BassBox

[Patrice Terrier]

This project, written in PowerBASIC, was started long ago, it has been the most downloaded application from the formal José Roca's forum that has been deprecated since the passing of Bob Zale in 2012.

Note: In order to download the full project, you must first register using your real name.

BassBox is a multimedia audio player designed to work with Windows XP, VISTA, W7, W8, W10+.
This is a 32-bit application working in composited mode.

Note: For 64-bit see the MediaBox (MBox64)

The player uses audio sensitive OpenGL visual plugins that have been written specifically to provide the best multimedia experience.

Main features
• Play audio stream: aif, mp1, mp2, mp3, ogg, wav, wma.
• Play music tracker: it, mod, mtm, s3m, umx, xm.
• Play compressed music tracker: mo3.
• Play CD-audio.
• Playlist, using the ".bbp" extension (to play from the internet using either "http://" or "ftp://").
• More than 20 exclusive OpenGL visual plugins.
• Windowed or full screen effect visualization.
• Real time oscilloscope.
• Audio settings: reverberation, chorus, flanger, echo, sound rotation.
• 10-band equalizer.
• Use drag and drop to play directly from files or folders.
• Skinned interface with background library.
• Detailed CHM help file.

For further details make sure to read the provided BassBox.chm from the zip file.



Copyright
This code is under the copyright of Patrice Terrier, it couldn't be translated to another language without prior agreement.
All credits must be given where credit is due, and the name of the project must be kept unchanged.
You are not allowed to create a derivative work or DLL from this project.

If you need to use BassBox or its visual plugins in a commercial project you must first contact Patrice Terrier

Donation:
     
If you like this project



Click here to make a donation

Or you can also use: paypal.me

[Patrice Terrier]

BassBox64 (alias BB64)
is a C/C++ VS2022 64-bit version, using a totaly different GUI, with huge size optimization.
The OpenGL visual plugins are still those from the PowerBASIC 32-bit version.



When visual plugins are enabled, press the left or right mouse button to change them.
You can also use the mouse buttons to select a specific image background.

[Patrice Terrier]

BassBox64 3.00 – New Version Highlights

• Full VS2022 C/C++ source code project
• Advanced Desktop Window Manager (DWM) integration
• New skin theme based on DWM blur glass
• Plugin-level blur mode with adjustable blur strength
• Fully DPI-aware rendering (high-DPI and mixed-DPI setups)
• Correct alpha composition and stable transparency
• Native Windows 10 / 11 composited window support
• Remanent histogram processing for persistent audio visuals
• Smoother audio-to-visual response and temporal coherence
• One-pass GLSL support from version 1.20 up to 3.30
• Unified legacy / modern GLSL pipeline (no multipass overhead)
• Enhanced texture support (formats, precision, alpha handling)
• Improved OpenGL performance and rendering stability
• Better multi-monitor and high refresh-rate handling
• Tiny standalone executable built with TCLib
• No Microsoft CRT dependency (reduced size and overhead)

Note: This version use exclusively 64-bit plugins, with brand new GLSL support (converted from Shadertoy).

Strongest Points of the New BassBox64 Version

Full Visual Studio 2022 Source Code Provided
The complete, build-ready VS2022 project is included, offering full transparency, long-term maintainability, and the ability to study, modify, or extend every subsystem of BassBox64.

Deep DWM Integration with Blur Glass UI
Native use of Windows DWM composition enables true blur-glass visuals, seamless desktop blending, and a modern, premium look that plugins can fully exploit.

Plugin-Level Blur with Fine Control
Blur is no longer a static UI effect: each plugin can control blur intensity dynamically, allowing glass, crystal, or frosted effects that enhance depth without hiding audio-reactive elements.

One-Pass GLSL Pipeline (1.20 → 3.30)
A unified single-pass GLSL architecture supports both legacy and modern shaders without multipass overhead, keeping performance high and code paths clean.

Remanent Histogram Audio Processing
Visualizations retain audio energy over time, producing smoother, more musical, and more expressive visuals than classic peak-based FFT displays.

True DPI Awareness and Modern Display Handling
Correct scaling and alignment across high-DPI, mixed-DPI, multi-monitor, and high-refresh-rate setups—no blurry scaling, no clipped viewports.

Enhanced Texture and Alpha Handling
Improved texture precision, format support, and alpha correctness ensure stable transparency and consistent visuals in both OpenGL and composited modes.

Tiny Standalone Executable (No CRT)
Built with TCLib and no Microsoft CRT dependency, the executable remains extremely small, fast to load, and free from runtime bloat.

Tight Audio-to-Visual Synchronization
Refined timing and smoothing logic deliver visuals that feel directly connected to the music, not just reactive but musically coherent.

Native 64-bit, Low-Latency Architecture
Pure C/C++ design focused on performance, predictability, and long-term maintainability—no frameworks, no unnecessary layers.

Context-sensitive blur control
when “Plugin fully visible” is disabled, the blur level can be adjusted interactively using the mouse wheel.