HEDD Lineariser® Installation & User’S Guide EN

Heinz Electrodynamic Designs

HEDD Lineariser® Installation & User’s Guide EN

Lineariser ®

MODEL PHASE

Type 05 Linear full range Latency ≤100 ms In / Out HEDD Linear >500 Hz alignment curve Latency ≤5 ms Bypass for rendering Anechoic Minimum Phase ﬂat curve Latency ≤2 ms Table of contents Lineariser®

1 - Introduction ------3 2 - Quick start ------4 3 - Defi ne your situation ------5 4 - Installation guide for the HEDD Lineariser® Plugin ------6 4.1 - Installation on Windows® ------7 4.2 - Installation on Mac OSX ------8 4.3 - Setting up the HEDD Lineariser® Plugin within your DAW ------10 4.3.1 - Re-scan your plugin folders ------10 4.3.2 - Inserting the HEDD Lineariser® correctly in your project ------10 4.4 - Setting up the HEDD Lineariser® Standalone Application ------12 4.4.1 - General notes ------12 4.4.2 - Windows® ------12 4.4.2.1 - Setting HEDD Lineariser® up to be used with a standard media player like Windows Media Player, VLC, Spotify etc. ------12 4.4.2.2 - Setting HEDD Lineariser® up for use with external sound sources with a proper high-quality soundcard ------16 4.4.2.3 - Using the HEDD Lineariser® directly within foobar2000 ------18 4.4.3 - Mac OSX ------21 4.4.3.1 - Setting HEDD Lineariser® up to be used with a standard media player like iTunes, VLC, Spotify etc. ------22 4.4.3.2 - Setting HEDD Lineariser® up for use with external sound sources with a proper (high quality) soundcard ------23 4.4.3.3 - Using the HEDD Lineariser® AU Plugin system-wide with MenuBus ------24 5 - Using the HEDD Lineariser® ------26 5.1 - Set the parameters right ------26 5.2 - Do’s and Don’ts ------28 5.3 - Measurements ------29 6 - Uninstall ------33 6.1 - Windows® ------33 6.2 - Mac OSX ------33 7 - Technical data ------34

2 1 - Introduction Lineariser®

With the HEDD Lineariser®, we are introducing a unique software solution for one of the most challenging problems in loudspeaker designing: Phase Linearisation. A lot of monitors are using DSPs these days, but only a very few use their processing power for phase optimization. The HEDD Lineariser® takes a diff erent approach: It uses the superior power of the host computer CPU (up to 192 kHz, 32bit), to perfect the phase and frequency response, so that no additional AD/DA conversion is necessary. The result is a perfectly alig- ned loudspeaker or, as HEDD CEO Klaus Heinz puts it:

„When activating the HEDD Lineariser®, transients are reproduced in perfect accuracy and the spatial qualities are being increased. Acoustic recordings will impress with their natural and intriguing character.“

The HEDD Lineariser® can be used in mixing, mastering, and even recording sessions (at lower latency settings) within any DAW, or as a standalone application for enjoying audio played from streaming platforms and media players such as Soundcloud, Spotify, VLC, foobar2000, Youtube, iTunes, Groove, etc.

Thank you for downloading and enjoy working with the HEDD Lineariser®.

HEDD founders Klaus Heinz and Dr. Frederik Knop in the anechoic chamber of TU Berlin, taking measurements of the HEDD Type 20.

3 2 - Quickstart Lineariser®

What is the HEDD Lineariser® plugin doing? It linearises both the frequency and phase response of your HEDD monitors simultaneously– something not possible in analog designs.

How does it sound? You will hear a more natural sound with an improved imaging and transient response.

How should it be used? The Lineariser® can either be used in the last slot of your DAW master bus (post Limiter!) or as a standalone application. Ideally, there should be nothing between your D/A converter and your HEDD Studio Monitors except a volume control and if necessary a room correction EQ.

What parameters can be adjusted? The plugin has two sets of parameters: MODEL & PHASE. Choose your? HEDD model via the “Model” drop- down menu. Then,Linearise choose between two frequencyr ® response curves: HEDD alignment curve MODEL PHASE This setting represents what we consider to be the ideal sound for usual listening Type 05 Linear full range rooms. It exhibits a bass response identi- Latency ≤100 ms In / Out cal to the analog HEDD design. HEDD Linear >500 Hz alignment curve Latency ≤5 ms Anechoic ﬂ at curve Bypass for rendering Based on 1 m measurements in an Anechoic Minimum Phase anechoic room, this setting leads to a ﬂat curve Latency ≤2 ms diff erent bass response.

PHASE • Linear Full Range (recommended for mixing, mastering and normal playback) • Linear > 500 Hz (lower latency, better suited for recording) • Minimum Phase (no phase linearisation, frequency linearisation only) ? ® IN / OUT Lineariser Use it to A/B between the linearised (processed) and non-linearised (original) signal. MODEL PHASE

IMPORTANT:Type 05 Linear full range We had to lower the overall gain by 9 dBLatenc in ordery ≤100 to ms gain headroom for the linearisation process and to In / Out preserve theType full 05 dynamics. Please compensate the level drop with your monitor controller. Linear >100 Hz Type 07 Latency ≤20 ms Type 20 Bypass for rendering Bypass for renderingType 30 Minimum Phase When you fi nish your session, make sure Latencto alwaysy ≤2 ms(!) press the Bypass for rendering button before bouncing! It bypasses the plugin and resets the output back to 0 dB.

4 3 - Deﬁ ne your situation Lineariser®

The HEDD Lineariser® comes in two variations

1. As an Audio-Plugin in VST-, AU- and AAX-fl avors for the use in all major DAWs and similar plugin hosts for Windows® (7, 8, 8.1 and 10, x86 and x64) and Mac OSX (10.8 or newer).

