The DHNRDS-DA Decoder (FA Mode) Best Settings List

[lucretius]

The Best Settings List

 

The purpose of this thread is to publish the “best” DHNRDS-DA decoder settings for each album release, so that anyone with his/her own copy of the music will be able to apply the settings using the decoder software.

 

Jump to post #2 for the semi-official list. The best settings entered by John Dyson are not official entries yet but rather are simply cut and paste from his manually maintained test table -- his settings are continually improving along with each new version of the DHNRDS-DA decoder.

 

Forum members collaborating on best settings should submit entries to the list (via post to this thread) in the following format:

 

FIELD	VALUE
Artist:	Supertramp
Title (Format):	Breakfast in America (CD)
Original Year:	1979
Label:	A&M Records
Release Country (Year):	Argentina (1985)
Catalog Number:	393 708-2
Barcode:	82839370820
Number of Tracks:	10
External Links:	https://www.discogs.com/Supertramp-Breakfast-In-America/release/12834576
Submitted By:	@John Dyson
DA Commands:	--fb=4 --tone=-14.425 --wof=1.19
Post EQ with SoX:	treble -1.5 9k 0.50q treble -1.5 9k 0.8409q
Comments:

 

It is not necessary to complete every field but the more, the better (to identify the source release). Occasionally, I will combine the entries and publish the updated list in post #2 in this thread.

 

 

Background

 

DHNRDS stands for DYSON-HESS Noise Reduction Decoder System. The project was conceived to produce a family of software decoders to correct the ills of audio recordings encoded with various noise reduction systems (e.g. Dolby A, Dolby B, Dolby C, dbx type I, dbx type II, and Telcom C4). The project and its products are the work of John S. Dyson and Richard L. Hess.  As many of you know, Mr. Dyson, a member of Audiophile Style, is the software developer.

 

The DA in ‘DHNRDS-DA” is short for Dolby A. The DA decoder is the first software decoder to be produced by the DHNRDS project. It is software that provides high quality decoding of music where the (analog) master tapes or other media¹ were encoded with Dolby A.

 

The DA decoder operates in one of two modes: (1) The raw/true Dolby A decoder mode, called ‘DA mode’, and (2) the FeralA² mode, called ‘FA mode’. In DA mode, the (command line) decoder runs without any corrective EQ. The DA mode is intended for professional use in the studio and can be used as a substitute for using actual Dolby A hardware decoders. In FA mode, the decoder runs with corrective EQ to undo the FeralA² encoding, i.e. where the (analog) master tapes were encoded with Dolby A and subsequent CD releases were mastered from these original master tapes without Dolby A decoding. The FA mode is intended for use by audiophiles.

 

For more background on the decoder software, see:

 

^1.       Apparently, some mastering engineers have used Dolby A hardware encoders as selectable mode multi-band compressors. For example, engineers modded Dolby A hardware units to disable the lower bands so that only the high-frequency portion of the signal is compressed, giving more air to vocals.

 

^2.       FeralA, a term coined by Mr. Dyson, refers to undecoded Dolby A recordings that have been subsequently processed (EQ’ed) for mastering of CDs. Note that there exists very few CDs that suffer from pure unmodified encoded Dolby A (i.e. no subsequent EQ).

 

[lucretius]

The Best Settings List

 

Attached to this post is the semi-official list. The best settings entered by John Dyson are not official entries yet but rather are simply cut and paste from his manually maintained test table -- his settings are continually improving along with each new version of the DHNRDS-DA decoder.

                              

List20201012.xlsx Updated 2020-10-12.

[lucretius]

On 5/5/2020 at 9:26 AM, John Dyson said:

I would rather see multiple versions of 'reasonable' settings instead of someone suppressing a strongly held opinion

 

I had planned to document multiple decoding choices (within reason). At the end of each entry are the following fields:

 

Submitted By:
DA Commands:
Post EQ with SoX: Comments:   I can repeat those fields for alternate decoding choices. For really different releases of an album, I would treat it as a separate entry.   Let me know if this is OK.

[lucretius]

4 hours ago, John Dyson said:

This might be a little premature, but I am adding the first 3 Supertramp decodes.  However, I just realized that the intensity of the recordings might be coming from the IEC vs. NAB tape EQ.   The basic decoding parameters are pretty close to correct, so I am adding these entries with the caveat.  Most recordings won't have this problem...

 

At least, we are getting this started.  If it wasn't for the IEC issues, these would be pretty good...

 

Artist:                         Supertramp
Title(Format):                  Crime of the Century (CD)
Original Year:                  1974
Label:                          A&M Records
Release Country (Year):         UK
Catalog Number:                 393 647-2
Number of Tracks:               8
External Links:                 https://www.discogs.com/Supertramp-Crime-Of-The-Century-/release/8987246
Submitted by:                   @John Dyson
DA Commands:                    --fb=a --tone=-14.47 --wof=1.19
Pre/Post EQ (Sox):              gain -0.40 treble -0.375 9k 0.50q treble -0.375 9k 0.8409q
Comments:                       Maybe too intense because of IEC tape EQ? Needs IEC conversion on output?

