FFX: Reverb not working correctly

[Ripper69]

PCSX2 version: 1.5.0-dev-2205-gaf-2278c3c

PCSX2 options: SPU2-X catmul rom, didnt tick any boxes, xaudio 2.7, volume 100%, latency 100 ms, syncronizing mode timestretch, audio expansion mode stereo

Plugins used:

SPU2-X

Description of the issue: Reverb and maybe other audio effects don't play correctly in Final Fantasy X's music

Comparison:

PCSX2: https://soundcloud.com/josh-bales-209156607/2a-1

PS2: https://soundcloud.com/josh-bales-209156607/3a-1

PC specifications: I7 4770 3.4 ghz, GTX 770

[MrCK1]

I've isolated a better section of the sample here and removed the center channel. I can hear a slight difference with the reverb missing, but it's a bit subtle.

Side note: the PCSX2 sample already had noticable artifacting before I re-encoded it, but it's probably not enough to make an audible difference in the reverb. Rename these to .wav FFX_PCSX2.zip FFX_PS2.zip

[Ripper69]

On soundcloud you could click on more and select download, the original file is FLAC

[willkuer]

I think @sudonim1 was the last one working on it. But I think he gave up for the moment after having a larger improvement of the reverb emulation.

[ramapcsx2]

Reverb is certainly not correct in this one, but I'm not sure that that's the sole reason it sounds bad. Yet.. Could you check the PCSX2 output with reverb disabled? I want to know how that changes the attack phase of the bad sample. In the recording above, that phase is compressed, compared to the original. That's what makes it sound really bad to our ears.

[Ripper69]

Here is the track without reverb: https://soundcloud.com/josh-bales-209156607/4a-1

[MrCK1]

After listening to the new track, the reverb is definitely still present as it should be in PCSX2. The problem lies now with the intensity of attack as @ramapcsx2 mentioned. Whether that's something we are able to address is unknown.

[ramapcsx2]

Well, it's a bit hard to tell but I think our reverb is cutting into the sample with early reflections. So yea, this helps reduce the factors a little. http://problemkaputt.de/psx-spx.htm#spureverbformula

[Mrlinkwii]

is this still an issue on latest master?

[Mrlinkwii]

still an issue on the nightly's

[seta-san]

After listening to the new track, the reverb is definitely still present as it should be in PCSX2. The problem lies now with the intensity of attack as @ramapcsx2 mentioned. Whether that's something we are able to address is unknown.

i'm notoriously bad at telling the difference between audio. between the rework on the reverb logic and ADSR logic does this sound better? https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/pull/10084

[bigol83]

This is how it sounds like in latest nightly 1.7.5120 with default settings.

https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/assets/38129260/82f0fea3-6029-4670-aa8e-8a3ba03b5aa7

Listening to this and comparing to the old Pcsx2 one it seems like the reverb is definitely better,more noticeable and not as flat.

[seta-san]

would you say it's fixed or just better?

[bigol83]

It's better in reverb, but it seems like bass is less noticeable, compared to both Pcsx2 1.5 sample and Ps2 sample.

[Mrlinkwii]

can this be checked on latest nightly

[bigol83]

This is how it sounds in Pcsx2 1.7.5259

https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/assets/38129260/d6b15fbc-69df-43e1-95f7-7fd421730954

[KrossX]

Here's some spectrum plots done with audacity, from first samples, PS2, PCSX2 and bigol83's 1.7.5120 and 1.7.5259. Amplitud seems quite lower, but the sepectrum on the newer versions shows some oddities at the low frequencies and some lower bass with the peak at 30hz quite low. I remember making some comment in #10007 about bass, but there's quite the climb at the very very low frequencies.

PS2


PCSX2


PCSX2 1.7.5120


PCSX2 1.7.5259


[bigol83]

The graph shows that 5120 and 5259 are exactly the same. Bass is definitely less noticeable compared to PS2 and early Pcsx2 versions.

[Ziemas]

Amplitud seems quite lower

Keep in mind that PCSX2 arbitrarily lowers the final output volume because people thought 100% volume was too loud.

I remember making some comment in #10007 about bass

I think I missed or forgot this comment, feel free to play around with the value if you want. As long as SSX pause menu doesn't leave the output with constant DC offset anything should be fine.

For the record, I think whatever difference there is here is not from the reverb unit. Heres a comparison of the SPU output with reverb recorded straight from SPU RAM. (It's from Jak & Daxter since I have source code for that sound driver and can easily modify it.)

danger.zip

While PCSX2 is not identical I would say they are very similar.

[KrossX]

Those graphs look quite identical indeed. The peak at around 60hz shows a lower bass on PCSX2 but with my crappy headphones I noticed no difference, both sounded the same.