
PARAMETRIC EQUALIZER PRO  v. 1.1

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
List of contents:

1.0 ParEq Features
2.0 Installation
3.0 Notes & Future Improvements
4.0 Shareware, Copyright & Distribution, Warranty
5.0 How to order, Contacting the Authors 
6.0 About the Authors (Music & Programming)
7.0 Version History


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.0 ParEq Features
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

ParEq is a shareware really fast parametric equalizer for MS-Windows,
with NO FEATURES DISABLED if the file you want to process has a 
lenght < of 10 seconds.

- You can shape the timbre of a sound, boosting or 
dampening frequency components . 

- It is possible to process .wav files of any length, depending  
on your hard disk free space, at a very high speed (even better 
than commercial programs).
  
Just think that on a Pentium 133 (using Win 95, and an eide H.D.)
equalizing a 5 minute, 16 bit, stereo file, sampled ad 48 Khz, takes
only about 50 seconds (and almost all the time is spent in reading and 
writing data) .


N.B.

ParEq10 is still a 16 bit application, performances will be even better in 32 bit
version.
We choosed to start with a 16 bit version because in this way the program can be
known also by Win 3.1 users, however we intend (except explicit different requests)
to migrate as soon as possible to 32 bit platform.
Consequently we haven't accuratly tested our program under Win3.1.
If you can, to achieve maximum and reliable performances use Win95. 


- Filter characteristics and program controls: 

The filter has a symmetric bell like frequency response .
The maximum (or minimum) of the bell, equal in db to gain, is exactly 
at frequency.
Band width  is the width at 3 db (-3db), in hz, of the bell.
This last value is exact only for high gains (in module),  but it still remains a good way 
to figure how the filter behaves.


Now it should be clear why this kind of filter is called parametric:
changing those parameters (gain, frequency, bandwidth) it is possible to
build the filter you need.


Graphic interface (we hope) is  easy and user friendly, and very similar to an
audio mixer channel, with knobs and sliders.

You can find three knobs, a volume slider and two buttons.

1) The first knob is the frequency control.
    Its range depends on frequency samples rate of the file loaded.
2) The second knob is the bandwidth control.
    Its maximum value is	of 2/3 octave.
3) The third knob is the gain control.
It has two possible ranges, depending from setting of the gain range
button control
4) the slider, as it is clear, affects sound volume.
You should use this control also to prevent clipping ( a proper message
will appear, after processing, if this has happened).
Remember that clipping is often caused by too high gain setting. 
5) The first button is gain range button control.
When led is off the gain knob range is -16,+16 db, otherwise -24,+24 db.
6) The second button is  set  button control.
Clicking it you will access on a new form, where it is possible to change
frequency knob excursion range to achieve a deeper control  (this will be even more usefull 
in the next releases when we will put more sections) , linear or logarithmic scale, or to set
directly center frequency.




notes

- We choosed to limit the files formats only to .wav files 16 bit signed.
ParEq doesn' t want to be an editor, or a converter.
It supports only 16 bit format because we think that 8 bit it's not for serious audio
applications.
For the same reason we put some limits also to sampling rate, infact 16khz is the minimum s.r. accepted (good for voice).
- Pay attention to bandwidth control and to gain.
If you chose high positive gains and narrow bandwith, the filter will auto-oscillate
and it will "whistle" at frequency .
This effect can be usefull to create resonances ( immagine it on a snare drum, or on a voice).
If you don't want this just decrease gain or widen bandwidth.




--------------------------------------------------------------
2.0 Installation
--------------------------------------------------------------

ParEq requires a 486 DX ; Pentium processor is recommended.

ParEq comes with a standard program setup, so it will automatically
create group and icon.
After you have unzipped ParEq10A and ParEq10B (the two zipped file
you found on the net)  in a temporary directory, just run setup program.
When setup will be completed, delete the temporary directory.

N.B.

- ParEq10 takes almost 2MB of datas, this because of the runtime libraries 
of VB4.
If you already have them on your sistem the setup program will automatically
skip the installation of those files. 

- Sorry for the italian in the setup program, but we are shure that you
will easily understand what you have to do.

---------------------------------------------------------------
3.0  Notes & Future projects
---------------------------------------------------------------

  
We hope that this program will be the first (not the last ;-) !!! ) of our
productions.       

We would like to:

1) enlarge ParEq adding more eq sections: 3 middle
and 1 high &  1 low shelving sections (we think is enough 
for compleate channel control).

2) Indipendent left right equalization.

3) Filters frequency response display.

4) Real-time output monitoring (you have to listen what you are doing!!!).

5) Linearize the phase of the filters (whitout sloving down too much the operations), for  compleate distortion-free processings.

6) Db volume slider scaling

7) On-line help

8) To create a web page from which you can directly download the latest versions of
    our programs.

(And in the future ...in the future if you want..........
  .....Why don't trasform it in a compleate real-time
mixing console ?! )


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.0 Shareware, Copyright & Distribution, Warranty
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4.1 Shareware

ParEq is a shareware program.  To register and encourage
further development, please follow the directions in the
ORDER.TXT or ORDER.WRI file included with this program.

