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Okto 8 Owner’s Thread

dualazmak

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ASIO4ALL is a very unique ASIO software which act as one virtual audio device, and it also sits in front of all of the other ASIO drivers to redirect ASIO routing very much flexibly. You need to install, therefore, all of these to establish the extremely flexible I/O in 192 kHz 24 bit;
WS001380.JPG

VB-Audio Virtual Cable;
VBCABLE_Driver_Pack43.zip (1.09 MB - OCT 2015), Donationware
https://www.vb-audio.com/Cable/index.htm

VB-Audio Hi-Fi CABLE & ASIO Bridge;
HiFiCableAsioBridgeSetup_v1007.zip (3.82 MB - MAR 2014) , Donationware
https://www.vb-audio.com/Cable/#DownloadASIOBridge

ASIO4ALL 2.14;
ASIO4ALL_2_14_English.exe (452 KB - MAY 2017)
http://www.asio4all.org/

If needed, I will be more than happy to help you understanding and establishing the full ASIO I/O, even though my post here is describing the details...
 
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DWPress

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My xovers will be limited to a LW at 100 hz to hi-pass

Well you'll have plenty of extra channels to play with in the future if you decide to go nutty like some of us!

EKIO can easily direct all the output channels into one single DAC

EKIO looks interesting, I've read your thread. I'm choosing to do it in Mac which has fewer (like none) options for software like that, it's got to be cobbled together with a few apps. But with software like Roon and JRiver you can set up DACs in different zones with DSP/DRC applied easily and you're only limited to the number of channels and frequency rate/bit depth each zones DAC is capable of.
 

dualazmak

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.....
EKIO looks interesting, I've read your thread. I'm choosing to do it in Mac which has fewer (like none) options for software like that, it's got to be cobbled together with a few apps. But with software like Roon and JRiver you can set up DACs in different zones with DSP/DRC applied easily and you're only limited to the number of channels and frequency rate/bit depth each zones DAC is capable of.

In Windows 10 Pro 64 bit PC, it is quite nice that I can use EKIO as one-stop XO-EQ-DSP center for any of the audio visual players including Roon, JRiver, browsers, etc. to output into DAC8PRO and/or other DACs! I am so sorry that currently EKIO works only on Windows PC. You may hopefully contact with Guillaume Badaut of LUPISOFT to develop Mac version... I assume many people now like to have EKIO on Mac.
 
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dualazmak

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phoenixdogfan

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ASIO4ALL is a very unique ASIO software which act as one virtual audio device, and it also sits in front of all of the other ASIO drivers to redirect ASIO routing very much flexibly. You need to install, therefore, all of these to establish the extremely flexible I/O in 192 kHz 24 bit;View attachment 110291
VB-Audio Virtual Cable;
VBCABLE_Driver_Pack43.zip (1.09 MB - OCT 2015), Donationware
https://www.vb-audio.com/Cable/index.htm

VB-Audio Hi-Fi CABLE & ASIO Bridge;
HiFiCableAsioBridgeSetup_v1007.zip (3.82 MB - MAR 2014) , Donationware
https://www.vb-audio.com/Cable/#DownloadASIOBridge

ASIO4ALL 2.14;
ASIO4ALL_2_14_English.exe (452 KB - MAY 2017)
http://www.asio4all.org/
.
If needed, I will be more than happy to help you understanding and establishing the full ASIO I/O, even though my post here is describing the details...
Thank you I'll look at your post. I already have all three installed. I'll think about whether I need all those options. Could be a fun project, and I think I can cut loose from miniDSP one way or the other.
 

DWPress

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Yes, I've read that thread. For Mac it's missing Element which is similar to Plogue Bidule but better and only $2. With Element you can host any VST to do XO work, EQ, channel routing, etc. I use the free X-MCFX VST which, for example, can host a 8 channel XO created in Audiolense or Rephase or I use Sir3 VST for 2 channel convolution. All of this is systemwide via Soundsource and Loopback.

