Convolver in car audio?

jtrosky · Sep 8, 2019

Has anyone every heard of any type of "convolver" in car audio? As a user of Viper4Android on my Android devices (kind of like a super-DSP for Android audio), I really like the results of using "convolver" files. I'm not sure if that term is "universal" to audio and car audio folks are aware of it, but you basically take a snapshot of the EQ in a particular environment and that quick snapshot "shapes" the audio EQ on your device (the "convolver" files are tiny). I'm not sure how it all works, but the results can be fantastic. I use a BBE convolver on a homemade Android 2DIN car-radio-in-a-wooden-box that I use as a portable stereo - and it sounds freaking fantastic! Would love to be able to experiment with convolver files in my car - without an Android head-unit and Viper4Android....

Anyone ever heard of a DSP device that supports this?

Here are some pictures of the homemade portable car-radio-stereo... Headunit an Android 8.0 headunit, I added a 45Wx4 RMS Alpine KTP-445U amp and used some Pioneer D-Series component speakers. The reason I made this was simply because I had these parts laying around not being used and figured that a portable unit like this would be very handy. Since it runs Android, it is REALLY powerful - and along with Viper4Android, it sounds absolutely *amazing* (I *still* can't believe how good it sounds)....

Mahapederdon · Sep 8, 2019

I've used viper 4 android allot back when I was rooting my phones. itworks great. I don't know how the convolver stuff worked though.

jtrosky · Sep 8, 2019

The Viper4Android "Convolver" feature actually uses ".irs" files (Impulse Response Samples). I've seen "Impulse Response" talked about around here in regards to DSP's - but not sure how it all fits together. I would have though that car DSP systems would supports Impulse Response Samples by now - assuming it's the same Impluse Response talked about around here. It really is a very cool feature that I wish I had with DSP. It was very cool when used with the Viper4Android on the Android head-unit I had - although the Android head-unit had too many other audio-related quality issues (which is why it's no longer in my other car and in a wooden box now).

drop1 · Sep 8, 2019

There is a production tool that is a difference eq.
Basically it reads a sounds frequency response over time then can apply the differences to make one track tonally like another.
Pretty cool. Imagine dialing in one speakers then using this eq to automatically match the opposite driver.
If it were portable you could measure, says my focal studio monitors then take that curve to the car. Theres all kinds of neat stuff in production that could be used in other applications.

jtrosky · Sep 9, 2019

Exactly. Being that this stuff has existed for Android phones for years, I can't believe this hasn't made it's way to car audio DSP's yet... It would be a really cool feature to have to be able to create and share IRS files with each other. I was amazed how well it works in Viper4Android - it (Viper4Android along with the .irs/convolver files) made that cheap Android head-unit sound pretty damn good for what it was - too bad it had too many noise-related issues (cheap Chinese head-unit with low-quality components). Specifically, I love the BBE .irs files. I also have another higher-quality 2DIN headunit for my Impala that has built-in BBE support and I loved that feature.... I even had a BBE "Sonic Maximizer" for my home stereo years ago - that too made a nice improvement. I want my BBE!

Convolver in car audio?

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