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Announcing beta-test of PKHarmonic VST plugin

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pkane

pkane

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Thanks for this. It works on Win7 x64 albeit I get no presets option in the plugin, when used with EAPO at least.

Also it tends to clip easily so I guess I should use more subtle values.

Thanks for testing! Yes, profiles are a problem with the VST library I’m using. I’ll see if this can be fixed.

For clipping, the plug-in tries to keep the overall level of the signal the same between bypassed and distorted versions, but that’s not easy to do for all signals. I could add a simple level control that lets you set the overall level of the distorted signal. Obviously, if you add large harmonics to complex signals, this will also add IMD that will also raise the signal level, and can be both, signal level and frequency-dependent.
 

Zoomer

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he 32-bit plugin will be installed, by default, in:
  • C:\Program Files (x86)\PKAudio\PKHarmonic32
and the 64-bit plugin in:
  • C:\Program Files\PKAudio\PKHarmonic64

Does it survive relocation or can the install folder be chosen during install?
I('m a bit weary to just try, considering the Beta status and reported crashes)
 
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pkane

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Does it survive relocation or can the install folder be chosen during install?
I('m a bit weary to just try, considering the Beta status and reported crashes)

You can put it wherever you want. Ultimately, you'll need to point your host/player application to the correct folder and file name to add it to the VST list. So if you move it, just point to the new location when adding.
 

Dogway

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I share my settings for a tube amp so others can check, the falloff was best guess. In my case it adds character to the sound.

Harmonics.png

I have a question though. Does it resample the bitdepth or sample rate of the audio chain or it works natively?
 
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pkane

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I share my settings for a tube amp so others can check, the falloff was best guess. In my case it adds character to the sound.

View attachment 107576

I have a question though. Does it resample the bitdepth or sample rate of the audio chain or it works natively?

It works at the native sampling rate, no resampling is done. The computations are done in 64-bit floating point, if your host/player application supports it, if not, it will use 32-bit floating point (this is unrelated to the 64-bit and 32-bit plugins, by the way).
 

maty

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I like it very much! Thank you very much.

JRiver MC v27 64bits with PKHarmonic VSTplugin

JRMC-DSP-PKHarmonic.png
 

maty

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It worked great with orchestral music too.

Claudio Abbado, Coro e Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala - Verdi - Chöre (1974), CD, Deutsche Grammophon 2016, Europe

Port.jpg

Post.jpg


DR Peak RMS Duration Track
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR11 -0.30 dB -16.30 dB 5:13 01-I. Nabucco: "Gli arredi festivi" Acto II
DR12 -0.95 dB -21.05 dB 4:24 02-II. Nabbuco: "Va', pensiero, sull'ali dorate" Acto III
DR12 -0.58 dB -19.31 dB 3:56 03-I. Il trovatore: "Vedi, le fosche motturne" Acto II
DR16 -0.67 dB -22.82 dB 2:45 04-I. Otello: "Fuoco di gioia" Acto I
DR11 -1.89 dB -17.92 dB 1:28 05-I. Ernani: "Si ridesti il Leon di Castiglia" Acto III
DR12 -0.36 dB -16.31 dB 7:19 06-I. Aida: "Gloria all'Egitto" Acto II
DR15 -2.70 dB -24.83 dB 4:22 07-II. Aida: "O tu che sei d'Osiride" Acto III
DR14 -1.20 dB -20.51 dB 3:29 08-I. Macbeth: "Che faceste? dite su!" Acto I
DR14 -1.74 dB -20.77 dB 2:07 09-II. Macbeth: "S'allontanarono" Acto I
DR14 -1.63 dB -23.85 dB 6:16 10-III. Macbeth: "Patria opressa" Acto IV
DR13 0.00 dB -19.24 dB 5:18 11-I. I Lombardi: "Gerusalem" Acto III
DR13 -0.11 dB -21.16 dB 3:59 12-II. I Lombardi: "O Signore, dal tetto natio" Acto III
DR14 -0.09 dB -20.10 dB 6:29 13-I. Don Carlo: "Spuntato ecco il di D'esultanza" Acto II/III
DR8 -10.41 dB -26.54 dB 2:01 14-I. Un ballo in maschera: "Posa in pace" Acto I
DR10 -1.49 dB -16.34 dB 2:18 15-I. Simon Boccanegra: "Maria! Maria!" / "Viva Simon" Prólogo
DR10 -0.20 dB -14.39 dB 2:24 16-I. Requiem - Dies irae
DR9 -0.32 dB -14.49 dB 1:55 17-II. Requiem - Tuba mirum
DR11 -0.20 dB -16.75 dB 2:43 18-III. Requiem - Sanctus
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of tracks: 18
Official DR value: DR12
 

maty

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I have been lowering the added harmonics. The sound is clearly better, more addictive, musical. And without muddying the audio, or adding noise (common in tube / tube emulators).

