Audacity 2.3.3 existing filters not available in new equalizer modes

Audacity Help Forum GNU/Linux
1

Hi,

Has the refactoring of Equalization into Filter Curve and Graphic EQ broken backward compatibility?

I’ve previously created an equalization curve for the AKG D5 microphone in Audacity 2.3.2 but it doesn’t appear to be selectable in Audacity 2.3.3. The filter selection dropdown is no longer present and the Manage buttons only provide facilities to select factory presets and save new curves or equalization settings.

Do we now have to recreate custom filters for Audacity 2.3.3?

ATB,
Neil

2

Unfortunately yes.

There “should” be the ability to import and export curves, but that is not yet implemented. It is already listed on Audacity’s “issue tracker” and has been assigned high priority, so I’m hopeful that it may be implemented in the next release (Audacity 2.4.0).

3

Hi Steve,

I think this needs mention in the release notes because it could be a problem for people who rely on their custom filter curves and may prefer not to update. I was bitten because I’m using Panda Jim’s PPA and Audacity 2.3.2 has been replaced with 2.3.3 for Linux Mint 19.x (based on Ubuntu Bionic). It’s not a deal breaker for me because I can recreate my AKG D5 equalization filter.

ATB,
Neil

4

I agree that this will be an inconvenience for anyone that relies on custom curves, but as you say, they can recreate their custom curves if they need to. I don’t think that the issue is sufficiently severe to warrant a top level release note, at least not for most users. The issue is listed if you trawl through the extensive list of all known issues.

I’m pleased that the Eq effect has finally been split into two (the old EQ effect had multiple bugs and a tangle of code to implement the “2 effects in one”), but I’m a bit disappointed by the absence of slider labels in the Graphic Eq, and the absence of Import/Export.

5

Neil,

we are planning to add in the Import/Export of curves - but we ran out of time to do it for 2.3.3, sorry.

We do have an entry for this in our bug-tracker which I have just upgraded to P2 for the next release 2.4.0 due late Q1 2020
https://bugzilla.audacityteam.org/show_bug.cgi?id=2237

In the meantime you can save and restore user presets with the Manage button in the Filter Curves and Graphic EQ effects - see: https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/manage_presets.html

But note that both effects are now independent ad do not share user defined curves.

Peter.

6

That’s great to hear but, for now, I’m stuck with a project to finish and have lost backwards compatibility with that!

I’m willing to bet that the presets and saved curves are text files with similar notation to that of my old EQ curves.

I would like, then, to open the new filter curve presets in a text editor, paste in my old EQ presets at the bottom by hand, and save again.

Does that make sense?

If so, could you tell me where to find the curve presets.


Thanks,



Eric

7

When I run 2.3.2 in my audacity settings folder I find the following attached file
EQCurves.xml (4.63 KB)
If I clear my audacity settings folder and rum 2.3.3

  1. I see all of those curves from 2.3.2 available in Filter Curve … effect under the Manage button, under the Factory presets.

  2. If I create and save a user curve with the Manage button - then I note that Audacity creates a new EQcurves.xml file with my new user curve in it.
    So I’m guessing that if you already have other custon curves you may be able to add them to the WQcurves,xml fil.

BUT, I am no expert in these matters :wink:

Peter.

8

This page in the Audacity Manual tells you where to find the audacity settings folder on Linux

I note that with 2.3.2 you can use the Export under the old Save?Manage curves to export the curves data to a newly-named xml file in the audacity folder.

Peter.

9

Thanks, Peter.

I tried that. I could see no reason why it wouldn’t work.

However, Audacity doesn’t seem to get its filter custom presets from that EQ curves file. On closing the Curve Filter, the current EQCurves file is updated with one set of whatever the current Filter Curves settings have been, titled

It certainly must store my custom curves somewhere, since I can save them with the [Manage] button, and they are available (with their test names) for the next session.

I tried saving a couple of test curves with [Manage], and then doing a Finder search for files — .xml or otherwise — containing my name text string, “Test Curve” but to no avail. Does that mean they are stored in some sort of binary file - or simply that they are concealed in a hidden folder, I wonder?

Very puzzling.

10

The effect names are stored in pluginsettings.cfg

Here’s an example for Filter Curve, called demopreset:

[pluginsettings/base64:RWZmZWN0X0F1ZGFjaXR5X0F1ZGFjaXR5X0ZpbHRlciBDdXJ2ZQ==/private/UserPresets/demopreset]
Parameters=f0=“93.059635” f1=“3826.6077” FilterLength=“8191” InterpolateLin=“0” InterpolationMethod=“B-spline” v0=“6.177475” v1=“-20.511948”

The way to proceed is to, in Audacity, make dummy presets for each of the named presets you want. Then CLOSE Audacity.
Now edit the pluginsettings.cfg file, not changing the cryptic base64 string. Then OPEN Audacity again, and your presets will be available from manage.

Try it with one preset first.

11

Eric,

I came here looking for a solution, following the installation of a new hardware system I use for my recording. I have 6 carefully crafted EQ Effects that I use many times per day, in the process of digitizing thousands of vinyl albums, cassettes and 8-tracks. As a longtime software developer, I understand that not everything can get implemented as needed.

In this case the simple answer is to got back and install 2.3.2 release and everything will work as it did. When 2.4.0 becomes available, I’m sure the developers will get everything fixed.

If you do decide to go back, simply installing 2.3.2 over a 2.3.3 installation won’t bring back the Equalization effect. You’ll need to restore the audacity files as they were for 2.3.2 since apparently a lot of the effects are dynamically loaded from the config files. Hopefully you have a backup.

++Mark.
(my first ever Audacity forum post!)
[adverts removed]

12

Thanks, James.

Sorry I missed this before.

13

Old thread…but if there’s life left in it, a question:

Is there no way to use the previous version’s XML files in which user EQ presets were saved?

I have a dozen very useful curves saved in “EQcurves.xml” that would take days and days of experimentation to reproduce and save in the new format.

14

I am adding a plug-in that can convert the old style (XML) curve files to the new format. This will be available in the next Audacity release (Audacity 2.4.0), as will the ability to import / export presets for built-in effects.