Windows 7: Realtek Equalizer Settings

Dwarf · 25 Apr 2010

This is for those who, like me, have been looking for where the frequency equalizer (enhancement) settings for Realtek are stored. Here is a zipped file with some settings. These are the plus (maximum) and minus (minimum) settings of each frequency enhancement in turn.

equaliser.zip

This is the code behind that file, with the relevant details highlighted for each frequency enhancement control.

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\MMDevices\Audio\Render\{80a6e8bb-0c10-4337-97f5-b4478786bd7a}\FxProperties]
"{69203b66-c559-499c-bb5f-f54563cd7d59},0"="eq31up"
"{36033203-cbc4-4960-9b48-490166ca34c9},0"=hex:41,00,38,fc,01,00,00,00,b0,04,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"{69203b66-c559-499c-bb5f-f54563cd7d59},1"="eq31dwn"
"{36033203-cbc4-4960-9b48-490166ca34c9},1"=hex:41,00,38,fc,01,00,00,00,50,fb,\
  ff,ff,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"{69203b66-c559-499c-bb5f-f54563cd7d59},2"="eq62up"
"{36033203-cbc4-4960-9b48-490166ca34c9},2"=hex:41,00,38,fc,01,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,b0,04,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"{69203b66-c559-499c-bb5f-f54563cd7d59},3"="eq62dwn"
"{36033203-cbc4-4960-9b48-490166ca34c9},3"=hex:41,00,38,fc,01,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,50,fb,ff,ff,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"{69203b66-c559-499c-bb5f-f54563cd7d59},4"="eq125up"
"{36033203-cbc4-4960-9b48-490166ca34c9},4"=hex:41,00,38,fc,01,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,b0,04,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"{69203b66-c559-499c-bb5f-f54563cd7d59},5"="eq125dwn"
"{36033203-cbc4-4960-9b48-490166ca34c9},5"=hex:41,00,38,fc,01,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,50,fb,ff,ff,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"{69203b66-c559-499c-bb5f-f54563cd7d59},6"="eq250up"
"{36033203-cbc4-4960-9b48-490166ca34c9},6"=hex:41,00,38,fc,01,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,b0,04,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"{69203b66-c559-499c-bb5f-f54563cd7d59},7"="eq250dwn"
"{36033203-cbc4-4960-9b48-490166ca34c9},7"=hex:41,00,38,fc,01,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,50,fb,ff,ff,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"{69203b66-c559-499c-bb5f-f54563cd7d59},8"="eq500up"
"{36033203-cbc4-4960-9b48-490166ca34c9},8"=hex:41,00,38,fc,01,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,b0,04,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"{69203b66-c559-499c-bb5f-f54563cd7d59},9"="eq500dwn"
"{36033203-cbc4-4960-9b48-490166ca34c9},9"=hex:41,00,38,fc,01,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,50,fb,ff,ff,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"{69203b66-c559-499c-bb5f-f54563cd7d59},10"="eq1kup"
"{36033203-cbc4-4960-9b48-490166ca34c9},10"=hex:41,00,38,fc,01,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,b0,04,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"{69203b66-c559-499c-bb5f-f54563cd7d59},11"="eq1kdwn"
"{36033203-cbc4-4960-9b48-490166ca34c9},11"=hex:41,00,38,fc,01,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,50,fb,ff,ff,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"{69203b66-c559-499c-bb5f-f54563cd7d59},12"="eq2kup"
"{36033203-cbc4-4960-9b48-490166ca34c9},12"=hex:41,00,38,fc,01,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,b0,04,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"{69203b66-c559-499c-bb5f-f54563cd7d59},13"="eq2kdwn"
"{36033203-cbc4-4960-9b48-490166ca34c9},13"=hex:41,00,38,fc,01,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,50,fb,ff,\
  ff,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"{69203b66-c559-499c-bb5f-f54563cd7d59},14"="eq4kup"
"{36033203-cbc4-4960-9b48-490166ca34c9},14"=hex:41,00,38,fc,01,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,b0,04,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"{69203b66-c559-499c-bb5f-f54563cd7d59},15"="eq4kdwn"
"{36033203-cbc4-4960-9b48-490166ca34c9},15"=hex:41,00,38,fc,01,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,50,fb,ff,ff,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"{69203b66-c559-499c-bb5f-f54563cd7d59},16"="eq8kup"
"{36033203-cbc4-4960-9b48-490166ca34c9},16"=hex:41,00,38,fc,01,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,b0,04,00,00,00,00,00,00
"{69203b66-c559-499c-bb5f-f54563cd7d59},17"="eq8kdwn"
"{36033203-cbc4-4960-9b48-490166ca34c9},17"=hex:41,00,38,fc,01,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,50,fb,ff,ff,00,00,00,00
"{69203b66-c559-499c-bb5f-f54563cd7d59},18"="eq16kup"
"{36033203-cbc4-4960-9b48-490166ca34c9},18"=hex:41,00,38,fc,01,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,b0,04,00,00
"{69203b66-c559-499c-bb5f-f54563cd7d59},19"="eq16kdwn"
"{36033203-cbc4-4960-9b48-490166ca34c9},19"=hex:41,00,38,fc,01,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,50,fb,ff,ff

