Computer Audio Design OSX Audio Optimization Script

[fmak]

Hi tranz,

I have done some more experimentations, maybe the last until Yosemite is released. I successfully deactivated these processes too:

com.appleaudio.Sandbox.Helper

dynamic pager

firmwaresyncd

networkd

networkd-privileged

By now there are about 336 threads and 60 processes running, while playing music using iTunes and La Rosita plugin.

 

I was not able to deactivate (without doing harm to the system)

fseventsd

sleepservicesd

 

You might deactivate sysmond, but will then lose the system monitor´s contents.

Just a reminder, that all this refers to my chain (iMac, SD card, separate network for music only with no ability for internet-connections --> Airport Express, La Rosita Pi streamer).

 

Regards, Uwe

 

Wow, I have 12 on my low power Lexcom running XP and 22 on my Server 2012R2 DH61 PCs!

[tranz]

Wow, I have 12 on my low power Lexcom running XP and 22 on my Server 2012R2 DH61 PCs!

 

Yup, and only 2 processes on my Synology NAS.

 

It is one of the reasons I have always found it bloody hard to get decent sound out a Mac.

[Le Concombre Masqué]

please, get more specific

[satbaba]

Has anyone tried with yosemite CAD Script?

[alsterfan]

Has anyone tried with yosemite CAD Script?

 

Yes you can use it, but if you need the functionality of "Finder" and wastebin you should answer the third question of the CAD Script with "no".

Regards, Uwe

[satbaba]

Yes you can use it, but if you need the functionality of "Finder" and wastebin you should answer the third question of the CAD Script with "no".

Regards, Uwe

 

thanks a lot alsterfan

[Knuck]

Yes you can use it, but if you need the functionality of "Finder" and wastebin you should answer the third question of the CAD Script with "no".

Regards, Uwe

 

When you say third question are you referring to launch demons or agents?

[alsterfan]

When you say third question are you referring to launch demons or agents?

 

Hi Knuck,

Using the CAD script you have to answer 3 questions in the following order:

1. Turn off WiFi?

2. Turn off System Launch Daemons

3. Turn off System Launch Daemons

 

Regards, Uwe

[alsterfan]

Hi Knuck,

Using the CAD script you have to answer 3 questions in the following order:

1. Turn off WiFi?

2. Turn off System Launch Daemons

3. Turn off System Launch Daemons

 

Regards, Uwe

 

Sorry, I should have written:

3. Turn off System Launch Agents

[jcpom]

It has been a while since I read through all the postings, so please forgive my naive question: is it necessary to run the CAD script every time you boot or just once b/c the modifications permanently change OS on the drive?

[Pascal64]

Easy i can reply : you have to run it only at the first time

[AnotherSpin]

Only once. But, If you will need to install some new application afterwards installation may not start. In this case you will need to go through script removal - installing new app - run script again routine.

[hifi_swlon]

Hi, I've been reading this excellent forum with great interest over the past couple of months having recently started on my journey from CD to streaming, currently via Mac Mini (Audirvana+) and Chord hugo.

 

Its been extremely useful, especially this thread which has saved me a huuuge amount of time with something I've been really wanting to do with my Mac mini.

 

So, sorry for the newbie question….

 

I'm relatively techie and I've commented out the bits of the latest script I don't want to use, along with removing the -w flags so I can reboot to restore while I'm testing.

 

I understand that the idea here is to make SQ trump everything, but I personally want to keep a couple of extra things active as to me the point of streaming was to have excellent SQ but not at the expense of some convenience.

 

So I would like to keep file sharing on, and also keep the 'Automatically add to iTunes' folder active.

The former has been switched off, but I'm not sure what lines I need to comment out for it. The latter I can't test as I can no longer mount the folder remotely. Any pointers would be much appreciated.

 

Once I've fixed this and rebooted, I'll post my findings.

 

Thanks again to those putting in all the legwork in doing these kinds of things - it's much appreciated!

[Superdad]

So I would like to keep file sharing on, and also keep the 'Automatically add to iTunes' folder active.

The former has been switched off, but I'm not sure what lines I need to comment out for it. The latter I can't test as I can no longer mount the folder remotely. Any pointers would be much appreciated.

 

Which version of the script are you using?

 

Which direction are you wanting to keep file sharing working? i.e. Do you want your music mini to be able to mount other machines' shared drives, or do you want other machines to be able to mount music mini's drives that it has set to share?

I run the CAD script on my Mavericks install and no trouble with the former. But I don't know if the latter is operable as I purposely avoid turning on File Sharing on my music machine.

[hifi_swlon]

Hi, it's the latest from their website (1.2.2 I think - I'm not currently at that machine).

 

File sharing out from the music mini, as I mount this on my remote machine so I can drag files over. I prefer things this way so it can be done from any machine and without the need for screen sharing.

[Ipoci]

Has anyone tried with yosemite CAD Script?

 

I had an SD card with Yosemite installed on it just to play with before installing on main disk ...

 

I installed the last version of optimizer but SD doesn't boot anymore, booting bar increase up to 40% ... mouse pointer appears ... then nothing more, it remains stuck there ...