JRiver MC v27 64 bits - DSP - PKHarmonic

Portapapeles01.png
 

maty

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Just now,

The Bothy Band - Out Of The Wind Into The Sun (1977), Vinyl, Polydor, UK

TBB-OOTW-front.jpg


DR Peak RMS Duration Track
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR13 -1.15 dB -16.93 dB 4:36 01 The Morning Star
DR10 -3.72 dB -17.52 dB 3:18 02 The Maids Of Mitchelstownn
DR11 -1.68 dB -14.64 dB 5:43 03 Rip The Calico
DR14 -2.98 dB -22.35 dB 7:04 04 The Streets Of Derry
DR11 -2.44 dB -17.81 dB 5:04 05 The Pipe On The Hob
DR13 -0.59 dB -16.62 dB 4:45 06 The Sailor Boy
DR13 -1.37 dB -20.30 dB 5:04 07 The Blackbird
DR14 -0.56 dB -17.34 dB 4:55 08 The Strayaway Child
DR16 -0.60 dB -20.54 dB 5:13 09 The Factory Girl
DR12 -2.56 dB -18.28 dB 3:21 10 Slides
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of tracks: 10
Official DR value: DR13
 

maty

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Norah Jones - Featuring (2010), Vinyl x2, Blue Note, Europe

front.jpg


DR Peak RMS Filename
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DR13 -0.40 dB -15.70 dB A1 The Little Willies - Love Me
DR11 -0.62 dB -13.47 dB A2 Foo Fighters Featuring Norah Jones - Virginia Moon
DR12 -0.46 dB -15.69 dB A3 Sean Bones Featuring Norah Jones - Turn Them
DR14 -0.60 dB -16.07 dB A4 Willie Nelson Featuring Norah Jones - Baby It's Cold Outside
DR11 -0.46 dB -13.72 dB A5 Norah Jones And Sasha Dobson - Bull Rider
DR14 -0.45 dB -16.52 dB B1 Dirty Dozen Brass Band Featuring Norah Jones And Robert Randolph - Ruler Of My Heart
DR12 -0.67 dB -15.19 dB B2 El Madmo - The Best Part
DR12 -0.78 dB -16.49 dB B3 OutKast Featuring Norah Jones - Take Off Your Cool
DR16 -0.36 dB -17.17 dB B4 Q-Tip Featuring Norah Jones - Life Is Better
DR12 -0.77 dB -14.49 dB B5 Talib Kweli Featuring Norah Jones - Soon The New Day
DR11 -0.69 dB -14.60 dB C1 Belle And Sebastian Featuring Norah Jones - Little Lou, Ugly Jack, Prophet John
DR14 -0.44 dB -17.09 dB C2 Ray Charles Featuring Norah Jones - Here We Go Again
DR12 -0.64 dB -14.96 dB C3 Norah Jones Featuring Gillian Welch And David Rawlings - Loretta
DR11 -0.64 dB -14.69 dB C4 Ryan Adams Featuring Norah Jones - Dear John
DR11 -2.01 dB -15.94 dB D1 Norah Jones Featuring Dolly Parton - Creepin' In
DR11 -0.58 dB -15.21 dB D2 Herbie Hancock Featuring Norah Jones - Court And Spark
DR12 -0.40 dB -13.95 dB D3 Charlie Hunter Featuring Norah Jones - More Than This
DR13 -0.54 dB -17.21 dB D4 Norah Jones Featuring M. Ward - Blue Bayou
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of files: 18
Official DR value: DR12

The final volume is higher. After making up for it, much better sound with PKHarmonic (-90dB, -100dB, -110 dB).

PS: Vinyl rip at 24/96 (original 24/192).
 
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direstraitsfan98

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Are you considering the possibility of creating any hardware for this?
 
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pkane

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Are you considering the possibility of creating any hardware for this?

