ARIA ONE

User Manual

Version 0.8.8 · 2026

ARIA ONE | User Manual

Altitude Auditory Innovations LLC Patent Pending — PCT/US2024/036841

Getting Started

1. Quick Start

Getting Your Hearing Test Results Into The DSP

Step 1: Sign In

When you first launch ARIA ONE, you will be presented with the Authorization screen. If you already have an Altitude Audio account, sign in with your email and password. If you are new, tap "Create Account" to register.

Create Account

Step 1b: Choose Cloud Mode or Local Mode

After signing in, you will be asked to choose between Cloud Mode and Local Mode:

Cloud Mode (Recommended) — Enables the full feature set including cloud sync, AI preset generation, and multi-device support. Your hearing profiles and presets stay synchronized across all your devices.
Local Mode — All data stays on your machine. No cloud connectivity. Best for privacy-focused users or offline environments.

Important: Choosing Local Mode is a permanent decision for this installation. Returning to Cloud Mode requires a full reset. We recommend Cloud Mode for the best experience.

Cloud Mode vs Local Mode

Step 2: Authorize Your Machine (Beta)

After signing in, press the "Register for Beta" button to activate ARIA ONE on your computer. This registers your machine as one of five licenses allotted to your account.

Tip: You can activate up to 5 machines at a time. To free up a license slot, deactivate any machine from your account page at https://altitude.audio.

Step 3: Take the Hearing Test

Once authorized, take the hearing test using one of these options:

In-App Onboarding (Recommended) — Take the hearing test during onboarding with three pathways:
- Full Accuracy — Complete hearing test with full setup and calibration
- Quick Results — Skip setup, complete the hearing test
- Instant — Skip testing, use demographic data to predict a characteristic profile for demo or use
FullScale Desktop App — macOS or Windows with 48 test variants
FullScale Mobile App — iOS or Android with 24 test variants

Note: If you already took the hearing test on another application (FullScale standalone, mobile app, etc.), you can skip this step and proceed to Step 4.

Step 4: Sync

Press the "SYNC" button in the Sync Panel
All your hearing profiles download automatically from the cloud

Step 5: Use Your Profiles

Your synced profiles appear in the SERVER source within the Hearing Profile Browser. Select any profile to load it into the EQ hearing correction module.

Exporting to ARIA Studio: Use the "TO ARIA" buttons to export profiles for use with the standalone ARIA Studio application.

First Launch Experience

Launch the application — Open ARIA ONE from your Applications folder (macOS) or Start Menu (Windows)
Set up audio routing — Open the Audio Settings menu (click AUDIO in the top bar) and configure your input and output devices so audio flows through ARIA ONE (see Basic Audio Routing Setup below)
Complete onboarding — Follow the guided onboarding flow to take your hearing test (or choose the Instant pathway). At the end, ARIA ONE will automatically generate personalized presets for you and let you audition them immediately
Select your view experience — Choose between Simple View (streamlined, mobile-style controls) or Advanced View (full 400+ parameter interface) and start exploring

Basic Audio Routing Setup

Audio Settings

Set INPUT to your Virtual Audio Device (VAD) output
Set OUTPUT to your speakers, DAC, or headphones
Match sample rates across all devices
Turn the internal audio player ON with the power toggle

Adding Your Music (Mobile — iOS & Android)

ARIA ONE plays audio files stored on your phone. Supported formats: WAV, MP3, FLAC, M4A, AIFF, OGG.

Getting Music Files Onto Your Phone

You need music files on your phone before you can load them into ARIA ONE. Here are the easiest ways to do that:

From a Computer (Recommended)

On your computer, open a web browser and go to drive.google.com
Sign in with the same Google account you use on your phone
Click + New, then File upload
Select your music files and wait for them to finish uploading
On your phone, open the Google Drive app
Find the song you uploaded
Tap the three dots next to the song name
Tap Download
The song is now saved to your phone's Downloads folder

From an Email

Email the music file to yourself as an attachment
On your phone, open the email
Tap the attachment, then tap Download or Save
The song is now in your Downloads folder

From a Music Store or Website

On your phone, open your browser and visit the website where you purchased your music
Download the file — it will be saved to your Downloads folder automatically

Loading Music Into ARIA ONE

Open ARIA ONE
Tap the + button (in the Library or in your current playlist)
When the file browser opens, tap Downloads
Select the song you want to add
The song will appear in your library and is ready to play

Repeat these steps for each song you want to add.

Tip (iOS): On iPhone and iPad, you can also use the Files app to place music into any folder and browse to it from within ARIA ONE.

Tip (Android): On Android, always save or download your music files to the Downloads folder before importing. The file browser on Android works most reliably with the Downloads folder.

Troubleshooting

I do not see my song after tapping + — Open the Files app on your phone, tap Downloads, and confirm the file is there. If it is missing, download it again.
The song will not play — Make sure the file is a supported format (WAV, MP3, FLAC, M4A, AIFF, or OGG). Files with DRM copy protection cannot be played.
I do not know how to get music files — You can purchase and download DRM-free music from stores like Bandcamp, Amazon Music, or HDtracks. Songs purchased from these stores can be downloaded as files and loaded into ARIA ONE.

2. Getting Your Hearing Test Results Into The DSP

This section walks you through the complete process in detail. If you have already completed the Quick Start steps above, you can skip ahead to the parts you need.

When you first launch ARIA ONE, the Authorization screen appears. You must sign in before you can use the application.

If you are a new user:

Click "Create Account"
Enter your email address and choose a password
Confirm your email if prompted

Create Account

If you already have an account:

Enter your email and password
Click "Sign In"

Step 2: Choose Cloud Mode or Local Mode

After signing in, ARIA ONE asks you to choose how you want to use the application:

Cloud Mode vs Local Mode

Cloud Mode (Recommended) — Your hearing profiles, presets, and device settings sync across all your computers. You also get access to AI-powered preset generation. Choose this option unless you have a specific reason not to.
Local Mode — Everything stays on this computer only. No internet connection is used after sign-in. Choose this if you prefer complete privacy or work in an offline environment.

Important: Choosing Local Mode is permanent for this installation. You cannot switch back to Cloud Mode without a full reset. If you are unsure, choose Cloud Mode.

Step 3: Authorize Your Machine (Beta)

Once signed in, you need to activate your license on this computer:

Press the "Register for Beta" button
Your machine will be registered as one of your five available license slots

Tip: You can activate up to 5 machines at a time. If you need to free up a slot (for example, if you replaced a computer), visit your account page at https://altitude.audio to deactivate an old machine.

Step 4: Take the Hearing Test

Now you are ready to take the hearing test. This is how ARIA ONE learns about your hearing so it can personalize your audio.

In-App Onboarding (Recommended)

The easiest approach is to take the hearing test during the onboarding flow. You will be guided step by step. Choose one of three pathways:

Choose Your Path

Full Accuracy — The complete hearing test with full setup and calibration. Takes about 15–20 minutes. Best results.
Quick Results — Skips the setup steps but completes the full hearing test. Takes about 10 minutes.
Instant — Skips testing entirely. Uses your age to select a characteristic hearing profile so you can try the software immediately. You can always take the full test later.

FullScale Hearing Test (Alternative)

If you prefer, you can also take the hearing test using the standalone FullScale application:

Within ARIA ONE — Access via the HEARING button in the Vertical Tab Bar (left side) or through onboarding
FullScale Standalone App — A dedicated macOS or Windows application with 48 test variants

FullScale Hearing Test

FullScale Mobile App

Take the hearing test on your phone using FullScale for iOS or Android (24 test variants). Your results sync to your account and are available in ARIA ONE when you sign in.

Step 5: Sync Your Profiles

If you took the hearing test on a different device or application, you need to sync your profiles to this computer:

Open the Sync Panel:
- Advanced View: Click SYNC in the Vertical Tab Bar (left side) or the sync icon in the Bottom Bar
- Simple/Mobile View: Navigate to the Devices tab, then tap SYNC
Press the "Sync Now" button
All your hearing profiles download automatically and are ready to use

Note: If you took the hearing test during onboarding inside ARIA ONE (Step 4 above), your profile is already loaded — you can skip this step.

Step 6: Use Your Profiles

Your synced profiles appear in the SERVER source within the Hearing Profile Browser. Select any profile to load it into the EQ hearing correction module. You can load two profiles at once (Profile 1 and Profile 2) and blend between them.

Offline / Legacy Import Methods

ARIA ONE consolidates several legacy import methods into one streamlined experience. The following offline options remain available but will be deprecated in favor of ARIA ONE sync:

ARIA AI Exports — CSV profiles exported from the legacy ARIA AI application
Mobile App Purchases — CSV result files purchased through FullScale iOS/Android
FullScale Desktop Exports — CSV profiles exported from the standalone FullScale app

Note: Profiles from these legacy methods only work in ARIA Studio. They will not be recognized by ARIA ONE regardless of where they are placed locally. ARIA ONE uses cloud-synced profiles exclusively.

Exporting to ARIA Studio

Exporting Hearing Test Results

Use the "EXPORT TEST" button to export your hearing profile for use with ARIA Studio. This button is available on the RESULTS view after completing a hearing test — either through the onboarding flow or from the included FullScale hearing test within ARIA ONE.

Export Test Results

Exporting Presets

Use the "EXPORT PRESET" button in the Preset Panel to export a complete preset from ARIA ONE to ARIA Studio. All filter-related parameters will transfer. Limiter (LOUD) settings may require tuning after export in ARIA Studio.

3. Installation and Resource Locations

Installation Overview

ARIA ONE's installation package includes the standalone application and plugin formats for macOS and Windows platforms. Mobile versions for iOS and Android are planned in a media player format.

macOS:

ARIA ONE Standalone Application
ARIA ONE VST3 Plugin
ARIA ONE AUv3 Plugin
ARIA ONE Library & Resources
Base FullScale Hearing Test Sample Library (48kHz)

Note: The ARIA-Audio-VAD Virtual Audio Device will be included in a future release. Until then, you can obtain it from the free ARIA Studio demo installer at https://altitude.audio.

Windows:

ARIA ONE Standalone Application
ARIA ONE VST3 Plugin
ARIA ONE Library & Resources
Base FullScale Hearing Test Sample Library (48kHz)

For Windows users, a Virtual Audio Device (VAD) is not included but can be obtained separately. Popular choices like VB-Cable's HiFi Cable & ASIO Bridge are readily available.

Mobile (Coming Soon):

iOS Media Player Application
Android Media Player Application

Hearing Test Sample Library

The installer includes the base FullScale hearing test sample library at 48kHz. When you start a hearing test, you will be presented with the opportunity to download the full sample library for additional sample rates and enhanced accuracy.

Installation Paths

macOS: ~/Music/altitude/
Windows: C:\ProgramData\Altitude\

Directory Structure

Directory	Purpose
`shared/preset/`	Presets (Limiter, Eq, LABS)
`shared/lib/`	Hearing profiles
`product/ALTITUDE_LABS/`	Product-specific data, settings, and logs

Authorizing ARIA ONE (Beta)

To authorize ARIA ONE during the beta period:

Sign In or Sign Up with your Altitude Audio credentials
Press "Register for Beta" in the application
Your machine will activate one of five licenses allotted to your account

License Management:

You can activate up to 5 machines at a time
To free up a license slot, deactivate any machine from your account page at https://altitude.audio

Note: There is no demo mode at this time. Beta registration is required to use ARIA ONE.

Support

If you encounter any issues during authorization, please reach out to Altitude Support at contact@altitude.audio for assistance.

4. Authorization View

The Authorization View is displayed only when ARIA ONE is not yet authorized on your machine.

To Authorize

Sign In or Create an Account with your Altitude Audio credentials
Choose Cloud Mode or Local Mode — Cloud Mode is recommended for the full feature set
Press "Register for Beta"

Once authorized, this view will no longer appear on subsequent launches.

ARIA ONE includes two user interfaces containing many of the same features in different layouts, plus a handful of capabilities unique to each experience.

Two User Interfaces

Simple UI takes a minimal approach to controls and screen size, making it compatible with mobile devices. Features unique to the Simple experience include:

Primary macro controls (4 knobs + 2 toggles)
Mood preset buttons and assignment
Device management and automatic preset switching

Advanced UI exposes the complete plugin interface with 400+ parameters, 8 standalone graphing windows, and full DSP module control. This experience is designed for studio production and detailed sound shaping.

Users can toggle between UI types using the UI selector in the Bottom Bar. At the conclusion of onboarding, you will choose which experience to use as your default.

Shared Features

Both experiences include:

The complete standalone FullScale Hearing Test
A guided onboarding flow with three pathways:
- Full Accuracy — Complete setup and full hearing test for maximum precision
- Quick Start — Skip setup steps, complete full hearing test
- Instant — No testing; uses age-matched characteristic profile for immediate demo

Advanced View

Advanced View Overview

The Advanced View provides full access to all DSP modules and parameters.

Vertical Tab Bar (left edge) — Module-level navigation for opening overlay panels and external views
Navigation Panel (left edge, adjacent to Vertical Tab Bar) — Panel-level navigation for opening and closing DSP panels within the main window
GRAPH button (bottom of Navigation Panel) — Opens a popup to launch standalone graphing windows

Top Bar

From left to right:

Control	Function
Logo / Title	ARIA ONE branding
< Preset Name >	Preset stepper — click arrows to step through presets, click center to open preset browser
BYPASS	Bypass all DSP processing
AUDIO	Open audio device settings (standalone only)

Navigation Panel

The Navigation Panel lists buttons from top to bottom. Each button toggles the visibility of its corresponding panel within the main window. Buttons with a nested power icon can activate or deactivate the DSP module independently of opening the panel — click the power icon to toggle the module on/off without opening the panel.

From top to bottom:

Button	Panel	Power Toggle
INPUT	Input Adaptive Gain — automatic input level normalization before processing	✓
EQ	Hearing Correction / Convolution — FIR filters derived from hearing profiles and convolution transforms	✓
LIMITER	Limiter Slot — configure limiter algorithms, attack/release, lookahead, and threshold per slot	✓
MACRO	Macro Assignment — configure macro knob-to-parameter mappings with custom curves	✓
MULTI	Multiband Adjustment — adjust the multiband limiter's threshold response as a function of drive
TEST	Limiting Test — runs a self-contained test signal and graphs the resulting waveform and envelope for each channel
—	divider
METER	Meter Container — input/output level meters, gain reduction meters, and DRIVE adjustment
HELP	Help — contextual help and parameter documentation	✓ (tooltips)
DATA	Optimization/Debug — audio status metrics and diagnostics

Input Adaptive Gain Panel

Standalone Graphing Windows

Click the GRAPH button at the bottom of the Navigation Panel to open a popup with standalone analysis windows. Each window opens independently and can be positioned anywhere on your screen.

Button	Window
VECTOR	Vectorscope — stereo phase correlation display
P.SAMPLE	Polar Sample — polar sample-level stereo analysis
P.LEVEL	Polar Level — polar level-based stereo analysis
SPECTRUM	Spectrum Analyzer — FFT frequency spectrum display
WAVEFORM	Waveform — real-time input/output waveform display
METERING	Metering — detailed level metering window
LOUD	Loudness Meter — LUFS/LU integrated loudness metering (has power toggle to enable/disable metering)
MOBILE	Mobile Preview — preview of the Simple View layout

Bottom Bar

From left to right:

Control	Function
Language icon	Change the interface language (dropdown)
Account icon	Open account panel
Reset icon	Reset parameters; click the dropdown arrow to select reset level
PLAY DEMO	Start a guided walkthrough demonstrating key features (centered)
UI: ADVANCED / UI: SIMPLE	Switch between Advanced and Simple interfaces (right side)
Sync status	Displays last sync time
Sync refresh icon	Open sync panel

Vertical Tab Bar (MODULES)

The narrow left-edge column provides access to overlay panels and external views. Buttons are listed from top to bottom:

Button	Function
SETUP	Relaunch the onboarding flow to reconfigure your setup or retake the hearing test
HEARING	Open the standalone FullScale Hearing Test (shows CONT if an incomplete test exists)
AI	Toggle the AI assistant panel (slides from right) for preset generation and help
SYNC	Toggle the Sync panel (slides from right) for manual cloud synchronization
DEVICE	Toggle the Device panel (slides from right) for device management and mood slot control
PLAYER	Toggle the Audio Player panel (see below); has a nested power toggle
MODULES	Rotated label between PLAYER and MANUAL
Manual icon	Open the user manual in your web browser

Device Overlay Panel

The Device Overlay Panel provides the same device management capabilities as the Devices tab in Simple View, but accessible directly from the Advanced View. It slides out from the right edge of the window, overlaying the main content area.

Opening the panel:

Click the DEVICE button in the Vertical Tab Bar (left edge)
The panel has mutual exclusivity with the AI and Sync panels — opening one automatically closes the others

Features:

View all registered devices and their mood slot assignments
Check out a remote device to download and audition its mood presets
Regenerate individual mood slots
Copy and paste mood presets between devices
Rename or delete devices

The panel shares the same checkout/commit model described in the Devices Tab section of Simple View — selecting a device downloads its mood presets to your local machine, and saves are committed back to that device's cloud slots.

Tip: The Device panel gives Advanced View users quick access to device management without switching to Simple View. All device operations work identically in both views.

Audio Player Panel

Audio Player Panel — Advanced View

The built-in audio player lets you listen to music directly through ARIA ONE without an external application.

Navigation tabs:

Now Playing — Transport controls (play/pause/seek), current track info
Library — Browse and select audio files from your system
Queue/History — View playback queue and recently played tracks

Power button behavior (nested in the PLAYER button in the Vertical Tab Bar):

Power ON — Audio player output routes through ARIA ONE's DSP chain for processed playback
Power OFF — Player controls system playback of other audio sources (acts as a remote control)

Simple View Layout

The Simple View provides a streamlined, mobile-style interface designed for everyday listening. It replaces the full Advanced View with macro-based controls, mood presets, and a tab-based navigation system. The layout is optimized for a compact 390×844 window and adapts to both desktop plugin hosts and future mobile devices.

Tip: You can switch between Simple View and Advanced View at any time using the UI Mode dropdown in the bottom status bar. Your processing settings are shared across both views.

Screen Structure Overview

The Simple View is organized as a vertical stack of panels, top to bottom:

Region	Height	Description
Top Safe Area	44 px (desktop)	Reserved space; on mobile devices this is consumed by the notch/status bar
Top Bar	~60 px	Contextual controls that change per active tab
Scroll Area	Flexible	Main content area — scrollable hero panel + DSP controls (Player tab), or full-screen content for other tabs
Now Playing Strip	~56 px	Compact mini-player with transport controls and track info
Tab Bar	~50 px	Four icon-only tabs for primary navigation
Bottom Safe Area	34 px (desktop)	Status bar with MACRO toggle and UI Mode dropdown; on mobile devices consumed by gesture bar

Top Bar

The top bar adapts its content based on the currently active tab:

Player Tab:

Button	Function
Home	Return to the Player Home view. If Home is already active, tapping it toggles between DSP Home and Current Playlist.
Playlists	Open the dedicated Saved Playlists panel. This is separate from Home and does not change the Home toggle state.
Library	Open the Library panel to browse imported audio files and perform song actions.
Queue	Open the Queue panel to review, reorder, move, remove, or clear the current playback queue.
AI	Toggle the ARIA AI companion overlay

Home button behavior:

The Home button controls the two main listening views inside the Player tab:

DSP Home — the Hero Panel and DSP Controls Panel
Current Playlist — the working playlist and its track list

If you are viewing another player panel such as Playlists, Library, or Queue, tapping Home returns you to the Player Home area. If you are already on Home, tapping Home again switches between DSP Home and Current Playlist.

Devices Tab:

Element	Function
"DEVICES" title	Tab heading
SYNC	Open the Sync Panel to synchronize presets and profiles with the cloud

Hearing Tab:

Button	Function
Hearing Test (headset icon)	Launch the FullScale hearing test
Onboarding (tune icon)	Launch the guided onboarding/setup flow, including FullScale hearing test
LEARN (lightbulb icon)	Open the guided tutorial browser for walkthroughs and saved custom tutorials

Account Tab:

Button	Function
ACCOUNT	View account details, license status, sign-in/out
PURCHASES	iOS and Android only. Open the AI credit purchases view.
SETTINGS	Access language, recovery tools, playback behavior options, and BLACKOUT

Hero Panel

The Hero Panel sits at the top of the scroll area on the Player tab. It is a compact summary strip showing:

Profile 1 / Profile 2 — Clickable labels showing the names of your two active hearing correction profiles. Tapping a label opens the Profile Popup where you can browse and switch profiles.
Device Name — Displays the name of the currently selected device (defaults to your computer name). This updates when you select a different device on the Devices tab.