4.2 Copyright & Distribution

ParEq10 is distributed on two zipped disks including the 
following software and documentation (with different extensions 
because of the compressed format)

	Disk A  (20 files)
		
	PAREQ10.EXE	Pareq application file
	PAREQ.DLL      Pareq dll
	ORDER.WRI	Order form (in Write format)
	README.WRI	Help & informations
	README.TXT	Same as Readme.wri (TXT Format)
	INFO.ASC	Internal Info File
	PAREQ11.HLP	Help File
	VB40016.DLL    main runtime lib.
            plus setup and VBX\OCX files.
	
	Disk B  (16 files)
	
      Others VB4 runtime files for 16 bit version.

	In all (Disk A + Disk B) 36 files.

The package is copyright (C) 1996 by A. Forlani M. Tonelli.
           	
You may copy and distribute the package through BBS  and  ftp
sites.

Only the unmodified "zipped" file may be distributed or copied.

You are prohibited from:
I)   charging a fee or requesting donations for the package;
II)  distributing/including the package in commercial products;
III) modifying the package.

The package may be distributed on CD-ROM .  
We would like to be informed of it (just for monitoring ParEq diffusion).

All trademarks/registered names acknowledged.

4.3 Warranty

The package is provided as is, without warranty of any kind.
The author shall not be liable for damages of any kind.  Use
of this software indicates you agree to this.



------------------------------------------------------------------
5.0 How to order, contacting the authors.
------------------------------------------------------------------

We offer two levels of registration:

Standard ($15 US): Password to remove shareware messages and unlock all features.
Deluxe    ($20 US): Password (as above) plus password for the next upgrade, when available.

We support two modalities of payment:

1) By mail : send us the form  in ORDER.WRI with money enclosed 
    to one of the addresses below.
    We will send you by e-mail the password to unlock ParEq features.

    Note:
    If  you haven't got an e-mail address, please, add $ 5 US for mail delivery.

2) By postal order (only if you have e-mail contact opportunity ).
    In this case you must send us an e-mail with all the essential informations of  		
    previous mentioned form (name surname ....ParEq version etc..).	

       		
Be sure to make your money order or postal order payable to one of the addresses below

Andrea Forlani				            
Via Baracca, 16		   	            
61100  PESARO
ITALY						
E-mail: forlani@csr.unibo.it			

or

Massimiliano Tonelli
Via Montefeltro, 81
61100 PESARO
ITALY
E-mail: tonelli@gulliver.unian.it


------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.0 About the Authors (Music & Programming)
------------------------------------------------------------------------

A. Forlani. 

I was born in Pesaro (Gioachino Rossini's birth-place) on 1970. 
When I was six, I was presented with my first guitar.
At 11 years old I began to study oboe at Pesaro Conservatory "G. Rossini".
At 13 I started to program in Basic with small computers (VIC-20 ,Commodore 64).
I have been playing guitar in a rock band since I was 15.
In the mean time I worked with ATARI ST1040 in my small home studio.
When I was 20 I got oboe degree and I began to play as soloist or as a member of some classical ensambles ("Philharmonic Orchestra of Ancona", woodwind quintets, etc).
In the same year I joined the course in ELECTRONIC MUSIC at Conservatory. 
At 22 I entered the Computer Science Faculty of Bologna University where I studied several programming languages (FORTRAN, PROLOG, PASCAL, C++, etc..).
In this year (1996) :
- I graduated in electronic music.
- I wrote Hetro Editor, a utility for Csound for MS-Windows.
This program allows graphical analisys of heterodyne filter output, user-friendly and   accurate editing of it, morphing and resynthesys of sounds generating automatically Csound scores.
- I wrote ParEq.


M. Tonelli.
 
At   8 years old  began to study classical music, playing flute.
At 11 entered conservatory
(studing.... studing.......etc.)
At 15 began to study electric bass ( I liked very much rock at that time)
( playing ..... playing.... playing .....etc...)
At 17 began to study jazz ( going ahead with bass).
(playing......studing.......playing.....Trane-ing......playing ......in the streets.....in  pubs...
......etc.)
At 19 began electronicall engineering university (with audio applications in my head)
(a lot of math...... a lot of math..... a lot of math.....perhaps too much math........in the
 mean -time playing.....)
At 22 worked as a programmer .
At 23 wrote music for a theatre performance.
At 24 (1995-96)  studing D.S.P.
began composing music for a sextet ( if you want I'll send you some music).
began ParEq
played  with my group in a musical festival in France (FIMU-Belfort - May 1996)
at 25 (1996 october) finished ParEq ver. 1.00
(waiting.......waiting ......waiting....waiting ...............I hope not too long......).


As you can see we are both music experienced, and this is the foundation of our work. 
If you need more informations, please contact us (even by unregistered users), we will be glad of it.


------------------------------
7.0 Version History
------------------------------

v. 1.1
Added help: Simple registration procedure, many informations, how to contact the authors, etc...
Fixed bugs: Undo & Redo disabled by Open File | Cancel, Run time error in Open after samples overflow, Undo problem, Redo enabled after Save.

v. 1.0
First release.

See Notes & Future Improvements to know what the future holds.
