SPECWEB (Now 2.2)

[zeerround]

-v0

That's a lowercase v, followed by a zero

from the menu that prints out at each run (scroll up):

-vx = Use Unlimited VST if x=1
if x=2 use but don't display during record/convert
don't use if x=0 (default is 2).

Or, in the SpecWeb.ini file:

[prezagvst]

;This allows you to use a 5.1 Mastering VST pre ZAG.​

;The intent is to squash any loud transient peaks, produced by Spec, that would cause ZAG to push down​

;other channels when it really shouldn't.​

;Also helps match the dyhnamics/loudness of the surround to the original stereo track.​

;​

;ZAG is required when you are using this.​

;​

;At the current time only one VST is supported, "Unlimited", and the parameters are set automatically.​

;At this time the threshold, specified here, will be used only during "play" and is the level below the peak output of the stereo input song​

;(or the peak level of the surround, whichever is lower), where the limiter kicks in.​

;The output level is automatically set to the peak level of the stereo input song (or the peak level​

;of the surround, whichever is lower).​

;yes,nogui,no​

;nogui means use the vst but don't display it while converting/recording (more stable, hoever any error during VST processing,​

;gui or nogui, will just repeat the step)​

;default nogui​

usevst=no​

 

[himey]

Get this error with 2.2? Everything is fine with 1.5.

 

[zeerround]

Bizarre. Don't understand how that could not happen to everyone, every time, if it was a problem.

Hmm...

What did you drop on the specweb icon?

Same file on SpecWeb 1.5 was OK?

 

[himey]

Bizarre. Don't understand how that could not happen to everyone, every time, if it was a problem.

Hmm...

What did you drop on the specweb icon?

Same file on SpecWeb 1.5 was OK?

Yes. Same FLAC file ripped from CD. Dragged to desktop shortcut. Thanks.

 

[zeerround]

Properties of ebur128.dll match (69,632 bytes & time stamp)?

 

[himey]

Properties of ebur128.dll match (69,632 bytes & time stamp)?

View attachment 53441

Same. Thanks again for the excellent work.

 

[zeerround]

Well I am stumped.

I hate these sites that want you to download some unknown checker, download dlls, and all copy text from each other, but this one seems fairly legit:

https://www.techjunkie.com/entry-point-not-found-errors-windows/
The other things that I saw that weren't too sketchy were to (as a test only) disable anti-virus and/or windows defender, and to "repair" Microsoft Visual Studio Rdists.

SpecWeb 2.2 was built in visual studio 2019, which uses a newer rdist than 1.5 shipped with.

You did run the SpecWeb installer, right?

If not, or to repair, double click on vc_redist.x86.exe and install.

Also looks like there has been an update since then if you want to try that as well:

https://aka.ms/vs/16/release/vc_redist.x86.exe
(Visual Studio 2015, 2017 and 2019 now all use the same redist installer)

 

[himey]

Well I am stumped.

I hate these sites that want you to download some unknown checker, download dlls, and all copy text from each other, but this one seems fairly legit:

https://www.techjunkie.com/entry-point-not-found-errors-windows/
The other things that I saw that weren't too sketchy were to (as a test only) disable anti-virus and/or windows defender, and to "repair" Microsoft Visual Studio Rdists.

SpecWeb 2.2 was built in visual studio 2019, which uses a newer rdist than 1.5 shipped with.

You did run the SpecWeb installer, right?

If not, or to repair, double click on vc_redist.x86.exe and install.

Also looks like there has been an update since then if you want to try that as well:

https://aka.ms/vs/16/release/vc_redist.x86.exe
(Visual Studio 2015, 2017 and 2019 now all use the same redist installer)

No longer getting an error message but after a couple of tries unzipping to first, directly on C drive and another to my music folder, it immediately shuts down without conversion or warning errors? Dragging flac file to shortcut automatically added to desktop. I can try a different PC later. Thanks.

 

[Mcallister]

-v0

That's a lowercase v, followed by a zero

from the menu that prints out at each run (scroll up):

-vx = Use Unlimited VST if x=1
if x=2 use but don't display during record/convert
don't use if x=0 (default is 2).

Or, in the SpecWeb.ini file:

[prezagvst]

;This allows you to use a 5.1 Mastering VST pre ZAG.​

;The intent is to squash any loud transient peaks, produced by Spec, that would cause ZAG to push down​

;other channels when it really shouldn't.​

;Also helps match the dyhnamics/loudness of the surround to the original stereo track.​

;​

;ZAG is required when you are using this.​

;​

;At the current time only one VST is supported, "Unlimited", and the parameters are set automatically.​

;At this time the threshold, specified here, will be used only during "play" and is the level below the peak output of the stereo input song​

;(or the peak level of the surround, whichever is lower), where the limiter kicks in.​

;The output level is automatically set to the peak level of the stereo input song (or the peak level​

;of the surround, whichever is lower).​

;yes,nogui,no​

;nogui means use the vst but don't display it while converting/recording (more stable, hoever any error during VST processing,​

;gui or nogui, will just repeat the step)​

;default nogui​

usevst=no​

So I ran Beck Morning Phase song Wave through again with the limiter off this time as it was one of the songs with the clipping/pops. It was still there however more faint. I was also using Auro 3-D processing and changed it to Dolby Surround that seemed to make it even less noticeable. Could my processor be causing the issue? (Marrantz 8802a)

The first few albums I ran through spec I didn’t notice any of the clipping. I’ll run one through again and send over the results.

 

[zeerround]

You could always look at the waveforms to see if there is clipping.

Soundforge and audition both have clipping detectors as well as just looking visually.

edit: (However, as mentioned below, if the original stereo had true peaks above 0 dB they would also be there in the surround. I try to be true to the original character/dynamics of the stereo).

