I was hunting round for a graphic equalizer that could be used with any application, even watching YouTube.

Had heard about a Pulseaudio one, but didn't know where to get it or how to install it. Found one for Ubuntu 16.04 here.

You can add it via PPA, but it is just as easy to download the DEB file. Scroll down to the "Download" section with the floppy disk icon and click on it. This will open a new page where you can click on the "Binary Package". Save the DEB file to a temporary folder.

To install the equalizer, simply double-click on the DEB file. A new entry will appear in your menu under Multimedia. Works like a charm

Dude, you're awesome! I actually came here to ask for advice on an EQ, because I'd been looking for one for about an hour with no luck. I did find this same one you linked to, but it was a different page, and the PPA they listed didn't work. Anyhoo, thanks!

Sharing knowledge is what Linux is all about.

Sometimes I take, sometimes I give. That way we all benefit.

Something I've noticed after using the equalizer for a while is, the system volume defaults to 100% on boot. Some Googling showed this is a known problem, and this is how to fix it. The changes will set the default volume to 70%.

Edit the hidden file:

/home/username/.config/pulse/equalizerrc

On line 4, directly under "Multiband EQ" change the 1 (or 1.0) to 0.7 and save.

Apply configuration:

Open a terminal and enter these three commands

Code: Select all

pulseaudio-equalizer disable-config

Code: Select all

pulseaudio-equalizer enable-config

Code: Select all

pulseaudio -k

The volume should change to 70%. If not, reboot and check it does now default to 70%, or whatever you chose.

In my quest to have a system-wide graphic equalizer, there remained one problem to solve. How do I make it load on boot? The more research I did the more confused I got. In the end, the solution was simple, as it usually is. You just need to make it the default "sound device" in system settings.

Go to System Settings>Multimedia>Audio and Video. The screen you want is like this one:



Under the Device Preference tab, click on Audio Playback to display your sound device as in the screenshot. Click on the LADSPA Plugin to select it, and at the bottom of the window, click on "Prefer" to move it to the top of the list. Click on "Apply". Do not click on the "Test" button, as it caused an error for me.

Now go down to "Notifications" and do the same. Keep going down the list, repeating the procedure for each entry where the plugin is showing as an option. Make sure you click on "Apply" for each entry.

Lastly, click on the "Apply Device List To..." tab at the bottom and select OK. Again you need to click on "Apply" afterwards.

Your default audio settings will now load using the last preset you used in the Equalizer when you reboot. Depending on how much boost you have given to some frequencies, you may need to drop your default volume from 70% down to 60% to prevent distortion.

If you want to disable the equalizer temporarily, you can simply open it up from your menu and select the "Flat" preset.

So I have achieved everything I set out to do. I have a system-wide equalizer that is loaded on boot and it works for all applications, including the web browser. Controlling my audio settings is as simple as clicking on a menu item and choosing a different preset, or creating a new one of my own. It certainly made my system sound come alive.

This does not seem to work anymore with Kubuntu 17.10. Any solutions coming from the KDE team?

once upon a time it was possible
https://books.google.co.th/books?id=LyD ... er&f=false

more seriously, while the question is also on Reddit they point to : https://medium.com/@gamunu/enable-high- ... 16f3fe7e1f
the real answer seams to be pulseeffect

so basically

install pulseeffect and pulseaudio-equalizer
than launch pulseeffect and you will see an equalizer in the list
if you are unable to enable it (like the button stay grey) it might be because you also need to install lsp-plugins.

I found the answer on the arch linux forum: https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=244157