Audirvana Plus: Direct Mode

[wgscott]

Does Gordon Rankin's Streamlength protocol accept Integer Mode/Direct Mode

?

 

I think so, if it works the same way as with the Halide Bridge. That was amongst his first test-cases for Audirvana integer mode development.

[DomieMic65]

Are you both using something (bridge etc) between your computer and your DAC? If so isn’t there a reference in the A+ user manual to specific settings for these devices. Look on page 13 for bridge devices. I may be totally off base because I have never had any type of device between my Mac Mini and my DAC but maybe this applies in your cases.

 

my main dac is m2tech evo line (hiface & dac) this combo can't do direct & integer mode so I decided to engage my "old" prodigy cube sound card, just to see what Direct mode can do, which I plug directly on to my mac mini so no "bridge"

[BobP63]

Hi Damien,

Any chance we'll see 1.3.9.4 this weekend?

 

Thanks

 

Bob

 

I guess not...

[ESL]

Are you both using something (bridge etc) between your computer and your DAC? If so isn’t there a reference in the A+ user manual to specific settings for these devices. Look on page 13 for bridge devices. I may be totally off base because I have never had any type of device between my Mac Mini and my DAC but maybe this applies in your cases.

 

Thanks mwheelerk, you caused me to find a solution of sorts. Although, I had the "Max spl rate limit" set at the DAC limit, I didn't appreciate that I also needed to Force Upsample to get Direct Mode to lock on. The manual indicates that A+ has automatic sample rate switching and in the Sample Rate Conversion section on p15 it states:

 

"Sample Rate Conversion happens when

- The audio device does not handle the audio track sample rate

- Upsampling is forced to either oversampling to 2x or 4x the track native sample rate or to the audio device maximum sample rate."

 

This would lead one to think that sample rate conversion is somewhat automatic. At least with a Weiss INT203 'bridge' it isn't. I now have A+ playing in Direct Mode with Max Sample Rate Upsampling selected. The clue was discovering that 24/96 (and above) files played perfectly and 24/88.2 played with 50% stutter whereas 16/44.1 advanced 1 second in 10 in a series of sound bursts.

 

So I am in the semi-happy situation that although I can use A+ Direct Mode, I can't play redbook in my preferred native resolution as I can with Pure Music and Amarra.

 

Wyred 4 Sound DAC2 cannot be used in Direct Mode over USB whatever the settings. It works flawlessly with a coax input from the Weiss, though.

 

All that said, A+ (DM) has a lightness of touch that is attractive and image depth that is both deeper and responsive to the recording whereas the PM image is somewhat fixed.

 

Martin

[a.dent]

Well that's weird!

 

After much frustration with dropouts and incorrect tracks I uninstalled 1.3.9.3.

 

I then reinstalled 1.3.9.3 and it has been working faultlessly with ALL music including 24/96. I do not have any higher res files so can't check on them.

 

Has Damien changed something or has a symbiosis developed between my MM and A+?

[Leeuwarden]

Installed A+ yesterday. After some fiddling around everything worked fine. Direct and Integer played fine with my new M2Tech Hiface 2 (the black one). Sound is really good! Today I started up my 2011 MacMini and had three or four requests to restart (is that a "kernel panic"?) After trying if everything worked with just iTunes and the M2Tech and Bitperfect next I started A+ again and it worked fine. Bit strange... :-)

[BobP63]

Hello Damien,

It's been nine days since 1.3.9.3 was posted and during that time about 100 new posts have been made to this thread, many proving feedback or asking questions about the latest version. Given we've not seen any new posts from you, I'm just curious if you're still soliciting feedback on the beta or if you have any specific areas you'd like us to test? Thanks.

[YourDoppelganger]

I'm just wondering if Audirvana+ has a Hard Limit feature similar to the one that Amarra 2.4 has?

[damien78]

Hello Damien,

It's been nine days since 1.3.9.3 was posted and during that time about 100 new posts have been made to this thread, many proving feedback or asking questions about the latest version. Given we've not seen any new posts from you, I'm just curious if you're still soliciting feedback on the beta or if you have any specific areas you'd like us to test? Thanks.

 

First of all, thanks to all of you for your kind and very useful feedbacks. I've even pursued in more detail the investigations by email with some of you.

As you have noticed, the hardware variations accounts a lot if not for all the stability differences you notice. This is the drawback of developing software bypassing all the nice hardware abstraction APIs Apple is offering for helping application developers.

So your feedback helps me a lot as I can't have all the DACs on the market to test with...

 

And... I'm currently traveling (in the US, East Coast, being today in Boston) with a fully packed agenda. I'll be back this WE, though don't expect a new release that fast as I want to solve issues for two popular devices before:

- the M2Tech devices & potentially similar interface designs (e.g. W4S) not playing any sound (they should benefit of DM at least, even if not integer compatible)

- Audiophilleo and its bitdepth not switching when changing sample rate at the same time

So I don't need for now more inputs on these until I release 1.3.9.4

 

And then, on the way to 1.4, increasing the protection against kernel panics that seem to still like to annoy sometimes some configs.

 

Finally, Mr iTunes issues. Here also OSX setup dependent. On this one, if anyone can find the pattern that lead iTunes to stop responding (and thus A+) when "Disable completely iTunes playback" is selected in A+, it'll be very helpful.

 

 

I'm just wondering if Audirvana+ has a Hard Limit feature similar to the one that Amarra 2.4 has?

Audirvana Plus in its current version is not offering sound processing filters (except sample rate conversion & dithered volume). The version after Direct Mode will see the AU/VST support feature. So you'll then be able to get compressor/hard limit effects through AU/VST plugins.

