An option to disable gaussian sound interpolation

[a_porpoise]

Since zSnes isn't properly working in fullscreen mode under Windows 8 I started thinking about maybe moving to another emu and I found snes9x to be good. But!

I'm used to unfiltered sound and, in my opinion, it's better. After a short research I learned that that the original SNES used gaussian filter and everybody is surprised when somebody wants it disabled. For me, it's the other way around. I don't remember what it was like on the original system but when I play through the emulator it sounds weird to me. Not only it sounds muffled but it's muffled in a weird way which makes some high-pitched sounds (like coin collection) sharp and some others, not entirely low-pitched (e.g. Yoshi's jump/slurp in Yoshi's Island) way too muffled, as if from under a blanket, making my ears tense up. During gameplay it's like a constant flow of contrasting crisp/ringing and muffled sounds that drives my brain a little insane. I very much prefer the unfiltered, clear and even 8-bit sound of zSnes (with gaussian turned off, which I did deliberately).

I want an option to disable that interpolation. I know it was there in previous versions but they also don't do fullscreen correctly. I wonder if anybody agrees with my perception? Please speak up to support this request!

[Camo_Yoshi]

The new sound core that we implemented in version 1.52 deprecated this feature, sorry.

[a_porpoise]

Well, too bad! But you create this thing, you decide.
I still have a couple of questions though because this is the only one thing that I really need for your emulator to fit with me completely.

First, I'm not a programmer, so I don't really understand but isn't that not a feature but a lack of feature? And so, isn't there any other way to disable it at all? Like a command line or something? Second, maybe there's a way to use another sound core? Like in some PSX emulators where you can load different sound or video drivers.

Anyways, thanks for your efforts in creating this great emulator! Hope in the upcoming versions there will be some way to have unfiltered sound.

[bob]

^

1.51 doesn't run smoothly on my computer and i like the UI changes in 1.53

accuracy isn't important to me... interpolated sounds much worse imo

i'd compare it to bi-linear graphics filtering

[the_randomizer]

Snes9x uses the same algorithms/emulation as Bsnes and is therefore 1;1 to a real Snes console. Gaussian is the same mode used as the PSX, but at 32000 Hz and not 44100 Hz. My ears are very sensitive and I can assure you it sounds exactly how a real Snes would sound. I honestly don't see any use to have the option to disable/enable said interpolation and would only serve to be a waste of time to bother implementing. To each their own I guess.

[miteluode]

wow, i registered for the sole purpose of making this topic, only to find a recent one already exists, and to find a reasonable answer on the issue! of course you wouldn't see any use in it, it's not even a thing to you. there is no need to attempt to learn and understand the merits behind some exception, is there?

the super famicom's interpolation system is simply poor. the problem is that it causes a huge unpleasing inconsistency that covers the entire sound output; half the channels are muffled more severely than others, so any sound effect or song is at odds with itself and with every other sound effect or song and... it's a giant mess, really. i have always felt this way as i started sfc emulation a long time ago; when i found out what that interpolation toggle did in these then-older emulators, i was thrilled and pleased at the results.

to this day i refuse to use anything but snesamp to listen to music because... every single sfc emulator, and by extension every single sfc plugin, wants to remove this wonderful ability. i cannot understand for the life of me why it seems that the entire collective sfc emulation community wants to see it disappear, especially when they were the ones who put it in to begin with (even if it was because the so-called 'no' interpolation was the original default). maybe they, too, do not care about the merit of any individual subject, and are only worried about 'being accurate and nothing else' as if it they were robots programmed to do this job and then terminate?

with snes9x, i don't understand why sample rate and buffer size are still configurable, and what exactly the sound core does to force a deprecation Here but not There. i assume it's simply a matter of interpolation code being a bit more complex so a rewrite for the new core isn't as easy as it was or would be for the other two options. but... it still seems wrong.

at the end of all this... it would be unreasonable to disable interpolation by default, as it's a part of the thing and the default for any emulator is to stay as close to that thing as possible. but what's wrong with variance, especially since we already have so much of it? i wish for at least one important individual or group from the sfc emulation community to hear my plight and find a way to bring back this glorious clear sound as an option, like so many options.

(yes, i would love to be able to develop the hilariously large amount of skills and knowledge required to make this happen, or to even code my own damned emulator and make it all about some options. problem is, apparently i 'don't have the mindset', which is supposed to be a thing. sigh...)

[MELERIX]

to find a reasonable answer on the issue!

the reasonable answer is that "Gaussian" is part of the SNES chip sound.

what is the purpose to remove that part of the sound emulation ? you don't like the real SNES sound ?

[the_randomizer]

to find a reasonable answer on the issue!

the reasonable answer is that "Gaussian" is part of the SNES chip sound.

what is the purpose to remove that part of the sound emulation ? you don't like the real SNES sound ?

Apparently not, I find his request to be most perplexing. Gaussian was part of the Sony SPC700/S-SMP. He must not have had a real Snes because Snes9x sounds like the real thing, I can't tell a difference (I've very sensitive hearing). The developers have little time as it is without having to fulfill, uh, special requests.

[a_porpoise]

I think the purpose has already been described. To reiterate, because in some people's opinion, it sounds better: 1) subjective preference for clear, non-muffled, 8-bit sound 2) less subjective preference for even, not jumping between muffled and sharp sound.

The objection to that is 'it was like this on the original system'. I'm not arguing with that. Even though I don't remember and probably couldn't hear so much detail on my old TV anyway.

The problem is, I'm now playing on a much higher quality sound system, and noticeably uneven and muffled sound makes it a less pleasurable experience. Notice that most of us don't play on video settings "as they were on SNES" but use various HQ filters to aid much higher resolution displays we have now (it's a weirdly reversed situation than that with sound but you get the point). We also have many other options that let us change things that were in the original system.

The reasons I'm asking the developers for this option are:
1) to me as a non-expert it seemed that sound interpolation is something that has to be coded on top of the unfiltered sound and therefore no additional code needs to be written and only the checkbox needs to be returned as it was in previous versions. I still don't know whether that's the case or not.
2) it didn't seem like special request to me due to reasons listed above, so I thought more people might support it or maybe even some of the developers would agree.

[the_randomizer]

AFAIK, Snes uses 16-bit audio and not 8-bit, but I digress. Older Snes9x versions had the option, but not since the super-accurate core was implemented. And no, there would be no sense in removing the accurate core either just so interpolation can be disabled.

[bob]

to find a reasonable answer on the issue!

what is the purpose to remove that part of the sound emulation ? you don't like the real SNES sound ?

no

[the_randomizer]

Ouch indeed. But it still stands, I doubt they will take the time to remove said interpolation; they're busy enough as it is