Example:

PC or Mac HEDD Speaker DAW like Cubase, ProTools, Reaper etc. DAC / Monitor controller

? Lineariser ® Soundinterface (Volume)

MODEL PHASE

Type 05 Linear full range Latency ≤100 ms In / Out HEDD Linear >500 Hz alignment curve Latency ≤5 ms Bypass for rendering HEDD Anechoic Minimum Phase ﬂat curve Latency ≤2 ms Speaker

? Lineariser ®

MODEL PHASE

Type 05 Linear full range Latency ≤100 ms In / Out Type 05 Linear >100 Hz -> Skip to Chapter 4.3Type 07 for a detailed setup guide for this case. Latency ≤20 ms Type 20 Bypass for rendering Type 30 Minimum Phase Latency ≤2 ms

2. As a standalone application for Windows® (7, 8, 8.1 and 10, x86 and x64) and Mac OSX (10.8 or newer) for the use in applications, where no DAW or other plugin hosts can be used.

Examples:

PC or Mac HEDD Speaker Player like VB Cable HEDD Lineariser VLC, (Win) Standalone Application DAC / Soundcard /

iTunes, ? Lineariser ® AV-Preamp Spotify Soundﬂ ower MODEL PHASE Type 05 Linear full range Latency ≤100 ms (Mac) In / Out etc. HEDD Linear >500 Hz alignment curve Latency ≤5 ms Bypass for rendering HEDD Anechoic Minimum Phase ﬂat curve Latency ≤2 ms Speaker

? Lineariser ®

MODEL PHASE

Type 05 Linear full range Latency ≤100 ms In / Out Type 05 Linear >100 Hz Type 07 Latency ≤20 ms Type 20 Bypass for rendering Type 30 Minimum Phase Latency ≤2 ms

PC or Mac AD-DA-C / Soundcard HEDD with two In/Outs Speaker HEDD Lineariser Standalone Application

? Lineariser ®

MODEL PHASE

Type 05 Linear full range Latency ≤100 ms In / Out HEDD Linear >500 Hz alignment curve Latency ≤5 ms Bypass for rendering HEDD Anechoic Minimum Phase Signal source like CD-Player, Tape Deck ﬂat curve Latency ≤2 ms or Record Player (with Preamp) Speaker

? Lineariser ®

MODEL PHASE

Type 05 Linear full range Latency ≤100 ms In / Out Type 05 Linear >100 Hz Type 07 -> Skip to Chapter 4.4 for aLatenc detailedy ≤20 ms setup guide for this case. Type 20 Bypass for rendering Type 30 Minimum Phase Latency ≤2 ms

5 4 - Installation guide for the Lineariser® HEDD Lineariser® plugin

4.1 - Installation on Windows ®

The following chapter will show you how to install and use the HEDD Lineariser® Plugin on Windows®- machines.

Note: the HEDD Lineariser® Plugin will run on all Windows® versions from 7 to 10 (x86 and x64), including 8 and 8.1. It might also work on older machines running Windows® Vista or XP, but this is experimental and not guaranteed.

1. Download the Windows® installer.exe from our Homepage at www.hedd.audio/downloads/HEDD-Lineariser.zip (if you haven’t already)

2. Save it to a proper folder on your hard-disc

3. Navigate to the folder you’ve placed the download at and double-click on the downloaded fi le (“HEDD_Lineariser.exe”)

4. Read the EULA carefully. If you accept it, choose “I accept the agreement”, otherwise “do” not accept the agreement”. Click on “Next >”.

Note: you can only install the HEDD Lineariser® if you accept the EULA. Otherwise, it’s not possible to install and use the HEDD Lineariser®.

5. Specify the folders where your VST-plugins are located at (usually C:\Program Files (x86)\Steinberg\VSTPlugins for the 32-Bit-plugins and C:\Program Files\Steinberg\VSTPlugins for the 64-Bit-plugins) and click on “Next >”

6 4.1 - Installation on Windows ®

Lineariser® 6. Select the type of plugins that should be installed and click on “Next >”

Note: the AAX-fl avor is only necessary if you have ProTools® installed on your machine. Otherwise, you’ll need the VST-fl avors only. It is also fi ne if you want both the VST-Plugin and the Standalone- Application. In case of doubt, simply install all components.

7. Check again that you’ve selected the correct VST-installation-folders and click on “Install”

8. Now, the HEDD Lineariser® will be installed on your machine. Click on “Finish” when the process is completed

Now, the HEDD Lineariser® is installed and ready to use on your machine.

7 4.2 - Installation on Mac OSX

Lineariser® The following chapter will show you how to install and use the HEDD Lineariser® on machines running Mac OSX.

Note: the HEDD Lineariser® will run on Mac OSX 10.8 or newer. Older versions of Mac OSX are not supported.

1. Download the Mac OSX installer.pkg from our Homepage at www.hedd.audio/downloads/HEDD-Lineariser.zip (if you haven’t already)

2. Save it to a proper folder on your hard-disc

3. Navigate to the folder you’ve placed the download at and double-click on the “HEDD_Lineariser.pkg”

4. Read the EULA carefully. Click on “Continue >”. Afterwards, you’ll be asked if you accept the EULA terms and conditions. Click on “Agree”, otherwise “Disagree”.

Note: you can only install the HEDD Lineariser® if you accept the EULA. Otherwise, it’s not possible to install and use the HEDD Lineariser®.

5. You should now see the HEDD Lineariser® installer. Click on “continue”

8 4.2 - Installation on Mac OSX

Lineariser® 6. If necessary, change the install location, where the HEDD Lineariser® should be installed at, by clicking “Change install location…” (not needed in most situations).

7. If you want to defi ne which fl avor of the HEDD Lineariser® should be installed on your system, click on “Customize” and select all components you want to install manually

Note: the AAX-fl avor is only necessary if you have ProTools® installed on your machine. Otherwise, you’ll need the VST2/3 and AU-fl avors only. It is also fi ne if you only want both the VST/AU-Plugin and the Standalone-Application. In case of doubt, simply install all components by choosing “Standard Install”

8. If you have made all settings, click on “Install” to run the installation process. You might be asked for your administration password. The installer will then install the HEDD Lineariser® on your machine.

