[Feature Request] Increase EQ band maximum to +20dB for FPS Gaming

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1

Hello FxSound team and community,

First, I want to say I’m a huge fan of FxSound. The real-time, zero-latency audio processing is absolutely incredible and a game-changer. I’m writing today to make a feature request that I believe would make FxSound the ultimate tool for competitive FPS gamers.

The Problem:
In FPS games like Valorant, CS:GO, or Apex Legends, there’s a massive dynamic range between crucial quiet sounds (like enemy footsteps) and extremely loud sounds (like gunshots and explosions).

  • If I turn the volume up to hear footsteps clearly, gunshots become painfully loud and damaging to my ears.

  • If I set the volume to a comfortable level for gunshots, I can’t hear the subtle footsteps, putting me at a huge disadvantage.

My Solution & Why FxSound is Almost Perfect:
I’ve tried various “dynamic range compression” or “loudness equalization” features in other software. While they balance the audio, they create a new problem: inconsistent audio cues . A footstep at 20 meters might sound loud one moment and quiet the next depending on other ambient sounds, which completely messes with my ability to judge distance.

Through experimentation, I found a better solution: using an EQ and boosting all frequency bands to their maximum value .

My theory is that this forces all sounds towards a maximum ceiling. Quiet sounds like footsteps get a significant boost, while loud sounds like gunshots hit that ceiling and are “clipped” or “limited” instead of getting louder. The result is a perfect balance: footsteps are clear and audible, while gunshots are tamed.

The problem with most EQ programs is that they have a slow “attack” or “recovery” time. After a loud gunshot, it takes 1-2 seconds for the volume of a subsequent quiet footstep to return to the boosted level. This delay is fatal in a fast-paced game.

This is where FxSound shines. FxSound applies the EQ instantly, with no delay! It’s the only software I’ve found that does this perfectly.

The Request:
The only limitation is that FxSound’s EQ bands max out at +12dB. While this helps, it’s not quite enough to bring the footsteps to the ideal volume. I’ve tested this method in other software that allows up to +20dB, and the results are exactly what I need.

Could you please consider increasing the maximum adjustment for the EQ bands to +20dB?

I might not be an audio engineer, so my explanation of why this works is just based on my own observation. But the practical result is undeniable. This single change would make FxSound the undisputed best audio solution for any serious FPS player.

Thank you for your time and for creating such a fantastic product.

2

Thanks for your suggestion!

3

Tell me the software that allows up to +20db. Thank you and I also play Valorant and liked your suggestion :slight_smile:

4

Your solution of raising all the sliders increases the overall gain, so soft sounds are significantly amplified. Even loud sounds are significantly amplified, but then FxSound limits them to the maximum the audio system can handle. This results in very powerful compression.

But as a side effect, you completely lose the ability to use the equalizer, and in any case, you don’t have a real adjustable compressor, just a kind of gimmick that works partially.

Try using the new controls in version 2.0.4 instead.

  • The “Master gain” control is adjustable up to +20dB and does exactly what raising all the sliders does, but with a single control, leaving the sliders free to use as an equalizer.
  • The “Normalization” control is an additional compressor to the existing “Dynamic Boost.”

If you adjust all these controls correctly, you should get exactly what you want.

You will also find many other improvements in version 2.0.4, read the PDF documentation.

Soon the version 2.0.4 will be unified with the main FxSound version, in the meantime you can download it from here.

After the download unzip the files and start the “FxSound_Enhanced_Installer.exe”
( or read the file README to learn all about this installer )

5

Hello, thank you so much for your detailed response and for providing access to the beta version! I’ve tested it, and I have some interesting findings to share that I hope will be helpful.

I performed three tests as you suggested:

  1. Your Suggestion: EQ sliders at 0, “Master Gain” set to maximum (+20dB).
  • Result: Unfortunately, this did not achieve the desired effect. The large dynamic range between quiet footsteps and loud gunshots remained. Gunshots were still painfully loud compared to the footsteps.
  1. My Original Method: All EQ sliders set to +12dB, “Master Gain” at 0.
  • Result: This worked perfectly, just like in the previous version. The volume difference between footsteps and gunshots was significantly reduced, creating a well-balanced sound.

My Hypothesis:
Based on these results, it seems the “Master Gain” and the EQ gain are processed at different points in the FxSound audio signal chain.

My guess is that the EQ gain is applied before the internal limiter/compressor , while the new “Master Gain” is applied after it .

  • When the EQ boosts the signal before the limiter, it pushes all sounds up, forcing the loud gunshots to be heavily limited (compressed) while the boosted footsteps pass through. This is the effect I need.

  • When the “Master Gain” boosts the signal after the limiter, it’s simply amplifying the final output, preserving the original dynamic range. This is just like raising the main Windows volume, which also doesn’t solve the problem.

Conclusion and Renewed Request:
Therefore, what I and many other FPS players need is not just a general gain control. We need to be able to apply that gain pre-limiter .

The most direct way to achieve this is still the original request: Could you please increase the maximum value of the EQ band sliders to +20dB?

This would allow us to drive the signal harder into the limiter, achieving the powerful, real-time compression that is so crucial for competitive gaming, and which FxSound already does better than any other software (without the delay!).

Thank you again for your time and your fantastic work on this program. I look forward to your thoughts on this.

6

I used equalizerAPO. but its too delayed

7

I do not understand why this appens. The Master Gain works before the sliders.

The sliders gains are hard-coded and I have not found where to change them.

Maybe in the future we will change the “Normalization” that is about unuseful, with a true Limiter.