Copying an audio signature by using DSP (?)

[AJM1981]

I own both the Yamaha WXA50 and the Arylic A50+. Two small form factor “all-aboard” modern amplifiers that are reasonably priced. I use the Yamaha downstairs and the Arylic upstairs

There is a function on the Yamaha called ‘enhancer’ that spices up the mids and adds slight harmonic distortion. Kind of comparable to a signature a valve amp could have. It colours it in a slight way, but it is a likeable and subtle (as the graph shows) setting in my opinion.

User Jahuzi on this forum measured the direct output vs the enhancer of the Wxa50/Wxc50

Recently I bought the ACP workbench tool for the Arylic amp. I did this mainly in order to be able to set the crossover of sub port a fraction lower than the sub itself would allow, allowing it to connect it precisely to my Denton 85ths. Below a random screenshot of the app, it shows a lot of potential in fine tuning.

Now I was wondering about something else to do with it. Room correction would be a next step but that will still take some studying on how to take good measurements.

Besides that I came across the Wxa50 enhancer graph of measurements already done, as shown in the first picture a while ago and wondered if it that signature is copyable or that measurements of a good valve amp are somehow 1:1 copyable.

Anyone experience with any workbench software in this context?

 

[antcollinet]

Not sure - but looking at that first chart, the lines look so similar the differnece is likely to be just run to run variation. Not sure they are showing what the enhance function is doing.

Further reading suggests it is not a simple eq - DSPing other stuff such as adding harmonics, - so a simple FR plot will not show you what it is doing in any case.

I would guess the answer to your question is "not possible" At least without a detailed spec from yamaha showing how enhancer works. I doubt they hand that out.

 

[kemmler3D]

Not sure - but looking at that first chart, the lines look so similar the differnece is likely to be just run to run variation. Not sure they are showing what the enhance function is doing.

Further reading suggests it is not a simple eq - DSPing other stuff such as adding harmonics, - so a simple FR plot will not show you what it is doing in any case.

I would guess the answer to your question is "not possible" At least without a detailed spec from yamaha showing how enhancer works. I doubt they hand that out.

+1 to this, the FR variation is copy-able (assuming it's stable run-to-run) without much trouble.

However, the harmonic distortion is harder to pick out and you'd also need a DSP stage that adds that exact distortion profile. Also doable, but not as straightforward and you'd probably need to use a PC or RPi instead of just the arylic.

 

[DVDdoug]

I found the manual online:

Compressed Music Enhancer

The Compressed Music Enhancer feature compensates for missing harmonics in compression music formats (such as MP3). As a result, this technology provides for improved performance for the overall sound system.

This kind of effect is derived from the original Aphex Aural Exciter. There are various plug-ins for DAWs & Audio editors, usually called something like "harmonic exciter" or harmonic enhancer", etc. There is one for Audacity called "enhancer.ny".

I'm not sure if you can still buy the Aphex hardware unit but it's available as a plug-in or a couple of companies make similar hardware boxes.




....Note that when you hear an MP3 compression artifact it's usually NOT the loss of high frequencies you hear. The main way MP3 works is by throwing-away sounds that are masked (drowned-out) by other sounds, and the highest audio frequencies usually weak to begin with and masked by stronger not-as-high frequencies.

But that doesn't mean you won't like the effect... The Aphex Aural Exciter was created and used in studios in the 1970's to "enhance" analog recordings.

 

[AJM1981]

Not sure - but looking at that first chart, the lines look so similar the differnece is likely to be just run to run variation. Not sure they are showing what the enhance function is doing.

Further reading suggests it is not a simple eq - DSPing other stuff such as adding harmonics, - so a simple FR plot will not show you what it is doing in any case.

I would guess the answer to your question is "not possible" At least without a detailed spec from yamaha showing how enhancer works. I doubt they hand that out.

Yeah, I guess that is it. The ACP workbench offers way more besides only EQ’ing but a lot consist of not really useful bells and whistles to me (echo, delay, etc). I would be surprised if there would be anything like tweaking harmonic distortion into a profile. Even with the measurements of the Yamaha effect or a valve amp with a measured signature as a blue print, it requires professional skills to get it digitally translated.

 

[AJM1981]

I found the manual online:


This kind of effect is derived from the original Aphex Aural Exciter. There are various plug-ins for DAWs & Audio editors, usually called something like "harmonic exciter" or harmonic enhancer", etc. There is one for Audacity called "enhancer.ny".

I'm not sure if you can still buy the Aphex hardware unit but it's available as a plug-in or a couple of companies make similar hardware boxes.




....Note that when you hear an MP3 compression artifact it's usually NOT the loss of high frequencies you hear. The main way MP3 works is by throwing-away sounds that are masked (drowned-out) by other sounds, and the highest audio frequencies usually weak to begin with and masked by stronger not-as-high frequencies.

But that doesn't mean you won't like the effect... The Aphex Aural Exciter was created and used in studios in the 1970's to "enhance" analog recordings.

Thanks for sharing this. I’ve put many question marks up to what was written in the manual. Interesting to read it has rooting into an idea and it provides a bit more of a grip on what it is instead of it all being hidden in the amp.

The parallel I made with valve amps resulted from critics in general who called changes in harmonic distortion in devices not preferable with any enhancer and groups that praise valve amps for doing just that. Details can differ but It is all in that same thin line of a minimal (but pleasant audible change) for some.

Edit: I might not even have been that far off suggesting Yamaha implemented a valve amp signature with the effect.

Originally made in valve (tube) based equipment, they are now implemented as part of a digital signal processor, often trying to emulate analogue exciters. Exciters are mostly found as plug-ins for sound editing software and in sound enhancement processors.

It would, in my opinion not be that bad if any modern class d amp that (hopefully) all give the same direct output, provide a little optional spice within reasonable limits