9. When the installer has completed the installation process, you should see this window. Click on “close”

10. The HEDD Lineariser® is now installed on your machine and ready to use.

9 4.3 - Setting up the HEDD Lineariser® plugin within your DAW Lineariser®

Note: this section is valid for both Windows® and Mac OSX platforms.

4.3.1 - Re-scan your plugins folders

In most cases, it is necessary to perform a re-scan of your plugin folders within your DAW in order to get the HEDD Lineariser® recognized in your plugin list. Usually, this can be done by open the “Preferences” of your DAW (Options -> Preferences or similar) and selecting something like “Re-Scan VST-folder” or similar. Below, you see the Preferences -> VST-Menu of the DAW “Reaper”, where you can do this operation easily.

4.3.2 - Inserting the HEDD Lineariser® correctly in your project

What you usually want is to insert the HEDD Lineariser® Plugin in your Master-Bus FX chain, so that it pro- cesses the whole sum signal of your project. In the FX list of your master bus chain, simply search for “HEDD Lineariser”, select it and click “OK”.

Note: in ProTools, you’ll fi nd the HEDD Lineariser® in the “Soundfi eld”-section.

10 4.3 - Setting up the HEDD Lineariser® plugin within your DAW Lineariser®

Now, you should see the user interface of the HEDD Lineariser® and you can immediately set it up and use it as described in chapter 5.

Note: it is a good practice to use a separate “Monitor Out”-path and insert the HEDD Lineariser® as an FX into it, if you have one. Some DAWs (like Cubase) already have this opportunity build-in. Otherwise, create a new track and route the audio like depicted below. If you’re using a mastering limiter or similar in your master bus, insert the HEDD Lineariser® afterwards. If you’re using a room equalization plugin or similar, the HEDD Lineariser® must be inserted before these.

Master To HDD Bus From single

? tracks Master Lineariser ® MODEL PHASE

Type 05 Linear full range Latency ≤100 ms (optional) To HEDD Limiter In / Out HEDD Linear >500 Hz alignment curve Latency ≤5 ms Bypass for rendering Anechoic Minimum Phase ﬂat curve Latency ≤2 ms Room EQ Speakers

? Lineariser ®

MODEL PHASE

Type 05 Linear full range Latency ≤100 ms In / Out Type 05 Linear >100 Hz Type 07 Latency ≤20 ms Type 20 Bypass for rendering Type 30 Minimum Phase Latency ≤2 ms

Pro tip: if you can or have one, use a linear phase (FIR) EQ plugin for room- and/or taste correction, and adjust only the frequency response of it. Then, you’ll retain the full phase response correction of the HEDD Lineariser® for your HEDD studio monitors (at a cost of a little bit added latency, but most phase linear EQs don’t add too much of it in general…)

11 4.4 - Setting up the HEDD Lineariser® Standalone Application Lineariser®

In this chapter, we’ll show how you can set up the HEDD Lineariser® standalone application.

Note: be sure that you’ve installed the HEDD Lineariser® standalone application correctly, by means that you’ve installed the “Standalone” component while running the installer. If not, see chapter 4.1 (Windows®) and 4.2 (Mac OSX) for a detailed guide on how to install.

4.4.1 - General notes

There are in principle three major variants for using the HEDD Lineariser® standalone application or using the HEDD Lineariser® VST/AU-Plugin in a “standalone” manner:

1. As an audio post-processing part for your audio playback applications like Windows Media Player, VLC Media Player, Spotify, iTunes or other streaming media applications, or even the audio coming from your browser running YouTube (all sound sources within the computer).

2. With an external, physical sound source that is connected to your soundcard either the analogue or digital way (like a CD-Player connected via SPDIF or a Tape Deck connected via analog Line-Ins, when the HEDD Lineariser® in combination with a dedicated audio PC should, for example, become a part as a component in your HiFi system).

3. Directly inserted in an audio playback application, with the help of the VST-/AU-versions of the HEDD Lineariser®

4.4.2 - Windows®

4.4.2.1 - Setting HEDD Lineariser® up to be used with a standard media player like Windows Media Player, VLC, Spotify etc.

1. Download VB Cable here: http://www.vb-audio.com/Cable/index.htm

12 4.4.2.1 - Setting HEDD Lineariser® up to be used with a standard media player like Windows Media Player, VLC, Spotify etc. Lineariser®

2. Navigate to the folder where you’ve placed the download, right-click on the downloaded “VB_CABLE.zip” and select “Extract all…”. Defi ne a place where the fi les should be extracted to and let the extracting process take place.

3. Navigate to the folder where you’ve extracted the fi les, search for “VBCABLE_Setup.exe”, right-click on it and choose “Run as administrator”

Note: be sure to run the setup as an Administrator. Otherwise, the VB-Cable sound device cannot be installed and you only get an error message.

4. In the upcoming window, select “Install driver”

Afterwards, you might get a windows security warning message to allow the installation of the driver. Click on “Install” in this case.

When the installation is completed, you get a warning message that you should reboot your PC. Please do so afterwards.

13 4.4.2.1 - Setting HEDD Lineariser® up to be used with a standard media player like Windows Media Player, VLC, Spotify etc. Lineariser®

Note: it is important to reboot your PC after installing the VB Cable virtual soundcard. Otherwise, it might not be accessible.

5. After rebooting, go to “Start -> Control Panel -> Hardware and Sound -> Sound” or search for “Sound” (or right-click on the speaker symbol in the taskbar and select “Playback devices”). You should now see the following window:

6. Find the “CABLE Input” in the list, right-click on it and chose “Set as standard device”. A green check box should now be visible beside the CABLE input symbol

7. Start the HEDD Lineariser® standalone application by navigating to “Start -> All programs -> HEDD Audio GmbH -> HEDD Lineariser”

14 4.4.2.1 - Setting HEDD Lineariser® up to be used with a standard media player like Windows Media Player, VLC, Spotify etc. Lineariser®

8. In the HEDD Lineariser main window, click on “Options -> Audio/MIDI-Settings” and do the following settings:

On “Output”, select the name of your soundcard device (might be diff erent than depicted here). Input- Device should be “CABLE Output (VB-Audio Virtual Cable)”. Click on “Test” to get a short sine test tone out of the soundcard output. Listen carefully for cracklings and drop-outs. If you hear such artifacts, increase the “Audio buff er size” a bit. If you’re fi nished, uncheck the “Mute audio input” afterwards and close the Audio/MIDI-Settings-window.

