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Master Razor
09.02.13, 01:33
Purpose:
A way to move from the overrated and popular player Winamp and all other commercial like software.

Description:

foobar2000 is an advanced freeware audio player for the Windows platform.

Install:
Installer (http://www.foobar2000.org/download)

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Here you can choose the option you are most comfortable with.
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The recommended package is Normal. Full is overkill as there are better options.
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As you probably guessed, this is the original foobar interface. Here it doesn't matter what you choose so click Cancel.
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Select CTRL + P. The first page that comes up represents the components available to foobar. They are the plugins that extend functionality.
The components you see here are all gray because they were installed with foobar and NOT added. Added components are black.
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Here you need to know that there are two names refering to the same component: filename and component name. Whenever you have a problem you always need to provide the filename.

%programfiles%\foobar2000\components is the location of the gray components. Here, everything is stored in a single library (.dll).
%appdata%\foobar2000\user-components is the location of the black components. Here, components are often very complex and require multiple files rather than a single library so here every component is housed in its own folder named after the filename of the component.

Remember this for when regular component installs fail. This is called a manual install of a component.

List of components we'll need to make hi-techie:
ABX Comparator (http://www.foobar2000.org/components/view/foo_abx) This will mix two audio files randomly in order to see if YOU recognize the one in high quality.
Two tracks must be selected in order for it to appear under right-click menu -> utilities -> ABX Two Tracks...
This is best and only to solve the placebo effect of today's "320Kb sounds waaay better than your V0 MP3". I say wanna bet you can't tell the difference?

Discogs Tagger (http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=50523) This will automatically tag your ripped audio files if it was an accurate rip.
To perform tagging, select the files you want and right-click on the files and select Tagging -> Discogs -> Write tags.

FreeSurround (http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=52235) Upmixes stereo to 4.0 / 5.1 / 6.0 / 7.1 audio output.
Continuator and FreeSound are DSP effects and can only be activated here:
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To activate you just double-click on an effect in the left hand pane. Remove effect? Same manner just on the right hand pane.
Some DSP effects can be configured by using the button above the panes named Configuration.
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Continuator (http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=18703) This will search, at the end of each audio file for a silenced area. For instance a song has 5:30 seconds and the song stop at 5:20 this component will overlap the song with the next one in the playlist, thus removing the silenced space.
Default options are fine, so we'll use that. This is configured here rather then the DSP page.
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Deepening on the type of archive that you have downloaded, some may allow you to install using the Install button on the image above. If it can't be installed that way, perform a manual install.

The most import and flexible tool of foobar is its Media Library.
Here you need to add the folders of your music collection. Don't worry about CPU consumption because you can set it to only refresh on foobar startup. This is done by right-cliocking on the folder path you added and deselect the options.
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From your music library you can create autoplaylists. These are special playlists that auto update themselves. For instance, say you download an album, you create a query in foobar and as soon as the download completes, you'll see the music in a custom playlist.

To do this, click on Album List and se;ect the button Activate. Right click an album -> Create Autoplaylist.
Right-click again on the newly created playlist and select Album List Branch.
Here is where you need to make your query.

Auto-update files from a location (like the above example of utorrent) you would put

%path% IS <path location of your choice >

Rename the playlist and there is your first autoplaylist.

Resources:
As SB-I is the main authority of cheating, let me introduce the main authority in audio enthusiasts.
hydrogenAUDIO (http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/)
All questions, info, and help is offered there on all foobar problems.

Should this guide help SB-I users, I might continue adding to it. There are many more features of it and if you would just discover them you'll see that Winamp is NOTHING compared to this.
If I convince at least on person to switch to it, my tutorial served its purpose.

yoco
09.02.13, 10:41
Honestly never tried this foobar. Ever since I found AIMP I'm more than satisfied! :)

Master Razor
09.02.13, 16:21
It's much easier to use AIMP but its not fully configured. You can't change the interface into a new shape for example or into multiple windows.
Foobar offers full configuration by scripting language.
People don't use because it of its default user interface. And the fact that there are no skins for it.

koel
09.02.13, 16:40
output:wasapi event. That's all you need!
The best in cheating SB-i the best in audio computeraudiophile.
Try J river media center .

Master Razor
09.02.13, 16:50
Try J river media center .

It's bloated. We're talking about audio players not ALL-IN-ONE solutions.


output:wasapi event. That's all you need!
It's hard to use. Say you set your audio player to use it, then no other application will be able to use the sound card while the player is running.



computeraudiophile
No foobar threads or component discussions.

koel
09.02.13, 17:16
if you want bit perfect you use wasapi or asio or you can use any other player
Oh & you can use wasapi in J river to play youtube videos or online streams( you can set it to always HD)

Master Razor
09.02.13, 19:00
I didn't include WASAPI in foobar because I need it to go through the windows mixer. I have a cheap 5.1 audio system and my subwoofer and central speaker share the same jack. Thus, I always have to enable the option Central/LFE Swap in my audio card's driver. Without it, no bass will be generated by the subwoofer.

Plus, there multiple things that can go wrong with WASAPI if you're not computer savvy. I say, if you have cheap audio devices there's no need to stress the CPU anymore than you have to.

koel
09.02.13, 19:15
I didn't include WASAPI in foobar because I need it to go through the windows mixer. I have a cheap 5.1 audio system and my subwoofer and central speaker share the same jack. Thus, I always have to enable the option Central/LFE Swap in my audio card's driver. Without it, no bass will be generated by the subwoofer.

Plus, there multiple things that can go wrong with WASAPI if you're not computer savvy. I say, if you have cheap audio devices there's no need to stress the CPU anymore than you have to.

I have a 5.1(same jacks ) system & works fine with wasapi/asio in J river, in foobar you need asio(you can use asio4all) & the 5.1 will work there (just remember to configure the channels )(foobar has a component for 5.1 upmixing but it ruins the sound ,also a 4.0 one)
I'm testing AIMP right now & it has wasapi but only 16bit output & no latency settings & no upmixing (only 2.0)
It sounds good but so does WMP.
Oh & I always get lower CPU with wasapi or asio.(makes sense since it uses hardware acceleration & less software)

silencer1980
09.02.13, 19:49
my setup is using ASIO driver with Resampler SoX 96000khz with my Delta 2496 soundcard.

Best music player of alltime. I can agree it was Winamp once upon a time ago.

BTW great tutorial for beginners ;)

illusive
05.11.13, 20:47
didn't know that foobar using scripting lang for its layout and i used to play with Winamp. is foobar able to accomplish perfect rips as quality of waffles iron or what perfect rips using eac ?

Master Razor
05.11.13, 20:56
Foobar is just a player, like Winamp or AIMP. Foobar uses 3rd party codecs in order to rip; for instance: lame mp3.
For the best quality I recommend EAC but you are going to need a good quality optical drive in order to obtain it.