Announcing beta-test of PKHarmonic VST plugin

[maty]

But the sound is better. Why? I do not know. With KEF Q100 coaxial, very modified by me. Minimum 3.9 Ohms.

1/3 Max power, 8 Ohms (nominal: 130 watts)

1/3 Max power, 4 Ohms (nominal: 200 watts)

 

[maty]

Just now, I listen to:

Eugene Ormandy, The Philadelphia Orchestra - The Ormandy Era - Volume I ~ Virtuoso Showpieces (1979) Vinyl x5, The Franklin Mint Record Society, US Holst: The Planets, Op. 32

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1638223173173780480

The sound is STUNNING!

 

[Gruesome]

As discussed in a separate thread, this is a beta-test of a VST (Windows) plugin to allow you to dial-in an arbitrary amount of harmonic distortion while playing music with your favorite music player. Now you can enjoy that second harmonic without investing many thousands of $$$ into a tube preamp
......

Please post feedback, results, and suggestions for improvements in this thread.

Couldn't get it to work as plugin to EQ apo. I can load the control panel into the EQ apo configuration editor. Changing the H2 and H3 gain sliders does something, but not distortion. If I crank H3 high enough (>-10dB), the output becomes quieter, as if some clipping or limiting takes place. H2 does not seem to do that, or at least not to the same extent. I didn't try higher orders. The bypass button will switch from the selected output channel back to the built-in speakers (MS Surface 7 tablet) for a moment, then back to the selected output device. At certain harmonics gain settings volume changes. I tried both music, and then single frequency sine waves.

I verified that EQ apo works, by changing the preamp gain from -6dB in both directions, and playing with the built-in graphical equalizer while the PKHarmonics plugin was active in the configuration editor. I also tried it with the panel popped out, and clicked the apply button, ok button, and 'apply automatically button', just to be sure.
Before testing PKharmonics I had tried independently EQ apo with parametric equalization curves generated by REW, where it also clearly worked.

Details: System is a Microsoft Surface 7 tablet, running Windows 11 Home version 22H2.
Equalizerapo.dll is version 1.3.0.0 64 bit.
Audio out device is a Loxjie A30 DAC/Amp via USB.
I tried both speakers and headphones.
With the headphones I had verified earlier (using test tones on the interweb) that I am able to hear harmonic distortion down to 0.05% for a 125Hz sine wave. 0.1% is -60dB. 1% and 5% THD is very very obvious.
No such thing with PKHarmonics.

 

[pkane]

Couldn't get it to work as plugin to EQ apo.

Not really sure what to tell you. Just tried EQ Apo on Windows 10.

Here's the result with PKHarmonic large distortion dialed in. I added a low-pass filter at 1hz to remove DC and some preamp compensation:

And here it is with PKHarmonic disabled:

 

[Keith_W]

Hello @pkane, I downloaded PKHarmonic and tried it in my system. I am using JRiver MC30 64 bit to host the VST.

I get a loud popping noise every time a track starts and stops. Also, adjusting the harmonics on the fly leads to brief bursts of very loud volume. I had to disable the VST. Would you like me to provide you with more details to help you troubleshoot?

 

[pkane]

Hello @pkane, I downloaded PKHarmonic and tried it in my system. I am using JRiver MC30 64 bit to host the VST.

I get a loud popping noise every time a track starts and stops. Also, adjusting the harmonics on the fly leads to brief bursts of very loud volume. I had to disable the VST. Would you like me to provide you with more details to help you troubleshoot?

Hmm, how large were the harmonics? Can you post a screen shot? I've tested this with an older version of JRiver, but it's been a while.

 

[Keith_W]

Sure.

BTW, thank you for writing this software. You can see from the screenshot that I am also using Thrillseeker XTC which is an exciter type VST which does the same thing (add harmonic distortion) but your software allows much finer control over which distortion products I can add.

 

[Sokel]

I don't know if PKH uses the same generator as Multitone but it also has a "thumb"(to the lack of a better description) noise at the beginning and end of the test signals,at least with ASIO drivers.

 

[pkane]

I don't know if PKH uses the same generator as Multitone but it also has a "thumb"(to the lack of a better description) noise at the begging and end of the test signals,at least with ASIO drivers.

There's no generator in PKH, and it doesn't use drivers, ASIO or otherwise. VST is a plugin that sits in the audio chain with host software providing source of sound and output to the device, unlike Multitone where it's all done by a single app.

 

[Keith_W]

@pkane I figured out what the problem was. I was upsampling everything in JRiver to 192kHz. A number of VST's, including yours, do not behave well at 192kHz. After disabling upsampling, the problem has gone away.

I don't know enough about programming to understand if the problem is with the VST's or with JRiver. I will mention this in the JRiver support forum.

 

[audafreak]

@pkane I figured out what the problem was. I was upsampling everything in JRiver to 192kHz. A number of VST's, including yours, do not behave well at 192kHz. After disabling upsampling, the problem has gone away.

I don't know enough about programming to understand if the problem is with the VST's or with JRiver. I will mention this in the JRiver support forum.

This is not a problem of VST plugins or Jriver. It just means you don't have procesor powerful enough to handle so many plugins together at given sample rate. Less plugins or better PC.

 

[Keith_W]

My PC is an i9-9900 with 16GB RAM and it is hovering at about 5% CPU usage with 20% RAM usage at 192kHz upsampling and all the VST's turned on. I doubt if it's not enough PC.

 

[audafreak]

So maybe it is problem of plugins order, also when resampling is done, if in the beginning or as last processing step.
You should write here all you plugins at their order, the whole sw path, if otherwise it is hard to help for anybody.