Note: if you soundcard supports ASIO™, it is not directly possible to use ASIO™ in this confi guration. If you’re using a (high quality) soundcard for output, you can safely use the standard MME Windows Audio kernel supplied for standard system-wide usage of your soundcard, as it is playback only and doesn’t need low latency anyway.

9. Now, you can start your audio player application (like VLC, Windows Media Player, Spotify or similar) and start audio playback. You should hear the audio now processed by the Lineariser® application. Confi rm this by clicking on the “Bypass for rendering”-button. The overall volume of the audio should now become louder (for 9 dB).

Lineariser ®

MODEL PHASE

Type 05 Linear full range Latency ≤100 ms In / Out HEDD Linear >500 Hz alignment curve Latency ≤5 ms Bypass for rendering Anechoic Minimum Phase ﬂat curve Latency ≤2 ms

15 4.4.2.1 - Setting HEDD Lineariser® up to be used with a standard media player like Windows Media Player, VLC, Spotify etc. Lineariser®

10. If successful, deactivate the “Bypass for rendering”. It is normal and on purpose, that the audio becomes softer, as the frequency and phase linearization process needs some additional headroom.

Note: you can use the “Bypass for rendering”-button to completely turn off the HEDD Lineariser® process (resulting in virtually no additional CPU load) and use it as a simple audio loop-through – might be useful for testing and debugging.

11. Now, you are ready to set up and using the HEDD Lineariser® as described in chapter 5.

4.4.2.2 - Setting HEDD Lineariser® up for use with external sound sources with a proper high-quality soundcard

Note: It is advisable to use a professional grade/high quality soundcard or AD/DA-C that supports ASIO™. Other soundcards (like generic on-board soundchips) can be used, but off er in most cases poor latency performance and often also weak signal-to-noise ratios.

1. Start the HEDD Lineariser® standalone application by navigating to “Start -> all programs -> HEDD Audio GmbH -> HEDD Lineariser”

2. In the HEDD Lineariser® main window, click on “Options -> Audio/MIDI-Settings”

3. If your soundcard supports ASIO™:

If possible, use ASIO™, because it off ers way more stability and lower overall latency then “Windows Audio Device” or “DirectSound”. Most professional soundcards support ASIO™.

• Switch the “Audio device type” to ASIO™ • On “Device”, choose your ASIO™ soundcard device • Set the sample rate to at least 44.1 kHz. If you soundcard supports higher sample rates, you can choose higher ones up to 192 kHz. Be aware that this leads also into higher CPU load and possible drop-outs. If you experience any of these artifacts, raise the “Audio buff er size” a bit. The standard 512 samples usually is a good and safe value for most machines and sample rates to start with. You can test the confi guration by clicking on “Test”. You should now hear a short sine tone burst. Listen carefully for cracklings and drop-outs. If you hear such artifacts, raise the “Audio buff er size” a bit.

16 4.4.2.2 - Setting HEDD Lineariser® up for use with external sound sources with a proper high-quality soundcard Lineariser®

4. If your soundcard doesn’t support ASIO™:

This should be used only when ASIO™ is not supported by your soundcard. If possible, use a high quality soundcard that supports ASIO™, because it off ers way more stability and lower overall latency on Windows®-machines.

Switch the “Audio Device type” to “Windows Audio” or “DirectSound”. Consider the following: • Windows Audio: Standard Windows Multimedia sound sink. A good compromise between stability and compatibility (recommended). • DirectSound: DirectX sound sink. Use only if “Windows Audio” doesn’t work – it’s the most compatible, but also the most unreliable connection to your soundcard.

On Output, select the output channel pair of your soundcard that should output your music signal to your HEDD speakers. On Input, select the input channel pair that should be set to the input channel on which your sound source is connected to. Set the sample rate at least to 44.1 kHz. Higher sample rates up to 192 kHz can be used, but also raises the CPU load at the other hand.

If you experience audio drop-outs or crackling sound, try to raise the “Audio buff er size” a bit.

Note: If you don’t (want or cannot) use ASIO™, be sure that the sample rate of your soundcard, which is set in the windows sound control panel, matches the In/Output of the HEDD Lineariser®. Otherwise, the Windows® sound kernel will resample the audio to match the diff erent sample rates, which can result into degradation of the audio quality (alias distortion artifacts etc).

5. Uncheck the “Mute audio input”-button. You should now already hear audio from your input device that is connected to your soundcard input. Watch the small level meter next to the “Input”-selector and level the input source to your soundcard so that it doesn’t clip.

6. Now, you can close the Audio/MIDI-Settings window and start audio playback of your audio source that is connected to your soundcard input. You should hear the audio now processed by the Lineariser® application. Confi rm this by clicking on the “Bypass for rendering”-button. The overall volume of the audio should now become louder (for 9 dB).

Lineariser ®

MODEL PHASE

Type 05 Linear full range Latency ≤100 ms In / Out HEDD Linear >500 Hz alignment curve Latency ≤5 ms Bypass for rendering Anechoic Minimum Phase ﬂat curve Latency ≤2 ms

17 4.4.2.2 - Setting HEDD Lineariser® up for use with external sound sources with a proper high-quality soundcard Lineariser®

7. If successful, deactivate the “Bypass for rendering”. It is normal and on purpose, that the audio becomes softer, as the frequency and phase linearization process needs some additional headroom.

