This talk of room correction is very interesting. I’m not familiar with dirac and their mini dsp at all, but am intrigued. I’ve looked at their website and am curious what of their products would best suit my humble system? I’m currently using a diy Pass F6 amplifier. My source is either an Onkyo cdp or a late 2012 Mac mini (8gb ram and 512 gb SSD). I’m currently using my 6sn7 based preamp as a volume control. I do have a LighterNote LDR preamp I was using but like the tube preamp better. I also have a diy AD 1862 r2r dac I’ve recently completed I’ve yet to incorporate. My speakers are diy transmission lines with MarkAudio 10p drivers. Everything is connected unbalanced (RCA). I live in a mobile home and the room doesn’t sound bad to these old ears but I’m sure some correction would be beneficial. I’m rambling here, not appropriate for this conversation? Just hoping for insight.
regards
regards
wow that sounds good if it is self-selected, but mobile homes are usually small in size and small size can be a problem, but I would guess that there are huge losses in thin walls in a mobile home, and that can be a good thing... damn it, now I burned my popcorn in the microwave, burnt popcorn does not taste so sweet
Considering comercialy available ASRC ICs have ~128dB SNR its an imposibility you hear the 192kHz->48KHz->192KHz conversions. https://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/s...13793&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F
Since my sources are all digital, I decided to stay in the digital domain as long as possible and opted for the miniDSP Flex/Digital with Dirac. It sits between the output of my streamer and the input of the ADI2 Pro Fs R DAC. I try to avoid going through DA/AD/DA etc conversions as much as possible.
Jan
Any of you got the Dirac Live working on their miniDSP (Flex or otherwise?).
After several months of trying on and off, and abysmal support from miniDSP, I'm ready to throw in the towel.
Unless someone has a bright idea I haven't tried yet.
Thing is that:
1 - if I click Start Dirac Live in the miniDSP DDRC-24 app, there's a screen flicker and nothing further.
2 - I can start Dirac separately, it will detect the miniDSP Flex but when I proceed it complaints that the Flex 'behaves unexpectedly' and that Dirac 'can't reset the master Level'. So the connection isn't working as it should.
But with the DDRC-24 app it all works flawlessly.
And once in a blue moon Dirac gives 'internal error 1003'.
Stumped.
Jan
After several months of trying on and off, and abysmal support from miniDSP, I'm ready to throw in the towel.
Unless someone has a bright idea I haven't tried yet.
Thing is that:
1 - if I click Start Dirac Live in the miniDSP DDRC-24 app, there's a screen flicker and nothing further.
2 - I can start Dirac separately, it will detect the miniDSP Flex but when I proceed it complaints that the Flex 'behaves unexpectedly' and that Dirac 'can't reset the master Level'. So the connection isn't working as it should.
But with the DDRC-24 app it all works flawlessly.
And once in a blue moon Dirac gives 'internal error 1003'.
Stumped.
Jan
Interesting, I have it with my DDRC-24 and haven't had any problems. I haven't touched it in about a year, but when I went through all the setup I didn't have any issues. Took all my readings and tweaked everything with no problems.
I have more recently, about 4 months ago, used it with a DDRC-88D and with the latest version (at that time) of dirac I had all manner of issues getting that to work. It would take one measurement and then hang and not move forward. I don't recall how I eventually got it to work, but got it all corrected and haven't touched it again.
gabo
I have more recently, about 4 months ago, used it with a DDRC-88D and with the latest version (at that time) of dirac I had all manner of issues getting that to work. It would take one measurement and then hang and not move forward. I don't recall how I eventually got it to work, but got it all corrected and haven't touched it again.
gabo
"192k in - > ASRC 48k DSP for Dirac/BM - ASRC 192k up - > 192k out."
Not so appetizing to me..
I have owned a MiniDSP SHD since November of 2018, this is the MiniDSP HiFi solution, mine at least is reasonably transparent. I use Dirac3 Live on the SHD with alarming frequency because I am in the throws of upgrading my system and room and..
@jan, you might want to try reflashing the FW on your DDRC-24 and make sure you have the latest version of the app, I have seen the errors you describe. Usually resetting the target device solves the issues (it is rare here).