The Hero Panel collapses and hides when the player is expanded (see Player Expand Mode below).

DSP Controls Panel

The DSP Controls Panel is the main interaction area on the Player tab. It is divided into three stacked sections:

Top Panel — Hearing Processing Toggle

Control	Function
"HEARING PROCESSING" label	Indicates processing status.
Bypass toggle (ear icon)	Enable or disable all hearing correction processing. When bypassed, the label dims.
Audio Settings (gear icon, standalone only)	Opens the native audio device settings dialog for input/output device and sample rate selection.
Player Expand toggle (equalize and music note icons)	Toggles Player Expand Mode — collapses the DSP controls to just this top bar and gives the full scroll area to the audio player.

Main Panel — Mood Buttons, Save, Macro Sliders, and Corner Toggles

The Main Panel features a metering-driven visual background. A dual radial gradient responds to your audio:

Output level drives a warm glow emanating from the center
Gain reduction drives a secondary cool glow, indicating limiter activity

Mood Buttons

Three icon buttons across the top of the Main Panel select the active mood slot:

Button	Icon	Mood
Calm	Meditate icon	Relaxed, gentle — suited for focused listening or winding down
Natural	Walking icon	Balanced, everyday listening — your default sound
Intense	Fire icon	Energetic, punchy — suited for active listening or high-energy content

These three moods represent a spectrum of listening intensity. ARIA ONE generates an initial set automatically based on your hearing profile and factory limiter presets. As you work with the AI assistant and refine your preferences, you can save improved versions to any slot.

Mood buttons behave as a radio group — only one can be active at a time. Tapping a mood button performs a full DSP state swap — it loads a complete preset (EQ, limiter, macros, drive) from that mood slot, replacing your current parameter state entirely. If no preset has been saved to a slot, the button highlights but no parameter change occurs.

See Section 8 — Mood Preset Assignments for the complete reference on generation, saving, regeneration, per-device behavior, and Cloud vs Local mode differences.

Save Button

The save button (floppy disk icon) lets you save your current personalized settings to any mood slot:

Tap the save button once — the save button lights up and the three mood buttons are replaced by pulsing overlay buttons (the "armed" state)
Tap one of the three pulsing buttons to save your current settings to that mood slot
A confirmation flash appears on the selected mood button when the save completes

The armed state automatically cancels after 12 seconds if no slot is selected. You can also tap the save button again to cancel manually.

In Cloud Mode, the saved preset is automatically uploaded to the server and linked to the current device. In Local Mode, the preset is saved to your local MOBILE folder. Each save increments the preset version.

Macro Sliders (1–3)

Three vertical sliders control the first three macro parameter groups. Each slider:

Ranges from 0.0 to 1.0
Displays its current value
Has a label showing the parameter group name (assigned by the active macro preset)
Drives the ParameterRouter, which maps the slider position through custom curves to control multiple underlying DSP parameters simultaneously

Corner Toggles

Two small toggle buttons sit at the bottom corners of the Main Panel:

Control	Location	Function
Macro Enable (slider icon)	Lower-left corner	Enable or disable the macro control system. When disabled, the macro sliders dim and stop affecting the sound until re-enabled.
Crossfeed Enable (brain icon)	Lower-right corner	Enable or disable Crossfeed processing. This toggle is linked directly to the Crossfeed parameter state, so it always reflects the current Crossfeed on/off status.

Expand Panel — Advanced Controls

Below the Main Panel is a collapsible "Advanced" section. Tap the header row (which shows a chevron arrow) to expand or collapse it.

When expanded, the panel reveals:

Control	Function
Preset Stepper	Step through macro limiter presets using left/right arrows. Displays the current preset name.
Macro 4 (horizontal slider)	A fourth macro slider oriented horizontally, controlling an additional parameter group. Range 0.0–1.0.
Toggle A / Toggle B	Two on/off toggles (Power A and Power B) that enable or disable parameter groups. Mapped through the ParameterRouter just like macro sliders.
PRESETS button	Opens the full preset browser. Defaults to the Meta Preset category for quick access to complete presets.

Current Playlist (Home Default)

The Current Playlist view is the second Home state. It replaces the DSP Home scroll content with a playlist-focused layout while keeping the same top bar and compact Now Playing strip at the bottom.

Hero Card

The hero card shows:

Artwork panel — A decorative gradient card with status text
Playlist name — The currently loaded or working playlist name
Track count — Summary of how many tracks are in the working playlist
Play button — Start playback from the selected row or from the top of the playlist
Shuffle toggle — Enable or disable shuffle for playlist playback
Browse Playlists — Open the saved-playlist browser from within the playlist card
Add Songs — Open a file picker to add tracks into the current working playlist

Action Buttons

Below the hero card, the Current Playlist view provides three playlist-management actions:

Control	Function
Reorder / Done	Enable or disable drag reordering for the current track list
Sort	Open a menu to sort the playlist by title A-Z or Z-A
Manage	Open playlist actions: Save Playlist, Rename Playlist, or Delete Playlist

Track Table

The track table shows:

Numbered rows
Track title
Artist name when available, or filename when artist metadata is missing
A playing indicator for the active track
Drag reordering when reorder mode is enabled
Double-click to play a track directly

If the working playlist is empty, an empty-state message appears in place of the table.

Saved Playlists Panel

The Saved Playlists panel is opened from the top bar Playlists button. It is separate from Home and is used for browsing and managing saved playlists.

Header Row

Control	Function
PLAYLISTS	Section title
Add	Create a new saved playlist
Edit	Rename the selected playlist, or the currently loaded playlist if no row is selected
Delete	Delete the selected playlist, or the currently loaded playlist if no row is selected

Playlist List

Each saved playlist appears as a selectable row with:

Playlist icon
Playlist name
Selected-row highlight

Tap a playlist row to load that playlist into the player.

If there are no saved playlists yet, the panel displays an empty-state message.

Library Panel

The Library panel is where you browse songs that have been imported into ARIA ONE.

Header Row

Control	Function
LIBRARY	Section title
Add Files	Open the file picker and import audio files into the ARIA ONE library
Delete	Delete the selected managed library file from the app library (only available for imported files managed by ARIA ONE)

Song List

Each row shows:

Song icon
Track title
Artist name when available

On mobile, tapping a song opens the song action menu. On desktop, double-clicking a song plays it immediately.

Song Action Menu

The song action menu provides:

Action	Function
Play Now	Start playback immediately
Play Next	Insert the song as the next item to play
Add to Queue	Append the song to the end of the queue
Add to Current Playlist	Add the song to the current working playlist
Add to Saved Playlist	Open a submenu of saved playlists and add the song to the selected saved playlist

Queue Panel

The Queue panel shows the current playback order.

Queue List

Each row shows:

Queue number
Track title
Playing highlight and left-side bar for the active track
Drag handle on the right side

Queue actions

Drag and drop rows to reorder playback
Long-press / right-click a row for:
- Move to Top
- Remove
Clear button at the bottom clears the queue entirely

If the queue is empty, an empty-state message is shown.

Now Playing Strip

A compact mini-player strip is always visible above the tab bar on the Player tab (and pinned above the tab bar on all other tabs). It displays:

Compact Strip

Album art thumbnail
Track title with marquee scrolling when needed
Previous, Play/Pause, and Next transport controls
Progress bar with tap-to-seek behavior
Elapsed and duration time
Repeat control with Off / Repeat All / Repeat One

Tap the strip to expand it into the full player display.

Full Player View (Expanded):

When expanded, the Now Playing display provides:

Larger album art display
Larger track title and metadata display
Larger transport controls
Progress bar and transport timing
Collapse arrow in the upper-left corner

Expanded layout behavior:

From DSP Home, expanding the player collapses the DSP stack so only the DSP top bar remains above the expanded player
From Current Playlist, expanding the player replaces the Current Playlist view so the enlarged player takes over that content area

Dual-Source Playback:

The Now Playing strip supports two playback sources:

Source	Description
Internal Player	ARIA ONE's built-in audio player for local files (queue, library, playlists)
System Media	Passthrough of system audio (e.g., from a music streaming app routed through a virtual audio device)

Use the power button on the Now Playing strip to switch between sources. When the internal player is active, the transport controls operate on ARIA ONE's internal queue. When system media is active, metadata is read from the operating system's now-playing information.

Tab Bar

The bottom tab bar provides primary navigation between four sections. Tabs are icon-only with no text labels.

Tab	Icon	Section
Player	Music note icon	Main DSP controls, hero panel, and audio player
Devices	Headphone icon	Registered devices with mood slot management
Hearing	Ear icon	Hearing test and onboarding access
Account	Person icon	Account info, license status, and settings

Switching tabs changes both the main content area and the top bar contextual controls. The Now Playing strip remains visible across all tabs.

Player Tab

The Player tab is the default listening workspace. It combines:

Home
- DSP Home
- Current Playlist
Playlists
Library
Queue
Now Playing Strip

Player sub-views:

From the Player top bar, you can switch between these panels:

Sub-View	Access	Description
Home	Tap the Home icon	Returns to Home. If Home is already active, tap again to switch between DSP Home and Current Playlist.
Playlists	Tap the Playlists icon	Opens the dedicated Saved Playlists panel.
Library	Tap the Library icon	Opens the Library panel with import and song-action tools.
Queue	Tap the Queue icon	Opens the Queue panel for playback order management.
ARIA AI	Tap "AI" icon	Toggle the ARIA AI companion overlay for generating personalized presets

Player Expand Mode:

Toggling the expand button on the DSP Top Panel switches to Player Expand Mode:

The Hero Panel hides
The DSP Controls Panel collapses to show only the top bar when expanding from DSP Home
The Current Playlist card is replaced entirely when expanding from Current Playlist
The Now Playing strip expands into a larger player view with artwork, metadata, transport, repeat, and seek controls

Toggle the expand button again to return to the normal layout.

Devices Tab

The Devices tab shows your registered devices fetched from the Altitude Audio backend. Each device appears as a card in a scrollable list.

The Checkout / Commit Model: Device selection in ARIA ONE works like checking out a project — when you select another device, you check out its mood presets and DSP state to your local machine. You can listen to that device's sound, tweak parameters, and audition changes in real time on your own hardware. When you save a mood preset, the save is committed back to the selected device's slots on the cloud. The target device picks up your changes on its next sync. When you're done, you return to your own device by re-selecting it, which restores your own mood presets.

Note: This is a cloud sync workflow, not live remote control. Changes reach the target device when that device next syncs.

Device Card Contents:

Element	Description
Device Name	Editable name for the device (tap the edit icon to rename)
Mood Slots	Three circular icon buttons (Meditate / Walking / Fire) showing Calm, Natural, and Intense slot assignment status. Filled = preset assigned; empty = no preset. Tap a slot button to select it.
Power button	Check out this device — download its mood presets and make it the active target. The Hero Panel device name updates to show which device you are working with. Saves and regenerations will target this device until you switch.
Regenerate button	Regenerate the currently selected mood slot with a fresh preset based on your current DSP settings. The regenerated preset is committed to the selected device's slot on the cloud. Only enabled when a mood slot is selected (dimmed otherwise).
Copy button	Copy mood preset assignments from this device. When no slot is selected, copies all three slots. When a slot is selected, copies only that slot.
Paste button	Appears on other device cards after copying. Paste the copied mood assignment(s) onto the target device.
Edit icon	Enter edit mode to rename the device
Delete icon	Remove the device from your account

What Happens When You Select (Check Out) a Device:

When you tap the power button on a device card, the following occurs:

ARIA ONE downloads the selected device's mood presets from the cloud
Your local mood preset files are replaced with the selected device's presets
The Hero Panel updates to show the selected device's name
Mood buttons on the Player tab now load the selected device's presets when tapped
Saves and regenerations now target the selected device — your changes are committed to that device's cloud slots

Device Actions:

Refresh — Tap the refresh icon at the top to re-fetch the device list from the server
Check out a device — Tap its power button to download its mood presets and make it the active target. See above for the full sequence.
Select a mood slot — Tap one of the three mood icon buttons on the selected device card. This enables the regenerate button and determines which slot is affected by copy/paste operations.
Regenerate a mood — Select a mood slot, then tap the regenerate button. Only the selected slot is regenerated; the other two remain unchanged. The regenerated preset is committed to the selected device's cloud slot. See Mood Preset Assignments in Section 8 for details on what regeneration produces.
Copy moods — Tap the copy button to copy mood assignments. If a slot is selected, only that slot is copied. If no slot is selected, all three slots are copied.
Paste moods — After copying, tap the paste button on the target device card. You can select a target slot to paste into a specific position, or paste without a selection to overwrite all three slots. Pasting creates an independent clone — the source and target devices will have separate copies with different UUIDs. Future changes to one do not affect the other.
Return to your device — Tap the power button on your own device card. Your mood presets are re-downloaded from the cloud, restoring your normal state.
Rename — Tap the edit icon, type a new name, and tap Save
Delete — Tap the delete icon to remove the device (confirmation required)

Note: The Devices tab requires Cloud Mode to be enabled. In Local Mode, a notice is displayed and device management is unavailable. See Local Mode Behavior in the Mood Preset Assignments section for how mood buttons work without cloud sync.

Device Selection on Launch

By default, ARIA ONE always selects your local device when the application launches — even if you were working with a remote device in your previous session. This is a deliberate safety measure: most users will want to control their own device when they start a new session, and it prevents accidentally saving or regenerating presets to a remote device without realizing it.

If you regularly use ARIA ONE to manage another device (for example, a dedicated listening station in another room), you can enable the Remember Device Selection toggle in the Settings sub-view of the Account tab. When this toggle is enabled:

ARIA ONE restores your last-selected device on launch, provided that device is still registered to your account
If the previously selected device is no longer available (deleted or deregistered), ARIA ONE falls back to your local device

When this toggle is disabled (the default):

ARIA ONE always starts with your local device selected
Any remote device selection from the previous session is discarded

Tip: If you are unsure, leave this toggle off. You can always manually select another device on the Devices tab after launch.

Hearing Tab

The Hearing tab provides quick access to hearing-related features:

Button	Action
FullScale Hearing Test	Launches the FullScale hearing test application (switches to the FullScale view)
Onboarding	Launches the guided onboarding flow for new users or users who want to redo their setup
LEARN	Opens the tutorial browser for guided walkthroughs and saved custom tutorials

The first two actions navigate away from the Simple View into their respective experiences. When complete, you are returned to the Simple View.

The LEARN button opens ARIA ONE's guided tutorial system. This area includes two content types:

Walkthroughs — bundled guided tours covering major features and workflows
Custom Tutorials — tutorials generated by ARIA AI and saved for replay

When you start a tutorial, ARIA ONE guides you step by step inside the app. Tutorials may temporarily change audio settings while they run. Your previous settings are automatically saved and can be restored when the walkthrough ends. If a walkthrough is interrupted, ARIA ONE can prompt you to restore the previous state the next time you return.

Saved tutorials can be replayed or deleted from the Custom Tutorials tab.

Account Tab

On iOS and Android, the Account tab provides three sub-views, toggled via the top bar buttons:

Account Sub-View

Displays your Altitude Audio account information:

Email address and account name
License status (Trial, Full, Subscription)
Sign In / Sign Out button
Renew License option (if license is expired)
Check for Updates — Manually check for new versions of ARIA ONE
Delete Account — Permanently delete your Altitude Audio account and associated cloud data. This action is irreversible.

Token validation runs automatically when the Account view becomes visible, confirming your session is still active with the backend.

Purchases Sub-View

The Purchases sub-view is available on iOS and Android and provides AI credit management in one place. It shows:

Total available credits
Total consumed credits
Credit-source breakdown (for example free-tier credits and purchased credits)
Current AI credit pack and price information
PURCHASE AI CREDITS button
RESTORE PURCHASES button

Use PURCHASE AI CREDITS to buy more AI credits for tutorial generation and other supported AI actions.

Use RESTORE PURCHASES after reinstalling the app, signing back into the same store account, or if a previous purchase does not appear correctly. This refreshes purchase state with the store and your Altitude Audio account.

When your AI credit balance is low or depleted, ARIA ONE may also show Buy Credits prompts that direct you back to this Purchases view.

Settings Sub-View

Control	Function
Language Dropdown	Select the display language for all UI text. Mirrors the language setting in the Advanced View bottom bar.
MANUAL button	Opens the built-in user manual viewer
Remember Device Selection	When enabled, ARIA ONE remembers which device you last selected on the Devices tab and restores that selection when you relaunch the application. When disabled (the default), ARIA ONE always returns to your local device on launch. See Device Selection on Launch below.
Always Show Volume Slider	Forces the system volume slider in the Top Safe Area to remain visible, even when ARIA ONE cannot detect software volume control on the current output device. See System Volume Slider below for details. Standalone only.
Reset player session	Attempt a full player-session reset for the current playback route. Try this first if the player appears stuck or loses the ability to start playback correctly. Standalone only.
Reset audio driver	Start a deeper audio-engine reset. Playback may pause briefly and resume after the reset completes. Standalone only.
Disable iOS media integration (restart required)	iOS standalone only. Turns off ARIA ONE's interaction with lock screen controls, Control Center transport, Bluetooth media commands, and related iOS media-control surfaces. After restarting the app, playback remains available through ARIA ONE's on-screen controls only.
BLACKOUT	Enter a display-off listening mode for critical listening. Audio processing continues while the normal interface is replaced by a black screen with a small wake control.

Reset tools: If the player seems unstable, start with Reset player session. If playback is still not behaving correctly, use Reset audio driver. These tools are designed as recovery options, but they do not replace restarting the app when a deeper platform-level issue has occurred.

iOS media integration toggle: This setting is intended as a stability option for iOS users who prefer to avoid problematic lock screen, Control Center, Bluetooth, or command-surface playback interactions. When this toggle is enabled, restart the app. After restart, use ARIA ONE's software playback controls inside the app UI.

BLACKOUT: BLACKOUT is intended for users who want to listen without active interface rendering. When BLACKOUT is enabled, ARIA ONE destroys the normal editor view and presents a black listening screen with a small wake control so you can return to the interface.

Bottom Safe Area (Desktop)

On desktop, the bottom safe area acts as a compact status bar with two controls:

Control	Function
MACRO toggle	Enable/disable the macro processing system globally. When Simple View opens, macro is auto-enabled.
UI Mode Dropdown	Switch between Simple View and Advanced View

On mobile devices, this area is consumed by the device gesture bar or navigation bar and no controls are shown.

System Volume Slider (Standalone Only)

In the standalone desktop application, a thin horizontal volume slider appears at the bottom of the Top Safe Area (the strip at the very top of the Simple View window). This slider controls the system output volume for your default audio device — the same volume you would adjust through your operating system's sound settings or hardware volume keys.

Appearance:

A pill-shaped track approximately 8 pixels tall, spanning most of the window width
Uses the standard ARIA pink gradient fill to indicate the current volume level
When the system output is muted, the fill changes to a dim grey to indicate the muted state

Visibility Conditions:

Visible when ARIA ONE is running as a standalone desktop application and the current default output device supports software volume control
Hidden when running as a plugin (VST3, AUv3) — plugins do not control system volume
Hidden on mobile devices where the Top Safe Area is consumed by the OS status bar or notch
Hidden if the output device does not expose a software volume control (for example, some professional audio interfaces manage volume exclusively through hardware knobs)

Behavior:

Drag the slider left or right to adjust the system output volume from 0% to 100%
The slider automatically stays in sync with your operating system — if you change the volume using your keyboard's media keys, the macOS menu bar, or Windows system tray, the slider updates to reflect the current level within approximately 200 milliseconds
Double-clicking the slider does not reset the volume (to prevent accidental volume jumps)

Note: This slider controls the OS-level output volume, not ARIA ONE's internal gain. It is the same control as your system volume. Changes made with this slider are reflected system-wide.