8. Now, you are ready for setting up and using the HEDD Lineariser® as described in chapter 5.

4.4.2.3 - Using the HEDD Lineariser® directly within foobar2000

1. Make sure to install the HEDD Lineariser with at least the VST2-components (“VST2”)

2. Download the Foobar2000 VST-Adapter here: https://hydrogenaud.io/index.php/topic,84947.0.html (on the page, choose the “foo_vst.zip”)

3. Start Foobar2000, go to “File -> Preferences -> Components” and select “Install…”

18 4.4.2.3 - Using the HEDD Lineariser® directly within foobar2000

Lineariser® 4. Navigate to the folder, to which you have downloaded the “foo_vst.zip”, select it and click on “Open”.

5. In the Preferences-Window, click on “Apply”. Foobar2000 says that it wants to restart. This is fi ne, click on “OK”.

6. After restarting Foobar2000, go again to File -> Preferences -> Components. Now, you should see the substructure “VST plug ins”. Click on it and on “Add…”

7. Navigate to the place, where you have installed the VST-Plugin, usually C:\Program Files (x86)\Steinberg\VSTPlugins\HEDD Audio, and select the “HEDD Lineariser.dll”. Click on “open”.

Click on „Apply“. Again, Foobar2000 wants to restart. Confi rm by clicking “OK”.

19 4.4.2.3 - Using the HEDD Lineariser® directly within foobar2000

Lineariser® 8. After Restarting, go to “File -> Preferences -> Playback -> DSP Manager”. You should see the “Lineariser” in the “Available DSP” list on the right. Click on it, then click on the upper white arrow to drag it into the “Active DSP”-list. Click on the Lineariser in the Active DSP List and click on “Confi gure selected”. Now, the HEDD Lineariser window should pop up.

9. Start playback in Foobar2000 to make sure your audio chain is working. Now, you can set up and use the HEDD Lineariser® as described in chapter 5.

Lineariser ®

MODEL PHASE

Type 05 Linear full range Latency ≤100 ms In / Out HEDD Linear >500 Hz alignment curve Latency ≤5 ms Bypass for rendering Anechoic Minimum Phase ﬂat curve Latency ≤2 ms

You can close the HEDD Lineariser® and the “Preferences”-Window while normal listening, if you like (click on “Apply” before closing the “Preferences”-Window). The linearization will be still applied in back- ground. Even if you restart foobar2000, the HEDD Lineariser® is still inserted and ready to use with the last confi guration, although you don’t see the GUI of the HEDD Lineariser®.

20 4.4.3 - Mac OSX

Lineariser® 4.4.3.1 - Setting HEDD Lineariser® up to be used with a standard media player like iTunes, VLC, Spotify etc.

1. Download Soundfl ower here: https://github.com/mattingalls/Soundﬂ ower/releases/download/2.0b2/Soundﬂ ower-2.0b2.dmg and save the fi le to a proper folder on your hard disc.

2. Navigate to the folder you’ve downloaded the fi le, and double-click on the downloaded .dmg

3. After mounting the .dmg, double-click on the “Soundfl ower.pkg”

4. Now, the Soundfl ower installer window should pop up. Click on “Continue” and follow the instructions to install Soundfl ower.

5. After the installer has completed the installation of Soundfl ower, click on “Close”.

6. Now, go to “System preferences -> Sound”. On the “Output”-tab, select “Soundfl ower (2ch)” as the audio output device.

21 4.4.3.1 - Setting HEDD Lineariser® up to be used with a standard media player like iTunes, VLC, Spotify etc. Lineariser®

7. Start the HEDD Lineariser® by navigating to “Applications” and double-clicking the HEDD Lineariser® logo

8. Go to “Options -> Audio/MIDI settings” and do the following confi guration.

On “Output”, select your soundcard output device (might be other than depicted here). On “Input”, select “Soundfl ower (2ch)”. Set the sample rate to at least 44.1 kHz. If you soundcard supports higher sample rates, you can choose higher ones up to 192 kHz. Be aware that this leads also into higher CPU load and possible drop-outs. If you experience any of these artifacts, raise the “Audio buff er size” a bit. The standard 512 samples usually is a good and safe value for most machines and sample rates to start with. You can test the confi guration by clicking on “Test”. You should now hear a short sine tone burst. Listen carefully for cracklings and drop-outs. If you hear such artifacts, raise the “Audio buff er size” a bit.

Click on “Test” to get a short sine test tone out of the soundcard output. Listen carefully for cracklings and drop-outs. If you hear such artifacts, increase the “Audio buff er size” a bit. If you’re fi nished, uncheck the “Mute audio input” afterwards and close the Audio/MIDI-Settings-window.

9. Now, you can start your audio player application (like VLC, iTunes, Spotify or similar) and start audio playback. You should hear the audio now processed by the Lineariser® application. Confi rm this by clicking on the “Bypass for rendering”-button. The overall volume of the audio should now become louder (for about 9 dB).

Lineariser ®

MODEL PHASE

Type 05 Linear full range Latency ≤100 ms In / Out HEDD Linear >500 Hz alignment curve Latency ≤5 ms Bypass for rendering Anechoic Minimum Phase ﬂat curve Latency ≤2 ms

22 4.4.3.1 - Setting HEDD Lineariser® up to be used with a standard media player like iTunes, VLC, Spotify etc. Lineariser®

11. Now, you are ready to set up and using the HEDD Lineariser® as described in chapter 5.

4.4.3.2 - Setting HEDD Lineariser® up for use with external sound sources with a proper (high quality) soundcard

It is advisable to use a professional grade/high quality soundcard or AD/DA-C. Other soundcards (like generic on-board soundchips) can be used, but off er in most cases poor latency performance and often also weak signal-to-noise ratios.

1. Start the HEDD Lineariser® by navigating to “Applications” and double-clicking the HEDD Lineariser® logo

2. Go to “Options -> Audio/MIDI settings” and do the following confi guration.

On “Output”, select your soundcard output device. On “Input”, select your soundcard input device (both might be named other than depicted here). Set the sample rate to at least 44.1 kHz. If you soundcard supports higher sample rates, you can choose higher ones up to 192 kHz. Be aware that this leads also into higher CPU load and possible drop-outs. If you experience any of these artifacts, raise the “Audio buff er size” a bit. The default setting of 512 samples usually is a good and safe value for most machines and sample rates to start with. You can test the confi guration by clicking on “Test”. You should now hear a short sine tone burst. Listen carefully for cracklings and drop-outs. If you hear such artifacts, raise the “Audio buff er size” a bit.

