How to add Dirac to my setup?

[airs]

Hi all, as the title says I'd like to add Dirac correction to my setup. Currently I have these components:

UnRAID Server with FLAC
Qobuz subscription
Windows 10 PC with Roon
RME ADI-2 DAC
Hypex NC400 Monoblock x2 (XLR input only)
Revel F208 x2
HSU ULS-15 MK2 (not using currently)
MiniDSP UMIK-1

How can I add Dirac to this setup in the most cost-efficient way? I tried using Dirac Live software on the Windows 10 PC but it was very confusing and the integration with Roon was...

I see that there is a MiniDSP solution, the DDRC-24, but it doesn't have XLR. Should I simply use an XLR->RCA converter and buy this? Or perhaps I should sell the RME and Windows PC and get something like the MiniDSP SHD?

 

[Vasr]

You can get a Dirac license and run it on the PC with no additional hardware if all of you media playing is going through the PC.

 

[airs]

You can get a Dirac license and run it on the PC with no additional hardware if all of you media playing is going through the PC.

I'd love to talk to someone who has actually implemented this with Roon. I found it very confusing and gave up

 

[waynel]

I'd love to talk to someone who has actually implemented this with Roon. I found it very confusing and gave up

Your system is high quality and high resolution. If you are not planning to use subs, adding a DDRC-22D between your digital source and DAC would be a good solution. If you are planning to use subs then replacing your DAC with a SHD would be my preferred solution, or you could go nuts like me chasing SINAD and get an SHD studio and Okto DAC8 Pro.

 

[airs]

You're system is high quality and high resolution. If you are not planning to use subs, adding a DDRC-22D between your digital source and DAC would be a good solution. If you are planning to use subs then replacing your DAC with a SHD would be my preferred solution, or you could go nuts like me chasing SINAD and get an SHD studio and Okto DAC8 Pro.

Thanks for your input Wayne. I forgot to mention I also have an HSU ULS-15 MK2 but haven't integrated it into the setup yet.

 

[waynel]

I would pick one of the latter two options then and also get one more sub.

 

[watchnerd]

You can get a Dirac license and run it on the PC with no additional hardware if all of you media playing is going through the PC.

???

How do you get it to work with Roon?

 

[watchnerd]

I'd love to talk to someone who has actually implemented this with Roon. I found it very confusing and gave up

Ditto.

Roon talks directly to my RME ADI-2 Pro.

I don't see how to stick Dirac into that chain.

 

[Davelemi]

SHD Studio—->RME—->NC400—>F208
you could also pick up an inexpensive DAC with Digital Coax input and add the Hsu
SHD Studio also works as a Roon streamer.

I have a very similar set up

 

[waynel]

SHD Studio—->RME—->NC400—>F208
you could also pick up an inexpensive DAC with Digital Coax input and add the Hsu
SHD Studio also works as a Roon streamer.

I have a very similar set up

That would be fine if you only use the SHD studio for volume control . If you get the SHD (not studio) you could sell the RME DAC.

 

[Davelemi]

That would be fine if you only use the SHD studio for volume control . If you get the SHD (not studio) you could sell the RME DAC.

True, and sub integration and Dirac.
The SHD is the complete solution unless you like to pick your own DAC(s)

 

[waynel]

True, and sub integration and Dirac.
The SHD is the complete solution unless you like to pick your own DAC(s)

SHD studio plus Okto DAC8 pro seems perfect. I’m waiting for one.

 

[watchnerd]

SHD Studio—->RME—->NC400—>F208
you could also pick up an inexpensive DAC with Digital Coax input and add the Hsu
SHD Studio also works as a Roon streamer.

I have a very similar set up

I don't have an SHD Studio.

In my office / mixing studio my DAW, running on a Mac, connects directly to the RME ADI-2 Pro via USB.

I could download Dirac Studio and run into the RME via Pro Tools without Roon, sure.

 

[win]

Does it have to be Dirac?

 

[Vasr]

I'd love to talk to someone who has actually implemented this with Roon. I found it very confusing and gave up

Ditto.

Roon talks directly to my RME ADI-2 Pro.

I don't see how to stick Dirac into that chain.

