[MPlayer-dev-eng] [PATCH] remove limits from af_equalizer

[Corey Hickey]

Reynaldo H. Verdejo Pinochet wrote:
>>Hardcoded limits were recently removed from af_pan, so here's a patch to
>>do the same thing for af_equalizer. I've also added a note about
>>clipping to the man page.
>
> Not sure if we really need this, maybe a new range [-16/16] (like
> most, *no so cheap* octave spacing band eqs like this one) is desirable
> toh. could you try to explain what are you trying to achive with this?

It's not really a high priority of mine -- I just noticed that it could
be done and probably should. Here are the reasons:

* It's possible to pass af_equalizer one or more suboptions of 12 that
causes it to clip with audio that is loud but still of fairly "usual"
volume. So, a maximum of 12 doesn't necessarily protect users from
themselves.

* Conversely, values higher than 12 may not cause clipping with quieter
audio. In this case, 12 is an artificial restriction.

* af_volume is an easy way to enforce clipping if necessary and can use
soft clipping, which may be desirable.

* Suboptions with values much lower than 12 have hardly any effect.
While they aren't really useful, there's no danger in allowing them.

* af_pan used to have hardcoded limits as well. A while ago I submitted
a patch that raised those limits considerably and implemented clipping,
but Reimar pointed out that af_volume should be used instead. He applied
a patch that removed the limits. Doing the same thing to af_equalizer
would be consistant with that change.

-Corey