Haven't thought about it. Considering the computation involved, this will require a small computer with at least 4-8GB of RAM. Maybe something like a large Raspberry Pi and the software would have to be migrated to run on it. Don't know enough about that hardware platform to even know if it's possible to do a digital in/out, as that would be my preferred way to apply distortions.
 

maty

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Billie Holiday / Nina Simone / Bettye LaVette - Original Grooves (2020) Vinyl, RSD exclusive, US

front-hsl.jpg


DR Peak RMS Duration Track
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR12 -0.20 dB -16.57 dB 3:17 01-Strange Fruit
DR12 -0.12 dB -15.58 dB 4:17 02-Strange Fruit
DR10 -0.12 dB -13.24 dB 2:21 03-I Hold No Grudge
DR11 -0.12 dB -13.33 dB 5:04 04-I Hold No Grudge
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of tracks: 4
Official DR value: DR11

Again, better sound with PKHarmonic VSTplugin. -90, -100, -110 dB
 

maty

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Blossom Dearie - Blossom Dearie (1957), Vinyl, Verve, Vinyl Me Please 2018, US

front-bd.jpg


DR Peak RMS Duration Track
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR11 -0.61 dB -15.26 dB 2:14 01-'Deed I Do
DR11 -2.45 dB -16.09 dB 2:47 02-Lover Man (Oh Where Can You Be)
DR11 -0.91 dB -14.28 dB 2:30 03-Everything I've Got
DR11 -0.95 dB -13.79 dB 2:12 04-Comment Allez Vous
DR13 -0.72 dB -16.40 dB 3:29 05-More Than You Know
DR12 -0.05 dB -14.68 dB 3:03 06-Thou Swell
DR10 -2.35 dB -16.57 dB 3:13 07-It Might As Well Be Spring
DR11 -1.67 dB -15.05 dB 2:25 08-Tout Doucement
DR12 -0.91 dB -14.84 dB 2:17 09-You For Me
DR13 -0.05 dB -16.97 dB 3:23 10-Now At Last
DR11 -0.50 dB -14.54 dB 2:08 11-I Hear Music
DR12 -1.12 dB -16.20 dB 3:24 12-Wait Till You See Her
DR12 -0.14 dB -13.99 dB 2:47 13-I Won't Dance
DR12 -2.72 dB -18.64 dB 3:10 14-A Fine Spring Morning
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of tracks: 14
Official DR value: DR12

Again, better sound with PKHarmonic VSTPlugin. -90, -100 and -110dB
 

ra7

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I really want to try this. I have a 64-bit version of JRiver MC25. When I load the dll, it does something but the plugin doesn't show up in the list. If I load the 32-bit dll, it says failed to load plugin. What gives?
 

maty

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Yesterday, with Lou Donaldson - Alligator Bogaloo (1967), Vinyl, Blue Note 2019, USA & Europe, better sound with PKHarmonic (-90, -100 and -110dB).


front.jpg


DR Peak RMS Duration Track
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR16 -0.03 dB -18.25 dB 6:57 01-Alligator Bogaloo
DR16 -0.56 dB -19.51 dB 6:49 02-One Cylinder
DR14 -0.77 dB -17.29 dB 3:34 03-The Thang
DR16 -0.03 dB -18.78 dB 7:24 04-Aw Shucks!
DR13 -0.64 dB -16.45 dB 6:27 05-Rev. Moses
DR15 -3.40 dB -22.32 dB 4:34 06-I Want A Little Girl
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of tracks: 6
Official DR value: DR15

I am very happy with PKHarmonic !!!
 
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pkane

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I really want to try this. I have a 64-bit version of JRiver MC25. When I load the dll, it does something but the plugin doesn't show up in the list. If I load the 32-bit dll, it says failed to load plugin. What gives?

Don't know what might be the issue. I tested PKHarmonic with JRiver MC27, and it shows up in the list and works with it:

1615467155050.png


Make sure you use Setup.exe in the downloaded setup file to install PKHarmonic. This will check if you have the correct versions of Microsoft .NET and VC runtimes. Without the correct versions, PKHarmonic will not run.

PS: Just to make sure, I assume that you know to click on Manage Plug-ins button in DSP studio and to then pick Add JRiver, VST, or Winamp Plug-in... then navigate to C:\Program Files\PKAudio\PKHarmonic64 and select PKHarmonic.dll from that folder. PKHarmonic should show up in the list above. You'll need to check it to enable it.
 
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