopback measurements. How to get around Acourate's limitation on using the same ASIO device for playback and recording (e.g. I may want to use one device to record, and another for output). Your book currently has a writeup on how to do this with JRiver, but no instructions on how to use virtual cables or ASIO bridges.

- your book does not explain some of the rather esoteric options in Acourate, e.g. what is a Blackman Window? I can understand why you omitted it in your eBook for reasons of brevity and to avoid scaring off users, but these may be a useful addition to a second eBook.

 

I am looking forward to a second edition. I hope it comes soon.

[mitchco]

Hi Keith, thanks for your suggestions. Quite a few of those are on my list plus a few others. For subwoofer alignment, I like Uli's new Time Alignment of Drivers by Sinewave Convolution.

 

I need to acquire most of the h/w and s/w you mention, except for AcourateConvolver, which is worth it even just for using AcourateFLOW to improve the phantom center image: http://www.sfxmachine.com/docs/FixingThePhantomCenter.pdf

 

It is coming, just going to take some of time. Thanks again for your suggestions and encouragement!

 

Kind regards, Mitch

[Fridolin]

Can i read this book on a MacBook Pro (is there a reader for Kindle on MacOS)?

Then i will buy immediately.

 

Solved: loaded the Kindle App and downloaded the book!

[mitchco]

Thanks Fridolin! Sorry, I did not get to your post sooner - travelling on business. Let me know if you have any questions.

 

Kind regards, Mitch

[mitchco]

Update: full color paperback edition available: https://www.amazon.com/Accurate-Sound-Reproduction-Using-DSP/dp/1520977905/

[Octagon]

3 hours ago, mitchco said:

Update: full color paperback edition available: https://www.amazon.com/Accurate-Sound-Reproduction-Using-DSP/dp/1520977905/

 

Well done Mitch, received my printed version today. Great possibility making some notes while working...

 

Good size of the images, great value also in addition to my kindle version.

 

Thank's a lot

Thomas

[mitchco]

1 hour ago, Octagon said:

 

Well done Mitch, received my printed version today. Great possibility making some notes while working...

 

Good size of the images, great value also in addition to my kindle version.

 

Thank's a lot

Thomas

 

Thank you very much Thomas for your purchase and support! I am happy to hear the size of the color images turned out, as that was my main concern going to print. I am still waiting on my printed copy Lol!

Thanks again Thomas!

 

Kind regards, Mitch

 

[Silly goose]

Looks like a great book. I will add to cart!

[haoyeah]

Thanks MITCHCO for you great work. Wait 2e edition with hqplayer mulitichain. 

 

[fheller]

I worked through the book in recent weeks to get a basic understanding of Acourate.

Then I hired Mitch for creating filters.

This has been the best investment I made. Complete disruptive listening experience.

Highly recommended.

 

[pompon]

On 11/23/2021 at 11:40 AM, fheller said:

I worked through the book in recent weeks to get a basic understanding of Acourate.

Then I hired Mitch for creating filters.

This has been the best investment I made. Complete disruptive listening experience.

Highly recommended.

 

I guess, when I read the Acourate forum, I see I can go deeper my understanding.

For the moment, I am using Acourate with pretty basic parameter and that give excellent results already.