Always Show Volume Slider (Override):

Some output devices — particularly Bluetooth headphones, HDMI outputs, USB DACs, and aggregate audio devices — do not advertise a software volume property to the operating system, even though they can be controlled normally through system volume. When this happens, the volume slider is hidden because ARIA ONE cannot confirm the device supports software volume control.

If the slider is missing and you believe your device should support it, enable the Always Show Volume Slider toggle in Settings (Account tab → SETTINGS). This forces the slider to remain visible regardless of device detection. The slider will still attempt to read and write the system volume; if the device truly does not support it, the slider may not move or may have no audible effect, but it will not cause any harm.

This setting persists across sessions. You can disable it at any time to return to the automatic detection behavior.

Keyboard Shortcuts (Standalone Only)

The following keyboard shortcuts are available in the standalone desktop application for quick volume control without touching the mouse. These shortcuts work whenever the ARIA ONE window has focus.

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl + F12 (Windows) / Cmd + F12 (macOS)	Volume Up — increases the system output volume by 5%
Ctrl + F11 (Windows) / Cmd + F11 (macOS)	Volume Down — decreases the system output volume by 5%
Ctrl + F10 (Windows) / Cmd + F10 (macOS)	Toggle Mute — mutes or unmutes the system output

These shortcuts control the same system output volume as the volume slider in the Top Safe Area. Volume changes are applied immediately and are reflected both in the slider and in your operating system's volume indicator.

Note: These shortcuts are only available in the standalone application. When using ARIA ONE as a plugin, system volume control is managed by your operating system or host application.

Overlay Panels

Two overlay panels can be opened from within Simple View. They slide over the scroll area content and can be dismissed by tapping their close button or toggling their trigger button again.

AI Overlay Panel

Opened from the AI button on the Player tab top bar. Provides access to the ARIA AI companion for generating personalized presets. The panel uses a compact layout optimized for the Simple View dimensions.

Sync Panel

Opened from the SYNC button on the Devices tab top bar. Allows you to synchronize presets, hearing profiles, and mood slot assignments with the Altitude Audio cloud. The panel uses a compact layout with a sign-in prompt if you are not currently authenticated.

Tapping a profile label (Profile 1 or Profile 2) on the Hero Panel opens the Profile Popup. This compact overlay allows you to:

Browse available hearing correction profiles
Select a profile to assign to the tapped slot

The popup appears below the Hero Panel and overlays the DSP Controls area.

The Preset Popup provides a compact preset browser accessible from the PRESETS button in the Expand Panel. It allows browsing and loading Full presets without leaving the Simple View.

Onboarding View

Onboarding Flow — Advanced View

The onboarding flow guides new users through setup and hearing test.

Navigation Panel (left column on desktop, slide-out drawer on mobile):

Shows current phase and progress
EXIT ONBOARDING button to return to main plugin
AUDIO HELP button for troubleshooting

Phases:

Choose Your Path - Select onboarding pathway
Sound Check - Verify audio setup before testing
Setup - Configure device and volume calibration
Hearing Test - Complete the FullScale hearing assessment
Your Results - Review test results and hearing profile
Experience It - Demo your personalized audio with AI assistant
What's Next? - Choose Simple or Advanced workflow

FullScale View (Hearing Test)

FullScale Home — Embedded

The dedicated hearing test interface.

Navigation:

Top bar - Audio settings, title
Home view - Horizontal scrolling with "How It Works" info and test history
Setup view - Device selection, volume calibration
Test view - Active hearing test interface
Results view - View test results and export options

Switching Between Views

Bottom bar dropdown: Select "UI: ADVANCED" or "UI: SIMPLE"
Vertical Tab Bar: Click SETUP for onboarding, HEARING for hearing test
Auto-return: After completing onboarding or hearing test, automatically returns to previous view (Advanced or Simple)

6. Macros & Macro Assignment

Macro Assignment Panel

The macro system allows complex parameter control through simplified interfaces.

Macro Concept

Macros map a single control (knob/slider) to multiple parameters through customizable curves:

4 Macro Knobs: Each controls up to 24 parameter slots
2 Toggle Buttons: Binary parameter group control (on/off switches)

Bipolar vs Unipolar Mode

Each macro knob can operate in one of two modes:

Mode	Neutral Position	Range	Use Case
Bipolar	Center (0.5)	Adds or subtracts from parameter values	Most controls — allows both increase and decrease
Unipolar	Zero (0.0)	Only adds to parameter values	Drive, intensity — values only increase from baseline

When a knob is at its neutral position, it applies no modification to any assigned parameters. Moving away from neutral activates the curves.

Bipolar knobs use center as neutral — moving left subtracts, moving right adds
Unipolar knobs use zero as neutral — any movement adds to the parameter value

The bipolar setting is stored per-macro in the preset (macro_bipolar_0="1" means MACRO 1 is bipolar).

Macro Assignment View

Access the Macro Assignment panel in Advanced View to configure macro mappings:

Select Macro: Choose MACRO 1-4 or TOGGLE A/B
Add Parameters: Select parameters from available list
Edit Curves: Draw response curves for each parameter
Set Display Name: Customize the knob/toggle label
Set Bipolar Mode: Toggle whether the knob operates from center or from zero

Slot Structure

Each macro knob can control up to 24 parameter slots. A slot consists of:

Parameter ID: Which DSP parameter this slot controls (e.g., drive, freq_attack_scale)
Enabled: Whether this slot is active
Curve: The response curve mapping knob position to parameter modification

Multiple slots allow a single knob movement to adjust many parameters simultaneously — for example, a "SMOOTH" knob might lengthen attack times, increase release times, and reduce lookahead across multiple limiter stages.

Curve Editing

Each parameter slot has an associated curve:

X-axis: Macro knob position (0.0–1.0)
Y-axis: Parameter modifier (−1.0 to +1.0, scaled to parameter range)
Breakpoints: Add points to shape the curve
Interpolation: Piecewise-linear segments between breakpoints; optionally smoothed with Catmull-Rom interpolation

Curve Data Format

Curves are stored as semicolon-separated breakpoints: x,y,type;x,y,type;...

x: Knob position (0.0–1.0)
y: Modifier output (−1.0 to +1.0)
type: Interpolation hint (0 = linear, 1 = smooth)

Example: 0.000000,0.000000,0;0.310000,0.080000,0;1.000000,0.710000,0

This curve starts at (0,0), rises gently through (0.31, 0.08), and ends at (1.0, 0.71).

Toggle Buttons

The two toggle buttons (TOGGLE A and TOGGLE B) work differently from knobs:

Binary state: On (1.0) or Off (0.0) — no intermediate values
Curve mapping: Each toggle can control multiple parameters via curves
Common uses: Enable/disable Mid-Side processing, bypass limiter stages, switch between modes

Toggles are ideal for parameters that represent distinct states rather than continuous adjustments.

Default Curve Behavior

A flat curve at Y=0 means no modification (parameter uses its direct VTS value). Curves offset from center apply additive modification.

How Macros Interact with Presets (Non-Destructive Overlay)

Macros operate as a non-destructive overlay on top of your saved parameter state. This is a critical concept to understand:

What you hear is the combination of your stored DSP parameter values plus the macro modifications applied on top in real time
Standard preset saves (Full Preset, Limiter, EQ subpresets) store only the underlying DSP parameter values. The real-time macro offsets that shape what you hear are not written into those parameter values
Macro presets save the macro configuration itself (knob positions, curves, toggle states, parameter assignments) but do not alter any DSP parameter values
Meta presets save both the DSP parameters and the macro configuration together — but the DSP parameter values are still stored as-is, without macro offsets baked in
Mood presets (Simple View) save the full state including macro configuration, behaving like Meta presets
This means you can experiment freely with macros without permanently altering your preset. Moving a macro knob back to its neutral position (center for bipolar, zero for unipolar) removes the macro's effect entirely

Example: You load a preset where the limiter threshold is set to −12 dB. A macro curve pushes it to −8 dB. You hear −8 dB. But if you save a Full Preset right now, it saves −12 dB — the macro offset is not captured in the parameter value. (A Meta or Mood save would preserve the macro curve that produces the offset, but the stored threshold value would still be −12 dB.)

Apply to State — Baking Macro Adjustments

If you want to permanently write what you hear into the DSP parameter values themselves, you must first "bake" the macro modifications into the parameter state:

Adjust your macros until the sound is exactly how you want it
Open the Macro Assignment panel in Advanced View (MACRO tab in the Vertical Tab Bar)
Click the "Apply to State" button (circular arrows icon)
This performs a one-shot operation that:
- Reads each parameter's current stored value
- Calculates the macro-adjusted effective value (what you are actually hearing)
- Writes the effective value back as the new stored parameter value
Now save your preset — the parameter values themselves now reflect the macro adjustments

Important: After applying, the macro knobs and curves remain in their current positions. This means the macros will continue to apply their offset on top of the newly baked values. If you want a clean starting point after applying, reset the macro knobs to their neutral positions (double-click to reset).

Tip: Think of "Apply to State" as a "flatten" or "commit" operation — similar to flattening layers in an image editor. The macro layer merges into the base layer.

Macro Presets

Save and load macro configurations as presets:

Directory: ~/Music/altitude/shared/preset/LABS/{FACTORY,USER}/MACRO/
Format: XML with knob positions and curve assignments
Sync: Macro presets sync via cloud (LABS only)

7. Graphing & Metering

Graphing Windows

Advanced View provides comprehensive audio visualization.

Meter Container

The vertical meter column displays:

Input Level: Pre-processing signal level
Output Level: Post-processing signal level
Gain Reduction: Limiter activity meters
DRIVE Section: Input drive adjustment

Waveform Display

Waveform Window

Real-time waveform visualization:

Input/Output Toggle: View pre or post-processing
Zoom Controls: Adjust time window (seconds visible)
Pause: Freeze display for analysis
Rewind/Scrollback: When paused, drag the position slider to scroll back through up to ~5 seconds of waveform history
Y-Axis Range: Adjustable dB range for vertical scale

Vectorscope (Lissajous)

Vectorscope (Lissajous) Window

X-Y stereo field visualization in a diamond-shaped display:

Stereo Image: Plots left vs. right channel samples in real-time, rotated 45° so mono appears vertical and stereo spread appears horizontal
Polarity Line: Vertical phase correlation meter (+1 = in-phase, 0 = uncorrelated, −1 = out-of-phase)
Stereo Balance: Horizontal L/R balance indicator below the display

Polar Sample

Polar Sample Window (Party Mode)

Half-circle polar coordinate display showing instantaneous stereo sample positions:

Phase & Amplitude: Each audio sample is plotted by its stereo angle and amplitude on a semicircular grid
Polarity Meter: Phase correlation readout
Stereo Balance: L/R balance indicator
Party Mode: Toggle button that enables ray-tracing visual effects and particle animations between high-amplitude samples
Peak/RMS Mode: Switch between instantaneous peak and RMS-smoothed sample display

Polar Level

Polar Level Window

Half-circle polar coordinate display showing frequency-band level distribution:

Sector-Based Metering: Audio energy is distributed across angular sectors, with in-phase content centered and out-of-phase content at the edges
Peak Boundaries: Persistent peak-hold outlines show historical maximum levels per sector
Color Coding: Purple for in-phase content, pink/magenta for out-of-phase content
Polarity Meter: Phase correlation readout
Stereo Balance: L/R balance indicator

FFT Spectrum Analyzer

FFT Spectrum Analyzer Window

Real-time frequency spectrum display:

Channel Selection: Stereo, Left, Right, Mid, or Sides
FFT Size: 1024, 2048, 4096, 8192, or 16384 samples (larger = more frequency resolution)
Window Type: Rectangular, Triangular, Hann, Hamming, Blackman, Blackman-Harris, Flat Top, or Kaiser
Averaging: Configurable integration time for smoother display
Attack/Release: Adjustable ballistics for meter response speed
Y-Axis Range: Selectable from −20 dB to −100 dB floor
Peak Hold: Visual peak markers with timed decay

Loudness Meter

Loudness Meters (Embedded)

ITU-R BS.1770 compliant loudness metering with INPUT, OUTPUT, and DELTA sections:

Meter	Description
M (Momentary)	400 ms sliding window loudness (LUFS)
S (Short-term)	3 s sliding window loudness (LUFS)
I (Integrated)	Gated integrated loudness over entire measurement (LUFS)
LRA (Loudness Range)	Dynamic range of the program in LU (0–20 scale)
TP (True Peak)	Per-channel (L/R) true peak level in dBTP (−60 to +3 scale)

Loudness meter displays

Two displays show the same underlying data:

Singleton Loudness Meter Window — Pop-out window opened from the GRAPH toolbar (LOUD button). Shows INPUT, OUTPUT, and DELTA loudness with bar meters and true peak.
Embedded Loudness Meter — Permanent panel inside the Adaptive Gain designer view. Same INPUT, OUTPUT, and DELTA sections in a compact layout.

Both displays are controlled by the same Loudness Meter Enabled parameter — toggling one affects the other.

Operating modes

Manual Mode (Leveling OFF)

When the Leveling toggle in the Adaptive Gain top bar is disabled:

A power button is visible on both loudness meter displays.
Turn loudness metering on or off freely with this power button.
When metering is off, all values (peak, RMS, M/S/I/LRA) freeze and the polling timer stops.

Leveling Mode (Leveling ON)

When the Leveling toggle is enabled:

The leveling system automatically enables loudness metering (it requires continuous measurement data).
The power button is hidden on both displays — metering cannot be disabled while leveling is active.
Metering remains active for the duration of the leveling session.

Restoring manual control

Turn off the Leveling toggle in the Adaptive Gain top bar. The power button reappears on both loudness meter displays immediately, allowing you to disable metering if desired.

The leveling system depends on continuous loudness measurement for gain adaptation decisions. The power button is hidden (rather than greyed out) while leveling is active to reduce visual clutter — manual control is not applicable when leveling owns the meter.

8. Sync System

Sync Panel — Advanced View

ARIA ONE keeps your hearing profiles and presets synchronized across all your devices. The server is the source of truth—changes you make on any device sync to the server.

How Sync Works

Sign in to ARIA ONE with your Altitude Audio credentials
Open the Sync Panel and press "Sync Now" to download your hearing profiles and presets from the server
When you save, rename, or delete a preset, that individual action syncs to the server

Note: Full automatic sync will roll out after the current system is validated. For now, use the Sync Panel to manually sync your library.

Cloud Sync vs Local Only Mode

You choose between Cloud Mode and Local Mode during initial setup (see Section 2 — Step 2). Cloud Mode enables sync, AI presets, and multi-device features. Local Mode keeps everything on your machine with no server communication. This choice is permanent for the installation.

Hearing Profile Sync

Hearing profiles from online tests sync to the Server/synced folder on all your devices.

Profile Sources:

Factory — Built-in characteristic profiles (read-only, included with installation)
Server/synced — Your synced hearing profiles from online tests
Server/account — Manual server exports (used with ARIA Studio)
User — Local profiles (only visible in Local Only mode)

When you rename or delete a Server profile, the change syncs to the server and propagates to other devices on their next manual sync.

Preset Sync

User-created presets sync to the server when saved, renamed, or deleted. Factory presets are included with the application and do not sync.

What Syncs:

Meta Presets — Complete EQ + Limiter + Macro state
Full Presets — Complete EQ + Limiter state
EQ Subpresets — EQ Full, Base, Profile, MBE variants
Limiter Subpresets — Limiter Full State, type presets, column presets, Adaptive Input
Macro Presets — Macro knob positions and curve assignments

Deletion Sync: When you delete a preset, it is removed from the server. Other devices see the deletion on their next manual sync.

Device Registration

AI Assistant Panel — Advanced View

Each installation of ARIA ONE registers as a unique device with the server. This enables per-device features like mood preset assignments and AI-generated live presets.

AI-Generated Live Presets

When you generate a preset using AI, it is stored as a live preset associated with your current device. Live presets are:

Device-specific — Generated for your current listening setup
Synced to your account — Accessible from the server
Not copied to other devices — Each device maintains its own AI-generated preset

This ensures AI presets remain optimized for the specific environment they were created in.

Mood Preset Assignments

Mood presets are the core of the Simple View listening experience. Each mood button stores a complete snapshot of your DSP settings — hearing correction (EQ), dynamics processing (limiter), macro configuration, and drive level — so you can switch between listening styles with a single tap.

Mood assignments are per-device — each of your registered devices maintains its own independent set of three mood presets. This means your laptop can have different moods than your desktop, each tuned for its specific listening environment.

Mood Slots:

Slot	Button Icon	Name	Character
1	Meditate	Calm	Relaxed, gentle — suited for focused listening or winding down
2	Walking	Natural	Balanced, everyday listening — your default sound
3	Fire	Intense	Energetic, punchy — suited for active listening or high-energy content

These three moods represent a spectrum of listening intensity. The initial set is generated automatically from your hearing profile combined with factory limiter characters. As you refine your sound — whether through the AI assistant, manual tuning, or loading presets — you can save improved versions to any slot, replacing the defaults.

On the Devices tab, each device card displays these three slots using the same mood icons.

What Mood Buttons Do

When you tap a mood button (Calm, Natural, or Intense) on the Player tab:

ARIA ONE loads the preset assigned to that mood slot from your local MOBILE folder
The entire DSP parameter state is replaced — EQ settings, limiter settings, macro knob positions, curve assignments, and toggle states all change to match the saved mood
The macro system is reactivated with the mood's saved configuration, applying its offsets live on top of the restored parameter values
The tapped button highlights and the other two dim

If no preset has been saved to a slot (the slot is empty), the button toggles visually but no parameter change occurs. You must save or generate a preset to that slot first.

Mood buttons are a full state swap. Tapping a different mood replaces everything — it is equivalent to loading a Meta preset. Any unsaved changes to your current parameters will be overwritten. If you want to keep your current settings, save them to a mood slot before switching.

Initial Generation

ARIA ONE automatically generates your first three mood presets in one of two situations:

After completing onboarding — The initial set is created from your personalized post-hearing-test state
When first opening the Simple View (if you skipped onboarding) — Generated from your current default state

Cloud Mode: If your account already has mood presets on the server (for example, saved from a previous session or generated on another device), those are downloaded instead of regenerating new ones. The server is the source of truth.

Local Mode: Mood presets are generated locally and saved to disk without any server communication.

Saving a Mood Preset

To save your current settings to a mood slot:

On the Player tab, tap the save button (floppy disk icon) — it lights up and the three mood buttons are replaced by pulsing overlay buttons (the "armed" state)
Tap one of the three pulsing buttons to choose which mood slot to save to (Calm, Natural, or Intense)
A confirmation flash appears on the saved mood button

The armed state automatically cancels after 12 seconds if no slot is selected. You can also tap the save button again to cancel manually.

What a mood save captures:

All EQ / hearing correction parameters
All limiter parameters (including drive)
All four macro knob positions, their curve assignments, toggle states, and ParameterRouter mappings

Cloud Mode: The saved preset is uploaded to the server and committed to the currently selected device's mood slot. If you have checked out another device on the Devices tab, the save targets that device — not your local machine. The cloud always holds the latest version. If a conflict is detected (another save happened first), ARIA ONE automatically downloads the server's version to reconcile.

Local Mode: The preset is written to your local MOBILE folder. The existing file is updated in place.

Mood saves and macros: Mood presets save both DSP parameter values and the full macro configuration. Macros are restored and reapplied live on load. The stored parameter values are not modified by macro offsets — use "Apply to State" first if you want to bake them in. See Section 6 — How Macros Interact with Presets.

Regenerating a Mood Preset

Regeneration creates a fresh mood preset from your current DSP state, using the same process as initial generation (see above). The difference is that you can regenerate a single slot without affecting the other two.

To regenerate:

Open the Devices tab
Select your device (tap the power button on your device card)
Tap a mood slot button to select which mood to regenerate
Tap the regenerate button (circular arrows icon)

What regeneration produces depends on the slot:

Calm — Loads the soft factory limiter preset onto your current EQ, scales drive, captures the result
Natural — Snapshots your exact current DSP state with no modifications
Intense — Loads the aggressive factory limiter preset onto your current EQ, scales drive, captures the result

After regeneration, the mood slot is updated in place. The regenerated preset is committed to the currently selected device's cloud slot — if you have checked out another device, the regeneration targets that device.

