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New second generation Dirac Live


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Hi.  Recently started with the (Windows) PC version of the Beta.  Jriver 25 (64 bit). 5.1 Multichannel. ExaSound DAC

I'm using DLP 9.12 (newest that can be configured with multi-channel per Dirac)

Per guide (from Dirac)  everything needs to be downsampled to 48hz

 

Anyone else have experience with similar configuration?

 

What works:

Standalone version of DLP works for taking measurements.  Start DLP and select new measurement launches Dirac Live and everything goes as expected.

 

What doesn't work:

Measuring from within Jriver and Dirac VST always fails at the volume calibration. Dirac live launches.  It just won't measure properly if launched from the JRiver host.

 

Maybe not working?:

 I've created a handful of filters via the standalone version.  Once created they show up in the VST.  But playing in JRiver each of them sound exactly the same no matter what I do. For example, target curves with exaggerated bass sound exactly the same as a target curve with greatly reduced bass.  Sofa sounds same as localized.  When the filter is engaged there is a noticeable drop in volume level, so it's doing something.  But when I correct the volume back up, I can't even distinguish changes from the original (unadjusted) source.

 

Dirac can't be that subtle, can it?   The bass region (40 - 80hz) for my speakers (PSB Synchrony One's) has one large spike upward and one downward slope.  I figured if I just had a target curve that exaggerated the upward spike across the entire range I should hear something.   Surprisingly the rest of the measured curve for they Synchrony One's look pretty  good to my inexperienced eyes (why I don't know).  

 

Also, my two rear speakers (side speakers - whatever you want to call them) are behind the listening position and offset.  I figured that Dirac would help with the time delays on these speakers.

 

Any thoughts?  I really feel like there should be a more pronounced audible effect.

 

I was trying to compare this to Audyssey XT32.  Changes from that are easily heard.  And I don't like it.

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1 hour ago, flak said:

 

Hello,

it's important that you keep in touch with us at http://helpdesk.dirac.se/

because for the DLP (DiracLiveProcessor) we now have builds 0.9.23 for Windows and 0.9.24 for Mac and those can be used for multichannel at 96 KHz.

Also something should be wrong as the difference is clearly audible so please contact us, we will be pleased to support you in making it work.

Thanks, Flavio

 

 

Hi Flavio.

 

I actually have been in touch, but mostly to resolve other issues I've encountered.  I only posted in here, so as to stop bothering your helpdesk workers :)  It's been learning experience for me.  Is it possible to be notified when new versions of beta are released? 

 

For now, I will include version of software I am using with my helpdesk requests as eyecatcher. 

 

I've now put request in for newer version with helpdesk. 

At this point I think it makes sense to complete testing with updated DLP before I start providing additional comments.

 

Thanks again.

Martin

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
50 minutes ago, garysi said:

"Been running the beta for about 40 days now and after a few bumps, it is now running smoothly with JRiver MC25.  Had no trouble with the VST Plugins ....."

Have you had any JRiver issues uninstalling the plugin?  Each time I've uninstalled... remove plugin from JRiver + uninstall from system (for updated plugin) JRiver registration info is lost and I need to reactivate. 

 

Been trying to get to the bottom of this.  It's happened to me on two different machines.

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1 hour ago, DSD256 said:

When I choose in Audirvana real time control I see that gain control works...but the processor simply does no save the control setting without realtime control. 

looks like a bug. need save action for DLNA.

With JRiver VST it saves but the UI doesn't properly reflect the saved position.  So UI indicates volume is at 100%, but if you click on control when it's indicating 100%, the volume level increases even though per UI it is already at 100%

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...
2 minutes ago, flak said:

"...

Level is not automatically reduced by -8db as for Dirac Live 1.x, but when reducing the level by -8db in the VST plugin in JRiver (right hand site level bar in the DiracLiveProcessor) digital clipping should be avoided.

Also the above setting is not saved so that it has to be entered again.

 

I expect that those bugs will be fixed in the new version that we hope to make available within the expiry date of the current DLP builds"

 

I'm not sure just reducing the level is the solution. 

Multichannel rarely clips to the degree, if at all,  that 2 channel is clipping.

 

Also, reducing the level by -8db will fix the 2 channel problem, but lowers the multichannel when it need not be.

 

Even before lowering Jriver control (to avoid clipping) I generally have to raise my amp's volume by 8 to 10db,  to achieve same listening level as with filter disengaged.  Now if I lower VST volume control by an additional 8DB, I'd have to raise level of my amp by a total of 16 - 20 db to achieve the same listening levels with Dirac engaged so as to avoid clipping.  That just doesn't seem right to me.

 

"Also the above setting is not saved so that it has to be entered again."

With JRiver, the volume *is* persisted but the UI slider bar does not properly reflect the setting (at least for me).  True, the display always reverts to full volume but clicking on the control demonstrates this is clearly not the case. 

 

For example if you click on the control when it indicates maximum volume, nothing should happen.  Control indicates we are at maximum volume.   For me volume jumps to much higher level.  This caught me very much by surprise initially.

 


 

 

 

 

 

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I have one filter, that when engaged,is very close in level to the non-engaged setting.   Every other filter decreases volume level significantly when engaged.  For the most part, I've been finding the "engaged"  filters to lower volume more than I'd expect.  Anyone have an idea as to why this might happen?

 

Also, I've found the measurement process inconsistent in that I generally need to reboot my machine with microphone attached to complete process successfully.  If I don't do this, I almost always end up with incomplete measurements.

