HQ Player

[bibo01]

Thx for the answer, but still I do not know how to proceed. How can i install NAA on my Macmini? I have a netgear active bridge in the network. How can i take advantage of it? An i agree, i do not think that there is a way of installing anything on the bridge, so the only exit seems to be via the macmini, if i am able to ellucidate the way of using it with the NAA. REgards, Ricardo

I do not use Mac so perhaps other users can give you more detailed instructions, but I think that you just have to start networkaudiod (the program you D/L from Signalyst for NAA) and make sure it's loaded at startup, if it does not do it automatically. Then, if server and naa are on the same network domain, you should be able to see NAA and DAC from HQPlayer Setting menu. Start NAA and DAC first, then your server.

[bibo01]

From FB HQPlayer page:

 

HQPlayer Desktop 3.12.0beta1 now available for download.

HQPlayer now includes nVidia CUDA GPU offload support. To utilize this offload nVidia GPU at minimum Compute Capability 3.0, 1 GB of graphics memory and nVidia driver is required. Latest CUDA driver for Mac can be found here. If suitable GPU is not found, offload is not performed even if requested.

 

Signalyst - Installing HQPlayer beta

[bibo01]

There is also a new network icon on the toolbar:

 

When not selected (button up), control connections (Muso, Roon, hqp-control) are allowed only from the same computer (localhost). When selected (button down), control connections are accepted from other devices, such as other computer or tablet on the local network. Setting is remembered over restarts. This for security and convenience of laptop users who frequently use their computers at home and while traveling.

[bibo01]

What Nvidia card do you have?

[bibo01]

GTX670 2GB approved for sure.

 

True. It is 3.0 and it has 1344 CUDA cores. Is its driver Win10 approved?

 

I am curious to see Miska troubleshooting this on Win platform.

[bibo01]

Talking about GPU, would it possible to have access to onboard GPUs, instead of expensive cards only?

It would increase performance for all users, including notebook.

 

Now that I got a taste of it, I want it all!

[bibo01]

It works for any GPU that fulfill the requirements, regardless whether it is a separate card or onboard one...

 

If you go here and open the GeForce list, you can check the Notebook products -column for the ones that have 3.0 or higher level. Same for Mobile products column under Quadro. If someone buys something new, I recommend checking that it is Maxwell generation GPU.

Already 3.5 level offers dynamic parallelism which is missing from 3.0.

OK. Probably I did not express myself properly.

Most people have Intel CPUs with GPU onboard. Will you be able to support those?

[bibo01]

It is my understanding that can't run CUDA on intel gpu. That would require completely different programming.

 

That's what I was trying to say in my convoluted way!

Is it possible, obviously in a later version, Intel GPUs that most people already have?

[bibo01]

I tried v3.12beta2 on Windows.

I can playback from local disk.

If I drag'n'drop or choose a file from NAS, instead, HQPlayer goes in crash - it endlessly tries to load the file.

The log reports nothing after dropping the file.

[bibo01]

I tried v3.12beta2 on Windows.

I can playback from local disk.

If I drag'n'drop or choose a file from NAS, instead, HQPlayer goes in crash - it endlessly tries to load the file.

The log reports nothing after dropping the file.

Sorry Miska, but it now works fine both from local and NAS.

The NAS problem was probably a system issue.

[bibo01]

Where do I find beta 3 3.12 download ?

 

Signalyst - Installing HQPlayer beta

[bibo01]

Hi, i am using HQPlayer (latest beta3 with Roon integration) and one issue I've had for a while (eg with prior builds as well) is the startup time. From the time I start the application to when it is ready can be as long as 1 minute. In addition, changing settings will also freeze HQPlayer for a long period of time. My music is stored locally on a hard drive and my boot drive is an SSD. I had hoped my new build (Windows 10 64 bit) with 32 GB of memory and an i7 6700k processor will speed this up, but that has not been the case.

 

Has others experienced this? And anything I can do to fix?

 

I don't have a graphics card on this machine as it is a dedicated headless PC connected to my USB DAC, but if getting a CUDA card will help, that is also a doable solution...but I figure I should check in before ordering one to see if 1) there is an alternative solution (to avoid unnecessary heat on this fanless PC) and 2) confirm that offloading to CUDA will actually reduce the initialization times.

 

thanks!

Miska will give better suggestions for sure.

I fear that the slow initialization has nothing to do with how fast/powerful is your system. There must be something that is holduìing HQPlayer up.

Have you tried deleting your setup file - "HQPlayer.xml" in Users\name\AppData\Local\HQPlayer ?

[bibo01]

Thanks firedog. Unfortunately, this is the version I already have installed. For some reason this new version of HQplayer just seem to push my CPU into 200 per cent territory for 24/192 files and leave less flexibility in terms of settings, whereas earlier versions did not have this problem....It would be a shame if I cannot play my 24/192 files integrated with ROON

 

Out of curiosity - do you have the same playback problem also with Roon turned off?

[bibo01]

Gentlemen, today I've installed the latest beta of HQ Player + Roon has updated to build 88. The issue that bothers me a lot is that HQ Player has to be switched between PCM or DSD prior the playback from Roon. Is there anyone who has the same troubles? I thought that HQP will upsample anything automatically from 44/100 to DSD and will leave intact the DSD stream...

 

I use MBP + Auralic Vega.

 

If you want HQPlayer to upconvert all PCM to DSD and leave DSD untouched, set output to your preferred DSD frequency through the 4 drop down menus + enable DirectDSM in DIFF/DSF setting menu.

[bibo01]

What setting do you use?

 

At 24/192 try "poli-sinc-*" family filters and "closed form", and "NS9" as noise shaper.