Click on “Test” to get a short sine test tone out of the soundcard output. Listen carefully for cracklings and drop-outs. If you hear such artifacts, increase the “Audio buff er size” a bit.

23 4.4.3.2 - Setting HEDD Lineariser® up for use with external sound sources with a proper (high quality) soundcard

3. Uncheck the “Mute audio input”-button. You should now already hear audio from your input device that is connected to your soundcard input. Watch the small level meter next to the “Input”-selector and level the input source to your soundcard so that it doesn’t clip.

4. Now, you can close the Audio/MIDI-Settings window and start audio playback of your audio source that is connected to your soundcard input. You should hear the audio now processed by the Lineariser® application. Confi rm this by clicking on the “Bypass for rendering”-button. The overall volume of the audio should now become louder (for 9 dB).

Lineariser ®

MODEL PHASE

Type 05 Linear full range Latency ≤100 ms In / Out HEDD Linear >500 Hz alignment curve Latency ≤5 ms Bypass for rendering Anechoic Minimum Phase ﬂat curve Latency ≤2 ms

5. If successful, deactivate the “Bypass for rendering”. It is normal and on purpose, that the audio becomes softer, as the frequency and phase linearization process needs some additional headroom.

6. Now, you are ready for setting up and using the HEDD Lineariser® as described in chapter 5.

4.4.3.3 - Using the HEDD Lineariser® AU Plugin system-wide with MenuBus

There is a simple and convenient (but not free) application called “MenuBus” (https://www.menubus.audio/, available for $39), which can make the HEDD Lineariser® AU Plugin to be used to process all audio coming from all applications (like iTunes, Spotify and your Web Browser) within your Mac.

1. Buy and download MenuBus from https://www.menubus.audio/

Note: if you only need or want to insert the HEDD Lineariser® Plugin and no other AU-Plugins at a time, the MenuBus Light-version is suffi cient (available for $20), as it only supports one AU-Plugin to be inserted. You can even try out the MenuBus Light for 14 days before you buy.

2. Unpack the .zip and install MenuBus

3. Start MenuBus by navigating to “Applications -> MenuBus”

4. Now, a small icon should appear in the right area of your task bar. Click on it. 4.4.3.3 - Using the HEDD Lineariser® AU Plugin system-wide with MenuBus

Lineariser® 5. Choose “Insert FX -> HEDD Audio GmbH -> HEDD Lineariser”

6. Now, the HEDD Lineariser® main window should pop up. You can set and use the HEDD Lineariser® now as described in chapter 5.

It will now process every audio that is coming from any application within your Mac and send it through your default sound output device to your speakers.

Note: if you want to use a room correction EQ or similar in combination with the HEDD Lineari- ser®, the EQ must be inserted after the HEDD Lineariser® in the eff ect chain.

7. If you want to get rid of the HEDD Lineariser® for any reason, simply remove the HEDD Lineariser® Plugin by clicking the small arrow right to the Slot, where the HEDD Lineariser® is inserted, and choose “Remove Plugin”

25 5 - Using the HEDD Lineariser® Lineariser® 5.1 - Set the parameters right

Click on the HEDD Logo to see the Credits of the HEDD Lineariser® Click on the ? to get to this manual

? Lineariser ®

MODEL PHASE

Type 05 Linear full range Latency ≤100 ms In / Out HEDD Linear >500 Hz alignment curve Latency ≤5 ms Bypass for rendering Anechoic Minimum Phase ﬂat curve Latency ≤2 ms

Note: the HEDD Lineariser® is for use with HEDD monitor speakers only. It does not function proper- ly at all with speakers from other manufacturers.

The HEDD Lineariser® comes with only two sets of parameters: “Model” and “Phase”. First you must choose your HEDD speaker model via “Model” drop-down menu. Then, you can choose between two frequency response curves:

Type 30 on axis frequency response (HEDD alignment curve) 10

HEDD alignment curve: 5

This setting represents what we consider to be the ideal sound 0

for conventional listening rooms. It exhibits a bass response iden- -5

tical to the analog HEDD design. -10

-15

Magnitude in dB -20

-25

-30

-35

-40 100 1k 10k Frequency in Hz

Type 30 on axis frequency response (anechoic flat curve) Anechoic ﬂ at curve: 10

Based on 1m measurements in an anechoic room, this setting 5 leads to a diff erent bass response. 0

-5

-10

-15

Magnitude in dB -20

-25

-30

-35

-40 100 1k 10k Frequency in Hz

26 5.1 - Set the parameters right

Lineariser® With “Phase” you can switch between three diff erent modes:

Linear Full Range (Best quality, highest latency (recommended)): Type 30 on axis wrapped "Linear full range" phase response results in a fl at phase response in the full frequency range the 150 speaker is capable of to replicate. This gives you the best quality 100

possible, but added latency is about 100 ms, so this is only usable 50 if latency doesn’t matter at all (e.g. if you only listening to pre- 0 recorded audio during mastering or simply when you just playing back pre-recorded music). Phase angle in degree -50

-100

-150

100 1k 10k Frequency in Hz

Type 30 on axis wrapped "Linear >500 Hz" phase response Linear >500 Hz (Best compromise between quality and low la- 150 tency): results in a fl at phase response from about 500 Hz to the end of the frequency range the speaker is capable of to replicate. 100

Quality is nearly the same as “Linear full range” but latency is 50

reduced to about 5 ms. Use this setting if latency does matter a 0 bit, but you don’t need lowest latency possible (for example in

Phase angle in degree -50 editing situations where higher latencies are a bit uncomfortable, but not a problem in general). -100

-150

100 1k 10k Frequency in Hz

Minimum Phase (should only be used if latency is a problem): Type 30 on axis wrapped "Minimum phase" phase response in this setting, you get no phase-, but only frequency response 150 liniearisation. Latency is reduced to about 2 ms, so this setting 100

can be used, when lowest latency is the matter (like in live recor- 50 ding situations). However, be aware that you don’t get the full 0 sonic experience in this setting, so it should only be used if really required. Phase angle in degree -50

-100

Note: the given latencies are only referring to the latencies of -150

the HEDD Lineariser® Plugin itself. For live applications, the 100 1k 10k Frequency in Hz overall latency might be larger because of added round-trip- latencies of your soundcard and/or Plugin host.