Tip: Regenerate is useful when you have changed your hearing profile, loaded a new base preset, or want to refresh one mood's character without affecting the others.

Copying Between Devices

You can copy mood preset settings from one device to another using the Devices tab:

On the source device card, optionally select a mood slot (or leave unselected to copy all three)
Tap the copy button (clipboard icon) — the source card highlights and other device cards show a paste button
On the target device card, optionally select a target slot, then tap the paste button
Tap the copy button again on the source card to cancel without pasting

When copying a single slot, you can paste it into any slot on the target device (cross-slot pasting is supported). When copying all three, they are pasted into the same slot positions on the target.

Important: Copying creates an independent clone of the preset on the target device. After pasting, each device has its own separate copy with a new UUID. Changes you make to a mood on one device will not affect the other device's mood presets. This ensures you can customize each device independently after copying.

Device Selection and the Checkout / Commit Workflow

ARIA ONE uses a checkout / commit model for working with other devices' mood presets. This is the same system described in the Devices Tab section (Section 5), summarized here for reference:

Step	Action	What Happens
Checkout	Tap the power button on another device's card	That device's mood presets are downloaded to your machine. The Hero Panel shows the checked-out device name.
Work	Listen, tweak parameters, audition changes	You hear everything locally on your own hardware, using the checked-out device's DSP state as your starting point.
Commit	Tap the save button and select a mood slot	Your current settings are saved to the checked-out device's mood slot on the cloud. The target device receives your changes on its next sync.
Return	Tap the power button on your own device card	Your own mood presets are re-downloaded from the cloud, restoring your normal state.

Common use cases:

Setting up another device — Check out your phone, fine-tune its sound using the Advanced View on your laptop, save to its mood slots, then return to your own device. Your phone picks up the changes on its next launch or sync.
Getting help from a professional — An audiologist or audio engineer can check out your device on their system, dial in your settings, save them to your mood slots, and return to their own device. You pick up the tuned presets on your next sync.
Previewing another device's sound — Check out a device to hear its moods on your hardware, then return to your own device without making changes.

Note: Checkout / commit is a device-sync workflow. It does not provide live remote control of another running ARIA ONE instance.

Automatic Sync Behavior

On app launch (Cloud Mode): ARIA ONE contacts the server to refresh your current device's mood presets, ensuring local files match the latest server state — even if you saved changes from another machine
On manual sync: Clicking "Sync Now" in the Sync Panel also downloads the latest mood presets for your current device
Offline fallback: If you are offline, your most recent local mood preset files are used until connectivity is restored. Changes made while offline will be reconciled on next connection.

Local Mode Behavior

In Local Mode (no cloud sync), mood presets work with the following differences:

Generation — Mood presets are generated locally from your current DSP state. No server communication occurs.
Saving — Saves update the local file in place. No upload to server.
Devices tab — Unavailable. A notice is displayed indicating that device management requires Cloud Mode.
Mood buttons — Work exactly as in Cloud Mode: tapping a mood loads the local preset file and replaces the DSP state.
No cross-device features — Copy, paste, and device selection are not available. Your moods exist only on this machine.
Permanence — Local Mode is a permanent choice for this installation. Mood presets created in Local Mode are not recoverable via cloud sync if you later reset to Cloud Mode.

Using the Sync Panel

Advanced View:

Sync Panel — Advanced View (Populated)

Simple View:

Access the Sync Panel to:

View sync status and last sync time
Manually trigger a sync with "Sync Now"
Compare local and server profiles/presets

Cross-Product Sync

Absolute Zero: Limiter presets are shared with Absolute Zero via the local preset library. When ARIA ONE syncs, these presets become available in both applications.

ARIA Studio: Presets exported to ARIA Studio are a one-way copy. ARIA Studio does not sync with the server.

9. Average Characteristic Profiles

Demographic-based profiles for quick demos and instant gratification.

What Are Average Profiles?

Average profiles are pre-computed hearing correction curves based on demographic data:

Profile	Age Range	Description
avg_20_39	18-39	Typical young adult hearing characteristics
avg_40_59	40-59	Middle-age hearing compensation
avg_60_99	60+	Senior hearing assistance

How They Work

User selects Instant pathway during onboarding
User provides demographic info (age range)
System matches to appropriate average profile
Profile applied immediately for demo experience

Security & Privacy

Average profiles are handled differently from personal test results:

Server Reference Only: Profile data fetched on-demand, not stored locally
Login Required: Average profiles require authenticated session
Temporary Use: Designed for demos, users encouraged to complete full test

10. ARIA AI — Preset Generation & Tutorials

ARIA ONE includes a built-in AI assistant that can generate and refine personalized presets based on your hearing profile and listening goals. You describe what you want in natural language — for example, "make the bass warmer" or "I want more clarity in the highs" — and the AI analyzes your current DSP state, proposes changes, and applies them as a new or updated preset.

The AI panel is accessible from:

Advanced View — Click the AI button in the Vertical Tab Bar (left edge). The panel slides out from the right.
Simple View — Tap the AI icon in the Player tab top bar. The overlay slides over the scroll area.

Note: AI preset generation requires Cloud Mode and an active internet connection. In Local Mode, the AI panel is not available.

Selecting an AI Agent

At the bottom of the AI panel, you will see a dropdown labeled ARIA AI with the currently selected agent. Tap or click the dropdown to choose a different agent. Your selection is remembered across sessions.

ARIA ONE provides four AI agents, each with a different approach to modifying your preset:

Agent	Style	Passes	Description
v0.8.5 "Standard"	Full Scope	1	Makes broad, sweeping changes across the full parameter space in a single pass. Best when your preset sounds significantly off and needs a major rework.
v0.8.5 "Fine Tune"	Controlled	1	Makes small, incremental adjustments to one or two parameters at a time. Best when your preset sounds close but needs subtle refinement.
v0.8.5 "Thinking"	Deep Analysis	2	Performs a two-pass analysis — first studying your current state and planning changes, then executing them. Most thorough and considered approach.
v0.8 "Thinking"	Deep Analysis (Legacy)	2	An earlier version of the two-pass analysis agent. Available for comparison or if you prefer its response style.

LEARN Mode and Guided Tutorials

ARIA ONE includes a guided tutorial system for learning the interface through narrated, in-app walkthroughs.

You can access tutorial playback from:

Simple View — Tap LEARN in the Hearing tab top bar
Advanced View — Use PLAY DEMO in the Bottom Bar

The tutorial browser includes two tabs:

Walkthroughs — bundled guided tours included with ARIA ONE
Custom Tutorials — saved tutorials generated by ARIA AI

During playback, ARIA ONE guides you step by step through the interface. Tutorials may temporarily change audio settings in order to demonstrate features. Your previous settings are automatically saved before playback begins, and ARIA ONE can restore them when the walkthrough ends.

AI-Generated Tutorials

In addition to preset generation and help, ARIA AI can create guided tutorials tailored to your question.

Ask a tutorial-style question such as:

"Show me how to use the Simple View player"
"How do I set up my hearing test in this app?"
"Teach me the macro controls"

ARIA ONE builds a step-by-step tutorial for the current app workflow and saves it to Custom Tutorials for later use.

Custom tutorials can be:

Replayed from the tutorial browser
Reviewed again later without re-generating them
Deleted when you no longer need them

Note: AI-generated tutorials require Cloud Mode, an active internet connection, and available AI credits. Bundled walkthroughs do not require AI generation.

Tip: If your credits are low or depleted, use Buy Credits from the mobile PURCHASES view to add more AI credits.

11. Preset Management System

Preset Panel — Full Presets (Advanced View)

ARIA ONE uses a hierarchical preset system that stores settings for different parts of the DSP chain. Presets sync across your devices via the cloud (when in Cloud Sync mode) and can be shared between compatible products.

Preset Types Overview

Meta Preset — Complete EQ + Limiter + Macro state in a single preset (ARIA ONE only). This is the recommended preset type for most users — it captures everything about your sound in one file.
Full Preset — Complete EQ + Limiter state without macro settings (ARIA ONE only)
Limiter Full State — Complete limiter state (shared with Absolute Zero)
EQ Full — Complete hearing correction state (exportable to ARIA Studio)
Macro — Macro knob positions and curve assignments (ARIA ONE only)
Adaptive Input — Input leveling, adaptive drive, and servo gain settings (shared with Absolute Zero)

Limiter Presets

Preset Panel — Limiter Presets (Advanced View)

Limiter presets store settings for ARIA ONE's dynamics processing. These presets are shared with Absolute Zero—changes made in one application are reflected in the other via the shared preset library.

Note: Cloud sync only happens through ARIA ONE. Absolute Zero reads/writes to the same local preset folders but does not connect to the server.

Limiter Type Subpresets

Each limiter type has two stages (Pass 1 / Pass 2), stored as L1 and L2 variants. When saving, use the Source Column toggle to select which stage to save from.

ARIA_PASS1 — Type, Attack, Release, Lookahead, Max Filter Cutoff/Slope/Enable. L2 adds Enabled toggle.
SIMPLE — Type, Attack, Release, Lookahead, Knee Width. L2 adds Threshold and Enabled toggle.
STANDARD — Type, Lookahead, Attack, Release, Smooth Amount, Auto Env Trans. L2 adds Enabled toggle.
ENHANCED — Type, Lookahead, Attack, Release, Running Avg Size/Weight, Max Filter Length/Hold. L2 adds Enabled toggle.

Column Subpresets

Global — Channel Link, Threshold, Max Filter Buffer Length, Max Filter Hold Samples, ARIA Max Filter enable, Buffer Defense.
Multiband — Tone, Tone Balance, Frequency Response, Reconstruction settings, Drive Reduction Scale, Safety/Output Leveling/Pass 2 enables, Math Functions.
Soft Safety — Output leveling controls: Block Size, Overlap, Peak/RMS Smoothers, Limiter Release, Max/Min Gain dB, Crest Compensation.
Hard Safety — Safety limiter: Attack, Release, Knee, Safety Enable.
Meter Container — Input Gain, Output Gain, Drive.
Drive X Threshold — Math Functions toggle, 6 control points per limiter type (Drive/Reduction pairs).

EQ (Hearing Correction) Presets

Preset Panel — EQ Presets (Advanced View)

EQ Subpresets

EQ Full — All EQ parameters including hearing profiles.
Base — Global correction parameters: Glob Corr Up/Down, Max Corr dB, Max Stereo Corr, LR Mono blend, MS Blend/Angle, Smooth, Outlier Threshold, Std HQ, Stereo/MS/Low Freq modes, MBE Selector, FIR Size.
Profile — HT Sub-Profile 0/1, HT Mode (Single/Dual), HT Blend.

MBE Subpresets

Each MBE type saves: number of bands, 5 crossover frequencies, and 18 band parameters (6 bands × 3 params).

MBE Reference — Reference curve
MBE Profile Blend — Hearing Test Based / Profile Blend
MBE Mid Sides — Combined Mid + Sides
MBE MS Middle — Mid channel only
MBE MS Sides — Side channel only
MBE LR Combined — Left-Right Pan
MBE Left Gain — Left channel gain
MBE Right Gain — Right channel gain
MBE Correction — Correction amount

FIR and SOS Filter Topology

ARIA ONE supports two internal filter topologies for hearing correction:

FIR — A convolution-based filter path
SOS — A cascaded second-order-section path using biquad filters

The hearing-correction controls allow you to switch between FIR and SOS. This changes the internal processing topology used to realize the correction curve.

When SOS is enabled, FIR-specific controls such as FIR Size and related FIR-tuning options are not used. When FIR is enabled, those controls remain available.

This gives you an additional way to choose how ARIA ONE realizes your hearing-correction target while keeping the same overall listening workflow.

Exporting to ARIA Studio

Full Preset and EQ Full presets can be exported to ARIA Studio using the "EXPORT PRESET" button in the Preset Panel. When exporting a Full Preset, the limiter section may require manual tuning in ARIA Studio after export since parameter mapping differs between products.

Important: This is a one-way system. You cannot import presets from ARIA Studio into ARIA ONE.

Saving Presets

Preset Save Dialog (Advanced View)

To save a preset:

Click the SAVE button in the Preset Panel
Enter a preset name
Select a category from the dropdown (Full Preset, Limiter, EQ, Macro sections)
For limiter type presets (ARIA_PASS1, SIMPLE, STANDARD, ENHANCED), use the Source Column toggle to choose L1 or L2
Optionally add a description
Click Save

Presets are saved to the USER folder and automatically sync to the cloud (when signed in).

Macros and preset saves: Standard saves (Full, Limiter, EQ) do not capture macro offsets. Meta and Mood saves include the macro configuration but still store unmodified parameter values. Use "Apply to State" to bake macro offsets into parameters before saving. See Section 6 — How Macros Interact with Presets.

Loading Presets

Advanced View

Open the Preset Panel to see all presets organized by category. Double-click a preset to load it, or use the category filter to narrow your search.

Simple / Mobile View

Tap the preset selector button at the bottom of the DSP control panel to browse available presets. Factory presets and your synced user presets are both accessible.

AI-Generated Presets

ARIA ONE can generate personalized presets using AI based on your hearing profile and listening preferences. AI generation requires Cloud Mode. In Local Mode, only Pure Theory preset creation (which does not use AI) is available.

Mood Preset Assignments

Mood presets assign complete DSP state snapshots to the three mood buttons (Calm / Natural / Intense) in Simple View. Each device maintains its own independent set of mood assignments. Mood presets are generated automatically after onboarding and can be saved, regenerated, and copied between devices.

For the complete reference — including what mood buttons do, how initial generation works, saving behavior in Cloud vs Local mode, regeneration mechanics, cross-device copy/paste, the checkout/commit workflow for remote device management, and automatic sync — see Section 8 — Mood Preset Assignments.

Pure Theory Presets

Pure Theory presets are scientifically-derived starting points based on hearing research. They provide a neutral baseline that you can customize.

When completing an anonymous or offline hearing test, a Pure Theory preset is automatically generated during the demonstration phase of onboarding. This preset uses your test results to create a personalized baseline without requiring cloud connectivity.

Meta Presets

Meta presets are the most complete preset type in ARIA ONE. A single Meta preset captures your entire sound — hearing correction (EQ), dynamics processing (Limiter), and macro control assignments — all in one file.

What Meta Presets Include:

All EQ / hearing correction parameters
All limiter parameters
All four macro knob positions and their curve assignments
Toggle A and Toggle B states
ParameterRouter state (which parameters each macro controls)

When to Use Meta Presets:

Simple View users — Meta is the default preset type. When you browse presets from the expandable advanced panel's PRESETS button, you see Meta presets first.
Sharing your complete setup — Meta presets sync across devices and capture everything needed to reproduce your sound.
Switching between listening contexts — Save a Meta preset for each context (headphones, speakers, car) and switch between them instantly.

Meta presets are stored in ~/Music/altitude/shared/preset/LABS/{FACTORY,USER}/META/ and sync via the cloud.

Tip: If you only want to change your macro knob mappings without affecting your EQ or limiter, use a Macro preset instead. If you only want to change dynamics, use a Limiter preset.

Adaptive Input Presets

Adaptive Input presets save the settings of ARIA ONE's input leveling and adaptive gain system. This system automatically adjusts input levels before processing to ensure consistent dynamics behavior regardless of source volume.

What Adaptive Input Presets Include:

Input soft safety parameters (leveling enable, block size, peak/RMS smoothers, gain limits, crest compensation)
Adaptive drive parameters (target percent, drive step, eval interval, ramp rate, velocity floor, GR budget, drive limits, baseline, crest offset)
Measurement and analysis parameters (short/integrated/long windows, frame sizes, acceleration threshold, jump threshold, drop hold, song change detection)
Servo parameters (auto gain enable, attack/release/hold, max/min gain, crest deadband, gain amount)

When to Use Adaptive Input Presets:

Tuning the adaptive system for different content types (music vs. podcasts vs. film)
Saving conservative vs. aggressive adaptation profiles
Sharing adaptive gain settings between devices

Adaptive Input presets are stored in ~/Music/altitude/shared/preset/Limiter/{FACTORY,USER}/ADAPT_IN/ and are shared with Absolute Zero.

Macro Presets

Macro presets save the state of the four macro knobs and their curve assignments. This allows you to:

Save complex parameter mappings
Switch between different macro configurations
Share macro setups across devices

Macro presets are stored separately from Full Presets—loading a macro preset does not change your EQ or limiter settings.

L1-L2 Sync Mapping

When you save a limiter type subpreset (ARIA_PASS1, SIMPLE, STANDARD, ENHANCED), ARIA ONE automatically creates both L1 and L2 versions. Parameters are mapped between stages:

L1 parameters map to their L2 equivalents
L2-only parameters (like Threshold for SIMPLE, and Enabled toggle) use default values
This ensures presets work regardless of which stage you load them into

12. Audio Player

ARIA ONE includes a built-in audio player for listening without external apps.

Desktop Player (Advanced View)

Audio Player — Advanced View

Access via PLAYER button in Vertical Tab Bar:

File Browser: Load audio files (MP3, WAV, FLAC, etc.)
Transport Controls: Play, pause, seek
Power Button: Enable/disable player routing
Volume Control: Control output volume

Player Routing

When enabled, the audio player routes through ARIA ONE's DSP chain:

Player output → ARIA ONE input
DSP processing applied
Processed audio → System output

Simple/Mobile View Player

In Simple View, access the player via bottom navigation:

Compact Interface: Essential transport controls
Quick Access: Single tap to open/close
Power Toggle: Enable/disable in VerticalTabBar player button

Mobile System Media Integration

On mobile builds, ARIA ONE integrates with the operating system's media surfaces on both iOS and Android so playback can appear in system media controls where supported.

On iOS, if lock screen controls, Control Center transport, Bluetooth media commands, or related system playback interactions become unstable, open Settings and enable Disable iOS media integration (restart required). After restarting the app, playback remains available through ARIA ONE's on-screen controls only.

This setting is intended as a stability option. It reduces dependence on iOS media-control surfaces when those interactions are not behaving reliably on your device.

Supported Formats

MP3, AAC, M4A
WAV, AIFF
FLAC, OGG
Any format supported by system codecs

13. Account & Authorization

Manage your Altitude Audio account and license activation.

Account Panel

Account Panel — Advanced View

Access account settings to:

View account email and name
Check license status
Sign out

Authorization Flow

Sign Up / Log In: Create an account or sign in with your existing Altitude Audio credentials

Register for Beta: Press the "Register for Beta" button to activate your account

Multi-Device Activation

Licenses support multiple device activations
Deactivate old devices to free up slots
View active devices in account panel

14. Audio Settings (AUDIO) View

Audio Settings View

The Audio Settings view controls how audio streams into and out of ARIA ONE. This view is available in the standalone application only—plugin versions (VST3, AUv3) inherit audio settings from the host.

Controls

Mute Input - Toggle to mute the audio input. When enabled, a yellow "MUTE" label appears in the TopBarPanel as a visual indicator
Audio Device Type - Select the audio driver type:
- macOS: Core Audio
- Windows: WASAPI (with mode options: Shared, Shared AC, Exclusive)
Output Device - Choose the output device (DAC, sound card, speakers, or headphones) through which ARIA ONE sends processed audio
Input Device - Select the virtual audio device (VAD) or physical audio device that routes audio into ARIA ONE
Sample Rate - Set the sample rate at which ARIA ONE processes audio. This should match the native sample rate of your audio content
Buffer Size - Adjust the audio buffer size for latency/performance tradeoff

15. Audio Routing

ARIA ONE processes any PCM digital audio input, functioning both as a standalone application and as a plugin within Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) or plugin hosts.

Standalone Routing Overview

Audio Settings

To route system audio through ARIA ONE, use a Virtual Audio Device (VAD):

Set your computer's system output to the VAD
In ARIA ONE's Audio Settings, set Input to the VAD's output
Set Output to your speakers, DAC, or headphones
Match sample rates across all devices

macOS Routing

macOS Sound Settings — Output

Use the included ARIA-Audio-VAD (or alternatives like BlackHole or Loopback):

Set system sound output to ARIA-Audio-VAD (System Settings → Sound → Output)
Match sample rates in Audio MIDI Setup
In ARIA ONE: Input = ARIA-Audio-VAD, Output = your playback device
Audio Device Type = Core Audio

Note: ARIA-Audio-VAD will be included in a future ARIA ONE release. Until then, obtain it from the free ARIA Studio installer at https://altitude.audio.

