Frieve EffeTune

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A real-time audio effect processor designed for audio enthusiasts to enhance their music listening experience. EffeTune allows you to process any audio source through various high-quality effects, enabling you to customize and perfect your listening experience in real-time.

Introduction video

Concept

EffeTune was created for audio enthusiasts who want to elevate their music listening experience. Whether you’re streaming music or playing from physical media, EffeTune lets you add high-quality effects to customize the sound to your exact preferences. Transform your computer into a powerful audio effects processor that sits between your audio source and your speakers or amplifier.

No audiophile myths, Just pure science.

Features

• Real-time audio processing
• Drag-and-drop interface for building effect chains
• Expandable effect system with categorized effects
• Live audio visualization
• Audio pipeline that can be modified in real-time
• Offline audio file processing with current effect chain
• Music Library for browsing local subfolders, metadata, and playlists
• Compact, always-on-top mini player for the desktop app
• Frequency response measurement and correction for system calibration
• Multi-channel processing and output
• Mobile-friendly web layout for phone and tablet use
• Web app settings and audio configuration saved in the browser
• Installable web app with offline app-shell support
• Power saving for Web/PWA and desktop apps, with configurable silence handling and audio-input retention

Setup Guide

Before using EffeTune, you’ll need to set up your audio routing. Here’s how to configure different audio sources:

Music File Player Setup

• Open the EffeTune web app in your browser, or launch the EffeTune desktop app
• Open and play a music file to ensure proper playback
  • Open a music file and select EffeTune as the application (desktop app only)
  • Or select Open music file… from the File menu (desktop app only)
  • Or drag the music file into the window
• For player-only use, set Input Device to None (music file player only) in Audio Configuration to avoid using a live audio input
• In the desktop app, choose View > Mini Player (Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+M) or use the player’s mini-player button to keep playback controls in a compact window. The pin button keeps it above other windows.

Streaming Service Setup

To process audio from streaming services (Spotify, YouTube Music, etc.):

1. Prerequisites:
   • Install a virtual audio device (e.g., VB Cable, Voice Meeter, or ASIO Link Tool)
   • Configure your streaming service to output audio to the virtual audio device
2. Configuration:
   • Open the EffeTune web app in your browser, or launch the EffeTune desktop app
   • Select the virtual audio device as the input source
     • In Chrome, the first time you open it, a dialog box appears asking you to select and allow audio input
     • Open Audio Configuration from the Settings menu to choose input/output devices and audio format
   • Start playing music from your streaming service
   • Verify that audio is flowing through EffeTune
   • For more detailed setup instructions, see the FAQ

Physical Audio Source Setup

To use EffeTune with CD players, network players, or other physical sources:

• Connect your audio interface to your computer
• Open the EffeTune web app in your browser, or launch the EffeTune desktop app
• Select your audio interface as the input and output source
  • In Chrome, the first time you open it, a dialog box appears asking you to select and allow audio input
  • Open Audio Configuration from the Settings menu to choose input/output devices and audio format
• Your audio interface now functions as a multi-effects processor:
  • Input: Your CD player, network player, or other audio source
  • Processing: Real-time effects through EffeTune
  • Output: Processed audio to your amplifier or speakers

Usage

Application Settings

Open Settings > Config… to choose Language, set Startup view:, and configure Effect Pipeline at startup:. Startup view: can be Effect Pipeline (Default) or Music Library. When you choose Music Library, use its list to select Tracks, Albums, Artists, Genres, Subfolders, Folders, or Playlists as the first library view.

Browsing Your Music Library

1. Open Music Library from the PC header, the mobile Library tab, or View > Music Library in the desktop app.
2. Select Add Music Folder to index a folder of music files. External CUE sheets can divide WAV or FLAC album files in the same folder into individual tracks.
3. Browse Tracks, Albums, Artists, Genres, Subfolders, Folders, Recently Added, or Playlists, and use Search library to search the catalog. Subfolders groups tracks by their containing path inside each indexed root, while Folders manages those roots.
4. Use Play to listen through the current effect pipeline, or use Play Next, Add to Queue, and Add to Playlist to manage playback.
5. Use Rescan after changing files, and Reconnect if a browser or folder permission is lost.
   • More about Music Library

In both PC and mobile layouts, track searches and album, artist, genre, subfolder, and playlist details select all matching tracks by default when there are 300 tracks or fewer; results with 301 tracks or more are not selected automatically. On mobile, automatic selection changes only the selection state. Only long-pressing a track enters selection mode and shows checkboxes, Select All, and Deselect All; selecting or deselecting tracks does not enter or leave that mode, and the usual row actions remain available.

PC Chromium browsers can persist File System Access folder handles. Safari, Firefox, mobile browsers, and other browsers without that API keep the selected File objects only for the current page session. After every reload, select the folder or files again; EffeTune reconnects them to the existing catalog by normalized relative path.