Use the In/Out-Button for A/B-comparison between processed (linearised) and unprocessed audio.

Be aware to switch the „Bypass for rendering“-button on before rendering the project output to your hard drive! It bypasses the plugin and sets the output back to 0dB! Be sure to turn the “Bypass for rendering” off while normal listening.

If you’re using the HEDD Lineariser® standalone application, you can use the “Bypass for rendering”-button to completely turn off the HEDD Lineariser® process (resulting in virtually no additional CPU load) and use it as a simple audio loop-through – might be useful for testing and debugging.

27 5.2 - Do’s and Don’ts

Lineariser® • Do carefully A/B the eff ect of the HEDD Lineariser® with the help of the In/Out button, to get a feel of what your linearised HEDD studio monitors will sound like when linearization process take place. Espe- cially phase linearization is perceived rather subtle, because our hearing is by nature not very phasing sensitive. Take your time!

• Do compensate the overall attenuation of 9 dB by raising the volume on your monitor controller com- plementary. The linearization process needs some headroom, which is not lost, but rather used in the process of linearization of your HEDD monitor speakers. This is also very content-dependent – a hot mastered pop track that has a spectral distribution more like pink noise and a waveform more like square waves will need almost all of the headroom, while a dynamically recorded acoustical instrument will pro- bably don’t need any of the headroom.

• Do use the low/high-shelf on the back of your HEDD monitor speaker in the normal way for fi tting your speakers in your room acoustics, of for tuning to your taste. If both low/high-shelf are set to 0, the speaker behaves like it’s intended to do so with the HEDD Lineariser® in an anechoic room.

• Don’t use a low quality soundcard or audio interface! The more linear the frequency/phase response, and the greater the SNR of your soundcard is, the better the HEDD Lineariser® works.

• Don’t use any of EQs or dynamics processing afterwards supplied with your soundcard, monitor controller etc., unless you need some EQ for compensating for room acoustics or similar. The signal part after your DAW or the HEDD Lineariser® standalone application should be as straight as possible to your HEDD monitor speakers.

• Don’t use the HEDD Lineariser® before any (mastering) limiter or similar! Always be sure that the HEDD Lineariser® is the last processing stage before leaving the DAW or the HEDD Lineariser® standalone application, except room correction EQs or similar afterwards.

28 5.3 - Measurements

Lineariser® Find Frequency- and phase response plots before and after applying the HEDD Lineariser® and Impulse-/100 Hz square wave responses before and after applying the HEDD Lineariser® for each HEDD monitor speaker below.

Type 05

Type 05 on axis frequency response (HEDD alignment curve) Type 05 on axis frequency response (anechoic flat curve)

0 0

-20 -20 Magnitude in dB Magnitude in dB HEDD Lineariser OFF HEDD Lineariser OFF HEDD Lineariser ON HEDD Lineariser ON -40 -40 100 1k 10k 100 1k 10k Frequency in Hz Frequency in Hz

Type 05 on axis phase response (HEDD alignment curve) Type 05 on axis phase response (anechoic flat curve)

100 100

0 0 Angle in degrees Angle in degrees -100 HEDD Lineariser OFF -100 HEDD Lineariser OFF HEDD Lineariser ON HEDD Lineariser ON

100 1k 10k 100 1k 10k Frequency in Hz Frequency in Hz

Type 05 impulse response (HEDD alignment curve) Type 05 impulse response (anechoic flat curve) 1 1

0.8 0.8

0.6 0.6

0.4 0.4

0.2 0.2 Normalized Amplitude Normalized Amplitude

0 0

-0.2 -0.2

HEDD Lineariser OFF HEDD Lineariser OFF HEDD Lineariser ON HEDD Lineariser ON -0.4 -0.4 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 Time in ms Time in ms

Type 05 100 Hz squarewave response (HEDD alignment curve) Type 05 100 Hz squarewave response (anechoic flat curve) 1 1

0.5 0.5

0 0

-0.5 -0.5 Normalized Amplitude Normalized Amplitude HEDD Lineariser OFF HEDD Lineariser OFF -1 -1 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 Time in ms Time in ms

1 1

0.5 0.5

0 0

-0.5 -0.5 Normalized Amplitude Normalized Amplitude HEDD Lineariser ON HEDD Lineariser ON -1 -1 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 Time in ms Time in ms

29 5.3 - Measurements

Lineariser® Type 07

Type 07 on axis frequency response (HEDD alignment curve) Type 07 on axis frequency response (anechoic flat curve)

0 0

-20 -20 Magnitude in dB Magnitude in dB HEDD Lineariser OFF HEDD Lineariser OFF HEDD Lineariser ON HEDD Lineariser ON -40 -40 100 1k 10k 100 1k 10k Frequency in Hz Frequency in Hz

Type 07 on axis phase response (HEDD alignment curve) Type 07 on axis phase response (anechoic flat curve)

100 100

0 0 Angle in degrees Angle in degrees -100 HEDD Lineariser OFF -100 HEDD Lineariser OFF HEDD Lineariser ON HEDD Lineariser ON

100 1k 10k 100 1k 10k Frequency in Hz Frequency in Hz

Type 07 impulse response (HEDD alignment curve) Type 07 impulse response (anechoic flat curve) 1 1

0.8 0.8

0.6 0.6

0.4 0.4

0.2 0.2 Normalized Amplitude Normalized Amplitude

0 0

-0.2 -0.2

HEDD Lineariser OFF HEDD Lineariser OFF HEDD Lineariser ON HEDD Lineariser ON -0.4 -0.4 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 Time in ms Time in ms