As far as I know, RME is not a RAAT network device, so you must be sending Roon output to the RME as a USB sound device on your PC right?

If so, adding Dirac for two channel stereo is quite simple using a VST host to run DLP and a virtual cable to connect Roon to the VST Host (make the playback end of the virtual cable the device to send to for Roon instead of the RME device, and make the record end of it the input to VST Host, then in the VST host point the output to the RME USB Sound device). The instructions are there on the Dirac site. This will go bit perfect up to 192k (the upper limit of Dirac).

https://live.dirac.com/content/uploads/2020/03/setupvsthostwithdlp.pdf

There are also alternate methods using the ASIO bridge or Voicemeeter from VB-Audio but the latter is more complex and unnecessary unless you need multi-channel.

 

[JoachimStrobel]

As far as I know, RME is not a RAAT network device, so you must be sending Roon output to the RME as a USB sound device on your PC right?

If so, adding Dirac for two channel stereo is quite simple using a VST host to run DLP and a virtual cable to connect Roon to the VST Host (make the playback end of the virtual cable the device to send to for Roon instead of the RME device, and make the record end of it the input to VST Host, then in the VST host point the output to the RME USB Sound device). The instructions are there on the Dirac site. This will go bit perfect up to 192k (the upper limit of Dirac).

https://live.dirac.com/content/uploads/2020/03/setupvsthostwithdlp.pdf

There are also alternate methods using the ASIO bridge or Voicemeeter from VB-Audio but the latter is more complex and unnecessary unless you need multi-channel.

The latest I heard from Roon Is , that the VST method might work but is not supported. It could also be done feeding Roon into Jriver and plugging Dirac in there. As all these vendors offer trial licenses, it might be worth trying out (and reporting back)

 

[Sir Sanders Zingmore]

As far as I know, RME is not a RAAT network device, so you must be sending Roon output to the RME as a USB sound device on your PC right?

If so, adding Dirac for two channel stereo is quite simple using a VST host to run DLP and a virtual cable to connect Roon to the VST Host (make the playback end of the virtual cable the device to send to for Roon instead of the RME device, and make the record end of it the input to VST Host, then in the VST host point the output to the RME USB Sound device). The instructions are there on the Dirac site. This will go bit perfect up to 192k (the upper limit of Dirac).

https://live.dirac.com/content/uploads/2020/03/setupvsthostwithdlp.pdf

There are also alternate methods using the ASIO bridge or Voicemeeter from VB-Audio but the latter is more complex and unnecessary unless you need multi-channel.

Is there an equivalent guide for Mac users?

 

[Vasr]

The latest I heard from Roon Is , that the VST method might work but is not supported. It could also be done feeding Roon into Jriver and plugging Dirac in there. As all these vendors offer trial licenses, it might be worth trying out (and reporting back)

Asking Roon for this is like asking Apple on a third-party solution.

It has nothing to do with Roon which would have no idea what is downstream, just writing to a Windows compliant driver which it will support. Roon will not guarantee or support any product outside its control. So not to take it as some shady/doubtful approach.

This is a system-wide setup which would work whether it is Roon or foobar or any media player or a game sending audio to a Windows Audio device. This is exactly what Dirac stand-alone on the PC via its DLP is sold for and supported by Dirac if help is needed. I had this set up for multi-channel use (which is a bit more complicated) and it works.

Getting Jriver just to do this Dirac integration makes no sense to me.

This is not a solution if you are using Roon to send audio to a Roon enabled end point as a networked device using Roon's proprietary RAAT protocol, but RME is not such a device (and I doubt they would ever be).

Is there an equivalent guide for Mac users?

https://live.dirac.com/content/uploads/2020/03/setupaulabwithdlp.pdf

 

[watchnerd]

As far as I know, RME is not a RAAT network device, so you must be sending Roon output to the RME as a USB sound device on your PC right?

Yes, USB.

No, it's not a PC. It's a Mac.

Dirac Studio works great as a Pro Tools plugin on the Mac. And Pro Tools interfaces with the RME over USB.

 

[Vasr]

Yes, USB.

No, it's not a PC. It's a Mac.

See the link above for the instructions from Dirac for a Mac for the same system-wide setup.