Make sure internal sound on your laptop is muted when running Dirac 3. Any external setting change will cause the "behaves unexpectedly" - so will a bad USB cable. (Ask me how I know.. LOL)
I have subs and a 3 way active system. I recently decided I needed something a little more flexible than the 3-way analog LR4 XOs I designed 5 years ago. I have married a yet to be modified DCX2496 via digital I/O to the SHD which gives me incomprehensible power... 😈 to screw things up. 🤣
It almost sounds OK, and gives me stereo 4 way crossover with settable delays and a wide range of slopes,etc to choose from as I try to figure out the system I rebuilt over the past few months. The two control panels can coexist on the same laptop simultaneously so I have gotten used to making changes on the fly after measurements had told me most of what I need to know.
Joking aside the real problem with the DCX besides a stone age interface and controls is noise. Mine actually was a noticeable improvement over the analog line level XO it replaced. Purchased as a tool to figure things out, I expected it to suck - this one at least doesn't, so like any good diyer I will spend some time and money on making it into something it was never intended to be.
@jan, you might want to try reflashing the FW on your DDRC-24 and make sure you have the latest version of the app, I have seen the errors you describe. Usually resetting the target device solves the issues (it is rare here).
Make sure internal sound on your laptop is muted when running Dirac 3. Any external setting change will cause the "behaves unexpectedly" - so will a bad USB cable. (Ask me how I know.. LOL)
I have subs and a 3 way active system. I recently decided I needed something a little more flexible than the 3-way analog LR4 XOs I designed 5 years ago. I have married a yet to be modified DCX2496 via digital I/O to the SHD which gives me incomprehensible power... 😈 to screw things up. 🤣
It almost sounds OK, and gives me stereo 4 way crossover with settable delays and a wide range of slopes,etc to choose from as I try to figure out the system I rebuilt over the past few months. The two control panels can coexist on the same laptop simultaneously so I have gotten used to making changes on the fly after measurements had told me most of what I need to know.
Joking aside the real problem with the DCX besides a stone age interface and controls is noise. Mine actually was a noticeable improvement over the analog line level XO it replaced. Purchased as a tool to figure things out, I expected it to suck - this one at least doesn't, so like any good diyer I will spend some time and money on making it into something it was never intended to be.
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Kevin, thanks for chiming in.
What do you mean exactly by:
'Make sure internal sound on your laptop is muted when running Dirac 3. Any external setting change will cause the "behaves unexpectedly"'
What should I do for that?
Jan
What do you mean exactly by:
'Make sure internal sound on your laptop is muted when running Dirac 3. Any external setting change will cause the "behaves unexpectedly"'
What should I do for that?
Jan
I believe the problem you're having is related to your PC and ports not being available... There is a thread somewhere on the miniDSP board that explains which ones need to be open. Basically when you click the start Dirac Live inside of the plug-in you initiate some sort of network based process. On one of my Laptops there were two programs that were determined to launch upon start-up and always blocked these ports.
With any miniDSP issue always double check if your plug-in and Firmware are current. That solves a ton of issues.
Yes, last versions installed, firmware updated etc, that's the first thing I did.
I will chek into auto-start-up apps, there probably are a few I'm not aware of.
Jan
I will chek into auto-start-up apps, there probably are a few I'm not aware of.
Jan
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Something else worth checking, many of the MiniDSP boxes don't work properly if the USB cable is much longer than 1M.
The DDRC-24 app for the Flex works flawlessly - its just the Dirac app that won't cooperate.
Jan
Jan
Yea, true. But if you have a studio and need correction on multiple channels, and don't run your studio at 192K (who actually does that), then it's a pretty good solution. With the 88D, you can use external D/A so you can get better quality. The things I don't like about it are there are no displays on the 88D for things like volume, etc.
Other than that, it works pretty well. I don't know of another solution that's as nice for 8 channels of audio.
gabo
In general anything over 3 meters on USB 2 is not a good idea. I communicate reliably over a 3 meter link with the SHD.
Make sure that internal computer sound is turned off when you are trying to make measurements.