Windows Routing

Windows Sound Settings

Use a third-party VAD such as VB-Audio's HiFi Cable:

Set system sound output to the VAD input (e.g., HiFi Cable Input) in Windows Settings → System → Sound
Match sample rates in Sound Settings (see Sample Rate Management below)
In ARIA ONE: Input = VAD output (e.g., HiFi Cable Output), Output = your playback device
Select WASAPI driver mode (Shared recommended for compatibility)

Plugin Usage (VST3 / AUv3)

When using ARIA ONE as a plugin in a DAW or plugin host:

Audio routing is handled by the host application
Insert ARIA ONE on the master bus or individual tracks
The Audio Settings view is not available—settings inherit from the host

Tip: You can still use a VAD to route system audio into your DAW's input, then process it through ARIA ONE as a plugin on the input track or master bus.

16. Sample Rate Management

Set the sample rate in the Audio Settings view to match your streaming audio source. This synchronization is important to avoid discrepancies that might affect sound quality.

Windows users: You can verify and set sample rates for your input and output devices in Windows Sound Settings:

Windows Sample Rate — Input Device

Windows Sample Rate — Output Device

Handling Mismatches

If the sample rate of the audio stream changes between tracks, you may hear glitches or artifacts. To resolve this:

Adjust ARIA ONE's sample rate to match the new source
Audio will automatically restart with the new configuration

System-Level Resampling

Both macOS and Windows offer built-in resampling algorithms that can handle sample rate mismatches. Whether to use these depends on your setup and desired fidelity.

Virtual Audio Devices

VADs operate independently and may handle resampling differently. For optimal performance, keep sample rates consistent across:

Your audio source
The VAD
ARIA ONE's settings
Your DAC or output device

17. Virtual Audio Devices (VADs)

A Virtual Audio Device (VAD) creates a software audio path between applications. ARIA ONE uses a VAD to receive audio from your system or streaming applications.

macOS Options

ARIA-Audio-VAD - Included with ARIA Studio (coming soon to ARIA ONE)
BlackHole - Free, open-source VAD available at https://existential.audio/blackhole/
Loopback - Commercial option with advanced routing features from Rogue Amoeba

Windows Options

VB-Audio HiFi Cable - Free high-quality VAD from https://vb-audio.com/Cable/
VB-Cable - Basic free option from VB-Audio
ASIO4ALL - Universal ASIO driver for low-latency audio

18. Troubleshooting

No Sound

Audio Settings

If you hear no audio output:

Open the Audio Settings panel (tap AUDIO in the top bar)
Confirm that Mute is not enabled (the Mute toggle is at the top of the Audio Settings panel)
Verify the correct output device is selected

Audio Dropout / Glitch (Standalone)

Known Bug: Audio may drop out or produce a glitch sound randomly after a period of playback in the standalone application.

Workaround:

Open the Audio Settings menu and toggle the output device selection (switch away and back), or
Restart the application

Please notify us if this happens to you. We are actively investigating this issue and your report helps us track it down.

Known Issues & Workarounds

This section tracks currently known user-facing issues and their recommended workarounds. Additional issues can be added here in future manual updates.

iOS Player Cannot Start Playback Reliably

Known Issue: On iOS, the player may occasionally lose the ability to start playback correctly or respond as expected to transport controls.

Try this in order:

Open the Settings sub-view and press Reset player session
If playback is still stuck, press Reset audio driver
If the problem continues, fully close and reopen the app

If you repeatedly see unstable lock screen, Control Center, Bluetooth, or other iOS media-command behavior, enable Disable iOS media integration (restart required) in Settings and restart the app. In this mode, playback is controlled from within ARIA ONE only.

Feature Not Functioning

If a feature does not respond or behave as expected:

Restart the application
Sign out and sign back in
Try the feature again

If the issue persists, please contact Altitude Audio support.

19. Technical Specifications

Mac

CPU: Apple Silicon M1 and newer for Arm64 versions, or Intel Core i5 / i7 / i9 / Xeon W 2013 and newer

Memory: 8 GB RAM minimum (16 GB recommended), 16 GB free disk space

Operating System: macOS Ventura 13 or newer

Screen Resolution: Minimum 1280×1024

Plugin Formats: VST3, AUv3, Standalone

Windows

CPU: X64 compatible Intel or AMD CPU

Memory: 8 GB RAM minimum (16 GB recommended), 16 GB free disk space

Operating System: Windows 11

Screen Resolution: Minimum 1024×768 (1280×1024 recommended)

Plugin Formats: VST3, Standalone

Supported Sample Rates

44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz, 192 kHz

FullScale Hearing Test

FullScale Hearing Test — Home

FullScale Hearing Test — Active Test

Introduction & Overview

FullScale is a full-spectrum hearing test that measures up to 37 frequencies between 125 Hz and 20 kHz. It determines your hearing threshold at each frequency — the softest level at which a tone is just barely audible. Results are presented in dB SPL and Implied dB HL (Decibels Hearing Level), comparable to traditional audiogram values but derived differently for the extended frequency range.

Output

In-App Results — Audiogram scatter plot and threshold data table, available immediately after test completion on all platforms

The following are available on the FullScale mobile app (iOS / Android) only and are not included in the desktop ARIA ONE / FullScale standalone application:

Extended In-App Results — Additional visuals and tables (premium, mobile only)
PDF Report — 8-page analysis emailed to you (premium, mobile only)
CSV Data — Raw and cleaned threshold data in CSV format (premium, mobile only)

Platforms

FullScale runs on iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows. The desktop version runs as a standalone application or as a VST3/AUv3 plugin inside a DAW.

Getting results into ARIA ONE

Your hearing profile must reach ARIA ONE for threshold-based sound personalization. There are several paths:

Onboarding — When you take the hearing test during the ARIA ONE onboarding flow, your results are applied automatically. No extra steps required.
FullScale in LABS (Hearing Tab) — Take the test from the Hearing tab. After completion, press Export Test in the results view to write the profile to the shared library. Then use the Sync button in ARIA ONE's Hearing Correction panel to pull the profile in.
FullScale Standalone / Mobile — Take the test in the standalone desktop app or the iOS/Android app. After completion, press Export Test. In ARIA ONE, use the Sync button to retrieve the profile.
Sync button — If you have taken a test on any platform while signed in, open ARIA ONE's Hearing Correction panel and press Sync to pull available profiles from the server.

Limitations

The test uses your headphones' full volume range. Some frequencies naturally require higher playback levels to be audible — this is expected. For the widest frequency coverage, use calibrated devices that support extended high-frequency output. A "no response" at a given frequency may reflect the device's output limits rather than hearing ability.

Notice

The FullScale Hearing Test is not a diagnostic or treatment tool for any medical condition. It should not be relied upon for self-management of health issues. Consult a medical doctor or qualified health professional for any hearing-related questions. This application is intended for sound personalization and as a preparatory resource before consulting a healthcare provider.

How It Works

The home screen displays informational cards summarizing the test process. Key points:

Overview

The test plays tones at various frequencies and volume levels through your headphones. Press the HEARD button each time you hear a tone. The volume adjusts automatically to find the softest level you can detect at each frequency.

Test Controls

A toolbar at the top of the test screen provides play/pause, settings, audition, and save & exit controls (detailed in Section 7).

Audio Settings

Before starting, confirm your headphones are connected and the correct output device is selected in Audio Settings (top bar). The test pauses automatically when Audio Settings is opened.

Tips

Test in a quiet environment with minimal background noise.
Use headphones or earbuds — the test cannot run through speakers.
Set device volume to a maximum level before starting.
You can pause and resume at any time — progress saves automatically.

After Part One

After completing Part One (standard frequencies), you can continue with Part Two (extended psychoacoustic frequencies) or save and exit with your current results.

Export to ARIA Studio

From the results view, export your hearing profile to ARIA Studio for threshold-based sound personalization.

Path Selection

When starting a new test, the first screen presents two pathway options:

::: Path Selection Screen — Advanced View

Path Selection Screen — Simple View :::

Calibrated

Uses device-specific frequency response data to compensate for headphone characteristics.

Requires selecting your headphone/earbud model from the device list
Supports extended high-frequency testing with compatible devices
Setup takes a few extra minutes

Express

Uses generic defaults. No device selection required.

Works with any headphone or earbud
Less accurate without device-specific calibration
High-frequency results may be limited by uncalibrated output

Guidance

Use Calibrated when your headphones are in the device list.
Use Express when your device is not listed or you want to skip setup.

Note: In onboarding mode (launched from the LABS onboarding flow), the path is selected automatically based on your earlier onboarding choice.

Setup

The setup flow walks through several cards before testing begins. The Calibrated path shows all steps below; Express bypasses device selection.

5.1 Your Details

Collects basic information:

Field	Description
Name	Auto-populated from your account (read-only)
Email	Auto-populated from your account (read-only)
Age	Select from dropdown (18–99)
Gender	Select from dropdown (Prefer not to say, Male, Female, Non-binary, Other)

Press Create Test to register the test on the server (or locally in offline mode).

5.2 Volume Guidance

Two guidance cards:

Bluetooth Devices — Volume guidance specific to calibrated Bluetooth headphones.
Other Devices — General assumed-volume guidance for wired or uncalibrated devices.

Set your device volume according to the guidance before proceeding.

5.3 Device Selection

The unified device search combines two device sources:

Calibrated Devices

Dropdown of internally measured headphones and earbuds with known frequency response data. The list is OS-specific (iOS/Mac vs Android/Windows).

Community Database

Searchable table of headphones and earbuds with frequency response data from the AutoEq project. Type a model name to search.

Device Not Listed

If your device is not in either list, proceed without device-specific calibration.

1 kHz Volume (dB SPL)

For community database devices, enter the 1 kHz output volume of your headphones in dB SPL. Default: 112 dB. This calibrates test levels to your hardware.

Press Submit to confirm the device selection and apply calibration data.

5.4 Frequency Response

After device confirmation, a frequency response graph displays the response curve of your selected device. X-axis: frequency (125 Hz – 20 kHz). Y-axis: relative level.

5.5 Review & Submit

The final card displays a summary of all selections:

Name, email, age, gender
Selected device and source
Volume setting

Review and press Submit & Start Test to begin.

Taking the Test

::: Active Test Screen — Advanced View

Active Test Screen — Simple View :::

The test screen

Displays three readouts during testing:

Current Frequency — the frequency under test (e.g., "4000 Hz")
Ear Side — which ear is being tested ("Left" or "Right")
Volume Level — the current playback level in dB

The HEARD button

Large button at center/bottom of the screen. Press it each time you hear a tone. The test engine adjusts volume levels adaptively based on your responses to find your threshold at each frequency.

Test structure

Two parts:

Part One — Standard Frequencies Tests standard audiometric frequencies across both ears in four segments:

Right ear — first frequency group
Left ear — first frequency group
Right ear — second frequency group
Left ear — second frequency group

Part Two — Extended Psychoacoustic Frequencies Tests additional frequencies using psychoacoustic scales (Bark, ERB, extended lows). Optional and configurable after Part One completes (see Section 9).

Tone types

The test plays one of four stimulus types (configurable in Settings):

Pure — Steady single-frequency sine wave
Pulsed — Intermittent beeping pattern
Noise — Narrow-band noise centered on the test frequency
Noise Pulsed — Intermittent narrow-band noise

Test Controls

Five controls in the toolbar at the top of the test screen:

Settings

Opens a settings overlay on the left side. The test pauses automatically when opened.

Setting	Options	Description
Tone Type	Pure, Pulsed, Noise, Noise Pulsed	Stimulus type
Calibration	Standard, Enhanced	Calibration method
Speed	Multiple levels	Tone presentation speed
Display	Multiple modes	Visual feedback during testing

Restart / Skip Previous

Opens a restart dialog with up to three options:

Restart Current Frequency — Re-test the current frequency.
Go Back to Prior Frequency — Return to the previous frequency (unavailable at segment boundaries).
Restart from Checkpoint — Return to the last major checkpoint.

Play / Pause (Center)

Starts and stops tone playback.

Audition

Opens a manual audition panel on the right side. Allows you to:

Select a specific frequency
Choose ear (Left/Right)
Select tone type and calibration
Play at a target dB level

Useful for verifying responses or inspecting specific frequencies.

Save & Exit

Saves progress and returns to the home screen. Resume later from the My Hearing Tests list (Section 12).

Progress & Breakpoints

Breakpoint modals

At 25%, 50%, and 75% completion, a modal appears showing:

Current progress percentage
Two buttons: Resume (continue) and Save & Exit (save and return home)

Dismiss the modal by clicking outside it to continue testing.

Automatic saving

Progress saves continuously. If the application closes unexpectedly, resume from where you left off.

Part One Complete & Part Two

Part One complete screen

After Part One finishes, a screen presents:

Part Two customization options
Resume Test and Save & Exit buttons

Part Two options

Three checkboxes select which extended frequency scales to include:

Option	Description
Bark	Bark scale — models frequency resolution of human auditory perception
ERB	Equivalent Rectangular Bandwidth — models auditory filter bandwidths
Mids	Extended mid-frequency testing

Select one or more and press Resume Test, or press Save & Exit to conclude with Part One results only.

Part Two testing

Same format as Part One — tones play, press HEARD when you detect them. The additional frequencies extend your hearing profile across psychoacoustic scales.

Understanding Your Results

In-app results view

The Results View displays after test completion or when viewing a saved test.

Audiogram scatter plot

Plots hearing thresholds across frequency:

X-axis — Frequency (Hz/kHz)
Y-axis — Hearing Level (Implied dB HL)
Left Ear — Circles
Right Ear — Triangles
Reference Line — Normal hearing reference curve

Higher dB HL values mean sounds at those frequencies must be louder for you to hear them relative to the reference model.

dB HL table

Tabulated threshold values at each tested frequency: left ear, right ear, and reference values.

Hearing definitions

Accessible via the Hearing Definitions button:

Normal — Below 20 dB HL
Mild — 20–40 dB HL
Moderate — 40–70 dB HL
Severe — Above 70 dB HL

Reading the graph

Data points above the reference curve indicate reduced sensitivity at those frequencies. Deviations do not necessarily indicate hearing loss — individual hearing varies.

Exporting to ARIA Studio

What it does

Converts your hearing profile into ARIA-compatible files for threshold-based sound personalization.

How to export

Open the Results view for a completed test.
Press Export Test.
Preset files are written to the shared Altitude directory.

File locations

macOS: ~/Music/altitude/shared/lib/
Windows: C:\ProgramData\Altitude\shared\lib\

Requirements

Signed in
Test completed
ARIA Studio installed to use the exported profiles

Managing Tests

My Hearing Tests

The home screen lists all hearing tests (online and offline), sorted by creation date, newest first.

Each test card shows:

Title — Test name (editable)
Date — Creation date
Status — Completed or in progress

Actions

Resume — Available on incomplete tests. Restores calibration data, device settings, and progress, then navigates to the test view at the last position.
Open Results — Available on completed tests. Displays the results view with audiogram, table, and export options.
Rename — Edit the test name from the card. Allowed characters: letters, numbers, spaces, underscores, dashes (max 64 characters).
Delete — Removes the test permanently. Online tests are deleted from the server; offline tests from local storage.

Refreshing

The list refreshes automatically when returning to the home screen. It combines server tests with locally stored offline tests.

Offline / Anonymous Testing

Overview

Offline mode runs the full test without sending test data to the server.

Starting an offline test

Press Test Anonymously on the home screen. This enables offline mode and proceeds to the setup flow.

Behavior

Test data is saved as local files on your device.
All features work identically: setup, testing, breakpoints, Part Two.
Offline tests appear in the My Hearing Tests list alongside online tests.
Resume, rename, and delete work the same as online tests.

Limitations

Not synced to the server or other devices.
Extended PDF reports are not available (requires server processing).
Export Test to ARIA Studio is available when signed in.

Glossary

Term	Definition
dB HL	Decibels Hearing Level. Measures hearing relative to normal hearing, adjusted for the ear's frequency sensitivity.
Implied dB HL	Comparable to traditional dB HL but derived differently for frequencies outside standard audiometric norms.
dB SPL	Decibels Sound Pressure Level. Measures absolute sound pressure intensity.
Hearing Threshold	The softest level at which a sound is just barely audible.
Audiogram	Graph of hearing thresholds across frequencies (frequency on x-axis, hearing level on y-axis).
Frequency	Sound wave cycles per second, measured in Hertz (Hz). Higher values = higher pitch.
Bark Scale	Psychoacoustic scale modeling the frequency resolution of the human auditory system.
ERB	Equivalent Rectangular Bandwidth. Psychoacoustic measure of auditory filter bandwidth.
AutoEq	Open-source project providing frequency response measurements for headphones and earbuds.
Calibrated Device	Headphone or earbud with a known, measured frequency response used to improve test accuracy.
Speech Region	Frequency range important for speech comprehension, typically 500–8,000 Hz.
Full Spectrum	The audible frequency range tested: 125 Hz to 20,000 Hz.

Hearing Correction

Hearing Correction — EQ View

The EQ module provides personalized audio filtering based on your hearing test results. Using advanced FIR filter technology, it creates custom correction profiles that compensate for your unique hearing characteristics while offering powerful sound personalization tools for tailoring your listening experience.

EQ Panel Overview

EQ Panel Interface

The EQ panel is where you set up your sound personalization filters. The view has 3 sections:

Section A (Top): The topmost section plots your test results, hearing profile, and derived correction filters' responses, which show the detailed changes being made.

Section B (Middle): The middle section contains Multi-Band Editor(s) (MBE), which are used to make frequency specific adjustments to how your hearing profile is applied. Think of these like your EQ controls.

Section C (Bottom): The bottom panel contains global parameters relating to all aspects of the EQ module.

Section A — Hearing Profiles and Graphing

GRAPH DROPDOWN: Select the data graphed from the following options:
- TEST RESULTS: View your imported hearing test results alongside the reference curve.
- TARGET: View the smoothed target response curve, considering all current parameter settings.
- FILTER: View the response of the FIR filter as it is currently configured, demonstrating how the filter modifies audio output.
S/D (Single / Dual Profile): Toggle between Single and Dual/Blended hearing profile modes. Single mode uses only one hearing profile, while Dual mode allows for blending two profiles.
PROFILE 1 / PROFILE 2: Displays the hearing profile data for slot 1 or slot 2.
HEARING PROFILES: Open a file dialog to load specific hearing profiles, allowing you to switch between multiple profiles as needed.
Hearing Sub-Profile [full/part1/bark/erb/part2]: Choose from up to five psychoacoustic models to define your hearing profile based on a complete hearing test. Note that tests concluded early may offer limited model options.
BLEND: Adjust this setting to blend two hearing profiles into a single hybrid profile. This feature averages the characteristics of both profiles for a balanced output.
LR (Left/Right Toggle): This toggle allows you to select which data is displayed on the graph—either from the left ear, the right ear, or both.

Frequency Warping: Adjust the frequency scaling on graphical displays using the scroll wheel while hovering over the graph's bottom left corner. This adjustment is particularly useful for enhancing the visibility of specific frequency regions, whether low or high, facilitating a more detailed analysis.

Section B — Multi-Band Editors (MBE)

See the Multi-Band Editors section below for detailed operating instructions.

Section C — Control Panel Settings

See the EQ Controls section below for all parameter descriptions.

Hearing Profile System

Profile Management

The hearing profile browser enables you to manage and load your hearing test results. Add new hearing test results or choose from characteristic profiles provided. You can load these profiles into one of two slots, which can then be blended to create a hybrid profile tailored to your needs.

Profile Sources

The profile browser displays profiles from three sources:

FACTORY - Bundled characteristic profiles for various use cases
USER - Locally stored profiles (available in Local Only mode)
SERVER - Synced profiles from your online hearing tests via ARIA ONE

Note: All profiles from online hearing tests are automatically synced to the Server folder. Using an offline/anonymous hearing test places you in Local Only mode, where profiles are stored in the User folder and are not synced.