 

Damien

[50000]

Thank you for your dedication, Damien. You've created a fantastic product.

[BobP63]

Good to hear from you Damien; as you continue to tackle the difficulties associated with bringing integer mode capability to Lion and Mountain Lion users please know that we appreciate your efforts. As always I'm looking forward to each new release and wish you a safe trip home.

[ckpiv]

Thanks for the update Damien and appreciate your dedication to a great product.

[jerico]

Does Gordon Rankin's Streamlength protocol accept Integer Mode/Direct Mode.

 

My 2 Wavelength DACs are both working in direct and integer modes.

[Leeuwarden]

For what it's worth: My M2Tech Hiface 2 (the little black one) is playing DM and IM fine! Do have an occasional kernel panic.

I'm using a diy Opus DAC from Twisted Pear in combination with the M2Tech Hiface 2 and a 2011 MacMini.

[REShaman]

Thanks for the update Damien and appreciate your dedication to a great product.

 

I join all in this thread in the spirit of all the comments of gratitude for your dedication to evolving Audirvana Plus and for helping me with my W4S Dac2 which can now play 1.3.9.3. Hopefully EJ will implement Direct Mode/Integer so I can stretch the playing features I presently can not take advantage of.

Best,

Richard

[Jud]

I'm currently traveling (in the US, East Coast, being today in Boston) with a fully packed agenda.

 

Thanks for the update - remarkably coherent considering jet lag. :-)

 

Finally, Mr iTunes issues. Here also OSX setup dependent. On this one, if anyone can find the pattern that lead iTunes to stop responding (and thus A+) when "Disable completely iTunes playback" is selected in A+, it'll be very helpful.

 

Not fully understanding this. Do you mean iTunes is open, and A+ is also open but has "Disable completely..." selected? When iTunes stops responding to what - Remote input, for example? So the user would be playing music through iTunes, not A+? Sorry if I'm being thick here. Others besides Damien should also feel free to enlighten me.

[Paul R]

Finally, Mr iTunes issues. Here also OSX setup dependent. On this one, if anyone can find the pattern that lead iTunes to stop responding (and thus A+) when "Disable completely iTunes playback" is selected in A+, it'll be very helpful.

 

Have you tried turning off Home Sharing? That bug will just make iTunes unresponsive, at least from Remote.app on an unpredictable basis. Annoying, but easily avoided by turning off Home Sharing when you are not using it.

 

-Paul

[REShaman]

Have you tried turning off Home Sharing? That bug will just make iTunes unresponsive, at least from Remote.app on an unpredictable basis. Annoying, but easily avoided by turning off Home Sharing when you are not using it.

 

-Paul

 

And in addition, quitting Finder and Time Machine. I have noticed an improvement in SQ doing so.

Best,

Richard

[satbaba]

And in addition, quitting Finder and Time Machine. I have noticed an improvement in SQ doing so.

Best,

Richard

 

+ 1

[Leeuwarden]

Sometimes after a kernel panic my MacMini just "loses" the M2Tech Hiface 2. I have to unplug to get it back...

[50000]

Frederic Beudot gave a good review of Audirvana on the 6Moons site. See here:

 

6moons audio reviews: Software music players

[mwheelerk]

I am just curious if anyone else noticed or if anyone else has the volume setting (position) in the iTunes window reduced or set to the halfway (50%) position when Audivrana is engaged?

 

I have my A+ preferences set to deactivate iTunes volume control. If I move the volume control position in the iTunes window it has no impact on sound at all and will move back to the center position when the next song begins.

 

If I am in full screen Cover Flow mode the iTunes volume is set to zero/minimum. Again if I move the iTunes volume slider there it has no impact. As I said just curious as to why this is or if anyone else has noticed it.

 

With PM I was use to seeing it set at full volume in iTunes.

[BobP63]

Hi Damien,

I had an unusual problem last night with 1.3.9.3 during the transition from on track to the next an audible click was heard and then playback stopped. In the past when this has happened I could reconnect to my headless mini via my iPad's VNC connection and A+ would either restart on its own or simply require me close and reopen the application to set things right again. This unfortunately was not the case last night. In order to reconnect last night I needed to completely power down the mini and restart. This time however when I relaunched A+ and hit play the click occurred instantly A+ froze and my VNC connection was lost, ie I had no control and had to power the mini down once again. When connection was reestablished once again I allowed for a normal restart of the mini before relaunching A+, here too the first time I hit play nothing but an audible click followed by A+ being frozen and my VNC connection lost.

 

I tried a number of other power down and restarts, as well as various system maintenance tasks without correcting the problem. In the end the only way I resolved the issue was to reinstall a new copy of 1.3.9.3 things seem to be working fine now, but it was most definitely the worst crash I've had with A+ to date. Hopefully this information will provide you with some insight into the issue.

 

Bob

[Mercman]

Warning/Warning/Warning !!!!!!!!!!

 

Upgrading to Amarra 2.4.1 breaks Audirvana Plus Beta 1.3.9.3 creating a Kernal Panic when it tries to play music. I uninstalled Amarra and all was well again.

[REShaman]

Warning/Warning/Warning !!!!!!!!!!

 

Upgrading to Amarra 2.4.1 breaks Audirvana Plus Beta 1.3.9.3 creating a Kernal Panic when it tries to play music. I uninstalled Amarra and all was well again.

 

Ah, not for me. I have had kernel panic in various situations attendant to having installed an update of a program.

 

In any event, I have 2.4.1 installed. Just closed the program and opened Audirvana Plus Beta 1.3.9.3. without the same result. Is it possible something else is going on for your computer other than Amarra 2.4.1.

Best,

Richard