[pulseaudio-discuss] New Module: module-lfe-lp

[Alexander E. Patrakov]

Matthew Robbetts <wingfeathera at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 19 Mar 2013, at 18:34, "Alexander E. Patrakov" <patrakov at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> 
> > 2013/3/19 Justin Chudgar <justin at justinzane.com>:
> > > I've created a module to ensure that only low frequencies are sent
> > > to devices at the end of an "lfe"/"subwoofer" channel. This module
> > > allows the user to select the master channel, the low pass cutoff
> > > frequency (aka corner freq, -3dB freq) and the number of filter
> > > poles.
> > 
> > Sorry, I cannot sign off this filter implementation.
> 
> The filter implementation looks fine to me. Do you mean the coefficient
> calculation?

I don't really know, that was a blackbox test. Will look again today.
 
> > First, the filter currently fails the "attenuation must be 3 dB at the
> > cut-off frequency" test that all Butterworth filters must pass.
> 
> [That's not a very clear way to describe things. A filter is either a
> Butterworth or it isn't, and that is determined by ts transfer function.
> Specfic aspects of its frequency response are really side-effects of its
> Butterworthiness.]

Well, what is implemented is certainly not a Butterworth filter of Nth order with a given cut-off frequency.

> Anyway: in what way does the filter not roll off correctly?

I have not tested the roll-off. Only the statement about the -3 dB frequency.

> The coefficient calculation looks to me like a quick swipe from the Audio EQ
> cookbook (I haven't verified that). Those formulae work pretty well, so
> if this filter isn't working right then presumably Justin has made a
> small error in that somewhere.

Quite possible. Or it may be that I have misunderstood the expected result.

Looking again at the code, in do_filter() I see a strange loop over the poles that, essentially, filters the signal through the same biquad (and not through N/2 biquads with independent history) over and over again.

> Justin, a relatively easy way to verify your coefficient generation is
> to use Matlab's (well, Octave's!) 'butterworth' function. This will get
> you the coefficients you need directly.
> 
> 
> > Second, Q=sqrt(2) is only valid for a 2nd order Butterworth filter.
> 
> Well, to be clear, it *makes* it a Butterworth filter. The Q in the
> transfer function is the only thing distinguishing a Butterworth from
> any other filter you can make with a biquad.

Higher-order Butterworth filters use more than one biquad, with different values of Q. But indeed, a 2nd order Butterworth filter takes one biquad with Q=2.

> Although, since you want him to use a cascade of Butterowrth filters, he
> surely *should* use Q=2?

Yes, for Butterworth filters of 2nd order. However he wrote some code that pretends (if I understood the intent correctly) to do arbitrary order lowpass Butterworth filtering with a given cut-off frequency.

Given the request to use a fixed-order filter, I'd expect Justin to rewrite that code anyway, and I hope that the resulting filter will be correct.

As for LR4 vs LR6 vs LR8, I don't care for now which one is chosen, as long as the choice is documented.

-- 
Alexander E. Patrakov
Sent from Nokia N900