I'll miss the simple GUI that MiniDSP and EKIO offers but the trade off is a huge amount of flexibility and the ability to choose which apps audio gets sent to whatever output I want. System sounds get routed to internal speakers, videos/audio in a browser get convolution via Sir3 then sent to the XO.

Really should start a separate thread for this for Mac users.
 

DWPress

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ASR has the new and improved EQ Index

Thanks, great resources you've put together for ASR! I just contributed a few more to that thread.
 

Kal Rubinson

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An HDMI to (4)AES converter would make a nice HT solution, but are effectively unobtainium.
Aha! I have found one (or two). With help from a friend, I realized that Meridian has two devices which can be adapted to do just this. The HD621 and the UHD722 have multiple HDMI inputs, an HDMI output, (4) S/PDIF (actually AES3) outputs and a so-called MMHR output over RJ45.

There are two options. The first is to use the (4) S/PDIFs and convert them each to AES/EBU. The other is to split off the MMHR which is purported to convey (4) AES/EBU lines by wiring up an RJ45-to-4xXLR adapter.
FWIW:
MMHR pinout for AES-XLR.JPG
 

Bwmr

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Thank you Kal!
Is the MMHR output compatible with Meridian products only? Or it works with any AES/EBU input (once converted from RJ45), such as with Okto? Meridian documents mention only Meridian products on the receiving side.
 

Vincentponcet

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Aha! I have found one (or two). With help from a friend, I realized that Meridian has two devices which can be adapted to do just this. The HD621 and the UHD722 have multiple HDMI inputs, an HDMI output, (4) S/PDIF (actually AES3) outputs and a so-called MMHR output over RJ45.

There are two options. The first is to use the (4) S/PDIFs and convert them each to AES/EBU. The other is to split off the MMHR which is purported to convey (4) AES/EBU lines by wiring up an RJ45-to-4xXLR adapter.
FWIW:
View attachment 111570
In the datasheets, they don't talk about dolby digital , TrueHD, dts etc... decoding. This device is only extracting LPCM hdmi to spdif ?
 

Kal Rubinson

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Thank you Kal!
Is the MMHR output compatible with Meridian products only? Or it works with any AES/EBU input (once converted from RJ45), such as with Okto? Meridian documents mention only Meridian products on the receiving side.
There are Meridian users who have said that it does but I cannot confirm it from other sources or personal experience. When you refer to their older SpeakerLink (also over RJ45), there is some history of it:
SpeakerLink to AES-EBU Cable.jpg

If I still had my HD621 or could borrow one, I'd find sure out!
 

Kal Rubinson

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In the datasheets, they don't talk about dolby digital , TrueHD, dts etc... decoding. This device is only extracting LPCM hdmi to spdif ?
Oho! Boy, do I wish that I had perfect recall. I think that I used the HD621 for DD/dts but.................
 

DWPress

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Just got an update from Okto today. They still haven't received the new replacement front panels, the previous batch from their supplier had problems with the annodizing and that factory was shut down for a bit because of Covid.

My Dac8Pro is order #222 and is supposedly all finished except for the front panel, they anticipate getting the new faceplates and shipping mine in the first week of March. Five month wait nearly over!
 

janoschsimon

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any of you tried to play movies with cyberlink power dvd ultra 20 in pc? im on driver DIYINHK_UsbAudio_v4.67 and for some reason i got very nasty clipping no matter at which volume in windows or in the DIYINHK app very annoying :(
 
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janoschsimon

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strange @dualazmak saw your comment in a notification email but now its gone :) and your tip with jriver worked no clicking nothing also all the dolby and dts formats work :) strangly always 48khz 24bit but sounds great :)
 

dualazmak

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strange @dualazmak saw your comment in a notification email but now its gone :) and your tip with jriver worked no clicking nothing also all the dolby and dts formats work :) strangly always 48khz 24bit but sounds great :)

Sorry, I have written that "Have you tried the DVD by using JRiver MC (instead of cyberlink power dvd ultra 20)?". I deleted that post, however, since I assume it would not directly giving any solution/suggestion to your inquiry on "cyberlink power dvd".