Type 07 100 Hz squarewave response (HEDD alignment curve) Type 07 100 Hz squarewave response (anechoic flat curve) 1 1

0.5 0.5

0 0

-0.5 -0.5 Normalized Amplitude Normalized Amplitude HEDD Lineariser OFF HEDD Lineariser OFF -1 -1 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 Time in ms Time in ms

1 1

0.5 0.5

0 0

-0.5 -0.5 Normalized Amplitude Normalized Amplitude HEDD Lineariser ON HEDD Lineariser ON -1 -1 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 Time in ms Time in ms

30 5.3 - Measurements

Lineariser® Type 20

Type 20 on axis frequency response (HEDD alignment curve) Type 20 on axis frequency response (anechoic flat curve)

0 0

-20 -20 Magnitude in dB Magnitude in dB HEDD Lineariser OFF HEDD Lineariser OFF HEDD Lineariser ON HEDD Lineariser ON -40 -40 100 1k 10k 100 1k 10k Frequency in Hz Frequency in Hz

Type 20 on axis phase response (HEDD alignment curve) Type 20 on axis phase response (anechoic flat curve)

100 100

0 0 Angle in degrees Angle in degrees -100 HEDD Lineariser OFF -100 HEDD Lineariser OFF HEDD Lineariser ON HEDD Lineariser ON

100 1k 10k 100 1k 10k Frequency in Hz Frequency in Hz

Type 20 impulse response (HEDD alignment curve) Type 20 impulse response (anechoic flat curve) 1 1

0.8 0.8

0.6 0.6

0.4 0.4

0.2 0.2 Normalized Amplitude Normalized Amplitude

0 0

-0.2 -0.2

HEDD Lineariser OFF HEDD Lineariser OFF HEDD Lineariser ON HEDD Lineariser ON -0.4 -0.4 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 Time in ms Time in ms

Type 20 100 Hz squarewave response (HEDD alignment curve) Type 20 100 Hz squarewave response (anechoic flat curve) 1 1

0.5 0.5

0 0

-0.5 -0.5 Normalized Amplitude Normalized Amplitude HEDD Lineariser OFF HEDD Lineariser OFF -1 -1 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 Time in ms Time in ms

1 1

0.5 0.5

0 0

-0.5 -0.5 Normalized Amplitude Normalized Amplitude HEDD Lineariser ON HEDD Lineariser ON -1 -1 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 Time in ms Time in ms

31 5.3 - Measurements

Lineariser® Type 30

Type 30 on axis frequency response (HEDD alignment curve) Type 30 on axis frequency response (anechoic flat curve)

0 0

-20 -20 Magnitude in dB Magnitude in dB HEDD Lineariser OFF HEDD Lineariser OFF HEDD Lineariser ON HEDD Lineariser ON -40 -40 100 1k 10k 100 1k 10k Frequency in Hz Frequency in Hz

Type 30 on axis phase response (HEDD alignment curve) Type 30 on axis phase response (anechoic flat curve)

100 100

0 0 Angle in degrees Angle in degrees -100 HEDD Lineariser OFF -100 HEDD Lineariser OFF HEDD Lineariser ON HEDD Lineariser ON

100 1k 10k 100 1k 10k Frequency in Hz Frequency in Hz

Type 30 impulse response (HEDD alignment curve) Type 30 impulse response (anechoic flat curve) 1 1

0.8 0.8

0.6 0.6

0.4 0.4

0.2 0.2 Normalized Amplitude Normalized Amplitude

0 0

-0.2 -0.2

HEDD Lineariser OFF HEDD Lineariser OFF HEDD Lineariser ON HEDD Lineariser ON -0.4 -0.4 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 Time in ms Time in ms

Type 30 100 Hz squarewave response (HEDD alignment curve) Type 30 100 Hz squarewave response (anechoic flat curve) 1 1

0.5 0.5

0 0

-0.5 -0.5 Normalized Amplitude Normalized Amplitude HEDD Lineariser OFF HEDD Lineariser OFF -1 -1 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 Time in ms Time in ms

1 1

0.5 0.5

0 0

-0.5 -0.5 Normalized Amplitude Normalized Amplitude HEDD Lineariser ON HEDD Lineariser ON -1 -1 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 Time in ms Time in ms

32 6 - Uninstall Lineariser® 6.1 - Windows®

1. Go to “Start -> all programs -> HEDD Audio GmbH”.

2. Select “Uninstall HEDD Lineariser”

3. Select “Yes” and let the Uninstaller de-install the HEDD Lineariser® from your machine.

4. When the Uninstaller process is completed, you get this message:

5. Click on “OK”. The HEDD Lineariser® is now successfully removed from your machine.

6.2 - Mac OSX

1. Open the Finder and navigate to “Applications”.

2. Simply drag & drop the “HEDD Lineariser” icon to the Trash bin

3. Empty the Trash bin

4. The HEDD Lineariser® is now successfully removed

33 7 - Technical data

Flavors: VST (Version 2 and 3), AU and AAX, both 32 bit and 64 bit Supported OS: Microsoft® Windows® 7, 8.0, 8.1, 10 (x86 and x64) Mac OSX 10.8 and higher Required disc space: 50 MB in total for all plugin flavors Supported number of channels: 64 Supported sample rates: 8 … 192 kHz Bit depth: 32 bit floating point (if supported by your host, otherwise up to 24 bit fixed point)

HEDD Lineariser® Standalone Application Supported numbers of channels: 2 Supported OS: Microsoft® Windows® 7, 8.0, 8.1, 10 (x86 and x64) Mac OSX 10.8 and higher Supported sample rates: 8 … 192 kHz Bit depth: up to 24 bit fixed point (depends on your audio hardware) Required disc space: 1,2 MB Supported sound I/O’s: Windows®: MME, DirectSound, ASIO™ Mac OSX: CoreAudio

Microsoft, Windows, Windows 7/8/8.1/10 are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corp. Apple and Mac OS are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. ASIO™ and VST™ are registered trademarks of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH.

ProTools® is a registered trademark of Avid Technology Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries.