I made some of those boards and my build has stalled because the DAC8812 has gone unobtanium. Earliest restock dates I've seen so far are well into 2024. If this is going to be a product with a relatively close release date alternative DACs might be a good idea...
Ahh, that's annoying. I couldn't find any comparable IC in stock either.
You could switch it out for any other 16 bit R2R DAC IC (if you can find one) but then you would need to change the layout and control code.
I'm not sure which product you are talking about, the designs in this thread are using volume controller ICs. Or you mean my DAC8812 design? Definitely not going to be a product, my design is already 10 years old
I was thinking of whatever it was that Alex might or might not be cooking up using an 8812.
I've tried looking for alternatives but there's nothing directly comparable that I could find. I'm currently looking at some similar DACs that'll mean a redesign of the board and reprogramming. But the reprogramming part is OK, because I'm a lot better at that than I am at Kicad and electronics and what I had planned would have required a lot of new code as the preamp will be controlled via an Android app and have a touchscreen instead of rotary encoders.
There are plenty of 12bit DACs and a few 16bit single channel DACs. But it was while looking at those I wondered about a completely different approach, using a Muses chip and found Alex's boards. But I'm going to go back and look at more DAC chips...
I would choose 2x 16 bit single DACs then if I was you. Layout will be more complicated though. 12bit doesn't give you enough usable steps in my opinion as you need to create a logarithmic (ish) curve. With 16bit you get maybe 200 usable steps.
In practice not though. Less than 16bit is not ideal. Most DAC IC packages are not hand solderable. Many have strange control method (i.e. not IC2 or SPI) etc
That had been my idea, but as you say, it makes the layout more complicated, which is where my inexperience with electronics+Kicad butts up against my desire to 'get on with things'. I could do the layout in Kicad but just don't have the experience to know if I'm choosing the right DAC. Learning is painful. But thanks for your help & advice.
Nope, completely out of my depth at the moment and finding my transition from capable board stuffer to actually having practical/useful knowledge somewhat painful and slow...
I suspect I need to watch less TV and spend more time doing stuff
I'm really looking forward to 72323!That has been my plan for the last five years
I'm especially thinking about the one that was also made into a video!
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I looking for a new preamp so i just read the complete thread. I own a BPBP with Hans relay attenuator and maya controller / screen. I love it but two input are too limited for me now. I need four input, including three with volume control and two output for a head amp and a power amp. The fourth input is a soekris dac that has it's own volume control.
So the plan right now is the 72320 kit with a simple relay based 4x1 balanced relay switch and the two output wired in parallel. It's not optimal but it should do. The video with the controller board and LED screen is exactly what i'm look for, is there a way of getting it ?
I assume the new Muse 72323 is different and not compatible, so it requires a newly design board ? Control require a different firmware, there is a diyaudio user that made some board and coded an arduino firmware for it, maybe he can share it :
https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/muses-72323-buffer-board.380981/
https://www.diyaudio.com/community/...ut-selector-buffer-and-volume-control.380982/
I was also looking at the analog switch by njr. Academy audio made a 3x1 balanced input board with one of these :
https://www.nisshinbo-microdevices.co.jp/en/products/audio-switch/
My interest in these NJR switch come from a video switcher (4x4) that i use and feature similar analag switch. What i like about it is the ability to make a loop with a device in it's input/output. For example i have a scaler board i put in input 4 / output 4. So if my video signal come from input 1 and need to go to output 1, i push input 1 - output 4 and input 4- output 1 mode in my switcher to use the scaler.
Now with with these 7x3 njr switch, if we put the Muse input to one switch output, and the muse output to one switch input. We have a 6x2 switch with the ability to activate or deactivate the volume control, so the whole thing could act as a simple source selector.
It would be perfect in my setup with it's 6x input and "real" 2x output but i assume a board like these could be used for more utilization.
So the plan right now is the 72320 kit with a simple relay based 4x1 balanced relay switch and the two output wired in parallel. It's not optimal but it should do. The video with the controller board and LED screen is exactly what i'm look for, is there a way of getting it ?