 

[Mcallister]

You could always look at the waveforms to see if there is clipping.

Soundforge and audition both have clipping detectors as well as just looking visually.

Is specweb upsampling the input resolution? If so what is a command to bypass that if there is one?

 

[zeerround]

Yes by default it now upsamples 2x, processes, then downsamples.

I’m not at a computer now and don’t remember the command but they are listed every time the program runs.

At the prompt you just need to scroll the window up, or enlarge the window vertically, to see them.

By the way I am very intentionally NOT avoiding intersample clipping. My goal is to keep the original dynamics of the stereo even it it had true peeks above 0db.

If you don’t want that behavior (and still want up down sampling to reduce FFT artifacts ) just do the up down sampling outside of specweb with audiomuxer or other tool you like (as before specweb 2.0).

FYI I have never heard any pops, even with songs with true peeks as high as +4dB!

 

[himey]

Well I am stumped.

I hate these sites that want you to download some unknown checker, download dlls, and all copy text from each other, but this one seems fairly legit:

https://www.techjunkie.com/entry-point-not-found-errors-windows/
The other things that I saw that weren't too sketchy were to (as a test only) disable anti-virus and/or windows defender, and to "repair" Microsoft Visual Studio Rdists.

SpecWeb 2.2 was built in visual studio 2019, which uses a newer rdist than 1.5 shipped with.

You did run the SpecWeb installer, right?

If not, or to repair, double click on vc_redist.x86.exe and install.

Also looks like there has been an update since then if you want to try that as well:

https://aka.ms/vs/16/release/vc_redist.x86.exe
(Visual Studio 2015, 2017 and 2019 now all use the same redist installer)

Worked first try on a 10th gen intel processor laptop.

Did three different Pink Floyd "albums." This was the first, all were from this blog and all sound great. Changed the ini file to output 4.0. Sounds great but just wondering if any additional settings in the config file that a 4.0 output requires? Is the SpecWeb process designed for a particular format, or does it properly do them all with the correct settings?

 

[zeerround]

It was designed with 5.1 in mind. Will let folks here with quad systems say how it does for 4.0, 4.1. Some settings were added for you/them.

You can change the speaker angle settings, in any format, to match where your speakers are placed.

 

[timbre4]

I downloaded SpecWEB 2.2 release for a WIN 10 PC only to find it didn't want to run. The PC was a little older than I remembered. So I uninstalled the 2.2 program (2 entries under programs) and downloaded the non AVX version of SpecWEB 2.2and installed it. The plan was to make a SpecWEB 1.5 version on WIN 7 box (Successful) and then to make a SpecWEB 2.2 version of the exact same album files.

While it does run and begin the familiar processing, (after informing AVG that I trusted the program and files), I get stopped with this error message:

Here's what it generated (temps?) from two attempts:

I searched QQ on that error and didn't find anything. Any input is appreciated.

 

[EMR]

While it does run and begin the familiar processing, (after informing AVG that I trusted the program and files), I get stopped with this error message:
View attachment 54149

I don't actually know what might be wrong with your configuration for you to get that message, but I can vouch for the soundness of SpecWeb for non-AVX machines. I customarily run SpecWeb on a 32-bit Windows 10 virtual machine that is entirely up-to-date, under VMware Fusion for macOS (also up-to-date) on an old Mac Pro 5,1 running the latest official build of macOS Mojave 10.15.6 and SpecWeb works flawlessly, as intended. I would suggest that you make sure there are no restrictions to your access to the folder you are reading from and writing to and that there is enough room available on your disk.

 

[zeerround]

Yeah that certainly is a strange one.

This is suspicious:

"So I uninstalled the 2.2 program (2 entries under programs)"

Because if you're talking add remove programs there shouldn't be anything re: SpecWeb in there. Unless you're talking about the microsoft visual c++ and intel redist libraries.

And, if you're talking about SpecWeb being under "program files" on your disk it doesn't need to be there. If it is it could lead to permission problems.

...

However it looks like you are having problems starting the vst host process. You may need to tell your virus software it's OK to run "Install\bin\launch_vst 1.4.exe" and or try running without the VST; -v0 (lowercase v and zero).

 

[timbre4]

I don't actually know what might be wrong with your configuration for you to get that message, but I can vouch for the soundness of SpecWeb for non-AVX machines.

Thanks, my SpecWEB 1.5 experience has been largely trouble-free. I believe that since it is able to start the process (witness the two attempts saved).

 

[timbre4]

Yeah that certainly is a strange one.

This is suspicious:

"So I uninstalled the 2.2 program (2 entries under programs)"
Because if you're talking add remove programs there shouldn't be anything re: SpecWeb in there. Unless you're talking about the microsoft visual c++ and intel redist libraries.
However it looks like you are having problems starting the vst host process. You may need to tell your virus software it's OK to run "Install\bin\launch_vst 1.4.exe" and or try running without the VST; -v0 (lowercase v and zero).

Thanks Glenn, yes it was a reference to C++ and the Redist files; thought they *might* be the same for either version but wanted it all to install fresh together. I will work on the AV to allow this. Appreciate the input.

 

[timbre4]

However it looks like you are having problems starting the vst host process. You may need to tell your virus software it's OK to run "Install\bin\launch_vst 1.4.exe" and or try running without the VST; -v0 (lowercase v and zero).

After I made an exception in the AV program the process began working. I had to approve of 2-3 more processes (encoding, etc) and now I'm smooth sailing!

2 questions:
1. The processing window that opens is really W-I-D-E; is there any parameter that controls that sizing?
2. I notice that the 9692_1-vst-out.wav file doesn't disappear as it did in 1.5; has that aspect changed?

Thanks again for making all this possible.