When Dirac says that the target device is not behaving as expected that may be a communications error due to bad USB cable or something changed after dirac is connected. (change settings with remote or from front panel)
Hello,
my system currently consists for the analog part of:
DDRC-22D seems to use Dirac at 96KHz 24bit.
Most of the software I love is 44.1KHz 16Bit and the passive filter of the Celibidache in this case makes the difference for what is my experience. The 48KHz Puffin Phono also sounds fuller than 96KHz even when using different DACs. I think a lot depends on how it is integrated into the system as a whole.
Sorry for my poor english.
Ciao
Guglielmo
my system currently consists for the analog part of:
- Lenco PTP5 => Trans-fi Terminator => Denon DL301 MK2 => Puffin Phono Parks Audio (digital preamp)
- Raspberry PI => Runeaudio => Allo Digione
- miniDSP DDRC-22D => Celibidache NOS DAC => EURAUDIO LDA MIN => Philarmonic Affordable Accuracy Monitor
- Jensen decoupling transformers => Behringer Inuke 1000 dsp => n.2 H-frame Dipole 15 inch subwoofer
DDRC-22D seems to use Dirac at 96KHz 24bit.
Most of the software I love is 44.1KHz 16Bit and the passive filter of the Celibidache in this case makes the difference for what is my experience. The 48KHz Puffin Phono also sounds fuller than 96KHz even when using different DACs. I think a lot depends on how it is integrated into the system as a whole.
Sorry for my poor english.
Ciao
Guglielmo
@Guglielmo: I looked at the DDRC-22D page and I see that it comes with two USB cables for the unit and the Umik mic.
That's interesting - would that mean that the USB cable (quality) is critical? Did you get these, do they look special?
Jan
That's interesting - would that mean that the USB cable (quality) is critical? Did you get these, do they look special?
Jan
Partial success. I got the miniDSP Flex app (DDRC-24) to start up Dirac Live! from within the app.
Simple: delete the file Documents\MiniDSP\[the name of your plugin]\user\preferences.xml
Apparently, it makes the plugin to actuall look for the Dirac executable on your system instead of assuming it is in a specific but wrong place.
Notwithstanding that I installed Dirac at the suggested path.
Ohh well. One more to go: still get the error from Dirac that the 'miniDSP Flex acts in an unusal way', 'please reset miniDSP Flex'.
Which doesn't solve it.
The preferences file has the following path: <dirac2_path value="C:\Program Files (x86)\miniDSP\DDRC-24\add\minidsp_dirac.exe"/>
While the actual Dirac executable is at users/jandi/AppData\Local\Live\DiracLive.exe . And of course it's Dirac 3, not Dirac 2.
Jan
Simple: delete the file Documents\MiniDSP\[the name of your plugin]\user\preferences.xml
Apparently, it makes the plugin to actuall look for the Dirac executable on your system instead of assuming it is in a specific but wrong place.
Notwithstanding that I installed Dirac at the suggested path.
Ohh well. One more to go: still get the error from Dirac that the 'miniDSP Flex acts in an unusal way', 'please reset miniDSP Flex'.
Which doesn't solve it.
The preferences file has the following path: <dirac2_path value="C:\Program Files (x86)\miniDSP\DDRC-24\add\minidsp_dirac.exe"/>
While the actual Dirac executable is at users/jandi/AppData\Local\Live\DiracLive.exe . And of course it's Dirac 3, not Dirac 2.
Jan
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Also solved the last problem.
The Dirac manual states: 'Be sure to plug in the UMIK-1 before starting DiracLive'.
Well, that causes the Dirac problem with the 'miniDSP Flex responsing in unexpected way'.
There must be some conflict between the two.
If you connect the Umik mike after starting Dirac from within the miniDSP app, Dirac auto-recognises the mike after a few seconds and Bob's your uncle.
Leaves me wondering whether these issues are mine only?
Jan
The Dirac manual states: 'Be sure to plug in the UMIK-1 before starting DiracLive'.
Well, that causes the Dirac problem with the 'miniDSP Flex responsing in unexpected way'.
There must be some conflict between the two.
If you connect the Umik mike after starting Dirac from within the miniDSP app, Dirac auto-recognises the mike after a few seconds and Bob's your uncle.
Leaves me wondering whether these issues are mine only?
Jan