Crossfeed script/plugin for iTunes?

[Gaffer74]

Hi
Are there any applescripts or library plug-ins that simulate crossfeed for iTunes?

I've googled it and there seem to be lots for other apps like foobar and winamp, but I can't find any for iTunes running on a mac. :o

I don't want software that writes itself as an iPod update (don't want to alter the propriety apple software.....so that rules out JackOSX (which requires you re-flash your iPod with their prog), a simple add-on applescript is what I'm after).

Thanx for any help :)

Gaffer


PS I do mean CrossFeed (not Cross Fade).
Mainly for headphone use, it passes a small amount of L signal over to the R, and vice versa (hence the name).
It's result is to increase spatial width and depth and simulate you sitting in front of speakers rather than the instruments being "inside your skull".

Don't know how good it sounds, which is why I want the plugin (to experiment).

Most other PC based mediaplayers have these "haxies" available, but I own a mac :) so was hoping someone had coded an applescript/plugin that does it.

[solipsism]

Canz3D 2.1 (http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/14240)?

[trevor]

PS I do mean CrossFeed (not Cross Fade). Mainly for headphone use, it passes a small amount of L signal over to the R, and vice versa (hence the name).

When this is not intended, it is called crosstalk. A small amount of crosstalk is unavoidable when both channels share op amps, cabling, etc., but excessive crosstalk is considered a bad thing.

I guess if people are doing it on purpose, they might want to give the same phenomenon a different name, though...

It's result is to increase spatial width and depth and simulate you sitting in front of speakers rather than the instruments being "inside your skull".

This will NOT increase spatial width, unless you are also doing very complex tricky things with phase at the same time. Crosstalk decreases width. Think about it--the 'widest' image are when the left channel and the right channel share nothing in common. However, except for the very early years of stereo, mixes tend to put some things (for example the vocals, and the kick and snare drum) in the center of the mix for maximum impact. If you put material from the left channel into the right and the right channel into the left (without tricky phase changes), that means MORE material is in the center, meaning the mix is narrower, not wider. And it will be narrower whether you monitor with speakers or with headphones.

Trevor


P.S. Most companies do not publish crosstalk numbers on their headphones, because they are not that great. Whereas crosstalk on Mix Outputs is usually -100dB or better L to R, on headphones it's down to around -60dB. You've already got a lot of crosstalk happening just based on that long parallel wire, also known as the headphone cable. :-)

[Gaffer74]

I'm not talking about crosstalk = Undesired capacitive, inductive, or conductive coupling from one circuit, part of a circuit, or channel, to another, in a disordered (random) manner.

Crossfeed = In essence, crossfeed blends the left and right stereo channels slightly, reducing the extreme channel separation characteristic of headphone listening that is known to cause headaches in a small fraction of listeners, in a pre-designed manner...now included in many DSP programs as well.

Crosstalk introduces time and phase delays (due to the capacitance effect mainly), whereas Crossfeed is aligned correctly (like a good filter).
They are not precisely the same :)

Maybe widest soundstage isn't the correct term ;)
At it's root, crossfeed is trying to simulate you listening to speakers that are outside your head (in front of you, so yes, probably reduced soundstage in width, but should improve depth) rather than inside your head like a dsp setting for instance.........as opposed to simply simulating interference (=crosstalk).

see: http://www.rock-grotto.co.uk/crossproject2.htm , http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=185503

and: http://www.meier-audio.homepage.t-online.de/passivefilter.htm

for further explanation.

As I said, I haven't heard it but hoped to experiment with a suitable plugin to simulate it.

Thanx

Solipsism...thanx. Canz 3D doesn't work on iTunes (and won't work on Audacity either), but i'm hoping someones done a port to iTunes somewhere :D

[ethien]

Hi there
I have tried Crossfeed with the alternate Ipod OS "Rockbox", which is still very much in beta at the moment.

The function is great. My library is made up for 60% of 1965-69 albums, and most are in L-C-R stereo, which is very hard to listen to on headphones. The Crossfeed makes these albums come to life, there is absolutely no doubt they sound better with than without. It is indeed rather like hearing them on speakers.

It is also true that it gives an impression of wider stereo.

I wouldn't recommand Rockbox though. True, it has Crossfeed and lots of other neat functions (delete from the ipod, 5 bands EQ, etc), but is still in beta, looks awful, bugs a lot and has to be managed like a HD: itunes does not work with it.

The plus is you can install it (fairly technical, but manageable), and reverse to the original if you don't like it.