Adjust post-EQ output gain with the Output Fader¶
The Output Fader sets a master gain applied after all EQ bands on either the TX or RX path. Use it to compensate for overall level changes introduced by your EQ curve without touching individual band gains.
Before you start¶
- The floating editor (titled "Aetherial Parametric EQ — TX" or "Aetherial Parametric EQ — RX") must be open. The Output Fader is not present in the docked applet tile.
- The matching EQ stage must be enabled. See Bypass the EQ stage from the chain if the stage is currently bypassed.
Steps¶
- Open the floating editor for the path you want to adjust. Double-click the EQ stage in the CHAIN widget on the TX or RX side.
- Locate the Output Fader on the right edge of the editor window. It is a vertical combined fader and level meter.
- Drag the fader handle up or down to set the post-EQ master gain. The valid range is -36.0 to +12.0 dB.
- To make a fine adjustment, hover over the fader and scroll the mouse wheel. Each scroll step moves the gain by 0.5 dB.
- To return the gain to the default, double-click the fader handle. This resets the value to 0 dB.
What each control does¶
| Control | Default | Valid range |
|---|---|---|
| Output Fader (TX path) | 0 dB | -36.0 to +12.0 dB |
| Output Fader (RX path) | 0 dB | -36.0 to +12.0 dB |
| Smoothing | Applies fractional-octave power-averaging to the analyzer trace for display — does not affect EQ math. Lower fraction = smoother (⅓ is most smoothed; 1/96 is effectively off). Shared between TX and RX editors. | Tooltip: 'Fractional-octave smoothing applied to the analyzer trace. Lower fraction = smoother (⅓ = most, 1/96 = off). Affects display only — EQ math is unchanged.' Located in the editor header strip (floating editor only). |
| Filter-type icon row | A row of 8 custom-painted icons (one per band slot) at the top of the editor canvas area. Each icon draws the current filter shape (peak bell, shelf ramp, HP/LP slope) in its band's palette colour. Click an icon to cycle through the filter types for that band; clicking also selects the band, highlighting its handle on the canvas and its column in the parameter row. | Located in the floating editor only. Icons dim to 35 % opacity when the band is bypassed. Implemented by ClientEqIconRow. |
| Parameter text row | A row of 8 text columns (one per band slot) below the canvas showing each band's Freq, Gain, and Q values. Values update live during canvas drags. Clicking a column selects that band. Labels are bottom-aligned within each column and the row background is transparent so it does not obscure the band-plan strip on the canvas above. | Located in the floating editor only. Implemented by ClientEqParamRow. |
| Filter cutoff guide lines (TX / RX) | Dashed yellow vertical lines overlaid on the canvas at the radio's current TX low/high filter cutoff (TX tile) or RX passband edges (RX tile). Hovering near a line changes the cursor to a horizontal-resize arrow. Dragging a line in the editor moves the radio's corresponding filter cutoff in real time. | Dragging the TX cutoff guides emits cutoffsDragRequested(Tx, lo, hi), which MainWindow forwards to TransmitModel. Dragging the RX guides writes to the active SliceModel. Pass 0 for an edge to suppress that guide. |
The level bar behind the fader handle shows the smoothed post-EQ peak level in real time, using the same green-amber-red gradient as the Tube level meter. This is a display indicator only; it does not respond to dragging.
Tips¶
- Use the live level bar on the Output Fader to confirm that your EQ changes have not pushed the output into the red before transmitting or routing audio further.
- The TX and RX Output Faders are independent. Adjusting one path does not affect the other.
- The gain value is persisted immediately. If you close and reopen the editor, the fader returns to the last saved position.
Troubleshooting¶
- Output Fader is not visible — The fader is only present in the floating editor, not in the docked "Aetherial TX EQ" or "Aetherial RX EQ" applet tile. Open the floating editor by double-clicking the EQ stage in the CHAIN widget.
- Double-click does not reset the fader — Ensure you are double-clicking directly on the fader handle, not on the level bar area behind it.
- Parameter text row overlaps the band-plan strip — This could indicate an older build of the software. Version 0.9.7 corrects a layout issue where the parameter column background could bleed upward over the canvas band-plan strip. Update to v0.9.7 or later to resolve it.