Stereo Tool offers a number of predefined presets, that can be used get fast results.
The presets that are currently offered are:
GENERIC PRESETS
These presets combine several functions, and can often be useful.
Constant volume, increased stereo
Intended for normal listening. Soft passages are made louder,
loud passages are made softer, and the stereo is slightly increased.
- Same but smoother peaks
Identical, but sounds are made "softer". This may sound better on
cheap speakers.
Watching a movie (low latency)
Intended for watching movies (DVDs) or TV shows with large volume differences.
This preset is a tradeoff between good quality (which requires processing
that causes a large delay in the playback) and a low delay (which is very
annoying, the sound is played after the movements have been displayed).
Not very good for music!
VOLUME COMPRESSION
These presets make the volume and sound color more constant.
Very Soft Compression (Classical)
The multiband compressors operate very slowly,
so the dynamics of the sound are almost unchanged.
Only a small amount of compression occurs, this mode is not
suitable if the goal is to get a really constant volume.
Sudden loud peaks are filtered out, though.
Very suitable for classical music.
Soft Compression
The compressors operate slightly faster than in the
Very Soft Compression mode, but they still move very
slowly. The output volume is much more constant, but the
dynamics of the sound are still very good. (It does not
sound "flat").
Normal Compression
The compressors operate at a normal rate. The output
volume is very constant, at the expense of loosing some
dynamics. (The sound will get more "flat").
VOLUME COMPRESSION (LOUD)
Same as VOLUME COMPRESSION, but these presets aim at a very constant
and very loud sound, sometimes at the cost of some of the quality.
Normal Compression (pop/rock)
Same as Normal Compression, but the output of the
multiband compressor is amplified before feeding it into
the overshoot protectors.
Loud bass sounds may cause pumping - see Normal Compression (dance)
for a similar preset that avoids this.
- Same but louder
Same as Normal Compression (pop/rock), but the output is
made approximately 5.5 dB louder using the Loudness
slider. (Requires registration)
Normal Compression (dance)
Same as Normal Compression (pop/rock), but the pumping when loud
bass sounds are present is reduced at the cost of having a slightly lower
output volume.
- Same but louder
Same as Normal Compression (dance), but the output is
made approximately 5.5 dB louder using the Loudness
slider. (Requires registration)
Hard Compression (pop/rock)
Same as Normal Compression (pop/rock), but using more compression.
This severely reduces the sound quality. Corresponds to the sound of many
commercial FM radio stations.
- Same but louder
Same as Normal Compression (pop/rock) - Same but louder, but using more compression.
This severely reduces the sound quality. Corresponds to the sound of many
commercial FM radio stations. (Requires registration)
Normal Compression (dance)
Same as Normal Compression (dance), but using more compression.
This severely reduces the sound quality. Corresponds to the sound of many
commercial FM radio stations.
- Same but louder
Same as Normal Compression (dance) - Same but louder, but using more compression.
This severely reduces the sound quality. Corresponds to the sound of many
commercial FM radio stations. (Requires registration)
STEREO EFFECTS
Some settings that change the stereo in a recording.
Repair phasing (AZIMUTH)
This preset repairs phasing errors (AZIMUTH errors), which are often present
in tape recordings, and also on some cheap CDs. Phasing problems causes playing
a recording in mono or through a surround system to result in very ugly artifacts.
But even normal stereo playback may sometimes sound a bit unpleasant.
Mono
The output is mono, but no sounds are lost in the
stereo to mono conversion as would normally be the case.
This results in a much fuller sound, without any distortion.
Useful when only one output channel is available.
Works especially
well for reverb and synthesizer sounds, but virtually
all stereo recordings benefit from this conversion compared to the
normal stereo to mono conversion. This settings has been reported to be very useful for people who are
deaf in one ear, when they listen to music using a headphone.
Remove phase differences
The instruments stay at the same place (so if a drum sounds louder
on the left channel than on the right, it will stay that way), but
all phase differences are removed.
The resulting sound is still stereo, but a part of the stereo effect
is removed. The result can safely be
converted to mono using an amplifier, radio receiver etc..
Works especially well for old tape recordings and synthesizer sounds,
so if you need a signal that some people will hear in mono, this
is a good way of ensuring that they will get a good sound.
Put all instruments in center
All the instruments are played at the same volume at both speakers,
but the phase differences remain.