Profile Browser Features

Dual-column display - Load profiles into Slot 1 (primary) or Slot 2 (blend)
Search and filter - Find profiles by name
Source filter buttons - Toggle visibility of FACTORY / USER / SERVER profiles
RENAME and DELETE - Manage server profiles (requires login)
Cloud Sync awareness - USER profiles hidden when cloud sync is enabled

Profile Controls

EQ Enable

Turn the EQ module ON to enable personalized audio processing. When enabled, your loaded hearing profile(s) will be applied to shape the frequency response.

Profile Mode (Single / Dual)

Dual Profile Mode: By default, the system operates in DUAL profile mode, enabling blending of two distinct profiles loaded into Slots 1 and 2. Adjust the blend using the slider to find the perfect balance tailored to your auditory preferences.

Single Profile Mode: Activate SINGLE profile mode by selecting the "S" button. This mode utilizes only the profile loaded into Slot 1 and disables blending.

Blend Slider

When in Dual Profile mode, use the BLEND slider (0-100%) to mix between your two loaded profiles:

0% = 100% Profile 1
50% = Equal blend of both profiles
100% = 100% Profile 2

Sub-Profile Selection

When you complete the FullScale Hearing Test protocol, your results include multiple hearing profiles based on different psychoacoustic models:

FULL - Incorporates all frequencies tested, providing a highly granular view of your hearing across the spectrum
PART1 - Based on medical/traditional scales commonly used in clinical settings
BARK - Utilizes the Bark scale, structured around how the human auditory system perceives sound
ERB - Uses the Equivalent Rectangular Bandwidth scale, focusing on critical bandwidths in auditory perception
PART2 - Additional testing from FullScale Part 2, offering a differing approach to low frequency regions

Note: If the hearing test was concluded early, some sub-profiles might not be available.

EQ Controls

Control Panel Settings

CR UP (Correction Up): Increase the global correction in dB to elevate the overall correction level.
CR DOWN (Correction Down): Apply downward correction in dB for outliers below the reference curve.
MAX COR DB (Maximum Correction): Set the maximum correction limit in dB at any frequency.
MAX ST DB (Maximum Stereo Delta): Define the maximum allowable difference in dB between left and right ear hearing levels.
MONO: Adjust between stereo processing and mono processing in LR-Separate and LR-Combined modes.
MS BLEND / MS ANGLE: In Mid/Sides mode, these two knobs control stereo width. Enable them with the power button located between the knobs. MS BLEND increases width with values above 0.0 and increases focus with values below 0.0. MS ANGLE provides additional spatial control through alpha blending.
SMOOTH: Smooths the target filter response.
OUTLIERS: Removes the greatest outlier data point(s) from hearing profile derivation.

Stereo Processing Modes

Select from 3 operating modes to modify the sound and imaging:

MS (Mid/Sides Mode): Activate Mid/Sides processing mode, suitable for both speakers and headphones, enhancing the spatial quality of audio.
LR-C (Left + Right Combined Mode): Activate Combined Left-Right processing mode, ideal for open-air listening environments and compatible with headphone use as well.
LR-S (Left / Right Separate Mode): Switch to Separate Left & Right processing mode, designed for enhanced stereo imaging in headphone listening and speaker setups.

Multi-Band Editors (MBE)

The Multi-Band Editors allow for precise, frequency-specific adjustments across various parameters. Each editor enables unique modifications that can significantly alter the sound produced. Although these editors have diverse functions, they all share a consistent user interface with up to 6 bands.

Operating the Multi-Band Editors

Adjust Band Levels: Click, hold, and drag the band's horizontal edge vertically
Reposition Bands: Click, hold, and drag the vertical separator at the band's edge
Add a Band: Double-click at the desired frequency location
Remove a Band: Control + double-click (Mac) or Ctrl + double-click (Windows) on the band
Adjust Band Curvature: Scroll with mouse wheel while hovering over an intersection point
Frequency Warp: Scroll with mouse wheel while hovering over the lower left corner

MBE Selector

Select the active MBE from the dropdown menu. The available editors include:

REFERENCE: Adjust the global reference curve using this multi-band editor. You can raise or flatten the curve as needed for overall sound calibration.
PROFILE BLEND: Multi-band editor for blending dual hearing profiles. Customize how two profiles combine to create a unified auditory experience.
M/S MID: Dedicated to the middle signal content in Mid/Sides mode, this editor allows you to refine the middle correction profile without altering the global correction response.
M/S SIDE: Adjusts the sides signal content in Mid/Sides mode, fine-tuning the sides correction profile independently of the global correction.
LR-CORRECTION AMOUNT: For Combined Left-Right mode, this multi-band editor customizes the parameters for your combined LR correction profile.
L GAIN: Tailors the correction response curve specifically for the left ear in LR-Separate mode, either raising or flattening it as needed.
R GAIN: Similar to L-GAIN but for the right channel, allowing adjustments to the correction response curve for the right ear in LR-Separate mode.
CORRECTION AMOUNT: Global correction multi-band editor used to modify the overall correction response curve.

Filter Configuration

Filter Mode (STD / HQ)

Toggle between Standard and High-Quality FIR filter modes:

STD (Standard) - Linear phase FIR filter
HQ (High Quality) - Minimum phase FIR filter

Note: HQ mode provides tighter bass response and reduced pre-ringing.

FIR Filter Size

Select the FIR filter length for frequency resolution:

Size	Resolution	CPU Usage	Use Case
4096	Lower	Light	Quick preview
8192	Medium-Low	Light	General use
16384	Medium	Moderate	Recommended
32768	High	Higher	Detailed correction
65536	Very High	Highest	Maximum precision

Larger filter sizes provide finer frequency resolution but require more CPU resources.

Low Frequency Mode

Controls how the filter handles frequencies below the lowest test point:

CLAMP - Holds the lowest measured value flat to DC
RAW - Extrapolates the curve naturally
SHAPED - Applies a gentle roll-off shape

Filter Graph Panel

Graph Data Selector

Select which data to display on the frequency response graph:

TARGET - Shows the target correction curve derived from your hearing profile and current parameter settings
FILTER - Shows the actual FIR filter frequency response as currently computed

Channel Display

L Button - Toggle left channel visibility
R Button - Toggle right channel visibility

When both are enabled, you can compare left and right correction curves.

Frequency Warping

Adjust the frequency scaling on graphical displays using the scroll wheel while hovering over the graph's bottom left corner. This is useful for:

Expanding the low-frequency view for bass adjustments
Expanding the high-frequency view for treble adjustments

Blended & Sub-Hearing Profiles

Use the blended hearing profile functionality to mix two profiles into one, hybrid profile. Frequency specific averaging of profile sections may be completed with the multi-band editor, discussed in subsequent sections.

Single Hearing Profile Mode: By default, the system operates in SINGLE profile mode, utilizing only the profile loaded into slot 1. In this mode, the blending of hearing profiles is disabled, focusing on the adjustments from a single source.

Dual Hearing Profile Mode: Activate DUAL hearing profile mode by selecting the "D" button. This mode enables the blending of two distinct profiles loaded into slots 1 and 2. Adjust the blend using the 'blend hearing profiles' parameter to find the perfect balance tailored to your auditory preferences.

Use Cases for Blended Hearing Profiles

Blending hearing profiles allows you to combine favored characteristics of multiple profiles to achieve greater sonic performance. One common use is to blend sub-hearing profiles from a single test together, which is another form of smoothing. Another is blending your own hearing profile with a characteristic (factory) hearing profile to achieve different tonality.

Hearing Sub-Profiles

When you complete the FullScale Hearing Test protocol, your results include multiple hearing profiles. These profiles reflect different psychoacoustic models and can be accessed and managed within the application.

Accessing Sub-Profiles

To view and select from available hearing sub-profiles, navigate to the sub-profile menu. Here, you can choose from up to five (5) different options, provided your hearing test was completed in full. Note that if the test was concluded early, some sub-profiles might not be available, as the completion of the entire test battery is necessary to generate each distinct sub-profile.

Within the sub-profile menu, you can also switch the psychoacoustic model used to derive each hearing profile. A sub-profile may be selected for both hearing profiles when in dual hearing profile mode.

Sub-profile Psychoacoustic Models

Hearing is a complex phenomenon, and its understanding varies based on different psychoacoustic models derived from scientific research. The system leverages this diversity by allowing you to select from multiple psychoacoustic models through sub-profiles based on your comprehensive hearing test results. This feature ensures that the correction can be finely tuned to reflect the nuances of how you perceive sound.

Selecting Sub-profiles

Each sub-profile represents a different model of hearing:

Full: Incorporates all frequencies tested, providing a highly granular view of your hearing across the spectrum.
Part 1: Based on medical/traditional scales commonly used in clinical settings.
Bark: Utilizes the Bark scale, which is structured around how the human auditory system perceives sound.
ERB: Uses the Equivalent Rectangular Bandwidth (ERB) scale, focusing on critical bandwidths in auditory perception.
Part 2: Represents additional testing from the FullScale Hearing Test Part 2, offering a differing approach to low frequency regions.

Crossfeed

1. Overview

Crossfeed is a headphone-listening processor that blends a controlled amount of left and right channel information. It introduces filtered inter-channel bleed, then lets you adjust center focus, stereo width, high-frequency compensation, regulation, and internal processing quality.

The CROSSFEED panel is centered on a dedicated DSP control layout:

Two gain controls at the top
A left-side control column for mode and quality settings
Three rows of DSP knobs for blend, tone, image, and regulation

2. Accessing Crossfeed

There are two relevant actions in ARIA ONE:

Crossfeed Enable toggles whether the Crossfeed DSP runs at all.
CROSSFEED panel opens the dedicated editing panel where you adjust the module.

On the Player / Home DSP view, the brain icon in the lower-right corner reflects the current Crossfeed on/off state.

In the advanced DSP layout, open the CROSSFEED panel when you want direct control over the module parameters and presets.

3. INSERT / Signal Chain Placement

The INSERT parameter controls where Crossfeed runs in the DSP chain.

Crossfeed can run at two different points:

Post All DSP: Crossfeed runs after the main processing chain, including the limiter and safety stage.
Pre Limiter: Crossfeed runs before the limiter stages, so any level or image changes introduced by Crossfeed are then caught and shaped by the limiter.

In the current factory Crossfeed presets, INSERT is set to Pre Limiter.

Practical guidance:

Use Post All DSP when you want Crossfeed to behave like a final spatial adjustment.
Use Pre Limiter when you want the limiter to react to the post-crossfeed stereo blend and level changes.

This parameter changes where the Crossfeed DSP is executed in the audio path.

4. Processing Model

At a high level, Crossfeed works like this:

Input trim feeds the Crossfeed engine.
A filtered crossfeed network blends channel information.
High-frequency compensation and image shaping refine the result.
Wet/Dry mixes processed and original stereo.
Optional internal regulation stabilizes level.
Output gain trims the final result.

The processor also exposes:

A selectable coefficient-design variant (Approach)
Optional manual high-frequency filter override (Filter Enable + High Shelf)
A selectable coefficient-warping mode (Legacy Warping)
Selectable internal processing-rate families (OS)
Selectable SRC filter bandwidth presets (FILTER)

5. CROSSFEED Panel Layout

Top Row

The top row contains:

Input
Output

These are the entry and exit trims for the Crossfeed module.

Left Control Column

The left column contains the mode and quality controls:

Regulate
Approach
Filter Enable
Legacy Warping
Insertion Point
OS dropdown
FILTER dropdown

Knob Rows

The right side of the panel is organized into three rows:

Row 1: Feedback, Wet/Dry, Boost
Row 2: Cutoff, Focus, Width, High Shelf
Row 3: Peak Smoother, RMS Smoother, Release

Some controls only become active when their related mode is enabled:

High Shelf becomes active when Filter Enable is on.
Peak Smoother, RMS Smoother, and Release become active when Regulate is on.

6. Control Reference

6.1 Input / Output

Input

Input trim into the Crossfeed engine.

Range: -20 dB to +20 dB
Use it to prevent clipping or compensate for quiet sources

Output

Output gain after Crossfeed processing.

Range: -20 dB to +20 dB
Use it to match processed level against bypass or compensate for level changes when Regulate is off

6.2 Core Crossfeed Controls

Feedback

Controls the amount of cross-channel bleeding.

Range: 6 dB to 20 dB
Lower values are subtler
Higher values create a more blended stereo image

Wet/Dry

Blend between original stereo and processed Crossfeed signal.

Range: 0% to 100%
Lower values preserve more of the original stereo image
Higher values increase the Crossfeed effect
Use it when you want parallel blend between processed and unprocessed signal

Cutoff

Low-pass corner frequency for the crossfed signal path.

Range: 20 Hz to 8000 Hz
Lower values create more mono bass
Higher values affect more of the spectrum

Boost

High-frequency compensation applied in the Crossfeed path.

Range: 1 dB to 10 dB
Counteracts high-frequency attenuation in the crossfeed path

High Shelf

Sets the frequency above which high-frequency compensation is applied.

Range: 20 Hz to 8000 Hz
This control is only active when Filter Enable is on
Helps maintain stereo width in higher frequencies

6.3 Stereo Image Controls

Focus

Mid emphasis after Crossfeed mixing.

Range: 0 dB to 6 dB
Higher values pull the image toward the center
Lower values preserve a softer phantom center

Width

Stereo width scaling after Crossfeed processing.

Range: 0 dB to 6 dB
Lower values narrow the image
Higher values reopen width after channel blending

6.4 Mode and Design Controls

Regulate

Enables adaptive gain regulation inside the Crossfeed processor.

Helps stabilize level after changes in crossfeed amount, SRC settings, and filter design
When enabled, it activates the bottom-row regulation controls

Approach

Selects the Crossfeed coefficient-design variant.

Treat this as two design paths for the Crossfeed filter
Use it when you want to compare the default behavior against the alternate design path

Filter Enable

Enables the manual high-frequency filter override used by the Crossfeed coefficient design.

Off: the processor uses its automatic high-frequency behavior
On: High Shelf becomes active for manual top-end shaping

Legacy Warping

Switches between the corrected warping mode and the legacy-warped coefficient behavior.

Off: uses the corrected warping behavior
On: uses the legacy reference behavior
Use Off as the standard mode
Use On when you want the legacy reference behavior

Insertion Point

Chooses where Crossfeed is inserted in the signal chain.

Post All DSP: Crossfeed runs after the main processing chain
Pre Limiter: Crossfeed runs before the limiter stages

This control is the INSERT parameter for the current Crossfeed iteration.

6.5 Regulation Controls

These controls are only active when Regulate is enabled.

Peak Smoother

Smoothing applied to the peak detector.

Range: 0.001 to 1.0
Higher values reduce rapid gain swings

RMS Smoother

Smoothing applied to the RMS detector.

Range: 0.001 to 1.0
Higher values create steadier loudness tracking

Release

Release time for the internal limiter / regulation stage.

Range: 0.0 to 1.0
Shorter values recover faster
Longer values sound smoother but react more slowly

6.6 Internal Processing Quality

OS

Selects the internal oversampled processing-rate family used inside Crossfeed.

Current choices:

OS: 176/192
OS: 352/384
OS: 705/768

Higher settings raise the internal processing rate used by the Crossfeed DSP.

Use this control when you want to change the internal oversampled processing-rate family. Higher settings increase processing cost.

FILTER

Selects the sample-rate conversion filter bandwidth / quality preset used by the Crossfeed processing path.

Current choices:

FILTER: STD
FILTER: WIDE
FILTER: WIDE+

Practical guidance:

STD is the baseline response
WIDE and WIDE+ use wider passbands and higher-cost FIR designs

Together, OS and FILTER define the internal oversampling and SRC behavior of the Crossfeed processing path.

7. Parameter Interaction Notes

Cutoff and Feedback

These are the two main Crossfeed controls.

Lower Cutoff with moderate-to-higher Feedback gives a darker blend
Higher Cutoff with the same Feedback sounds more obvious and reaches further into upper mids

Wet/Dry and Width

These determine how much of the effect you hear and how much width you reintroduce afterward.

If Crossfeed feels too narrow, reduce Wet/Dry first or increase Width
If the image still feels too hard-panned, raise Wet/Dry before adding more Feedback

Filter Enable, High Shelf, and Boost

These controls shape the top end of the crossed signal.

Use Boost for broad compensation
Enable Filter Enable when you want direct manual control with High Shelf

Regulate

Regulation is most useful when:

You are comparing multiple Crossfeed settings and want steadier output level
You are using higher processing-rate or filter settings
You are moving between presets with noticeably different loudness

Leave it off when you want the most direct Crossfeed behavior and prefer to manage level manually with Input and Output.

INSERT, OS, FILTER, and Legacy Warping

These are the main system-level controls in the Crossfeed processor.

Use INSERT when you want to decide whether Crossfeed happens before or after limiting
Use OS when you want to change the internal oversampled processing-rate family
Use FILTER when you want to change the SRC filter bandwidth / quality preset
Use Legacy Warping when you want to switch between corrected and legacy coefficient behavior

8. Presets

Crossfeed has its own dedicated preset category in the shared LABS preset library.

Factory Crossfeed presets currently include:

Natural
Moyish
Default-Old

These appear in the preset system under the Crossfeed product/category and are separate from limiter, EQ, and meta presets.

Use presets as starting points, then fine-tune:

Natural for a balanced starting point
Moyish for a stronger Crossfeed reference
Default-Old as an additional factory starting point

9. Suggested Workflow

Quick Start

Enable Crossfeed.
Start with the Natural preset.
Adjust Cutoff and Feedback first.
Use Wet/Dry to decide how present the effect should be.
Use Focus and Width to restore the image balance you want.
Add Boost or enable Filter Enable if the result needs top-end compensation.
Turn on Regulate only if you want internal level stabilization.

Common Adjustment Patterns

If the mix feels too hard-panned: raise Wet/Dry, then adjust Feedback
If the result feels too dark: raise Boost, or enable Filter Enable and adjust High Shelf
If the image collapses too much: lower Wet/Dry or raise Width
If the center feels too vague: raise Focus
If Crossfeed changes how the limiter behaves: try switching Insertion Point

Limiter

Limiter View

Architecture Overview

Modular Research Platform

Absolute Zero is a modular limiter designed for research and real‑world production. It supports a large matrix of configurations and can achieve deep gain reduction (down to roughly −2 to −3 dB RMS) while preserving clarity and musicality.

Core Architecture

Dual‑Sidechain Processing

Two independent sidechains analyze the signal in parallel:

Sidechain 1 (Primary)
Computes the main gain reduction based on the input signal.
Sidechain 2 (Secondary)
Analyzes how the signal would look after Pass 1 (the “limited” view) and computes a second gain reduction.

Both gain reductions are then combined and applied to the original signal in a single stage. You get the analytical benefits of cascaded limiting—without the cumulative artifacts and phase shifts of literally chaining two hard processors.

Sidechain Technologies

ARIA PASS1
Advanced envelope detection with configurable max filtering; transparent, musical response; strong stereo image retention.
SIMPLE
Clean, efficient, and CPU‑light; configurable knee; ideal for transparent peak control.
STANDARD
Feature‑rich with auto‑envelope detection, crest‑factor awareness, and smoothing; balanced between transparency and control.
ENHANCED
Maximum configurability; advanced max filtering with running averages, holds, and long windows; built for extreme scenarios.

Multiband Mode

Frequency‑dependent limiting with:

Four bands and independent thresholds.
Configurable crossover reconstruction methods.
Tone balance controls.
Multiple reconstruction strategies to suit program material.

Adaptive Gain Systems

Input Adaptive Gain
Pre‑conditioning that optimizes the drive into the limiter.
Output Adaptive Gain
Post‑processing that stabilizes level without flattening dynamics.

Safety & Monitoring

Safety Limiter
Independent brick‑wall protection that prevents output from exceeding 0 dBFS.
Real‑Time Monitoring
Comprehensive meters and visualizations to validate behavior quickly.

Processing Flow

Input stage (conditioning)
Input Adaptive Gain
Limiter Pass 1 (single or multiband)
Limiter Pass 2 (optional secondary wideband)
Soft Safety (configurable)
Output Adaptive Gain
Hard Safety (final brick‑wall at 0 dBFS)

Peak Detection Modes

Instant
Zero‑latency peak detection for the snappiest response.
Windowed (Lookahead)
Smoother, predictive behavior for more transparent control.

