Cleaner sound by disabling kxmixer ?

nuhi · May 7, 2004, 04:43 PM

Can somebody please try this.
Disable kxmixer from startup and reboot.
Check if kxmixer is running, if not try to listen to your favorite tunes...do they sound cleaner ?

To me they do, and i'm quite sure in it, something gets applied with kxmixer that blurs the sound a little bit (still much better than creative ones).
I don't wan't to open endless discussion, just wan't to know can somebody reproduce this.

mkk · May 7, 2004, 05:59 PM

When starting up without running kxmixer, things like the speaker setup and the front/rear channel swap does initialize set as per your kX configuration. Try changing settings in there to see if you can get a similar result.

nuhi · May 7, 2004, 08:14 PM

On clean installation i just setup desired volume in kx mixer, restart, remove kxmixer from starting, restart and thats it.
Volume level is not stored without kxmixer, so i set it up before removal, that's all.
I'm using rear output, without any settings touched.

mkk · May 7, 2004, 09:36 PM

Sounds interesting enough, so perhaps someone else has a better answer than mine. In the meantime, what model of soundcard and speakers do you use?

nuhi · May 8, 2004, 12:19 AM

Audigy, on headphones Sennheiser hd580 with lousy amp.
Foobar2000 with ASIO output.

I don't wan't to bother anyone or debug my machine, it's just veird.

**dj_stick** · May 8, 2004, 12:36 AM

the sound may sound "cleaner" as you say, because once the kX Mixer is closed, none of the DSP settings are applied… you go back to the default routing embedded in the card

NightBreed · May 8, 2004, 04:53 AM

You can achieve the same result by clearing the DSP window and add a "src" plugin and either one of the "k2lt or k1lt" from the ProFX menu...

nuhi · May 8, 2004, 12:36 PM

Thanx for replies, great plugins, but still without kxmixer the sound is richer...then it hit me, maybe the bass and treble are maxed out by default routing ? It sure sounds like it.

Nando Dominguez · May 8, 2004, 02:58 PM

Please try this: click on the 'Swap front and rear' button twice. I mean if you are 'swaped' unselect it and select it again. Does it sound louder or 'richer' when you do it just after a reboot? It is an issue that I started to comment with Eugene some months ago, but for some reason I forgot posting more information about it, and it could be related to what you are discussing here.

Nando

nuhi · May 9, 2004, 05:52 PM

Nando, i tried what you said, but i don't hear any difference, as soon as i run kxmixer sound becomes hollow.
After some more thinking the only reasonable conclusion is that output voltage is different with kxmixer (little lower, probably in normal parameters), without it i got more dynamic, i'm probably missing preamp to compensate for that.

May 7, 2004, 04:43 PM	#1
nuhi DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 26 Rep Power: 0	Cleaner sound by disabling kxmixer ? Can somebody please try this. Disable kxmixer from startup and reboot. Check if kxmixer is running, if not try to listen to your favorite tunes...do they sound cleaner ? To me they do, and i'm quite sure in it, something gets applied with kxmixer that blurs the sound a little bit (still much better than creative ones). I don't wan't to open endless discussion, just wan't to know can somebody reproduce this.

May 7, 2004, 05:59 PM	#2
mkk Cthulhu/Dagon 2012 Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Gefle, Sweden Posts: 4,490 Rep Power: 132 System Specs	When starting up without running kxmixer, things like the speaker setup and the front/rear channel swap does initialize set as per your kX configuration. Try changing settings in there to see if you can get a similar result.

May 7, 2004, 08:14 PM	Thread Starter #3
nuhi DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 26 Rep Power: 0	On clean installation i just setup desired volume in kx mixer, restart, remove kxmixer from starting, restart and thats it. Volume level is not stored without kxmixer, so i set it up before removal, that's all. I'm using rear output, without any settings touched.

May 7, 2004, 09:36 PM	#4
mkk Cthulhu/Dagon 2012 Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Gefle, Sweden Posts: 4,490 Rep Power: 132 System Specs	Sounds interesting enough, so perhaps someone else has a better answer than mine. In the meantime, what model of soundcard and speakers do you use?

May 8, 2004, 12:19 AM	Thread Starter #5
nuhi DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 26 Rep Power: 0	Audigy, on headphones Sennheiser hd580 with lousy amp. Foobar2000 with ASIO output. I don't wan't to bother anyone or debug my machine, it's just veird.

May 8, 2004, 04:53 AM	#7
NightBreed DriverHeaven Addict Join Date: May 2003 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 380 Rep Power: 0	You can achieve the same result by clearing the DSP window and add a "src" plugin and either one of the "k2lt or k1lt" from the ProFX menu...

May 8, 2004, 12:36 PM	Thread Starter #8
nuhi DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 26 Rep Power: 0	Thanx for replies, great plugins, but still without kxmixer the sound is richer...then it hit me, maybe the bass and treble are maxed out by default routing ? It sure sounds like it.

May 8, 2004, 02:58 PM	#9
Nando Dominguez DriverHeaven Addict Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Spain Posts: 280 Rep Power: 0	Please try this: click on the 'Swap front and rear' button twice. I mean if you are 'swaped' unselect it and select it again. Does it sound louder or 'richer' when you do it just after a reboot? It is an issue that I started to comment with Eugene some months ago, but for some reason I forgot posting more information about it, and it could be related to what you are discussing here. Nando

May 9, 2004, 05:52 PM	Thread Starter #10
nuhi DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 26 Rep Power: 0	Nando, i tried what you said, but i don't hear any difference, as soon as i run kxmixer sound becomes hollow. After some more thinking the only reasonable conclusion is that output voltage is different with kxmixer (little lower, probably in normal parameters), without it i got more dynamic, i'm probably missing preamp to compensate for that.