 

The unit is a MacBookPro Retina 15", i7 2.3GHz

 

Have a nice day, Massimiliano

[wwaldmanfan]

I had an SD card with Yosemite installed on it just to play with before installing on main disk ...

 

I installed the last version of optimizer but SD doesn't boot anymore, booting bar increase up to 40% ... mouse pointer appears ... then nothing more, it remains stuck there ...

 

The unit is a MacBookPro Retina 15", i7 2.3GHz

 

Have a nice day, Massimiliano

 

C.A.D. has said in this forum that their script may not function with Yosemite. In fact, they have promised to release an update with furthur refinements for Mavericks. Quoting from their web site:

"This script has been tested using Mountain Lion 10.8.5, Mavericks 10.9, iTunes 11.1.2, Audirvana 1.5.10 and iTunes Remote. The script is designed to allow control of iTunes using the iPad app, iTunes remote. Wifi connection should be made with an Ethernet connection to your wifi router."

[alsterfan]

... then nothing more, it remains stuck there ...

Hi Massimiliano,

as wwaldmanfan has pointed out correctly, this script is written for ML and Mavericks. It may malfunction if you now use it in the same way as you did with Mavericks. As I remarked earlier I first had problems too. The remedy for me was not to disable Launch Agents. As you cannot reset the script if your OSX is no longer booting, you will have to reinstall Y on your SD card and try the script again.

Regards,

Uwe

[alsterfan]

Sorry. I sent it twice

[hifi_swlon]

I finally took the plunge and ran the script with -w flags after some testing.

 

Machine rebooted fine. I never managed to work out the file sharing service/agent. it should be applefileservice or something similar but just loading that didn't do it. I just re-enabled this manually.

 

I have still left the screen sharing lines commented out as mentioned in a previous post - I'm not sure if these are actually necessary any more? Better safe than sorry. In fact, I actually locked myself out of the machine by accidentally un-checking screen sharing in the settings! Doh. I didn't have ssh enabled either, so meant taking it down to the TV as I don't have the monitor in the house at the moment. Very annoying, and not the CAD scripts fault!

 

I can report the 'automatically add to iTunes' folder still works with just the file sharing re-enbabled.

 

SQ-wise I'm hard pushed on first listen to say either way. Possibly there is less edge/glare, but there was too long a pause between running the script and sorting out screen sharing and rebooting and re-trying. Will do some more listening and report back.

 

The one thing I'm bit unsure about is there's no 'true' reset other than a system restore.

There is a real chance that the reset script will turn more back on than you had in the first place, depending on your own optimisations and settings, and working out what those might be would be pretty tricky. Not sure how easy it would be to code, but it would be better for the restore script to be automatically generated - i.e. to get the current settings of the OS for everything in the list, and save them as the restore point.

 

Looking forward to doing a bit more testing / listening.

 

Does anyone know what the theoretical minimum processes OSX can go down to and still function? At some point I'll just try killing more from the activity monitor.

[Ipoci]

... The remedy for me was not to disable Launch Agents....

 

Uwe

 

Installed again, it works perfectly on SD as well ...

 

Have a nice day, Massimiliano

[sandab]

Sometime I should sit down and add a Null Audio Device to use for system audio while playing music. And, I really don't trust coreaudiod, as it's very prone to screw up lip sync for video, introduce pops and clicks for Bluetooth audio, and hang players on switching to/from DoP mode. The players will hang in a spinlock, and when coreaudiod is killed (relaunched) the hung process spindumps. Getting rid of coreaudiod from the playback chain and providing device drivers that permit unrestricted access to a DAC would fix so many problems. Coreaudiod could be completely killed and prevented from relaunching altogether. Or at least only ever handle system sounds to a null device.

[alsterfan]

...add a Null Audio Device... Coreaudiod could be completely killed...

Hi sandab,

I deleted coreaudiod from usr/sbin but after rebooting (I tried it twice) the system got unstable. Music could not be played. I wonder how you managed to listen to music.

Apart from that could you please explain a "Null Audio Device" and how to try it?

 

Regards,

Uwe

[Jud]

Sometime I should sit down and add a Null Audio Device to use for system audio while playing music. And, I really don't trust coreaudiod, as it's very prone to screw up lip sync for video, introduce pops and clicks for Bluetooth audio, and hang players on switching to/from DoP mode. The players will hang in a spinlock, and when coreaudiod is killed (relaunched) the hung process spindumps. Getting rid of coreaudiod from the playback chain and providing device drivers that permit unrestricted access to a DAC would fix so many problems. Coreaudiod could be completely killed and prevented from relaunching altogether. Or at least only ever handle system sounds to a null device.

 

A more efficient substitute already exists: Audirvana+ Direct Mode.

[Le Concombre Masqué]

DM inverts polarity of dff files and I guess it inverts reverts polarity of pcm files.

 

Anyway, to my ears, it sounds better with DM unchecked, starting with Mavericks

 

A more efficient substitute already exists: Audirvana+ Direct Mode.