Displayserver w/ IR-hack

I've been running Displayserver for a while now, but I'm unclear as to how to get the IR-hack running on the empeg. It would be neat if I could control the player through the applet.

Is this install too complicated for a non-guru to handle? Should I even attempt? I don't mind hosing up the player so long as I can get it back if I mess it up (using .upgrade file) but if it involves in-depth knowledge of *nix then it might be too great a task (but I love learning experiences :)

Is there a guide to doing this? I have this zImage file I don't know what to do with.


--Chris Willenbrock
MK2 | 12GB | Queue Registration # 2 (really!)

Its easy. Just use tony's logo editor to load up the irhack 1.03 kernel. Use the kernel flash utility option.

Sean

Use my Empeg Logo Editor program to put the zimage kernel into the empeg. The logo editor can be found at my home page (click on my name below). The option to send a kernel to the empeg is on the main File menu.

Note that it has to be the correct kernel file. For instance, it has to be the same version (1.02, 1.03 etc), and compiled for your player (Mark1, Mark2, whatever).

If it's not the right kernel file, it might make your empeg behave funny. It that happens, then either find the right file and send it, or fix the empeg by re-applying one of the official ".upgrade" files.

___________
Tony Fabris

Damn, 60 seconds late.

___________
Tony Fabris

I knew i would beat you to the punch on this one.

Sean

Damn you people are quick!

Okay..I'll give it a whirl...

--Chris Willenbrock
MK2 | 12GB | Queue Registration # 2 (really!)

Hmmm...I wonder if I have the right file here. I have zimage.gz that was part of the Displayserver 1.1 download (I think). Does anyone know if this works with 1.03? I don't seem to see it in the readme.

Perhaps I need to d/l one of the files from here? If so, which?

Thanks.

--Chris Willenbrock
MK2 | 12GB | Queue Registration # 2 (really!)

I cant remember where I got mine from, but its not the one that came w/ displayserver. There was a thread from a few days back where people where requesting different kernels. I think theres a link in there to someone's site. Theres an 1.03/irhack kernel and an 1.03/voladj/irhack kernel. You need the 1.03/irhack one.

Sean

Okay found a thread with a bunch of dead links to kernals. :(

What exactly is voladj? Just curious.

Can anyone out there send to me the file, or point me towards a working link where I might find this kernal? I need the IR-hack compiled for 1.03 on MK 2.

--Chris Willenbrock
MK2 | 12GB | Queue Registration # 2 (really!)

I loaded 1.03rc1.zImage from http://fvgestel.dyndns.org/empeg/ir_trans_kernel/1.03rc1/

Didn't work. I get a grey box where the applet used to pop up. Hrmm...

--Chris Willenbrock
MK2 | 12GB | Queue Registration # 2 (really!)

i emailed you a kernel, but there are a bunch more here: http://empeg.miniinfo.net/kernel/ Voladj tries to adjust the volume on the fly so all your cds sound like they are about the same volume. Its great for most types of music, but isnt so great on classical. You might not even notice the difference at all. Give it a shot.

Sean

Hey got it working. Thanks for your help guys!

...and all in a matter of minutes. Who needs IRC? ;)

--Chris Willenbrock
MK2 | 12GB | Queue Registration # 2 (really!)

Its great for most types of music, but isnt so great on classical.

Any suggestions? Specific charts that have problems?

Main problems I've found:
a) Slow attacks (e.g. strings) after very quiet passages sometimes give a fp effect
b) Freak transients that cause the other stuff to suddenly become quiet
c) High noise floor

a) is due to a limited horizon. At the moment, because it's only looking ahead one chunk it can't see more than about 1/40th of a second into the future. It's hard to improve that very much while it lives in the kernel. Suggestions are welcome!

c) you can fix a bit by tweaking parameters

b) I don't know what to do for these. Sometimes I don't even notice the sound that is causing the
voladj to avoid clipping. All I notice is that the other stuff suddenly became a hell of a lot quieter. But at least in those situations I know that if it wasn't for the volume adjustment, I'd hardly be able to hear anything! :)

Richard.

c) High noise floor
I notice this in between songs, the sound gets turned up too high. When a song starts out with silence, clipping happens when the music starts because the volume was adjusted up too high and doesnt get turned down quite fast enough.

b) Freak transients that cause the other stuff to suddenly become quiet
I hear these too, and I have no idea how to fix them.

Overall it sounds great, I work in a noisy environment, and voladj keeps everything audible for me.

Thx,
Sean

b) Freak transients that cause the other stuff to suddenly become quiet

There's little you can do about that unless you're willing to let the music clip. It could be just one tiny little sample, at too high of a frequency to even be audible. It's the price you pay when using digital compression. I think an analog compressor might allow a transient like that to pass. Wanna write a killer analog-compressor-simulator?

c) High noise floor

What parameter(s) should I be adjusting if I wanted to change the noise floor? I have actually been meaning to play with this, but haven't had the time.

___________
Tony Fabris