User Interface Layout

Plugin Overview

Absolute Zero is organized into modular panels so you can work quickly at the surface, then dive deeper when needed.

Main Interface Overview - Shows the complete Absolute Zero interface with all panels visible and labeled

Use the left‑side Navigation Panel to open or hide the main areas:

GRAPHS — Visualization and metering tools
LIMITER — Primary control surface
MULTI — Multiband curve editing
DATA — Performance monitoring
INPUT — Input adaptive gain with power toggle
TEST — Limiting verification tools
HELP — Context help strip (shows hints for the control under your mouse)
METER — Integrated input/output meters and DRIVE/GR with sliders

Navigation Panel - Vertical button layout showing INPUT, LIMITER, MULTI, TEST, METER, HELP, DATA, and GRAPH buttons

Bottom Bar

The bottom status bar provides quick access to session-wide controls and status:

Language — Select the UI language. Changes apply instantly and persist with the session.
Account — Open the Authorization/Account overlay to sign up, log in, or renew the beta license.
Tooltips (TOOLTIP toggle) — Enable or disable popup tooltips near the mouse.
- Backed by parameter tooltip_enabled (default: ON)
- Disabling popup tips does not affect the HELP panel (see below).
Status — License status indicator (Licensed / Unlicensed).

Absolute Zero provides two complementary ways to view control hints:

Popup Tooltips — Small popups near the cursor appear after a short delay when TOOLTIP is enabled in the Bottom Bar.
HELP Panel — A persistent help strip at the bottom of the interface that mirrors the hint for the control under your mouse.

Notes

Popups are controlled by TOOLTIP (parameter: tooltip_enabled).
The HELP panel works independently of TOOLTIP and can remain visible even when popups are disabled.
Tips are localized. Changing the language in the Bottom Bar updates both popup tips and the HELP panel immediately.

Workflow suggestion

Keep TOOLTIP ON while learning. Disable popups later and rely on the HELP panel for an uncluttered workflow.

Main Interface Panels

GRAPHS

Standalone visualization windows for in‑depth analysis:

Vectorscope
Polar Sample
Polar Level
Five FFT windows
Metering
Waveform
Loudness

GRAPHS Panel - Button interface for opening standalone visualization windows

LIMITER

Where you spend most of your time. Exposes the technical parameters that shape how the sidechain is built and responds.

Dual‑pass configuration (Pass 1 & Pass 2)
Algorithm selection (ARIA, SIMPLE, STANDARD, ENHANCED)
Timing controls (attack, release, lookahead)
Channel link and bypass
Soft Safety and Hard Safety controls
Multiband mode for Pass 1 (tone balance, reconstruction power, frequency‑dependent controls)

Note: Drive is part of the metering workflow rather than this panel.

LIMITER Panel - Comprehensive technical controls showing sidechain construction parameters

MULTI

Curve editing for mapping threshold vs. drive when raw math doesn’t give the musical result you want.

MULTI Panel - Simple curve editor for threshold-to-drive mapping

DATA

Real‑time performance metrics.

CPU usage
Buffer performance
(Future) Optimization helpers

DATA Panel - Performance metrics showing CPU usage and buffer statistics

INPUT

Input adaptive gain with power toggle:

Automatic level detection
Intelligent gain staging
"Perfect drive" estimation
Content‑aware analysis

INPUT Panel - Input adaptive gain controls

TEST

Diagnostic tools to validate limiting and inspect envelopes:

Limiting effectiveness
Envelope behavior
Signal verification
Performance benchmarks

TEST Panel - Testing interface showing limiting verification tools and envelope analysis

HELP

Context‑sensitive documentation strip.

Shows a concise description of the control currently under your mouse.
Lives at the bottom of the interface (above the status bar).
Toggle with the left‑side HELP navigation button.
Localized: text changes with the Bottom Bar language selector.
Works independently of the TOOLTIP toggle (the HELP panel can show hints even if pop‑up tooltips are disabled).

When you want fewer pop‑ups on screen, turn off TOOLTIP in the Bottom Bar and leave HELP enabled for continuous guidance.

METER

Integrated metering column with input/output controls and drive/gr display.

Three sections: INPUT, OUTPUT, and DRIVE (gain reduction).
Each section includes responsive meters (peak and RMS) and a dedicated slider:
- INPUT — Pre‑limiting trim.
- OUTPUT — Post‑limiting level.
- DRIVE — Controls overall compression intensity; GR meters fill top‑down for easy reading.
Uses internal visualization for smooth ballistics and accurate readouts.
Toggle with the left‑side METER navigation button.
Layout toggle: Click the up/down arrow in the DRIVE section to switch between vertical column layout and horizontal row layout.

Interface Workflow

Quick Operation — Start in the LIMITER panel.
Deeper Control — Use MULTI when you need frequency‑dependent mapping.
Monitor — Open GRAPHS and DATA to verify performance and behavior.
Optimize — INPUT features assist with drive staging.
Verify — TEST helps confirm limiting quality before print.

Panel Controls and Parameters

The Navigation Panel lets you build a clean workspace by showing only the panels you need. Each button toggles a panel on/off, remembers its state, and highlights when active.

Navigation Panel - Vertical layout showing INPUT, LIMITER, MULTI, TEST, METER, HELP, DATA, and GRAPH toggle buttons

Buttons

GRAPH — Toggle standalone visualizers (Vectorscope, FFT, Polar, etc.)
LIMITER — Toggle the primary control surface
MULTI — Toggle the curve editor
DATA — Toggle performance metrics
INPUT — Toggle input adaptive gain (power toggle enables/disables)
TEST — Toggle verification tools
HELP — Toggle the help strip at the bottom of the window
METER — Toggle the integrated meters and I/O/DRIVE sliders (right column)

Tips

Start simple — Work in LIMITER first.
Add as needed — Enable MULTI, DATA, and TEST for specialized tasks.
Performance — Hiding unused panels keeps the UI snappy.

LIMITER Panel — Modular Signal Processing Architecture

The LIMITER panel is a modular surface that scales from simple to advanced. Enable only what you need, and the panel lays itself out intelligently—columns appear, scroll, and resize so you always have a clear view of your chain.

Dynamic columns
Columns arrange themselves as you enable modules. The panel scrolls horizontally when needed and adapts from compact to full width.
Navigation controls
Six toggle buttons control column visibility. Each limiter slot has its own Algorithm dropdown.
State persistence
Your column states and configurations are saved with presets.

Workflow patterns

Minimal (2 columns)
Limiter Slot 1 + Output/Tone.
Ideal for quick limiting, low CPU, clean workflows.
Standard (3 columns)
Global + Limiter Slot 1 + Output/Tone.
Ideal for mastering and enhanced peak behavior.
Advanced (4–5 columns)
Global + Limiter Slot 1 + Output/Tone + Limiter Slot 2 + Safety.
Ideal for complex material, broadcast, demanding masters.
Maximum (6 columns)
Everything enabled with Auto Output for intelligent chains.
Ideal for automated, template‑driven sessions.

Like assembling a studio rack, you can build exactly the chain your material needs—from transparent single‑pass limiting to sophisticated dual‑stage dynamics with intelligent protection.

Column Parameters Reference

GLOBAL Column (Column 0)

The GLOBAL column sets system‑wide behavior—threshold reference, channel linking, and peak detection strategy. These choices shape how every downstream stage behaves.

Threshold
Master reference level for the entire system.
Ch Link (Channel Link)
How much left/right influence each other during gain reduction.
Peak Detect
Choose the detection style:
- INSTANT — Fast, low‑latency, great default.
- WINDOW — Windowed analysis for smoother, more predictive response.
  Enables extra controls when selected:
- Buffer Length — Size of the detection window (larger = smoother, higher latency).
- Hold Samples — Hold time to stabilize detection and avoid flutter.
Buffer Defense
Additional buffer‑safety logic for stability on stressed systems.
Animation
UI animation processing; disable to save a little CPU during heavy sessions.

Global settings apply to both limiter slots and establish the system’s overall character.

LIMITER SLOT 1 Column (Column 1)

The first limiting stage. Choose the algorithm that fits the material; the column adapts to show only the relevant controls.

Algorithm (Dropdown)
ARIA PASS1, SIMPLE, STANDARD, or ENHANCED.

ARIA PASS1

Original ARIA behavior with refined peak analysis and envelope filtering.

Attack / Release — Response timing.
Lookahead — Predictive smoothing.
LOW PASS (toggle) — Enables envelope low‑pass filtering with:
- Cutoff — Filter cutoff frequency.
- Slope — Roll‑off steepness (e.g., 6–48 dB/oct).

SIMPLE

Straightforward, efficient limiting with musical knee.

Attack / Release — Response timing.
Knee — Softer/harder onset around threshold.
Lookahead — Transparent peak anticipation.

STANDARD

Feature‑rich with content‑adaptive timing.

Lookahead / Attack / Release — Core timing.
Smooth — Overall GR smoothing.
Auto Atk / Auto Rel (toggles) — Content‑aware timing.
Auto Trans — Transition time for auto logic.
Auto Env Mode — Where the auto analysis happens:
- AUTO PRE — Before limiting.
- AUTO POST — After limiting.

ENHANCED

Maximum control with running averages and deep analysis windows.

Lookahead / Attack / Release — Core timing.
Avg Size — Running average window (larger = steadier).
Avg Weight — Emphasize recent vs historical samples.
Max Length — Depth of max‑filter analysis.
Max Hold — Hold time for detected maxima (reduces flutter).

Slot 1 shapes the program’s character first; your choice here colors every stage that follows.

L1 MULTIBAND Column (Column 2)

Frequency‑dependent control for Slot 1’s output—tone shaping, band behavior, and reconstruction.

Tone Balance — Overall tonal tilt/weighting.
Freq Response — Contour of the resulting spectrum.
K Power — Reconstruction power factor.
Intensity — Global processing intensity.
Freq Attack / Freq Release — Timing scales across bands.
METHOD — Reconstruction strategy:
Minimum, Weighted, RMS, Peak‑Aware, Energy Conservation.
Weighted is a solid default; Energy Conservation for added punch.
TONE (toggle) — Enable multiband/tone processing.
SOFT OUT (toggle) — Gentler output behavior.
Safety (toggle) — Extra protection against overs and artifacts.

Usage notes:

Use for complex material that needs frequency‑aware behavior.
Correct tonal shifts introduced by limiting.
Prepare the signal cleanly if you plan to enable Slot 2.

LIMITER SLOT 2 Column (Column 3)

A second limiting stage for the most demanding material. It operates after L1 MULTIBAND and uses the same algorithm family as Slot 1.

Algorithm (Dropdown)
ARIA PASS1, SIMPLE, STANDARD, or ENHANCED.
PASS 2 (toggle)
Master enable for the second stage.

ARIA PASS1 (Slot 2)

Attack / Release / Lookahead — Secondary timing.
LOW PASS (toggle) with Cutoff and Slope — Same envelope filtering approach as Slot 1.
PASS 2 (toggle) — Stage on/off.

SIMPLE (Slot 2)

Attack / Release / Knee / Lookahead — As in Slot 1.
Threshold — Independent threshold just for Slot 2.
PASS 2 (toggle) — Stage on/off.

STANDARD (Slot 2)

Lookahead / Attack / Release / Smooth / Auto Trans — As in Slot 1.
Auto Atk / Auto Rel (toggles) — Content‑aware timing.
Auto Env Mode — AUTO PRE vs AUTO POST for the second stage.
PASS 2 (toggle) — Stage on/off.

ENHANCED (Slot 2)

Lookahead / Attack / Release — Core timing.
Avg Size / Avg Weight / Max Length / Max Hold — Same advanced analysis controls, tuned for the second stage.
PASS 2 (toggle) — Stage on/off.

Column Type System

Absolute Zero’s LIMITER panel is built from fixed and optional columns. Keep the essentials visible, and add optional stages as your material demands.

Fixed Columns

Column 1 — LIMITER SLOT 1
Always present. Core limiting stage with selectable algorithm type.
Column 2 — L1 MULTIBAND
Always visible. Essential tone and frequency‑dependent controls for Slot 1’s output.

Optional Columns

Column 0 — GLOBAL
System setup and peak detection strategy. Enable for enhanced control and stability.
Column 3 — LIMITER SLOT 2
Secondary limiting stage. Enable for complex or demanding program material.
Column 4 — AUTO OUTPUT
Intelligent output management and level matching. Enable for automated workflows.
Column 5 — SAFETY
Final brick‑wall protection. Enable for critical prints and absolute peak control.

Algorithm Selection Matrix

Each limiter slot supports four algorithms, tuned for different use cases.

ARIA PASS1 — Transparent Peak Control

Characteristics: Ultra‑transparent, minimal coloration, strong stereo image retention.
Core controls: Attack, Release, Lookahead, Low‑pass (Cutoff, Slope).
Best for: Mastering, clean program material, invisible control.

SIMPLE — Musical Dynamics Control

Characteristics: Soft‑knee, efficient, musical response.
Core controls: Attack, Release, Knee, Lookahead (Slot 1); Threshold (added in Slot 2).
Best for: Mix bus work, gentle shaping, vintage‑style limiting.

STANDARD — Advanced Envelope Control

Characteristics: Program‑adaptive behavior with auto envelope detection.
Core controls: Attack, Release, Lookahead, Smooth, Auto Atk/Rel, Auto Trans, Auto Env Mode (PRE/POST).
Best for: Complex material, broadcast applications, adaptive processing.

ENHANCED — Maximum Flexibility

Characteristics: Running‑average analysis with extended max filtering.
Core controls: Attack, Release, Lookahead, Avg Size, Avg Weight, Max Length, Max Hold.
Best for: Demanding masters, surgical control, creative effects.

Interface Modularity

Dynamic Column Management

Automatic Layout: Columns arrange dynamically based on enabled modules
Intelligent Scrolling: Interface scrolls horizontally to reveal newly enabled columns
Adaptive Width: Panel width adjusts from 280px (minimal) to 630px (full configuration)

Column Toggles: Six navigation buttons control column visibility
Algorithm Dropdowns: Independent algorithm selection for each limiter slot
State Persistence: All column states and configurations save with presets

Workflow Optimization

Quick Access: Common configurations require minimal column management
Progressive Complexity: Advanced features appear only when needed
Visual Feedback: Color-coded columns and clear signal flow indicators

Practical Applications

Minimal Setup (2 Columns)

Limiter Slot 1 + Output/Tone
Perfect for: Simple limiting tasks, CPU efficiency, clean workflows

Standard Setup (3 Columns)

Global + Limiter Slot 1 + Output/Tone
Perfect for: Professional mastering, enhanced peak detection

Advanced Setup (4-5 Columns)

Global + Limiter Slot 1 + Output/Tone + Limiter Slot 2 + Safety
Perfect for: Complex program material, broadcast compliance, demanding mastering

Maximum Setup (6 Columns)

All columns enabled with Auto Output for intelligent workflows
Perfect for: Automated mastering chains, template-based processing

The LIMITER panel's modular architecture provides unprecedented flexibility while maintaining intuitive operation. Like connecting hardware modules in a professional studio rack, you can craft the exact processing chain your material demands, from simple transparent limiting to complex multi-stage dynamics control with intelligent automation.

Column Parameters Reference

GLOBAL Column (Column 0)

The GLOBAL column sets the tone for the entire system: it defines your threshold reference, how channels interact, and how peaks are detected. Set it once to match your session style, and every downstream stage follows suit.

Threshold
Master reference level for limiting across the system.
Ch Link (Channel Link)
How much left and right channels influence each other during gain reduction.
Peak Detect
Choose the core detection style:
- INSTANT — Fast, low‑latency, a solid default for most material.
- WINDOW — Windowed analysis for smoother, predictive behavior.
  When WINDOW is selected, two supporting controls appear:
- Buffer Length — Size of the analysis window (larger = smoother, higher latency).
- Hold Samples — Short hold to stabilize detection and avoid flutter.
Buffer Defense
Additional buffer‑safety logic for extra stability on stressed systems.
Animation
UI animation processing. Turn it off to reclaim a bit of CPU during heavy sessions.

Tip:

Use INSTANT when tracking or for percussive, low‑latency work. Switch to WINDOW when you want smoother behavior and can afford a little more lookahead/latency.

LIMITER SLOT 1 Column (Column 1)

The first limiting stage. Select the algorithm that fits the material, and the column adapts to show only the relevant controls.

Algorithm (Dropdown)
ARIA PASS1, SIMPLE, STANDARD, or ENHANCED.

ARIA PASS1

Original ARIA behavior with refined peak analysis and optional envelope filtering.

Attack / Release — Response timing.
Lookahead — Predictive smoothing for cleaner peak handling.
LOW PASS (toggle) — Adds envelope low‑pass filtering with:
- Cutoff — Filter frequency.
- Slope — Roll‑off steepness (e.g., 6–48 dB/oct).

Best for:

Clean, transparent control with minimal coloration.

SIMPLE

Straightforward, efficient, and musical—great when you want results fast.

Attack / Release — Core timing.
Knee — Softer/harder onset around threshold for musical shaping.
Lookahead — Transparent peak anticipation.

Best for:

Mix bus work, gentle shaping, and low‑CPU sessions.

STANDARD

Feature‑rich with content‑adaptive timing.

Lookahead / Attack / Release — Core timing.
Smooth — Global GR smoothing (higher for less chatter).
Auto Atk / Auto Rel (toggles) — Content‑aware timing.
Auto Trans — Transition time for auto logic.
Auto Env Mode — Where the auto analysis happens:
- AUTO PRE — Before limiting (default).
- AUTO POST — After limiting.

Best for:

Complex program material and broadcast‑style consistency.

ENHANCED

Maximum control and stability via running averages and deeper analysis windows.

Lookahead / Attack / Release — Core timing.
Avg Size — Running average window (larger = steadier).
Avg Weight — Emphasize recent vs historical samples.
Max Length — Depth of the max‑filter analysis.
Max Hold — Hold time for detected maxima (reduces flutter).

Best for:

Demanding masters and surgical, highly controlled results.

Note:

Slot 1 sets the character for everything that follows—choose the algorithm here with intention.

L1 MULTIBAND Column (Column 2)

Frequency‑dependent control for Slot 1’s output—tone shaping, band behavior, and reconstruction. Use it to correct tonal shifts, shape the spectrum, and prepare a clean signal for dual‑stage workflows.

Tone Balance
Overall tonal tilt/weighting across the spectrum.
Freq Response
Fine contouring of spectral balance.
K Power
Power factor for reconstruction (energy distribution).
Intensity
Global processing intensity.
Freq Attack / Freq Release
Attack/release scaling across frequencies—how quickly bands respond and recover.
METHOD
Reconstruction strategy tuned to program material:
Minimum, Weighted, RMS, Peak‑Aware, Energy Conservation.
Weighted is a strong default; Energy Conservation tends to feel punchier.
TONE (toggle)
Enables multiband/tone processing.
SOFT OUT (toggle)
Gentler output behavior and smoother transitions.
Safety (toggle)
Extra protection against overs or reconstruction artifacts.

Usage notes:

Reach for L1 MULTIBAND when the program calls for frequency‑aware control—e.g., taming sibilance while preserving low‑end power.
If you plan to add Slot 2, use this stage to hand off a balanced, well‑behaved signal.
Start with METHOD = Weighted, then explore Peak‑Aware or Energy Conservation if you want different energy profiles.

LIMITER SLOT 2 Column (Column 3)

A second limiting stage for demanding material. Slot 2 runs after L1 MULTIBAND, analyzing the already‑shaped signal and applying additional control where needed. Use it when a single pass doesn’t fully tame transients or when you want a distinct second character.

Algorithm (Dropdown)
ARIA PASS1, SIMPLE, STANDARD, or ENHANCED (same family as Slot 1).
PASS 2 (toggle)
Master enable for the entire second stage.

Notes:

Keep PASS 2 off until you’ve balanced tone and dynamics with Slot 1 + L1 MULTIBAND.
Enable PASS 2 when you need extra headroom control, stricter compliance, or a contrasting envelope character.

ARIA PASS1 (Slot 2)

Clean, refined control with optional envelope filtering—mirrors Slot 1’s ARIA approach, but voiced for post‑multiband material.