This shows the structure of an individual entry. The data is entered as shown below, with each frequency enhancement having the limits shown above. Each frequency enhancement occupies 4 bytes and is represented in red. The first 4 red figures represent the 31Hz frequency enhancement, the second 4 the 62Hz frequency enhancement and so on, until the final 4 figures which represents the 16KHz frequency enhancement.

Code:

"{69203b66-c559-499c-bb5f-f54563cd7d59},n"="<user preset name n>"
"{36033203-cbc4-4960-9b48-490166ca34c9},n"=hex:41,00,38,fc,01,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00

So, in order to backup your user frequency enhancements, simply save (export) this registry key:

Code:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\MMDevices\Audio\Render\{80a6e8bb-0c10-4337-97f5-b4478786bd7a}\FxProperties]

You can then load (import) this key back into the registry to restore your previous settings.

Credit to Aphelion. Thanks!

Note

Because the key involved is in the HKLM branch of the registry, you will need to use an account with administrative privileges (or elevate to administrative privileges) before editing.

dsperber · 25 Apr 2010

BRILLIANT!

Credit and kudos to all deserving individuals who helped finally uncover this.

The entire Realtek user community applauds you.

Aphelion · 25 Apr 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by Dwarf

This is for those who, like me, have been looking for where the frequency equalizer (enhancement) settings for Realtek are stored. Here is a zipped file with some settings. These are the plus (maximum) and minus (minimum) settings of each frequency enhancement in turn.

Credit to Aphelion. Thanks!

You're welcome my friend, thanks for the nice layout and thorough explanation.

Ap

dsperber · 26 Apr 2010

Well... I hate to throw a monkey wrench into this, but the key into the registry for the HKLM entry is not unique... nor is it apparently consistent. My key is different from your key.

In fact, I have MULTIPLE keys under "MMDevices\Audio\Render" that yield an FXProperties detail showing what probably is an EQ setting (or multiple saved EQ settings). I have many more FXProperties stored under "MMDevices\Audio\Capture", but I suppose these are not the saved EQ settings we're hunting down.

I wonder if this multiple keys and multiple FXProperties under \Render reflects multiple driver versions having been uninstalled and re-installed over time since Windows 7 was installed? You'd think that the UNINSTALL first step in a driver upgrade would have cleaned house on these now obsolete Registry entries but it appears to NOT be the case. Looks like they just accumulate over time! Brilliant, Realtek!

I guess I could certainly figure out which one is "current" by creating a new saved EQ and discovering which FXProperties gets the additional detail entry.

Anyway, it looks like the EXPORT needs to be a bit more selective, if you really want to save what is currently in effect. Looks like the main key is not one single value but dynamically generated with each driver release... or something.

Aphelion · 26 Apr 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by dsperber

Well... I hate to throw a monkey wrench into this, but the key into the registry for the HKLM entry is not unique... nor is it apparently consistent. My key is different from your key.

In fact, I have MULTIPLE keys under "MMDevices\Audio\Render" that yield an FXProperties detail showing what probably is an EQ setting (or multiple saved EQ settings). I have many more FXProperties stored under "MMDevices\Audio\Capture", but I suppose these are not the saved EQ settings we're hunting down.

Right, the FXProperties that refelcts the EQ setting has an associated "Properties" key that will have the word "Speaker" in the text.

The entry looks like this:

Ap

dsperber · 26 Apr 2010

Ok... I think I've got it. You kind of just have to look closely at the \Render Registry entries to pick out the new keys that got added when you save a new EQ.

I just uninstalled my previous driver (I think it was 2.45) and installed the current 2.47. I examined things at each step... first after uninstalling and re-booting, then after installing 2.47 and re-booting but with no saved EQ's, and then after saving two somewhat different EQ's.

Interestingly, after uninstalling the Realtek drivers all of the FXProperties items under \Capture went away, although the three FXProperties items under \Render remained.

However after installing 2.47 a whole bunch of new FXProperties entries got created under \Capture. Furthermore the key of the third FXProperties group under \Render changed from what it was previously (when the Microsoft drivers were probably installed) to a new value, apparently generated by the install of the Realtek driver.