I assume the new Muse 72323 is different and not compatible, so it requires a newly design board ? Control require a different firmware, there is a diyaudio user that made some board and coded an arduino firmware for it, maybe he can share it :
https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/muses-72323-buffer-board.380981/
https://www.diyaudio.com/community/...ut-selector-buffer-and-volume-control.380982/
I was also looking at the analog switch by njr. Academy audio made a 3x1 balanced input board with one of these :
https://www.nisshinbo-microdevices.co.jp/en/products/audio-switch/
My interest in these NJR switch come from a video switcher (4x4) that i use and feature similar analag switch. What i like about it is the ability to make a loop with a device in it's input/output. For example i have a scaler board i put in input 4 / output 4. So if my video signal come from input 1 and need to go to output 1, i push input 1 - output 4 and input 4- output 1 mode in my switcher to use the scaler.
Now with with these 7x3 njr switch, if we put the Muse input to one switch output, and the muse output to one switch input. We have a 6x2 switch with the ability to activate or deactivate the volume control, so the whole thing could act as a simple source selector.
It would be perfect in my setup with it's 6x input and "real" 2x output but i assume a board like these could be used for more utilization.
If you need a 4 input, balanced and RCA, see what I did for my preamp, If 4 inputs is not enough I have a 6 input, 4 balance, 2 single ended, selector.
Both are run by an Arduino Nano, 5 volts required.
https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/preamp-control-volume-input-mute-remote.326029/page-27
Both are run by an Arduino Nano, 5 volts required.
https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/preamp-control-volume-input-mute-remote.326029/page-27
@atohmdiy: Since you already have a BPPBP, the easiest way would be to use it for volume control and just add appropriate switching around it to make it work for you. NJM input selectors do look attractive, but I would not call their distortion low. In that respect, relays are unbeatable. What's also good about relays, you can achieve the functionality you're looking for by simply wiring some relays in parallel and use one of free firmware options available to control them.
If you do want to use a different volume controller, I suggest to eat that elephant one bite at a time and make it a separate project. My controller totally works in my own builds, but I have not turned it yet into a product suitable for a broader audience. The MUSES72323 has a different pinout and probably requires a somewhat different control firmware; I have not looked into it in detail. @meldano apparently has working firmwares for both chips and an input selector, too - although his approach is to use the MUSES chip as a high quality attenuator only.
If you do want to use a different volume controller, I suggest to eat that elephant one bite at a time and make it a separate project. My controller totally works in my own builds, but I have not turned it yet into a product suitable for a broader audience. The MUSES72323 has a different pinout and probably requires a somewhat different control firmware; I have not looked into it in detail. @meldano apparently has working firmwares for both chips and an input selector, too - although his approach is to use the MUSES chip as a high quality attenuator only.
@johnhenryharris
Thank you for your answer. It look like a nice project.
For now i already own a 4x1 balanced switch i could use (i own two in fact). I would like to stay with the BPBP design i like a lot. Also my BPBP have a relay base attenuator and it was the occasion to try the muse chip.
I never do electronic or code in my life, so i learn on the job. I can assemble a kit easily, i do it for some years now, but i have no idea how to make a screen working with an arduino. The only experience i have with Arduino is the scaler i already mention that need to compile and send an arduino code to the device.
So if you want another tester for your controller, i volunteer
Thank you for your answer. It look like a nice project.
For now i already own a 4x1 balanced switch i could use (i own two in fact). I would like to stay with the BPBP design i like a lot. Also my BPBP have a relay base attenuator and it was the occasion to try the muse chip.
@alexcp
Yes i follow meldano project for sometime, unfortunately he refuses to use a screen in his project, which is a deal breaker to me. I need a screen and a remote, at least for volume.I never do electronic or code in my life, so i learn on the job. I can assemble a kit easily, i do it for some years now, but i have no idea how to make a screen working with an arduino. The only experience i have with Arduino is the scaler i already mention that need to compile and send an arduino code to the device.
So if you want another tester for your controller, i volunteer
I don't have any spare input controller boards but I do have one set of the discreet volume control, purely resistive, Arduino controlled, LED display Rotary encoder volume knob and muting. The display is built, (LED display, Memory decoding, etc), you populate the rest of the parts, relays and resistors, and program the Arduino Nano, or send a Nano to me to be programmed. It is the previous design of my volume control, no dimming, or balance but I use it in my preamp and it is one of the best sounding volume controls I have tried. Free with $10 shipping. Read my thread before jumping into it.
I will contact you guys over PM in the coming week or so. I have been doing other things (namely ultra low distortion amplifiers, the Omicron being one turned into a published project) over the last couple of years, and the volume controller project was sitting on the back burner, even though a few good people here have been pinging me about it. Perhaps now is the time to make good of old promises.