Hi folks,
In my digital audio chain I have a "problem" since years which I would like to get rid of: When listening to music from different digital sources or when the sample rate of the music changes I'm getting a loud "crack-crack" noise out of my spekers and the initial second (or so...) of the new track is lost. The latter I can live with, but the cracking is annoying me as I heard that this is not happening in other systems.
My digital chain:
Streammagic 6 (SPDIF)
Funk Tonstudiotechnik CAS2-V3SE SPDIF switcher
Mutec MC-3+ Reclocker (SPDIF > AES3)
DEQX PDC-2.6p HD (AES3 > Analog)
How would I find out the crack source?
Once I know the crack source, how do I best mute the cracking? (Inserting a mute circuit would definitely be an option...)
My suspicion is that one of the systems in the chain does not "mute SPDIF" (if such a thing even exists...) during switching/synchronising to the new sample rate...
I hope and would be grateful if someone could shed ligh on the issue, so I understand it better, and propose potential solutions.
Thanks and Regards,
Winfried
In my digital audio chain I have a "problem" since years which I would like to get rid of: When listening to music from different digital sources or when the sample rate of the music changes I'm getting a loud "crack-crack" noise out of my spekers and the initial second (or so...) of the new track is lost. The latter I can live with, but the cracking is annoying me as I heard that this is not happening in other systems.
My digital chain:
Streammagic 6 (SPDIF)
Funk Tonstudiotechnik CAS2-V3SE SPDIF switcher
Mutec MC-3+ Reclocker (SPDIF > AES3)
DEQX PDC-2.6p HD (AES3 > Analog)
How would I find out the crack source?
Once I know the crack source, how do I best mute the cracking? (Inserting a mute circuit would definitely be an option...)
My suspicion is that one of the systems in the chain does not "mute SPDIF" (if such a thing even exists...) during switching/synchronising to the new sample rate...
I hope and would be grateful if someone could shed ligh on the issue, so I understand it better, and propose potential solutions.
Thanks and Regards,
Winfried
Hi Marcel,
thanks for the idea! I'll test my way upward the digital signal chain as you suggest. I was under the assumption the crack noise would (most probably) be generated by the last system in the chain. Now I'm suspocious about the reclocker actually.
I'll be back.
Greetings,
Winfried
thanks for the idea! I'll test my way upward the digital signal chain as you suggest. I was under the assumption the crack noise would (most probably) be generated by the last system in the chain. Now I'm suspocious about the reclocker actually.
I'll be back.
Greetings,
Winfried
@wgh52,
AFIAK the digital transmission standard for AES3/SPDIF does not specify a defined behavior when switching sample rate on the fly.
At any rata, both the transmitter and especially the receiver will need some time to re-sync and generate valid data again (plus filling buffers and resume operation of the filters etc for the case of the DEQX processor). Obviously, at least the DAC outputs should be muted, but we don't know at the moment if the DEQX does this properly not. Does the manual mention effects of switching sample rates in any detail?
I would second the idea of testing the shortest possible interconnect path first. That would sort out issues with the other gear involved.
Additionally, you could try use another (2-Ch) DAC (+Phones Amp) and check if the crackling noise changes or even goes away.
And vice versa, using a different AES3/SPDIF source (PC) as the player?
Further, I would test if short "preconditioning" tracks -- a few seconds of silence or dithered silence manually inserted right after (actuallly: causing) a sample rate change in a playlist -- fix the crackling. Not a practical solution but might give a better picture what's going on.
AFIAK the digital transmission standard for AES3/SPDIF does not specify a defined behavior when switching sample rate on the fly.
At any rata, both the transmitter and especially the receiver will need some time to re-sync and generate valid data again (plus filling buffers and resume operation of the filters etc for the case of the DEQX processor). Obviously, at least the DAC outputs should be muted, but we don't know at the moment if the DEQX does this properly not. Does the manual mention effects of switching sample rates in any detail?
I would second the idea of testing the shortest possible interconnect path first. That would sort out issues with the other gear involved.
Additionally, you could try use another (2-Ch) DAC (+Phones Amp) and check if the crackling noise changes or even goes away.
And vice versa, using a different AES3/SPDIF source (PC) as the player?
Further, I would test if short "preconditioning" tracks -- a few seconds of silence or dithered silence manually inserted right after (actuallly: causing) a sample rate change in a playlist -- fix the crackling. Not a practical solution but might give a better picture what's going on.
Klaus,
thanks for the feedback and advice. I'll do some testing, considering your statements, soon.
Cheers,
Winfried
thanks for the feedback and advice. I'll do some testing, considering your statements, soon.
Cheers,
Winfried
Thats a complex SPDIF chain. The crack noise must be horrible. Elimination should reveal the weak link.
If you cant ditch the bad link then a software fix via Foobar should work:
1. Insert silence between tracks: https://www.foobar2000.org/components/view/foo_dsp_silence
or
2. Resample everything to eg 96kHz - with Resampler-V it might sound excellent
@kazap
Thanks for the input! Please consider that I have chosen to not permanently have a PC in the chain.
Having said that, resampling (all) my HDD recordings to 24/96 (in my case with dbPoweramp) is a potential alternative to consider, although, the switching from 24/96 to the 16/44.1 SPDIF feeds (CD or MiniDisk players).
I'll do the crack location work (by elimination) first as suggested and then decide the way forward based on the findings.
Thanks and Regards,
Winfried
Thanks for the input! Please consider that I have chosen to not permanently have a PC in the chain.
Having said that, resampling (all) my HDD recordings to 24/96 (in my case with dbPoweramp) is a potential alternative to consider, although, the switching from 24/96 to the 16/44.1 SPDIF feeds (CD or MiniDisk players).
I'll do the crack location work (by elimination) first as suggested and then decide the way forward based on the findings.
Thanks and Regards,
Winfried
Not to derail the OP, I have the exact same issue, but when using audacious media player on a linux laptop/desktop, connected to a USB DAC and then the analog chain.