Nevertheless, it definitely looks like it is the third group (for my system, anyway) which is the relevant group under \Render which reflects the install of the active Realtek driver. So it's the FXProperties group there which is of concern to us.

Finally, after saving two different EQ settings I see a total of FOUR new entries in the Registry in this third FXProperties group: two are the REG_SZ items which provide the names of the saved EQ's (and the suffixes of 0 and 1), and the other two are the REG_BINARY items which provide the previously documented internal representation of the 10 EQ slider values (also with suffixed of 0 and 1). Presumably these are created in pairs each time you save an EQ, with appropriately matching suffixes.

Again, note from the following screenshots that my keys do not match those of others... but the concept is solid.

And it would appear that exporting these four items (or however many pairs of entries you have, depending on the number of saved EQ's you have) from the proper FXProperties group under \Render, well that's what you need to do to save them across driver upgrades.

However I'm concerned that the next time I uninstall and reinstall a newly released Realtek driver that the key generated for that third \Render group which contains the crucial FXProperties group will be yet again different from what it is now.

For example, the original 2.45 Realtek install had a key that began with (52e26cb8-...) for that third group under \Render. In contrast the third group after uninstalling 2.45 and reinstalling 2.47 is now (54bfd888-...).

Be careful with the EXPORT and IMPORT.

So you do have to look sharply, to make sure you're looking at the proper items... with the apparently uniquely generated keys from your own system each time a new driver is installed, rather than from some global Realtek constant key that's the same for everybody for every driver release.

Anyway, here is the Registry for that third FXProperties group (on my system) both (a) right after 2.47 installed and before saving any EQ, and (b) after saving two EQ.

Aphelion · 26 Apr 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by dsperber

Ok... I think I've got it. You kind of just have to look closely at the \Render Registry entries to pick out the new keys that got added when you save a new EQ.

Again, note from the following screenshots that my keys do not match those of others... but the concept is solid.

However I'm concerned that the next time I uninstall and reinstall a newly released Realtek driver that the key generated for that third \Render group which contains the crucial FXProperties group will be yet again different from what it is now.

Be careful with the EXPORT and IMPORT.

That's a good point, if/when I install a newer set of drivers, I'll first save what I have following the install, then I'll try importing that key over the top of whatever's there.

Ap

Dwarf · 26 Apr 2010

It would seem that further investigation is required here, and we might be able to find the other settings such as Loudness and Speaker Configuration as well. As regards the name of the key, that will have to wait until a subsequent driver release so that I can compare them. Incidentally, I use this method to install the driver, just in case it makes a difference: Device Manager - Install Driver - Vista Forums

dsperber · 26 Apr 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by Dwarf

It would seem that further investigation is required here, and we might be able to find the other settings such as Loudness and Speaker Configuration as well.

True. Would be nice to be able to preserve everything before an upgrade.

Really too bad that Realtek has turned a driver upgrade into a 2-step process, the first being the uninstall of existing driver (which apparently also deletes everything in the Registry relating to the current customization) and then an install of the new driver (requiring you to start all over again). Most other manufacturers (e.g. ATI) allow you to just run the new driver installer which upgrades the components but retains existing Registry customizations.

Quote:

Incidentally, I use this method to install the driver, just in case it makes a difference: Device Manager - Install Driver - Vista Forums

Why? How does this even work? What are you pointing to, in terms of where the expanded driver files are supposed to be found for the "driver update"? Are you using your own manual "unpack" of the Realtek downloaded file?

I thought that the downloaded driver installer file from Realtek needed to be run, with its 2-step process? Running it unpacks it, but how would you unpack it manually and not run it... in order to use its imbedded files for the Device Manager "update driver" method?

And again, is this really allowed? Why would Realtek have packaged their 2-step process if you could actually run a 1-step upgrade directly?

As I've now seen, the Registry key for that third FXProperties group (for me, anyway) changed with the new driver install. So what happens with your Device Manager method?

Dwarf · 26 Apr 2010

Quote:

True. Would be nice to be able to preserve everything before an upgrade.

I shall have a look at the other settings later when I'm back on my home system.

Quote:

Why? How does this even work? What are you pointing to, in terms of where the expanded driver files are supposed to be found for the "driver update"? Are you using your own manual "unpack" of the Realtek downloaded file?

As regards driver installation, I download the zipped version of the driver from Realtek. I then extract the files, and it is to the folder where the files are extracted to that I point to.

Quote:

As I've now seen, the Registry key for that third FXProperties group (for me, anyway) changed with the new driver install. So what happens with your Device Manager method?

As far as I know, mine stays constant, but I will find out in a subsequent driver release.

Windows 7: Realtek Equalizer Settings

Realtek Equalizer Settings problems?