[bibo01]

HQPlayer Desktop and HQPlayer Embedded 3.12.0 released!

 

- Support for Roon as control interface and media source.

- Support for offloading part of the processing to a GPU using NVIDIA CUDA.

- Support for cross-application raw streams and extensions to the remote control API.

- Lower overhead Pipeline SDM implementation.

- Fix ASDM7 initialization bug.

- Various smaller fixes and optimizations.

[bibo01]

All good & well...BUT. The website lists 3.11.0 how to obtain 3.12.0?

 

Just try to do a refresh on your browser. v3.12 is online.

[bibo01]

I solved my problems with stuttering by disabling "Pipeline SDM". Now the load on two cores is higher (about 50%) but there is no stuttering. When I turn on "Pipeline SDM" 4 cores are used but with massive stuttering when upsampling from PCM to DSD64, 128, 256.

 

@Miska: Can you please check if there is something wrong with the "Pipeline SDM" option. I thought this option should improve the performance and not decrease it.

 

I have two feature requests:

1) Support for DSD ISO files (like from PENTATONE | the music label for classical music)

2) Support for multichannel speaker delay in DirectSDM mode with as little CPU consumption as possible

 

Thanks,

Frank

 

Perhaps your system is showing 4 CPUs, but in reality it's a dual core. Pipelline SDM is recommended only on real quad cores. Perhaps that is the reason of your stuttering during playback.

[bibo01]

I am planning to create some filters with Acourate. What sample rate should I save these filters 44.1 or 48?

Go for either 88.2 or 96.

[bibo01]

Miska,

 

a few requests from people who use volume control a lot (sometimes without a pre):

 

- dB indicator should always be visible, not disappear after a few seconds

- volume know should keep dimensions, possibly with min e max values next to it

- when one controls at minimum level, it jumps too easily to max (very dangerous)

- keyboard control should require two separate keys for volume, without sharing keys with changing track.

[bibo01]

- keyboard control should require two separate keys for volume, without sharing keys with changing track.

 

I'm not sure what you mean by sharing keys? Key bindings are for different key codes entirely.

The 2 pairs of arrow keys on the keyboard are both used for volume and change track, it depends if one with the cursor has activated volume or track change. Since one alternates almost always between the two operations, when you go to change volume you actually change track. A simple solution would be to have two fixed keys to change track and especially another two fixed keys for volume.

To change track the cursor is fine, but fine volume adjustment can only be done through keyboard keys. So the implementation must be functional.

[bibo01]

The 2 pairs of arrow keys on the keyboard are both used for volume and change track, it depends if one with the cursor has activated volume or track change. Since one alternates almost always between the two operations, when you go to change volume you actually change track. A simple solution would be to have two fixed keys to change track and especially another two fixed keys for volume.

To change track the cursor is fine, but fine volume adjustment can only be done through keyboard keys. So the implementation must be functional.

I'm not sure what you are talking about...

 

I have tested the functionality on couple of multimedia keyboards and it has been working fine. Play/Stop/Next/Prev/Fwd/Rew buttons act on tracks and VolumeUp/VolumeDown/Mute buttons act on volume. I've tested this on both Logitech and Microsoft keyboards that have multimedia-keys. Also Apple IR-remote works correctly on Win8.1 installed with BootCamp. Remote controls from other vendors are likely to work correctly too.

Sorry, I did not make myself clear.

 

In order to change volume, firstly I have to click on the Volume knob, then I can use up/down or left/right keyboard keys to change volume.

If I do not click on the volume knob, with the same keys I inadvertently change tracks.

 

What I was requesting is two keyboard keys that are always connected to volume change and are separate from other functions, without having to select volume knob first.

For example, up/down keys could be reserved to volume and left/right keys could be for track change.

 

Happy New Year!

[bibo01]

I'm using Roon & HQPlayer together and am experiencing a loss of connection between Roon and HQPlayer. This happens at the end of a song and I have to shutdown and restart HQPlayer before I can play music again.

 

Anyone else experiencing this? I'm guessing it's a HQPlayer bug since restarting the HQPlayer app fixes it.

 

There is no need to restart HQPlayer. In Roon open Volume, click on the chain icon.

[bibo01]

Those already exist, those are volume up/down keys! And for tracks there are the corresponding track control keys.

 

For example Logitech K200/K270 keyboard has some of those keys (four, Play/Pause + Mute + Volume Down + Volume Up). K350 has also track control keys.

...

Sorry Miska, do we have problem to understand each other in 2016?!

I told you that the up/down keys work only after selecting the Volume knob!

 

I understand that with certain multimedia keyboards volume control is separate, but with all notebook keyboards is not.

 

My request stands.

[bibo01]

Maybe we have something I'd call alignment issue... ;D

I didn't even know that up/down keys also work because I never tried and it is not part of my code at all. In my code there's bindings only for the multimedia keys. Probably this is one of the items that doesn't even necessarily work the same way on all platforms. I could add some other key bindings, but overriding the default OS/toolkit bindings is tricky and could lead to unexpected side-effects.

 

 

 

OK, I see, we need to then find some other keys that are widely available and are not already bound to some OS specific use. Mac OS X is good example of platform where annoyingly Apple has hard-wired bindings for multimedia keys, so even though I have bindings for those, the OS itself is stealing those and launching iTunes instead (unless you hack the OS not to).

 

How about Apple keyboard key bindings?

F7: Previous

F8: Play/Pause

F9: Next

F10: Mute

F11: Volume Down

F12: Volume Up

 

Apple keyboard key bindings are fine, as long as volume keys are for volume only and respond to volume only without previous selection.

Thanks