Useful if some people only hear one speaker: Each speaker plays all
the sounds, but if someone hears both speakers the sound is still
stereo (although a weaker stereo than the original). Can be useful
at a work place, parties etc..
Increased stereo
The instruments move further away from the center, and phase differences
are increased.
Use with care, especially if the original recordings are not very
good (low quality MP3s for example), the result will sound very bad.
RADIO STATIONS
Settings intended for radio stations. This means that the target is
a very equal volume level (so a lot of compression is used), and a
loud sound.
Web radio Soft compression (Stereo)
Soft compression and some stereo widening, made louder using the
Loudness filter.
(Requires registration)
Web radio (Stereo)
Normal compression and some stereo widening.
Web radio (Stereo)
Normal compression and sound-preserving stereo to mono conversion.
FM Transmitter Soft (Europe, Stereo)
Good sound quality (little compression) FM transmitter preset.
AZIMUTH problems in the recordings are repaired, and some stereo widening
is performed.
The sound is not very loud.
Frequencies that interfere with the
FM pilot tone are filtered out, and the maximum volume level is
limited such that it will peak at a constant level after feeding
it through a European 50 μs pre-emphasis filter (inside the FM transmitter).
(Requires registration)
FM Transmitter (Europe, Stereo)
Achieves a volume equal to that of the big commercial stations.
AZIMUTH problems in the recordings are repaired, and some stereo widening
is performed.
Frequencies that interfere with the
FM pilot tone are filtered out, and the maximum volume level is
limited such that it will peak at a constant level after feeding
it through a European 50 μs pre-emphasis filter (inside the FM transmitter).
(Requires registration)
FM Transmitter (Europe, Mono)
Similar to FM Transmitter (Europe, Stereo), but mono. AZIMUTH
correction and stereo widening is not used.
Frequencies that interfere with the
FM pilot tone are filtered out, and the maximum volume level is
limited such that it will peak at a constant level after feeding
it through a European 50 μs pre-emphasis filter (inside the FM transmitter).
(Requires registration)
FM Transmitter Hot (Europe, Stereo)
Achieves a volume higher than that of the big commercial stations, at the
cost of a strongly reduced sound quality. Might be useful for some types
of music.
AZIMUTH problems in the recordings are repaired, and some stereo widening
is performed.
Frequencies that interfere with the
FM pilot tone are filtered out, and the maximum volume level is
limited such that it will peak at a constant level after feeding
it through a European 50 μs pre-emphasis filter (inside the FM transmitter).
(Requires registration)
FM Transmitter Soft (Europe, Stereo)
Similar to FM Transmitter Soft (Europe, Stereo), but the sound is
prepared for a US (75 μs) pre-emphasis filter.
(Requires registration)
FM Transmitter (US, Stereo)
Similar to FM Transmitter (Europe, Stereo), but the sound is
prepared for a US (75 μs) pre-emphasis filter.
(Requires registration)
FM Transmitter (US, Mono)
Similar to FM Transmitter Soft (Europe, Stereo), but the sound is
prepared for a US (75 μs) pre-emphasis filter.
(Requires registration)
FM Transmitter Hot (US, Stereo)
Similar to FM Transmitter Soft (Europe, Stereo), but the sound is
prepared for a US (75 μs) pre-emphasis filter.
(Requires registration)
FM Transmitter (Mono)
As FM Transmitter (Stereo), but mono (using the Stereo Tool stereo
to mono filters as described above).
(Requires registration)
AM Transmitter - Europe
Default settings for an AM transmitter. The sound is made very loud
to overcome the noise on the AM band,
and the sounds about 4.5 kHz are filtered out.
(Requires registration)
AM Transmitter - North America
As AM Transmitter - Europe, but the filtering occurs at 5 kHz instead
of 4.5 kHz.
(Requires registration)
Weird Titan Radio
The settings of my own internet radio station,
Weird Titan Radio,
which this program was originally written for. (Tune in if you like hardtrance!)
(Requires registration)
MISCELLANEOUS
Internal PC speaker settings
Gets the loudest possible sound out of the internal
PC speaker. This is done by removing frequencies that
most internal PC speakers cannot play, and by using the
Loudness filter.
(Requires registration)
Stereo Tool 1.x default settings
The default settings of Stereo Tool 1.x.