 

 

Artist:                         Supertramp
Title(Format):                  Breakfast In America (CD)
Original Year:                  1979
Label:                          A&M Records
Release Country (Year):         ?
Catalog Number:                 393 708-2
Number of Tracks:               10
External Links:                 https://www.discogs.com/Supertramp-Breakfast-In-America/release/12834576
Submitted by:                   @John Dyson
DA Commands:                    --fb=aX --tone=-13.90 --wof=1.09
Pre/Post EQ (Sox):              gain -0.50 treble -0.375 9k 0.50q treble -0.375 9k 0.8409q treble -0.375 12k 0.50q treble -0.375 12k 0.8409q treble -0.375 15k 0.50q treble -0.375 15k 0.8409q
Comments:                       Maybe too intense because of IEC tape EQ? Needs IEC conversion on output?

 

 

Artist:                         Supertramp
Title(Format):                  Even In The Quietest Moments (CD)
Original Year:                  1977
Label:                          A&M Records
Release Country (Year):         Europe
Catalog Number:                 394 634-2
Number of Tracks:               7
External Links:                 https://www.discogs.com/Supertramp-Even-In-The-Quietest-Moments/release/3102806
Submitted by:                   @John Dyson
DA Commands:                    --fb=a --tone=-14.47 --wof=1.19
Pre/Post EQ (Sox):              gain 0.90 treble -0.375 9k 0.50q treble -0.375 9k 0.8409q
Comments:                       Maybe too intense because of IEC tape EQ? Needs IEC conversion on output?

 

 

 

Hi John,

 

Are those SoX effects pre or post DA decoding?

 

 

 

[lucretius]

On 5/8/2020 at 7:07 AM, John Dyson said:

The SuperDuper version is PolyGram/PolyDor OZ, 800 023-2.

 

Do you mean this one:  https://www.discogs.com/ABBA-Super-Trouper/release/5409065 ?

[lucretius]

3 hours ago, John Dyson said:

Take a look at the FeralA decoder announcements -- new decoder, well worth it.

 

See:

 

[lucretius]

9 hours ago, jabbr said:

fc=maX t=-12.67 seems much better

 

Do you have any more info about the release beyond "1985 Whitney Houston", so I can add it to the list? Thanks.

[lucretius]

8 hours ago, jabbr said:

I assume Arista ARCD 8212 — I had ripped my CD collection years ago and didn’t keep the version unfortunately. I am working on this because there are some outstanding female vocals with some very problematic areas

 

Thanks. I updated the list @ post #2.

[lucretius]

I updated the list at post number #2.

 

 

Quote

Each one of the below is as clean/more clean than any thing that I have demoed

before ...

Anne Murray: --fbm=--, --tone=-13.50
Petula Clark: --fba=--BCD --tone=-13.50  (--fba=--BCD is half strength of --fbm=--)
Carpenters, 1970: --fbm=--, --tone=-13.50
Carpenters, 1971: --fbm=--, --tone=-13.50
Carpenters, 1972: --fcm=--X, --tone=-13.50 (A little too much sibilance on Top Of the World.)
Carpenters, 1973: --fcm=--, --tone=-13.50
Carpenters, 1975: --fcm=--, --tone=-13.50
Carpenters, 1976: --fcm=--, --tone=-13.50
Styx, 1977, --fbm=--, --tone=-13.50
Styx, 1980, --fbm==--X, --tone=-13.475
Supertramp, Crisis: --fbm=--, --tone=-13.50
Supertramp, Crime: --fbm=--, --tone=-13.50
Supertramp, Breakfast: --fbm=--, --tone=-13.50
Supertramp, Quiet: --fbm=--, --tone=-13.50
Carly Simon, Greatest Hits: --fbm=--, --tone=-13.50
Linda Ronstadt, 1977: --fam=--CDE, --tone=-13.50 (Fairly light EQ needed, X doesn't work in '--fam')
Linda Ronstadt, Greatest Hits: --fam=--CDE, --tone=-13.50 (light EQ, X doesn't work in '--fam')
The Cars, 2002 Complete Gtst Hits: --fcm=--, --tone=-13.50
London Philharmonic, 2011 50 Gtst Pieces Classical: --fam=--classical, --tone=-13.50
Judy Collins, Fifth Album: --fcm=--, --tone=-13.50
ABBA (All orig albums): --fcm=--, --tone=-13.50, --wof=0.91
Phil Collins 1985: --fcm=--, --tone=-13.50
Dionne Warwick, Walk On By 1968: --fbm=--, --tone=-13.00
Carly Rae Jepsen, Kiss (2012 Japanese Deluxe), --fbm=--X, --tone=-13.50

 

[lucretius]

The Best Settings List has been updated.  See post #2.  Thank you.

[lucretius]

The Best Settings List has been updated to include @rando's entry above.  See post #2.  Thank you.

[lucretius]

It's been quiet in this thread.  Just a reminder that If anyone has any entries to add to the Best Settings List, please post them so I can update the list.  Thank you.