| name | apply-podcast-preset |
| description | Apply a recommended parametric-EQ DSP preset tuned for spoken-word / podcast listening to a Music Assistant player. Tames sub-bass rumble, lifts vocal presence (1–4 kHz), and softens sibilance (~6–8 kHz). Use when the user wants a one-shot "make this speaker good for podcasts" action — typically a kitchen, bathroom, or office speaker — without hand-rolling EQ bands. |
Apply Podcast DSP Preset
Push a curated parametric-EQ preset to a Music Assistant player, optimised for podcasts and audiobook content.
The preset
Six peaking/shelf bands plus a small preamp trim. Tuned for full-range speakers; a separate variant is provided for small/desktop speakers.
Variant: podcast-default
| # | Type | Freq (Hz) | Gain (dB) | Q | Purpose |
|---|
| 1 | high_pass | 70 | — | 0.7 | Roll off sub-bass rumble / room noise |
| 2 | peaking | 200 | -3.0 | 1.0 | Cut "muddy" lower-mids |
| 3 | peaking | 500 | -1.5 | 1.2 | Reduce boxy midrange |
| 4 | peaking | 2500 | +3.0 | 1.0 | Lift vocal intelligibility |
| 5 | peaking | 4000 | +2.0 | 1.4 | Add presence / clarity |
| 6 | peaking | 7000 | -2.5 | 3.0 | Tame sibilance / harshness |
Preamp: -2.0 dB (compensate for the +3 dB peaks so output stays clean).
Variant: podcast-small-speaker
For desktop / smart-speaker grade hardware that lacks low-end. Drops the high-pass and the 200 Hz cut (already missing on the speaker).
| # | Type | Freq (Hz) | Gain (dB) | Q |
|---|
| 1 | peaking | 2500 | +3.5 | 1.0 |
| 2 | peaking | 4000 | +2.5 | 1.4 |
| 3 | peaking | 7000 | -2.0 | 3.0 |
Preamp: -2.0 dB.
Steps
-
Load config per the reference skill. Resolve the target player (by name or ID).
-
Ask which variant to apply if the user didn't specify. Default to podcast-default.
-
Stash the player's current DSP first (so the user can revert):
$DATA_ROOT/state/last-dsp-<player-slug>.json
Use the config/players/get command (or the matching REST endpoint) to fetch the current player_config, extract its dsp block, and save the whole player_config payload alongside.
-
Build the DSP payload. Authoritative shape (per Music Assistant docs — see reference skill):
{
"enabled": true,
"preamp_gain_db": -2.0,
"per_channel": false,
"bands": [
{"type": "high_pass", "frequency": 70, "q": 0.7, "enabled": true},
{"type":
Adapting for other content
If the user asks for variations:
- More bass for a TV speaker doing podcasts: drop the high_pass to 50 Hz, add a
low_shelf at 120 Hz +2 dB.
- Harsh-sounding speaker (cheap tweeter): deepen band 6 to -4 dB and add a
peaking at 9 kHz, -2 dB, Q 2.0.
- Mono in-ceiling speaker: keep
per_channel: false. For stereo desk monitors, set per_channel: true and apply identical bands to both channels by default.
Do not
- Do not push gains above +6 dB on any band — combined with program material it will clip.
- Do not assume the player supports DSP. Music Assistant DSP only applies to Music Assistant–native player flows (snapcast / built-in player). Hardware players that handle their own decoding (e.g. some Sonos modes) bypass MA's DSP. If the player_config lacks a
dsp key, tell the user this player doesn't support MA-side DSP and suggest applying EQ at the device.
