Equaliser APO - Stereo Surround Upmixer

[Ferather]

This was originally being used to upmix stereo using various DCH drivers, however it should also work on any other drivers, such as Microsoft, other brands or HDA based drivers.

First download 'Equaliser APO' (totally 100% free), and the latest drivers for your device. Now download my 'E-APO Stereo Upmixer' (link and files updated).
I have renamed my audio device outputs to 'Speakers' and 'SPDIF', and inputs to 'Microphone' and 'Stereo Mix', in this case for improved images.



Install Equaliser APO, when installing you will be asked which APO method to use, try 'SFX/MFX' first, then restart, then try 'SFX/EFX' using the configurator.
If you are using my DTS drivers, make sure you select 'SFX/MFX' and pre-mix only, no post-mix, and apply the reg file before restarting.



Unzip my package, then cut and move the config .txt files (not the folder) to your 'Equaliser APO' config directory: C:\Program Files\EqualizerAPO\Config.
Now open 'Equaliser APO', and select your outputs, in my case that's 'Speakers' and 'SPDIF' as I renamed them earlier.

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If you are using this upmixer with my DTS DCH, due to the fact that E-APO will take over SFX (as intended), the Realtek SFX will no longer update the endpoint (not needed).

First disable the endpoint (SPDIF, Speakers, Headphones), then use FX Config to get-copy the endpoint GUID, then edit and restore the relevant .reg.
Once setup, setup Equalizer APO as normal (following the guide above), enable the device, then restart.



The 'DTS Settings' file can be found here.

 

[Ferather]

Files and post updated.

 

[Ferather]

Download link updated.

 

[Ferather]

Files updated.

 

[Ferather]

Files updated.

 

[hook]

Hi, I can´t get graphic equalizer in E-APO working. Also stereo upmixer doesn´t work. I have latest AAF drivers, digital output DD. I installed E-APO SFX/MFX, post/pre mix also only post/mix on digital. When I try to change equalizer, sound dissapears. I can only control gain. I was trying with youtube music playing. Can you help? Thanks.

 

[Ferather]

Should be pre-mix and SFX/MFX on all interfaces, else the EQ in the control panel wont work.

 

[hook]

I realized that any equalizer on DD output digital is not possible. That´s cause of it´s not funcional.

 

[Ferather]

Shame, I'm using DTS.

 

[hook]

Does E-APO work with DTS 5.1 digital output (SPDIF)?? I´m interested esp. in graphic eq. function.

 

[Ferather]

With the driver I am using or Alans with DTS-DDL (both decoders) works, I've never tried his DD only driver.

 

[hook]

With the driver I am using or Alans with DTS-DDL (both decoders) works, I've never tried his DD only driver.

I installed AAF drivers with DTS few minutes ago and got same result. I red somewhere at E-APO pages, that using digital DD/DTS (SPDIF) output with E-APO is technicaly impossible :/
Stereo over SPDIF and equalizer works fine. So I need buy better receiver for surround

Thank for discuss.

 

[Ferather]

Lol no, its 100% possible, it just sounds like you have a strange issue, I am using it right now with DTS. Even 'Neo : PC' that comes with DTS expands stereo to 5.1 before sending it to SPDIF.
Right now I am upmixing stereo to 5.1, if I disable E-APO, then it goes back to stereo. I honestly have no idea why your case is unique, plenty of ppl using E-APO.

The EQ in the Realtek Audio Control app also works, even with E-APO on, however in some cases this may be different, depends on your driver.
E-APO doesn't need to support DTS or DDL, your card and driver are the ones that transcode PCM into DTS-DDL.

 

[hook]

I don't know a lot about . Could it be in type of my Realtek codec? I think EQ in audio control also didn't work. And mostly i need to use graphic EQ in E-APO for sound improve. I'll try to install everything again tomorrow.

 

[Ferather]

Strange, I don't know what the problem is. Sorry. All E-APO does as an upmixer is split-clone 2 channels of PCM into 6 or 8 channels, your driver should then encode that from PCM to DTS or DDL.

