HQPlayer kick start guide & feature requests

[Geoffrey Armstrong]

An OS X app other than iTunes can have exclusive access to the IR receiver.

 

Take a look at https://www.iospirit.com/developers/hidremote/

 

 

The download includes a sample Xcode project which I had no trouble building and running on Yosemite.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]15251[/ATTACH]

 

Thanks that is interesting. I'll download it and take a look. Perhaps it could be re-written in Swift? I'm looking for projects to learn and practice Swift. I've found it difficult to get my head around Obj C.

[Geoffrey Armstrong]

If you replace "tab" with key code it should work? Either "keystroke 162" or "key code {162}"?

 

I'm trying to run a Python script to test this; but it fails on trying to communicate with HQP.

 

The methods in this script work with apps that come with Windows, such as notepad.

 

import timeimport win32com

import win32com.client

from subprocess import *

 

 

shell = win32com.client.Dispatch('WScript.Shell')

#call("C:\Program Files (x86)\Signalyst\HQPlayer Desktop 3\HQPlayer-desktop.exe")

shell.Run('HQPlayer-desktop.exe')

shell.AppActivate('HQPlayer-desktop.exe')

time.sleep(0.1)

shell.SendKeys("key code {162}")

 

The errors I get are:

 

Socket Error: No connection could be made because the target machine actively refused it

 

… and

IDLE'S subprocess didn't make connection. Either IDLE can't start a connection or personal firewall software is blocking the connection.

 

IDLE is the Python GUI environment for writing and running scripts.

 

Any ideas?

 

Thanks,

 

Geoff

[Miska]

I'm trying to run a Python script to test this; but it fails on trying to communicate with HQP.

 

Yes, this kind of method doesn't work. You need to launch the player in normal way and send the events from outside.

[mikel]

Hello Miska

 

First many thanks for your great support here.

 

I might have a very stupid questions but I cannot find the answer.

On the MAC, how can I add several tracks at once from the Library to the Playlist.

Double Clicking on single files works and adds them to the playlist. As soon as I click on a folder, the playlist is emptied and the whole folder contents is added. Everything that was there before is gone.

 

One proposal for the MAC:

Can you add dragging files into the Dock-Icon.

Would make adding files to the playlist so much easier.

 

Regards, Michael

 

 

Ah just found out..... need the shift key....

[hifial]

EuroDriver; PM sent.

[Miska]

Double Clicking on single files works and adds them to the playlist. As soon as I click on a folder, the playlist is emptied and the whole folder contents is added. Everything that was there before is gone.

 

Important point here. There are two playback "modes" in the player.

1) "Transport mode" aka "Album mode", where a single directory of files consisting of tracks of same format belong together (on Windows and Linux, where bare CD is supported, CD is always handled in this mode)

2) "Playlist mode" where you have collection of tracks that don't necessarily belong together

 

In your first case you are operating in (2), in your second case you are operating in (1). These are also indicated by messages appearing in the status bar. You can also switch from (1) to (2) using the "switch to playlist mode" toolbar button.

 

In fullscreen/touch mode, on the left cover flow view you are loading up for (1) and on the right playlist view you are loading up for (2).

 

These two operation modes have most difference when playing back DSD files, but also the external cover art handling is different and some other operation differs. So when you want to listen to an album, I always recommend using (1) instead of (2).

[satbaba]

Which gives the best sound performance in the operating system Hqplay? Windows8, Yosemite Mac OSX, Linux?

 

Thanks a lot.

[Miska]

Which gives the best sound performance in the operating system Hqplay? Windows8, Yosemite Mac OSX, Linux?

 

There is no simple answer to the question. How much there is difference depends primarily on the used DAC. For out-of-box optimized OS, Ubuntu Studio 14.04 LTS offers very good performance so for an UAC2 device without ASIO driver it usually has best performance. Windows vs OS X depends if your DAC has ASIO driver for both, or just for the other. Currently exaSound is the only one where fields are level in this regard, since ASIO driver is available for both. Sometimes using DAC with ASIO driver also enables higher sampling rates than would be otherwise available, for example with iFi and partially with Mytek.

[satbaba]

Thanks Miska

[Miska]

A bit more clarification; for an UAC2 DAC that doesn't have ASIO driver, best choice is between Linux and OS X where said Linux distribution offers better overall performance.

[mikel]

Important point here. There are two playback "modes" in the player.

1) "Transport mode" aka "Album mode", where a single directory of files consisting of tracks of same format belong together (on Windows and Linux, where bare CD is supported, CD is always handled in this mode)

2) "Playlist mode" where you have collection of tracks that don't necessarily belong together

 

In your first case you are operating in (2), in your second case you are operating in (1). These are also indicated by messages appearing in the status bar. You can also switch from (1) to (2) using the "switch to playlist mode" toolbar button.