Attack / Release — Secondary response timing.
Lookahead — Predictive smoothing for cleaner peak handling.
LOW PASS (toggle) — Adds envelope low‑pass filtering with:
- Cutoff — Filter frequency.
- Slope — Roll‑off steepness (e.g., 6–48 dB/oct).
PASS 2 (toggle) — Stage on/off.

Best for:

Polishing “nearly there” results without adding weight or grit.

SIMPLE (Slot 2)

Efficient, musical behavior with an additional threshold for independent level control in the second stage.

Attack / Release — Core timing for the secondary pass.
Knee — Softer/harder onset around threshold.
Lookahead — Transparent peak anticipation.
Threshold — Independent threshold for Slot 2 (decoupled from global/Slot 1).
PASS 2 (toggle) — Stage on/off.

Best for:

Fine‑tuning overall loudness handling after tone is set; glue without fuss.

STANDARD (Slot 2)

Feature‑rich, program‑adaptive timing—ideal when the post‑multiband signal is complex and you need controlled consistency.

Lookahead / Attack / Release — Core timing.
Smooth — Global GR smoothing (higher for less chatter).
Auto Atk / Auto Rel (toggles) — Content‑aware timing.
Auto Trans — Transition time for auto logic.
Auto Env Mode — Where the auto analysis happens:
- AUTO PRE — Before second‑stage limiting (default).
- AUTO POST — After second‑stage limiting.
PASS 2 (toggle) — Stage on/off.

Best for:

Broadcast‑style reliability and material with mixed transient/sustained content.

ENHANCED (Slot 2)

Maximum stability and control via running averages and deep analysis windows—tuned for the second stage’s role.

Lookahead / Attack / Release — Core timing.
Avg Size — Running average window (larger = steadier).
Avg Weight — Emphasize recent vs historical samples.
Max Length — Depth of max‑filter analysis.
Max Hold — Hold time for detected maxima (reduces flutter).
PASS 2 (toggle) — Stage on/off.

Best for:

Surgical refinement and maintaining a tight envelope under stress.

Parameter interactions

PASS 2 dependencies
- PASS 2 = OFF: Slot 2 is fully bypassed; signal passes through.
- PASS 2 = ON: The selected algorithm’s controls become active.
Algorithm consistency
- Each variant shows only its relevant controls (plus PASS 2).
- Switching the dropdown swaps parameter sets, but the stage position stays fixed.

Workflow tips

Shape first, control second
Use Slot 1 + L1 MULTIBAND to get the spectral and macro‑dynamics right; use Slot 2 for stricter headroom and envelope polish.
Pick complementary characters
Pair a transparent Slot 1 with an adaptive Slot 2 (e.g., ARIA → STANDARD) for musical yet consistent results.
Threshold strategy
If you need level separation between stages, use SIMPLE in Slot 2 for its independent threshold.
Latency and feel
Favor INSTANT‑style behavior (via algorithm/timing choices) when immediacy matters; use lookahead, smoothing, and ENHANCED‑style windows for more graceful behavior when latency is acceptable.

AUTO OUTPUT Column (Column 4)

An intelligent post‑processing stage that keeps output levels consistent while adding a gentle safety net. It analyzes the already‑limited signal and applies adaptive gain to keep things steady without flattening the mix. Labeled “SOFT SAFETY” in the UI.

SOFT OUT (toggle) Master enable for the entire stage.
Block Size Analysis window size for automatic gain.
Larger = steadier decisions; smaller = faster reaction.
Overlap Window overlap for smoother transitions.
Higher = smoother, slightly more CPU.
Peak Smoother Smoothing for peak tracking.
Higher = cleaner, less twitchy gain changes.
RMS Smoother Smoothing for RMS tracking.
Higher = more consistent loudness behavior.
Limiter Release Recovery time for the built‑in soft safety limiter.
Fast = transparent; slower = silkier return.
Max Gain / Min Gain Bounds for automatic adjustment.
Max Gain caps upward boosts; Min Gain caps downward attenuation.
Crest Comp (Crest Compensation) Balances peak vs RMS influence.
Higher = more transient‑aware; lower = more sustained‑level focus.

Interactions:

SOFT OUT must be ON for any processing here to apply.
Block Size and Overlap work together to define the “feel” of the analysis window.
Peak vs RMS Smoothers let you tune response to transient vs sustained energy.
Limiter Release only affects the soft safety behavior at this stage.
Max/Min Gain define the playground—auto gain never goes beyond these limits.

When to use:

You want level consistency without a hard ceiling.
You’re printing stems or references and need reliable loudness across tracks.
You want a soft “auto trim” after creative limiting is set.

Tips:

Start with moderate Block Size (e.g., mid‑range) and low‑to‑medium overlap.
Increase Peak/RMS smoothing when material feels too “nervous.”
Use a conservative Max/Min range for critical prints; widen it for creative bounce‑downs.

SAFETY Column (Column 5)

Final, transparent brick‑wall protection at the output. This is your “HARD SAFETY” stage—an absolute ceiling so nothing escapes above 0 dBFS.

SAFETY (toggle) Master enable for the stage.
Attack How quickly the hard safety reacts to overs.
Faster = stricter peak control.
Release How quickly gain returns after an event.
Faster = more transparent; slower = smoother but more audible.
Knee Shapes the transition around the fixed safety threshold.
Softer knee for less abrupt behavior.

Design notes:

Threshold is fixed at 0.0 dBFS for true brick‑wall behavior.
This stage sits at the very end of the chain and should normally be inaudible.

When to use:

Final prints, broadcast compliance, and any deliverable where clipping is not an option.
Projects with variable upstream gain where occasional spikes might slip through.

Tips:

Keep Attack fast and Release moderate for “set and forget” transparency.
If you hear the safety working often, reduce upstream output or revisit Slot 1/Slot 2.

MULTI Panel — Threshold vs Drive Curve Editor

Shape how threshold behaves as you turn up Drive in multiband mode. The MULTI panel lets you draw an adjustment curve so the limiter responds exactly how you want across the 0–20 dB Drive range. Use it when the default math is close but not quite musical for your material.

MULTI Panel - Interactive curve editor showing threshold-to-drive mapping with 6 control points

Panel structure

Mode tabs ARIA PASS1, SIMPLE, STANDARD, ENHANCED.
Each tab has its own independent curve and settings.
USING UI / MATH ON toggle
- USING UI: Edit the curve directly by dragging points.
- MATH ON: Use built‑in math instead of the UI curve (editor is dimmed and disabled). When MATH ON is active, the graph overlays “USING MATH FUNCTIONS” as a reminder.

Graph layout

X‑axis (Drive)
0 to 20 dB
Grid every 2 dB, labels every 4 dB (0, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20)
Y‑axis (Adjustment)
−1.0 to +1.0
Grid every 0.2; zero line highlighted for reference
Above zero = threshold boost (less limiting)
Below zero = threshold reduction (more limiting)

Control points

The curve is defined by 6 points:

Point 0 (Blue) — fixed at 0 dB Drive
Vertically draggable (−1.0 to +1.0)
Points 1–4 (Purple → Orange) — fully draggable
Horizontal and vertical movement with left‑to‑right order preserved
Point 5 (Blue) — fixed at 20 dB Drive
Vertically draggable (−1.0 to +1.0)

Visuals:

Endpoints = Blue (with vertical guide lines)
Middle points = Purple → Dark Orchid → Orchid → Orange
Clear outlines and hover feedback for precise edits

Workflow

Select the tab for the sidechain algorithm you’re using.
Set the toggle to USING UI to enable editing.
Drag points to shape the curve; audio updates in real time as you move them.
Switch tabs to tune curves for other algorithms as needed.
Save as part of your preset when you like the response.

Shaping guidelines

Threshold boost (points above zero)
Less limiting at that Drive region; useful for keeping openness at low/moderate Drive.
Threshold reduction (points below zero)
More limiting at that Drive region; useful for reining in high Drive without harshness.
Keep curves smooth
Avoid abrupt zig‑zags; smooth transitions produce more predictable musical results.
Align with multiband goals
Use the curve to complement L1 MULTIBAND METHOD and tone choices—e.g., let low Drive remain neutral, and only push harder as Drive approaches 12–20 dB.

Advanced techniques

Drive‑dependent compensation
If multiband reconstruction adds perceived loudness at certain Drive ranges, pull points slightly below zero there to keep loudness natural.
Mode‑specific tuning
- ARIA PASS1: Subtle curves work best—preserve transparency.
- SIMPLE: Use a gentle S‑shape for musical glue.
- STANDARD: Pair with Auto modes; keep the curve moderate to avoid fighting auto timing.
- ENHANCED: Longer windows benefit from thoughtful shaping—avoid extremes, emphasize consistency.
Handoff to Slot 2
If you plan to use LIMITER SLOT 2, leave headroom—don’t push the curve too far negative at high Drive, so Slot 2 has space to work gracefully.

Visual feedback

Color‑coded points for quick identification
Live numeric values for each point while dragging
Cursor change on hover to confirm what’s draggable

This panel gives you fine control over how Drive translates into limiting behavior in multiband. When the default math is close but not perfect for your program material, a few well‑placed points here can make the limiter feel effortless.

DATA Panel — Performance Monitoring

A real‑time health dashboard for Absolute Zero. Use it to spot bottlenecks, confirm stability, and diagnose issues quickly. The panel title appears as rotated text on the left: “OPTIMIZATION.”

DATA Panel - Two-column layout showing CPU metrics and audio status monitoring

Panel layout

Two clear columns:

CPU Metrics (left)
Audio Status (right)

CPU Metrics (left)

CPU Load
Current real‑time CPU usage.
Color coding: Green (<50%), Orange (50–80%), Red (>80%).
Updates ~10×/sec for responsiveness.
Peak CPU
Highest CPU usage since last reset.
Use the reset button to baseline before tests.
Avg CPU
Running average for trend insight.
Smooths out momentary spikes.
Block Time
Processing time per audio buffer (ms, 2‑decimal precision).
Watch this relative to your DAW’s buffer duration.
Buffer Usage
Percentage of available audio buffer consumed.
Helps identify when you’re approaching real‑time limits.
Reset CPU Metrics
Clears CPU statistics (Peak/Avg/etc.) to start fresh measurements.

Audio Status (right)

Audio Status
Overall indicator:
- OK (Green): No issues detected
- ISSUES DETECTED (Orange): Minor dropouts/spikes present
- GLITCH DETECTED (Red): Serious overruns affecting audio
Dropouts
Count of brief interruptions in audio processing.
White (0), Red (>0).
Spikes
Count of momentary CPU usage peaks.
White (0), Red (>0).
Overruns
Count of critical processing overruns impacting audio.
White (0), Red (>0).
Reset Glitch Counters
Clears dropout/spike/overrun counts to re‑baseline while troubleshooting.

INPUT Panel — Input Adaptive Gain

An intelligent pre‑conditioning stage that levels your input before it hits the limiter—so Drive lands in the sweet spot every time. Use the power toggle to enable/disable input leveling.

INPUT Panel - Input adaptive gain controls with block processing and gain adjustment parameters

Panel structure

Input Leveling Enabled (toggle) Master enable for the entire input‑adaptive system.
Present for preview; leave OFF in production until the feature ships.
Processing controls (rotary) Eight dials to tune the upcoming algorithm. Values are saved with presets.

Controls

Block Size
Analysis window for gain calculation (e.g., 16–4096 samples).
Larger = steadier decisions; smaller = quicker reaction.
Overlap
Overlap between analysis windows (e.g., 16–2048×).
Higher = smoother transitions, slightly more CPU.
Peak Smoother
Smoothing for peak detection (0.00–1.00).
Higher = cleaner, less twitchy reaction to transients.
RMS Smoother
Smoothing for RMS detection (0.00–1.00).
Higher = more stable loudness behavior.
Limiter Release
Recovery time for adaptive gain (e.g., 0.001–1.000 s).
Faster = more transparent; slower = silkier but slower to settle.
Max Gain
Upper bound for automatic boost (e.g., 0.0–12.0 dB).
Prevents over‑elevating quiet passages.
Min Gain
Lower bound for automatic attenuation (e.g., −12.0–0.0 dB).
Prevents over‑reducing loud passages.
Crest Comp
Balances peak vs RMS influence (0.00–1.00).
Higher = more transient‑aware; lower = more sustained‑level focus.

Development status

Current state
- UI and parameters are complete and saved with presets.
- Real‑time parameter changes are visible in the UI.
- Integration points to the main limiter chain are in place.
What’s coming
- Automatic level detection tuned to program content.
- Intelligent, content‑aware input gain staging.
- “Perfect Drive” estimation to land ideal limiter response.
- Musical, content‑aware behavior that adapts during playback.
- Real‑time optimization with robust safeguards.

Guidance for now:

Keep the toggle OFF for critical work—treat this panel as a preview of the workflow.
You can set and store your preferred parameters in presets today; behavior will activate in a future update without breaking your saved sessions.

TEST Panel — Limiting Verification and Analysis

Verify your limiting and inspect envelope behavior with a purpose‑built test harness. The TEST panel generates a controlled signal, runs it through your current chain, and visualizes the results with peak markers and an RMS envelope.

TEST Panel - Waveform analysis interface with dual-channel displays and test signal controls

Panel structure

Test controls (top)
- TEST button
  Starts the verification run. Shows “TESTING” and disables while running; re‑enables on completion.
- Channel Mode
  STEREO (both channels), LEFT (expanded left), RIGHT (expanded right).
Waveform display (center) Dual, high‑resolution views with grid overlays:
- Left channel: Purple/magenta waveform + white RMS envelope.
- Right channel: Pink/magenta waveform + white RMS envelope.
- Grids: Time (horizontal, ms) and amplitude (vertical, −1.0 to +1.0).
Navigation (bottom)
- Zoom
  1%–100% time‑axis zoom for macro ↔ micro inspection.
- Pan
  Enabled when zoomed; scrolls the time window.
Configuration and results (right or bottom, depending on layout)
- Carrier Freq
  Test tone center frequency (20 Hz–20 kHz; default 4 kHz).
- Peak Level Indicators (L/R)
  Post‑test peak readouts (dBFS, 0.1 dB precision).

Visual guides

Peak markers (green)
Absolute peak positions in the processed output.
Pulse markers (orange)
Start positions of injected test pulses.
Envelope (white)
RMS envelope overlay to visualize attack/release behavior.

Running a test

Set the desired Carrier Freq (default 4 kHz is a good general check).
Choose Channel Mode (STEREO for overview, LEFT/RIGHT for detail).
Click TEST. The button shows “TESTING” during capture and processing.
Review the waveforms, markers, and the L/R peak readouts when complete.
Adjust your chain (e.g., Slot 1, L1 MULTIBAND, Slot 2), and retest as needed.

Interpreting results

Success criteria:
- Peaks at or below 0 dBFS.
- Envelope shows controlled, stable gain reduction.
- Pulse (orange) and limiting response align logically in time.
Potential issues:
- Peaks > 0 dBFS
  Reduce Drive/output, increase lookahead, or adjust thresholds/knee.
- Irregular/chattery envelope
  Increase smoothing, adjust attack/release, or consider STANDARD/ENHANCED behavior.
- Misaligned markers vs response
  Revisit lookahead/latency settings; check for heavy upstream processing that shifts timing.

Macro overview (100% zoom)
Quick confirmation of general behavior, overall peak safety.
Micro inspection (<10% zoom)
Sample‑level view of transient handling; study attack and recovery shape.
Channel focus
Use LEFT/RIGHT modes to isolate and compare channel behavior, particularly when Channel Link is low.

Practical tips

Use a few representative Carrier Freq values (e.g., 1 kHz, 4 kHz, 8 kHz) to see how timing behaves across the spectrum.
If the safety limiter (Column 5) frequently triggers in the test, reduce upstream output or refine Slot 2 timing/smoothing.
For broadcast‑style consistency, try STANDARD in Slot 2 with modest Smooth and Auto Trans; confirm with micro inspection.
When transparency is the goal, prioritize lookahead and gentle knees; verify that envelope transitions are smooth and peak markers sit at or below 0 dBFS.

This panel is your “trust but verify” step: it confirms that Absolute Zero’s limiting behaves exactly as intended before you print or ship.

Graphs & Views Reference

WAVEFORM GRAPHING VIEW

The waveform view gives you a live, zoomable picture of the limiter at work. Toggle which traces to show, zoom time and level to taste, pause to inspect a moment, and use the built‑in peak readouts to confirm headroom and limiting activity at a glance.

Waveform Graphing View - Live waveform display with input, output, and gain reduction traces

What you see

Input: The raw signal arriving at the processor.
Output: The post‑processing signal leaving the limiter chain.
Gain Reduction: How much the limiter is pulling the signal down (around a 0 dB baseline).
dB Grid: Fixed 2 dB lines and labels for quick level reading.

Core controls

GRAPH: Master on/off for the display.
INPUT / OUTPUT / GAIN REDUCTION: Show or hide each trace independently.
RESET: Clear history and snap back to a sensible time window.
Y‑AXIS (Range): Choose the vertical scale (tight detail down to broader views, ~−8 to −60 dB).
Time Window: Horizontal zoom (0.5–60 s). Short for transients; long for envelopes/trends.
PAUSE: Freeze the graph to inspect a moment without losing context.
Position (Rewind): When paused, scrub back through recent history in seconds behind live.

Peak detection and readouts

On‑trace callouts: Small dB labels appear near the right side for prominent peaks, pinned to the exact moment; they move with the scroll and fade as they exit.
Peak summary table: A compact overlay beneath the graph showing:
- Top 3 peaks in the current viewport (what you’re looking at now).
- Top 3 peaks seen over the last second at the live edge (short‑term headroom).

How to work with it

Understand the limiter: Enable OUTPUT + GAIN REDUCTION to see action vs result.
Gain staging: Add INPUT to compare pre/post levels directly.
Detail vs overview: Tighten Y‑AXIS and shorten Time Window for micro‑events; widen both for long‑form behavior.
Investigate moments: PAUSE, scrub with Position, read the on‑trace peak labels and the 1‑second/viewport peak table to confirm exactly what happened.

Contents

ARIA ONE | User Manual

Getting Started

1. Quick Start

Getting Your Hearing Test Results Into The DSP

First Launch Experience

Basic Audio Routing Setup

Adding Your Music (Mobile — iOS & Android)

Getting Music Files Onto Your Phone

Loading Music Into ARIA ONE

Troubleshooting

2. Getting Your Hearing Test Results Into The DSP

Step 1: Sign In or Create an Account

Step 2: Choose Cloud Mode or Local Mode

Step 3: Authorize Your Machine (Beta)

Step 4: Take the Hearing Test

Step 5: Sync Your Profiles

Step 6: Use Your Profiles

Offline / Legacy Import Methods

Exporting to ARIA Studio

3. Installation and Resource Locations

Installation Overview

Hearing Test Sample Library

Installation Paths

Directory Structure

Authorizing ARIA ONE (Beta)

Support

4. Authorization View

To Authorize

5. Views & Navigation

Two User Interfaces

Shared Features

Advanced View

Navigation Structure

Top Bar

Navigation Panel (NAVIGATION)

Standalone Graphing Windows

Bottom Bar

Vertical Tab Bar (MODULES)

Device Overlay Panel

Audio Player Panel

Simple View Layout

Screen Structure Overview

Top Bar

Hero Panel

DSP Controls Panel

Top Panel — Hearing Processing Toggle

Main Panel — Mood Buttons, Save, Macro Sliders, and Corner Toggles

Expand Panel — Advanced Controls

Current Playlist (Home Default)

Saved Playlists Panel

Library Panel

Queue Panel

Now Playing Strip

Tab Bar

Player Tab

Devices Tab

Device Selection on Launch

Hearing Tab

Account Tab

Account Sub-View

Purchases Sub-View

Settings Sub-View

Bottom Safe Area (Desktop)

System Volume Slider (Standalone Only)

Keyboard Shortcuts (Standalone Only)

Overlay Panels

Profile Popup

Preset Popup

Onboarding View

FullScale View (Hearing Test)

Switching Between Views

6. Macros & Macro Assignment

Macro Concept

Bipolar vs Unipolar Mode

Macro Assignment View

Slot Structure

Curve Editing

Curve Data Format

Toggle Buttons