Version 2.1.0 introduces the CUE-enabled Music Library with catalog schema v3. Earlier Music Library folders and playlists are not carried into this catalog, so add the folders again and recreate or re-import your Music Library playlists. The earlier catalog and your audio files are not modified. The catalog is designed to page large collections from disk. Large-scale performance measurements are optional local development diagnostics, not commit, release, verify, or GitHub Actions gates and not a general performance guarantee.

Building Your Effect Chain

1. Available effects are listed on the left side of the screen
   • Use the search button next to “Available Effects” to filter effects
   • Type any text to find effects by name or category
   • Press ESC to clear the search
2. Drag effects from the list to the Effect Pipeline area
   • On mobile, open the Effects tab and tap the + button to add effects from the full-screen list
3. Effects are processed in order from top to bottom
4. Drag the handle (⋮) or click the ▲▼ buttons to reorder the effects
   • For Section effects: Shift+click the ▲▼ buttons to move entire sections (from one Section to the next Section, pipeline beginning, or end of pipeline)
5. Click an effect’s name to expand/collapse its settings
   • Shift+click on a Section effect to collapse/expand all effects within that section
   • Shift+click on other effects to collapse/expand all effects except for the Analyzer category
   • Ctrl+click to collapse/expand all effects
6. Use the ON button to bypass individual effects
7. Click the ? button to open its detailed documentation in a new tab
8. Remove effects using the × button
   • For Section effects: Shift+click the × button to remove entire sections
9. Click the routing button to set the channels to be processed and the input and output busses
   • More about bus functions

Using Presets

1. Save Your Effect Chain:
   • Set up your desired effect chain and parameters
   • Enter a name for your preset into the input field
   • Click the save button to store it
2. Load a Preset:
   • Type or select a preset name from the dropdown list
   • The preset will be loaded automatically
   • All effects and their settings will be restored
3. Delete a Preset:
   • Select the preset you want to remove
   • Click the delete button
   • Confirm the deletion when prompted
4. Preset Information:
   • Each preset stores your complete effect chain configuration
   • Includes effect order, parameters, and states

Using Section Features

1. Section Effect Usage:
   • Add a Section effect at the beginning of a group of effects
   • Enter a descriptive name in the Comment field
   • Toggling the Section ON/OFF bypasses or restores that section while preserving each effect’s own ON/OFF state
   • Use multiple Section effects to organize your effect chain into logical groups
   • More about control effects

Using AB Pipeline Features

1. AB Pipeline Overview:
   • EffeTune can maintain two separate effect pipelines: Pipeline A and Pipeline B
   • At startup, only Pipeline A is loaded; Pipeline B is created when needed
   • All processing, saving, loading, and editing operations work on the currently selected pipeline
2. AB Toggle Button:
   • Located to the right of the Effect Pipeline header
   • Shows “A” by default (Pipeline A active)
   • Click to switch between Pipeline A and Pipeline B
   • If Pipeline B doesn’t exist when toggling, Pipeline A’s settings are copied to Pipeline B
3. AB Menu (Dropdown Button):
   • Located to the right of the AB toggle button
   • “A → B”: Copy Pipeline A settings to Pipeline B and switch to Pipeline B
   • “B → A”: Copy Pipeline B settings to Pipeline A and switch to Pipeline A
4. Double Blind Test:
   • Compare Pipeline A and Pipeline B by ear without knowing which one is playing
   • Run an ABX test to check whether you can really tell the two pipelines apart, or an A/B preference test to find out which one you prefer, with a statistical significance check
   • Open it from the ▼ pipeline menu to the right of the AB toggle button (also available from the File menu in the desktop app)
   • More about the Double Blind Test

Effect Selection and Keyboard Shortcuts

1. Effect Selection Methods:
   • Click on effect headers to select individual effects
   • Hold Ctrl while clicking to select multiple effects
   • Click on empty space in the Pipeline area to deselect all effects
2. Keyboard Shortcuts:
   • Ctrl + Z: Undo
   • Ctrl + Y: Redo
   • Ctrl + S: Save the current pipeline
   • Ctrl + Shift + S: Save current pipeline as
   • Ctrl + X: Cut selected effects
   • Ctrl + C: Copy selected effects
   • Ctrl + V: Paste effects from clipboard
   • Ctrl + F: Search for effects
   • Ctrl + A: Select all effects in the pipeline
   • Delete: Delete selected effects
   • ESC: Deselect all effects
   • T: Toggle between Pipeline A and Pipeline B
   • A: Switch to Pipeline A
   • B: Switch to Pipeline B
3. Keyboard Shortcuts (when using the player):
   • Space: Play/Pause
   • Ctrl + → or N: Next track
   • Ctrl + ← or P: Previous track
   • Shift + → or F or .: Fast-forward 10 seconds
   • Shift + ← or R or ,: Rewind 10 seconds
   • Ctrl + M: Toggle Repeat mode
   • Ctrl + H: Toggle Shuffle mode
   • T: Toggle Pipeline A/B
   • A: Switch to Pipeline A
   • B: Switch to Pipeline B