 

In fullscreen/touch mode, on the left cover flow view you are loading up for (1) and on the right playlist view you are loading up for (2).

 

These two operation modes have most difference when playing back DSD files, but also the external cover art handling is different and some other operation differs. So when you want to listen to an album, I always recommend using (1) instead of (2).

 

Hello Miska

 

I get the idea now thanks.

Is there a way I can search for a specific song?

 

What I would like to propose is a search function basically searching everywhere (Artist, Performer, Album etc).

At the moment you have 3 fields.

I believe one field with a live search function would make finding stuff much quicker and easier.

What do you think?

 

Regards, Michael

[Miska]

Is there a way I can search for a specific song?

 

Not at the moment, the library data only contains information albums but not about individual tracks. I may add this later.

 

Option of course is to use find functionality of the OS and then just drag-and-drop the track to HQPlayer.

 

What I would like to propose is a search function basically searching everywhere (Artist, Performer, Album etc).

At the moment you have 3 fields.

 

That kind of search is available in the fullscreen/touch mode in the left cover-flow view... It is kind of "clever" search.

 

Those three fields are more like list filters, so you can combine for example artist and performer filters.

 

I believe one field with a live search function would make finding stuff much quicker and easier.

What do you think?

 

It is technically possible, but both approaches have their sides. The one in cover flow is closer to what you are asking. The ones in desktop mode allow very powerful combined regular expression filters (when you prefix the search term with '#').

 

 

I'll think about different alternatives for replacing the current three-field filter model with something else in the desktop mode.

[Geoffrey Armstrong]

Yes, this kind of method doesn't work. You need to launch the player in normal way and send the events from outside.

 

Understood! Thanks Miska

[ericuco]

Feature request:

 

Remember the last setting for "Time", "Remaining", "Time Remaining" on start up.

 

Currently, the setting always goes back to "Time" on start up whereas I use "Time Remaining" because I get a loud pop (related to poor DoP implementation) after the last DSD (native DSD or PCM > DSD) track finishes.

[mikel]

Feature request for Mac version:

- offer exclusive audio playback (suppress all other apps potentially playing audio)

 

Rationale:

It frequently happens that when a email comes in or when surfing, unwanted sounds are played that can even totally confuse playback.

 

Thanks for considering.

 

Michael

[Esprit]

Here are the settings I use for Mytek with Firewire.

Now DVD5v3?

[Miska]

Now DVD5v3?

 

Yes... Although I will probably rename it to "ASDM5" in next release since it's result of quite long evolution...

[Freann]

@mikel Quick fix: assign alert sound to internal speakers.

[Miska]

Feature request for Mac version:

- offer exclusive audio playback (suppress all other apps potentially playing audio)

 

Rationale:

It frequently happens that when a email comes in or when surfing, unwanted sounds are played that can even totally confuse playback.

 

If the interface you are using supports non-mixable integer mode streams, this should already be the case.

 

Way I work around this on Mac is to set system sounds go to built-in audio and use a device configured for music output or not configured for any output (in the Audio&MIDI Settings) for HQPlayer. This way OS doesn't even attempt to play those sounds to the same device.

[Esprit]

In Audio MIDI setup all the sounds (system, video, web, etc...) are redirected to my monitor (its internal speakers).

The DAC receives ONLY the "data" from HQPlayer. It's already an "exclusive audio playback"

 

[OpusOne]

firstly, let me say i concur with the majority here that HQplayer probably sounds the best. Excellent work Miska and congratulations.

I have been a long time Audirvana+ user, and i have to say i prefer the sound of HQP now strictly from sound quality standpoint. The PCM->DSD conversion is just stunning on my iDSD micro, even just PCM playback through my hot rodded DAC has a sparkle that I have not heard. I have been trying it out on Mac as well as windows, and since iDSD has a ASIO driver for windows, i think i prefer the sound on windows, especially it enables DSD512 playback in native DSD mode, not DOP.

 

Just when i got comfortable and started to play with the different filter settings, i decided to be brave and try out NAA. I am cheap So instead of investing in a new cubox-i or equivalent, I just installed a stripped down ubuntu 14.04 on an older Alienware laptop (dual booting windows and linux now) and then get the libasound2 as well as networkaudiod_2.0.5-20_i386.deb according to the step by step procedures i found in another thread in this forum (Index of /naa-install). Viola, after a couple of hours of work, there is sound, and both my windows machine as well as Macbook pro running HQP desktop trial versions can now detect the NAA and playback through the Alienware laptop as NAA. My iDSD micro is now connected as a USB DAC to the Alienware NAA. The Alienware NAA is connected to my router via gigabit ethernet. However, i keep getting this static clicking and pops, with both PCM and DSD material. Even the simplest playback of 44.1k 16 bit material without any sort of upsampling has that problem. At first i thought it could be a power supply issue, so i ran both the Alienware NAA and the iDSD in battery mode, but the noise is still there. I am at a loss here on what to do next.

