johnymarek / audiocompress Goto Github PK

AudioCompress v1.5 (2003/07/05)
(c)2002-7 busybee (http://beesbuzz.biz/)

Introduction
============

AudioCompress is a simple one-band dynamic range compressor for
keeping the volume level of an audio stream more or less consistent.

How it works
============

AudioCompress keeps a history of the last few seconds and sets the
amplification so that the loudest peak within that time will be the
reference for normalizing the sound (i.e. that peak will be amplified
to full power).  The amplification is smoothly interpolated and goes
up relatively slowly, and if there's a very sudden loud burst, the
amplification is dropped quickly (which typically isn't noticeable).

Using AudioCompress
===================

As a commandline tool
---------------------

Currently, the commandline tool only accepts raw PCM data on standard
input as 16-bit native-endian signed data.  Fortunately, this is how
most audio players output data when you tell it to use stdout.

So, just pipe the raw PCM out from your player into AudioCompress, and
then into some mechanism of playing sound.  For example, if you're
using mpg321 and esd, the commandline should be something like:

	mpg321 --stereo -s -@ MyPlaylist.m3u | AudioCompress | esdcat

Adjust accordingly for your OS and player and so on.

Runtime configuration from the commandline can be seen by passing the
-h option to AudioCompress.

As an EsounD plugin
-------------------

Unless configured otherwise, the commandline tool can also be used as
an EsounD (esd) filter, by adding the -e [esd host] option; for
example:

	esd -nobeeps &
	AudioCompress -e localhost &

It is highly recommended that you run AudioCompress from the same
system as esd, due to the large amount of bandwidth which audio
filters take up.

Contact Information
===================

Bug reports, patch submission, etc.: fluffy at beesbuzz.biz
Latest version: http://beesbuzz.biz/code/AudioCompress/
XMMS homepage: http://www.xmms.org/