 

[Keith_W]

So maybe it is problem of plugins order, also when resampling is done, if in the beginning or as last processing step.
You should write here all you plugins at their order, the whole sw path, if otherwise it is hard to help for anybody.

Sure, when I was running 192kHz it was:

- Output format to 192kHz, 2.0 (this is non-moveable, JRiver insists it must be at the top). Output device: Acourate Convolver
- PKHarmonic (see post #127 for settings)
- Into Acourate Convolver where further processing is done (convolved into 8 channels with FIR filters).

 

[pkane]

@pkane I figured out what the problem was. I was upsampling everything in JRiver to 192kHz. A number of VST's, including yours, do not behave well at 192kHz. After disabling upsampling, the problem has gone away.

I don't know enough about programming to understand if the problem is with the VST's or with JRiver. I will mention this in the JRiver support forum.

Ahh, that does make sense. While playing audio PKH requires very little CPU resources and so can play at very high sampling rates. But when making changes to harmonic content, the calculation is fairly intensive and can slow down playback enough to introduce stuttering when playing at higher rates.

 

[audafreak]

Sure, when I was running 192kHz it was:

- Output format to 192kHz, 2.0 (this is non-moveable, JRiver insists it must be at the top). Output device: Acourate Convolver
- PKHarmonic (see post #127 for settings)
- Into Acourate Convolver where further processing is done (convolved into 8 channels with FIR filters).

I installed PKH64 for my Jriver. No problems. I resample everything to 48kHz because of my digital route.
But...
I had some older version before and remember there were some settings for input levels to plugin. There is nothing like this now. And result is many oveflows in samples when source track is relatively louder. We can see those overflows in Jriver DSP Studio lower left corner when set to Signal can overflow. Signal level is much louder when PKH is on. This is not good. Maybe also makes those poppings in combination with other VST plugins.

pkane, what do you think? Levels should be corrected or correctable somehow.

 

[pkane]

I installed PKH64 for my Jriver. No problems. I resample everything to 48kHz because of my digital route.
But...
I had some older version before and remember there were some settings for input levels to plugin. There is nothing like this now. And result is many oveflows in samples when source track is relatively louder. We can see those overflows in Jriver DSP Studio lower left corner when set to Signal can overflow. Signal level is much louder when PKH is on. This is not good. Maybe also makes those poppings in combination with other VST plugins.

pkane, what do you think? Levels should be corrected or correctable somehow.

Levels are adjusted automatically using pink noise internally to be (largely) equivalent when using PKHarmonic. These levels will not sound the same between a signal with large harmonic distortion dialed-in and without, simply because the energy will be distributed very differently around the spectrum of whatever is playing.

 

[Keith_W]

BTW, funny story with your plugin I had some friends come over tonight and asked them whether they preferred A or B (i.e. PKHarmonic on vs. off). All of them said that "A" was better, it sounded richer and more lush. They asked what I was doing. I said "I am adding harmonic distortion with this plugin". You should have seen their faces, a mix between shock and disgust. I said ... "well, all of you preferred it. So do I, which is why I have it on". What then followed was a fairly robust discussion about distortion inducing components in the signal chain. I told them that I am no different to any of them, in that I like the sound of a bit of distortion. Except that ... thanks to this plugin ... I can do it in a predictable, consistent, and adjustable manner, it's donationware, and I don't have to spend thousands of dollars on preamps, changing tubes, turntables, and so on. They argued that they are trying to get rid of distortion, but I have gone the opposite way of constructing a clean system and putting distortion back in.

I don't know. Maybe one day some study will show that we human listeners like a bit of distortion and our ultra-clean digital signal chains are doing us a disservice. Love your plugin, thank you.

 

[pkane]

BTW, funny story with your plugin I had some friends come over tonight and asked them whether they preferred A or B (i.e. PKHarmonic on vs. off). All of them said that "A" was better, it sounded richer and more lush. They asked what I was doing. I said "I am adding harmonic distortion with this plugin". You should have seen their faces, a mix between shock and disgust. I said ... "well, all of you preferred it. So do I, which is why I have it on". What then followed was a fairly robust discussion about distortion inducing components in the signal chain. I told them that I am no different to any of them, in that I like the sound of a bit of distortion. Except that ... thanks to this plugin ... I can do it in a predictable, consistent, and adjustable manner, it's donationware, and I don't have to spend thousands of dollars on preamps, changing tubes, turntables, and so on. They argued that they are trying to get rid of distortion, but I have gone the opposite way of constructing a clean system and putting distortion back in.

I don't know. Maybe one day some study will show that we human listeners like a bit of distortion and our ultra-clean digital signal chains are doing us a disservice. Love your plugin, thank you.

Here are some blind test results from Archimago using the same technology (except using my DISTORT app):

INTERNET BLIND TEST: Is high Harmonic Distortion in music audible? (plus Pet Shop Boys' newest, HRA needs HDR)

A blog for audiophiles about more objective topics. Measurements of audio gear. Reasonable, realistic, no snakeoil assessment of sound, and equipment.

archimago.blogspot.com

Test results in separate blog posts following that one.

 

[audafreak]

Levels are adjusted automatically using pink noise internally to be (largely) equivalent when using PKHarmonic. These levels will not sound the same between a signal with large harmonic distortion dialed-in and without, simply because the energy will be distributed very differently around the spectrum of whatever is playing.

I understand but...
Let see at real example. Jriver shows level in percents. Usual tracks show range between 50-95%. I expect 100% is digital maximum, maybe I am wrong but it has sense to me. More than 100 means clipping.
If I play normal track with max levels around 90% then after passing PKH Jriver shows up to 130%!!! This is bad. Probably clipping of relatively good recording. That's why there should be no automatic input gain control but better manual or both - automatic cannot avoid clipping currently.