So i put on my engineer thinking hat and list down the possible suspects:

1) The default built in driver in Ubuntu for the iDSD is introducing this noise, and I need to look for a different driver.

2) The router or the cabling between the router and the NAA is picking up some interference.

3) The NAA app that I picked up is not the right one, i.e. i cannot use the one built for debian (i.e. networkaudiod_2.0.5-20_i386.deb) for ubuntu.

4) Another observation, for DSD material streaming, i have to change the setting for SDM to DOP in HQP or there is no sound. So it makes me think the built in driver in Ubuntu is not capable of supporting native DSD playback.

I am hoping Miska or some of the experts can help me narrow down the culprit.

Many thanks in advanced.

[Jabs1542]

Interesting... Though I have a completely different setup I also had to switch from SDM to DoP when switching to NAA through the SOtM SMS-100 server. I chalked it up to the SOtM and assumed it required DoP, hmm...

[OpusOne]

I last reported that my first attempt with using an old Alienware laptop dual booting into a stripped down Ubuntu 14.04 with the HQA NAA package installed and ran into strange clicking and popping noise during playback of any kind of music format. Hence, i started the debugging process by process of elimination. I installed Ubuntu Studio 14.04 on another laptop with the HQP NAA, and then connected my iDSD Micro to it. Immediately, my macbook pro running HQP desktop mode can detect the NAA/iDSD Micro on the network, and miraculously, the strange clicking and popping noise that plagued the my first attempt set-up went away. The sound thru NAA playback is clean with a quiet background.

 

My first impression of NAA is that the sound is a tad "drier" and "less musical"; it does not quite have the same bloom or fullness that i got from the same DAC connected directly to HQP desktop machine. For now, I am attributing that to the NAA set-up, since I have been reading that what you use for the NAA matters (i.e. a simple cubic versus a hotrodded Mac mini running Ubuntu etc.). That means there is further fine-tuning to do.

 

However, the deal breaker for NAA is the built-in driver in Ubuntu for the USB DAC seems to render the DAC as one that does not support native DSD playback. I have to switch from SDM native to DoP in HQP settings to get sound for PCM->DSD as well as straight DSD material playback. This introduces 2 problems; (1) DoP limits DSD playback to DSD2.8 and below because bandwidth issue and worst still, (2) DoP has the intrinsic issue of loud pops during DSD tracks switching on some DSD DACs.

 

Jabs1542 reported that SOtM SMS-100 with built in NAA support for HQP has the same problem of rendering a DAC to DoP only. I am wondering if the Cubox-i or Mac Mini guys have the same issue.

 

My next experiment would be to install HQP trial on my Ubuntu-Studio and playback in desktop mode with the same iDSD Micro connected to it. If for some reason, native DSD playback is possible again, that would eliminate the built in linux driver as a suspect.

 

As usual, I appreciate all feedback and help from those experienced and knowledgable ones in this area.

[ericuco]

As usual, I appreciate all feedback and help from those experienced and knowledgable ones in this area.

 

When I first plugged my Cubox-i into my system, it did not sound so great, similar to what you described so I took it out but left it powered up. About a week later, I reinserted the Cubox-i and it is sounding better. Not sure if it was break-in, me being in a different state of mind, .... In any case, I am going to leave it in for now and see how it goes.

 

For my Cubox-i, I just ordered an inexpensive LPS off ebay for $53 including shipping from China. Someone on this forum mentioned that some Cubox-i owners have had success with this LPS. For $53, what the hell.

[bibo01]

A request: WDM device driver

 

I am not sure if Miska is willing to add this feature and if it is possible to add similar features to OSX and Linux platforms, however it could be very useful in various ways.

A WDM driver means that any Windows application using audio would send signal to HQPlayer which, at the same time, can use its own audio backend - ASIO, Network... New scenarios are opened for Qobuz or similar, VLC for movies,... Music applications such as Foobar (or others) can be employed for library management only and used with their remote clients. So there is no need to drag'n'drop, smartphone/tablet apps can be used and HQPlayer marvellous sound quality can be retained and enjoyed to the full.

 

I hope other users are going to second my request.