 

[hook]

Hi ,I installed drivers again, AAF DCH Optimus Sound + DTS (your edition ) Everything works fine, realtek audio console effects, console equalizer, 5.1 in games. But I can´t still manage to work E-APO graphic equalizer. When I set it on, digital output playback sound stops. I can only control preamplification. Weird if real. console EQ works fine. I installed E-APO as pre-mix/SFX/MFX. I need to use better EQ, cause my reciever has poor one. Thanks for any advise how to solve

...or is any plugin for DTS, I can get sound more clear (equalizied) than only in console EQ?

Thanks, you´ll have couple of welcome drinks from me

 

[Ferather]

Haha thanks. I will be honest with you, I barely use the EQ in the Realtek app, so I cant answer your question.
You are correct the EQ and VFX in E-APO does not interface with various Realtek cards.

8 Best Audio Sound Equalizers For Windows 10 (itechtics.com)

 

[Ferather]

IRS files with Equalizer APO : headphones (reddit.com)

 

[Ferather]

Update to E-APO Stereo Upmixer v2.4, guide updated.

 

[Stone-D]

Hi Ferather, I wonder if you could help me with this. I've been using EAPO for over a year on an older PC to do my own upmixing setup with no problems. I recently upgraded to a Ryzen machine using an MSI MAG B550 Tomahawk board (ALC 1220P) and EAPO isn't behaving as expected.

Stage: pre-mix
If: inputChannelCount == 2
Preamp: -4 dB
Copy: M=0.3*L+0.3*R
Copy: C=M
Copy: SUB=M
Copy: SL=1.3*L
Copy: SR=1.3*R
Copy: RL=1.9*L
Copy: RR=1.9*R
EndIf:

Previously, using the above code, most things would be caught and upsampled to 5.1 except for Chrome/YouTube and, annoyingly, Voicemeeter. Now it seems that MOST things are using 6 channels, including Foobar2000 and iTunes.

Switching to If: inputChannelCount == 6 for those problem apps allows the upmixing to continue.

Do you have any idea what could be causing that?

Exceptions to this so far are Audacity and VLC (which I only keep for reference).

For reference, I started with Alan's 9013.1 drivers. Tried yours today (kept crackling, no fix to this issue), and now I'm on Alan's latest 6.0.9155.1 pack.

 

[Ferather]

That might some of Alan's older extensions conflicting, either way. The 6 channel is because the app outputs 6 channels, but populates only 2 with sound, not sure why more apps do this.

 

[CityCultivator]

The 6 channel is because the app outputs 6 channels, but populates only 2 with sound, not sure why more apps do this.

I so hate this. This is the reason why too often Dolby upmixing breaks.

 

[Ferather]

It also breaks standards for upmixers, as mentioned, they are programmed to detect 2 channels (stereo) as you would expect, they detect 6 channels.

 

[Stone-D]

That might some of Alan's older extensions conflicting, either way. The 6 channel is because the app outputs 6 channels, but populates only 2 with sound, not sure why more apps do this.

Well, damn. I was hoping it was a mysterious setting somewhere.

So, it turns out that the ancient copy of Foobar2000 I had been using on my old computer is behaving as expected. When I upgraded my computer, I decided to upgrade Foobar and spent a ridiculous amount of time transferring my theme over.

I've just compared the two of them:

Foobar2000 1.6.5 (April 2021), Primary Sound Driver or direct to Speaker: 6 channels.
Foobar2000 1.3.10 (March 2016), Primary Sound Driver or direct to Speaker: 2 channels.

With iTunes 12.6.5.3, playback via "Windows Audio Session" uses 6 channels while "Direct Sound" uses 2.

For now, I'm just going to redirect all of these misbehaving apps into VB-Cable, including my Opera browser for YouTube.

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A bit off topic here, but:
@Ferather the popping and crackling was happening when I started and stopped any audio output over digital. I may have not set up the Stereo Mix properly to keep the channel open. I was super confused by this channel issue so I didn't investigate any further.

By the way, I installed initially using option 2 for my ALC 1220P codec but it really REALLY didn't like it. Using the Main install option worked.

 

[Ferather]

Noted