As for the sampling rate and bit deapth, have your tried the JRiver's Sampling rate conversion for your DVD play all into 192 KHz? You may also choose 5.1 or 7.1 channels etc. at the Channles box;
WS001388.JPG
 
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mdsimon2

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Now that I've had a few weeks with the Okto dac8 pro thought it would be good share my experience integrating a few DSPs with the Okto in Pure AES mode as it has NOT been completely straight forward.

My primary application is DIY two channel active speakers. The main DSP I have been using is a miniSHARC + DIGI-FP + 4x AES out, see write up on the miniDSP forum at the link below for more info.

https://www.minidsp.com/forum/hardware-support/18550-minisharc-8-channel-digital-output

When I first received the Okto I was doing some basic testing with the miniSHARC+Okto with a MOTU M4 to make sure everything was working as expected. On loopbacks with no filters applied I noticed differing phase response on many of the outputs. At 20 kHz the phase offset was 75 or 150 deg depending on the channel. These offsets exactly correspond to a 1-2 sample delay at a 96 kHz sample rate so I figured some channels were being delayed by 1-2 samples by the Okto. After doing some more investigation it seems like channels 1 and 2 are always perfectly synced but will always be some amount out of sync relative to other channels. Typically this is 1 sample ahead of all other channels but the behavior is inconsistent. I've tried running the miniSHARC at both 48 kHz and 96 kHz and have tried other DSPs such the SHD Studio and the nanoDIGI and the Okto has the same behavior with all of them. From doing a bit of googling it seems most likely these delays are happening in the XMOS as I came across many similar complaints in the XMOS developers forum.

As I mentioned above the delays are inconsistent and I have found that they may be changed by the following actions:

-Power cycling DSP
-Power cycling Okto
-Unplugging / re-plugging Okto AES input 1/2
-Switching between Pure AES, Pure USB and USB/AES input modes on Okto

The following actions do NOT trigger a change in delay:

-Soft powering down Okto with remote (I believe this is more of standby mode as Okto remains visible to a computer)
-Changing DSP configuration
-Changing DSP inputs

As I leave the DSP on at all times and only use Pure AES mode I have found that I can compensate for the Okto delays in the DSP and they do not change as long as I do not do any of the actions mentioned above that change delays.

It is important to remember that in applications other than active speakers where you need to worry about phase alignment between channels these delays will be completely inconsequential. Even in active speakers these delays are likely inaudible. Nevertheless it is a bit disappointing to experience this issue with a device that advertises top-tier objective performance.

I've attached some screenshots that show a 1 kHz from channels 1-2 in perfect alignment, a 1 kHz tone from channels 2-3 showing a 1 sample offset at 96 kHz and then a 1 kHz tone from channels 2-3 with a 0.01 ms delay on channel 3 to compensate for the 1 sample delay. I've also attached some phase response screenshots for 48 and 96 kHz sample rates showing the phase response with a 1 sample delay.

I have also been doing a bit of experimenting with a nanoDIGI as it is a low cost option with 8 channels of digital output. Unfortunately it only has coaxial SPDIF outputs so it will not interface directly with the Okto's AES inputs. At first I tried using 6 ft long RCA to XLR cables from monoprice. This worked well for up to 4 channels of output from the nanoDIGI but if more channels of output are used there is significant noise / crackling. I also tried using 1.5 ft RCA to BNC cables to Neutrik NADITBNC-M transformers to 3 ft AES cables. In this configuration I could use up to 6 channels of output with no issue but if I tried to use all 8 channels I would get noise / crackling. I did not have any shorter cables to try and I wonder if I could use all 8 channels with shorter cables. In any event for applications that require 6 channels of output the nanoDIGI is a great low cost option for the Okto.

Michael
 

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