Processing Audio Files

1. File Drop or File Specification Area:
   • A dedicated drop area is always visible below the Effect Pipeline
   • Supports single or multiple audio files
   • Files are processed using the current Pipeline settings
   • All processing is done at the Pipeline’s sample rate
2. Processing Status:
   • Progress bar shows current processing status
   • Processing time depends on file size and effect chain complexity
3. Download or Save Options:
   • The processed file is output in WAV format
   • For multiple files, select an output folder before processing begins; each file is saved directly to that folder as it completes
   • On older browsers without folder selection support, multiple files are packaged into a ZIP file for download

Sharing Effect Chains

You can share your effect chain configuration with other users:

1. After setting up your desired effect chain, click the “Share” button in the top-right corner of the Effect Pipeline area
2. The web app URL will be automatically copied to your clipboard
3. Share the copied URL with others - they can recreate your exact effect chain by opening it
4. Shared URLs store the effect settings needed for reproduction; the web app also restores your normal working state from browser storage
5. In the desktop app version, export the settings to an effetune_preset file from the File menu
6. Share the exported effetune_preset file. The effetune_preset file can also be loaded by dragging it into the web app window

Audio Reset

If you experience audio issues (dropouts, glitches):

1. Choose “Reset Audio” from the Settings menu or mobile overflow menu. In the desktop app, you can also select Reload from the View menu
2. The audio pipeline will be rebuilt automatically
3. Your effect chain configuration will be preserved

Frequency Response Measurement and Correction

To measure your audio system’s frequency response and create a flat correction EQ:

1. Launch the Frequency Response Measurement tool, or select Frequency Response Measurement from the Settings menu.
2. Follow the guided setup to configure your measurement microphone and output device
3. Measure your system’s frequency response at one or more listening positions
4. Generate a parametric EQ correction that can be directly imported into EffeTune
5. Apply the correction to achieve a more accurate, neutral sound reproduction

To remove the audio interface’s own response, connect its output directly to its input and save that loopback as a normal, uncalibrated measurement with an impulse response. For the next measurement, choose that saved point under Audio Interface Calibration. Use the same interface, input and output channels, sampling rate, and input/output gains, and do not change the gains after the loopback measurement. Choose None (uncalibrated) to measure without this correction.

Saved measurements with impulse-response data show a normalized Impulse Response plot in the results. It opens at 0–10 ms from the detected onset. Use the mouse wheel or buttons to zoom the time axis, and drag the plot or use the slider to scroll. Selecting a measurement point updates the plot; All (Average) displays the first point that has saved impulse-response data and identifies it above the graph. Use Export Impulse Response (WAV) below the plot to save the displayed point’s complete, unnormalized response as a mono 32-bit floating-point WAV at the measurement sample rate.

Common Effect Combinations

Here are some popular effect combinations to enhance your listening experience:

Headphone Enhancement

1. Stereo Blend -> RS Reverb
   • Stereo Blend: Adjusts stereo width for comfort (60-100%)
   • RS Reverb: Adds subtle room ambience (10-20% mix)
   • Result: More natural, less fatiguing headphone listening

Vinyl Simulation

1. Wow Flutter -> Noise Blender -> Saturation
   • Wow Flutter: Adds gentle pitch variation
   • Noise Blender: Creates vinyl-like atmosphere
   • Saturation: Adds analog warmth
   • Result: Authentic vinyl record experience

FM Radio Style

1. Multiband Compressor -> Stereo Blend
   • Multiband Compressor: Creates that “radio” sound
   • Stereo Blend: Adjusts stereo width for comfort (100-150%)
   • Result: FM-radio-style polished sound

Lo-Fi Character

1. Bit Crusher -> Simple Jitter -> RS Reverb
   • Bit Crusher: Reduces bit depth for retro feel
   • Simple Jitter: Adds digital imperfections
   • RS Reverb: Creates atmospheric space
   • Result: Classic lo-fi aesthetic

Troubleshooting and FAQ

If you encounter any issues, please refer to the Troubleshooting and FAQ. If the problem persists, report it through GitHub Issues.

Available Effects

Technical Information

Browser Compatibility

Frieve EffeTune has been tested and verified to work on Google Chrome. The application requires a modern browser with support for:

• Web Audio API
• Audio Worklet
• getUserMedia API
• Drag and Drop API
• Service Worker, for installable/offline web app support

Browser Support Details

1. Chrome/Chromium
   • Fully supported and recommended
   • Update to latest version for best performance
2. Firefox/Safari
   • Limited support
   • Some features such as output device selection, Wake Lock, install behavior, or audio file formats may vary by browser
   • Consider using Chrome for best experience

Recommended Sample Rate

For optimal performance with nonlinear effects, it is recommended to use EffeTune at a sample rate of 96kHz or higher. This higher sample rate helps achieve ideal characteristics when processing audio through nonlinear effects such as saturation and compression.

Development Guide

Want to create your own audio plugins? Check out our Plugin Development Guide. Want to build or package EffeTune? Check out our Build Guide.

Links

Version History

Source Code

YouTube

Discord

Support on Ko-fi