Another nOOb MiniDSP function and hookup question

[klettermann]

Good morning! I've finally decided to take the jump to DSP/Dirac for room EQ. I'm a DSP nOOb so it would be great to an understanding of how it works so I get the right product. My system is pretty straightforward per diagram below. I'd prefer not to replace anything I already have. Also, the Loki Max would regardless - it's purpose isn't room EQ as much as having some presets for different recording mixes and I use it as a source selector for the power amp which is shared with a seperate video system.

Anyway, t looks like the MiniDSP's SHD Studio might do the job per their diagram (below). If I understand right it would go ahead of my existing DAC and get fed by my existing sources (hence I'd need to do source selection from there instead of my existing DAC). Then I'd need another DAC for the 2 subs. But how would that work? Does Dirac or the SHD have some kind of channel configuration facility such that the output of the second DAC would be combined into 2 mono channels for the subs and not just left/right line outputs? And how does it interact with the subs in the first place? For me, the main point of the dual subs is the ability to tame resonances through volume, phase settings etc. Is that no longer necessary cause Dirac is doing it all for me?

Any cmments would be very helpful. Thanks in advance and cheers,

xx

 

[JustJones]

What preamp do you have? You could replace the streamer, DAC and preamp with the Minidsp SHD instead of the studio.

 

[klettermann]

What preamp do you have? You could replace the streamer, DAC and preamp with the Minidsp SHD instead of the studio.

Schiit Freya S preamp. DAC is Schiit Yggdrasil (less is more). It's all a balanced setup, amp too, which I'd prefer to maintain. I guess I'm also somewhat stuck in an old school 'separates' mindset, so looking for a solution that inserts into what I've got rather than replacing it all. Would you expect the MiniDSP SHD to be sonically on a par with the Shiit stuff? It's the fancy Schiit.

 

[JustJones]

The best thing you could do is read the manual on the SHD Studio. To answer a few of your questions yes you would need another DAC for the subs and it should be the same as your other DAC

If the two DACs are not identical, they may have different latencies – that is, their own internal time delays may be different. In most cases, this will be taken care of in the normal course of adjusting the time delay between speakers and subwoofer.

In some relatively uncommon cases, however, the DAC may have a time delay that is too long to be compensated for by the 30 ms provided by the SHD Studio. These DACs typically use custom internal filtering with an FPGA. In some cases, the latency of the DAC may not even be constant. We therefore recommend that you check the specs of your DACs (or ask their manufacturer) to find out this latency.

Dirac will not do it all for you, you'll need set up the subs through the device console before you run Dirac.

To use the SHD Studio in these more advanced configurations, you will need to use miniDSP Device Console to set up its audio processing. We recommend that you take the time to read through the remaining sections of this manual and familiarize yourself with its capabilities.

The Minidsp has channel configuration. You can sum them to mono or run them in stereo.

Yes, it will need to go before the DACs and selection would be with the SHD Studio.

 

[klettermann]

The best thing you could do is read the manual on the SHD Studio. To answer a few of your questions yes you would need another DAC for the subs and it should be the same as your other DAC


Dirac will not do it all for you, you'll need set up the subs through the device console before you run Dirac.



The Minidsp has channel configuration. You can sum them to mono or run them in stereo.

Yes, it will need to go before the DACs and selection would be with the SHD Studio.

Thanks, very helpful, I did start into the manual. Lots to digest! And, you seem to have confirmed that the SHD Studio is my best solution provided that the DAC latency question isn't an issue. I'd obviously need an other DAC for the subs. My thought is to get Schiit Modi - 15 day return policy. If the latency gap with my other DAC is irreconcilable then back it goes. And it's just $129 anyway. Thanks again and cheers,

 

[JustJones]

Here's a Thread on minidsp forum about using different DAC's. The main thing you might need to do is adjust latency.