 

And a general question about setting the initial levels; what's the proper procedure?  I generally just try to even out each speaker's volume db reading as much as possible but ....  is there a target db reading (other than it's "green") that I should be achieving?

 

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23 hours ago, flak said:

 

Hi whoareyou,

 

"every EQ (including Dirac Live) needs headroom in order to be able of boosting those frequencies that require it without incurring in digital clipping, as a result the output level is reduced and that needs to be compensated by the volume control. ....."

Thanks for the explanations.

As far as the headroom adjustments to avoid clipping, is this something that is still being "tuned" by Dirac for the final product release?

 

I ask because some playback ( I believe always 2 channel)  requires, what I consider, way too much amplifier increase for playback play at acceptable volumes.  

 

There seems to be way more headroom than required by these recordings 

 

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 10/4/2019 at 11:29 AM, michael123 said:

 

 

On 10/4/2019 at 11:14 AM, flak said:

@whoareyou

 

we now have a new version of the DiracLiveProcessor that you might check for the headroom adjustment.

The ”Measure” tab has been removed and Dirac Live no longer should be invoked via the processor, instead it can be opened separately and Dirac Live Processor will appear as a device to be selected when Dirac Live will be launched.

Also VU-meters and clipping indicators have been added.

 

Available as usual on request from here: http://helpdesk.dirac.se/

 

Thanks, Flavio

 

Flavio,

I received download link for the processor, but the link points to the same version number that I already have installed  My current version is DiracLiveProcessor-0.9.24-alpha-win64 

 

Can you please confirm what the version number for this new processor?

 

I don't want to install wrong version.  Reason.... Each VST install to JRiver corrupts my Jriver license and I don't want to go through process of restoring Jriver license with incorrect DLP install.

 

This installation with JRiver real problem that needs to be corrected.

 

I have reported this to help desk via Dirac portal.  I believe it to be uninstall registration info incorrectly entered to windows 10 registry.

 

Can you also confirm the sample rates currently supported by the processor.  Last correspondence I have on this is that 88.2khz is NOT supported.   Has this changed?

 

Thanks,

Martin

 

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  • 1 month later...
3 hours ago, michael123 said:

@flakFlavio, could you please post release notes somewhere? As a beta tester, that's quite common..

In addition - has pricing been determined?

While I have yet to install the latest Beta, I am fairly certain I understand the pros and cons of using the processor.  I am at point in time where pricing is important to my evaluation process.

Thanks

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Has anyone configured their Dirac installation for multichannel? 

 

I'm just getting around to trying the new beta.  I first uninstalled and deleted all Dirac directories. 

 

Next I reinstalled all new software and copied channels.json (5.1) to:

 C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Roaming\Dirac\DiracLiveProcessor (per DiracLiveMultichannelGuide.pdf)

 

Dirac will not configure to multichannel for me.  This worked fine with previous processor marked alpha

 

If anyone has successfully configured for multichannel, will you please provide details?

 

This is version 0.9.37 on windows 64 bit.

 

Thanks very much

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On 11/15/2019 at 3:27 PM, Alain13 said:

I only get stereo sound with the 0.9.35 beta DLP. Switching back to 0.9.24 alpha DLP gives me 5.1 surround sound again.

Anyone else noticed it?

 

Created a ticket to the helpdesk for it.

Did you ever get this resolved?  I just installed the latest beta and I am not able to get multichannel setup configured.  Only stereo.  I filed report with help desk.

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On 12/1/2019 at 3:17 AM, Alain13 said:

Yes I did, the helpdesk will help you out.

You’ll get a new version and a different config file then before (temporary solution) to make it the channel config you have. 

 

Thanks.  

 

Helpdesk got me going, although for me I now have a couple of issues related to setting initial channel levels.  Unfortunately, the helpdesk site is not working for me at moment, so I'll have to wait to report.

 

One item that I'm not sure is a bug or not:

When setting initial levels, all channels except for the subwoofer play pink noise.  Subwoofer channel plays the calibration sweep tone and not pink noise.  Is that behavior you are seeing?

 

Issue I am definitely having is:

Clicking on the "play" button for a channel's test tone (for setting levels), works inconsistently .  Most of time I have to toggle button multiple times to initiate the leveling tone.  Sometimes, it just won't work at all.

 

 

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, flak said:

 

Maybe the plugin was an incomplete beta?

(we had several issues during beta testing that have been subsequently fixed)

@flak

Can you provide clarification as to what has been officially released?  And on each platform?

For example, Multichannel processor for the PC seems to still be Beta?  But two channel is release?

I for one am thoroughly confused.

 

Also, on each platform what playback sample rates are supported?  I am *trying* to beta test the multichannel 64bit PC version (with JRiver), but I can't determine how sample rate should be configured   I utilize 96khz for everything - but is that the only option or is it correct?

 

Thanks

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6 hours ago, Alain13 said:

 

Hi Flavio,

 

As the multichannel beta expires in 2 days, I asked the Dirac Helpdesk about an extension and got the following reply:

 

The Live Processor is for sale now here: https://live.dirac.com/pro-audio/ 
We do not hand out any more extensions now.  ……..
Is this true? Will my multichannel v2 beta just stop working? Or will my v1 license (temporarily) be upgraded to v2 stereo for example?
Regards,
Alain

Hi Alain,

 

Did you ever find out what is going on with multichannel version?

 

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  • 1 month later...

Regarding the processor's gain control....  how exactly is that control working to reduce or increase volume (to help with potential clipping?).  

 

Are there any guidelines for how much reduction is too much?

 

I  keep mine around -13db because some of my albums are mixed at very high levels.

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  • 2 weeks later...

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