Dirac Live Bass Control coming to Dirac Live Stereo This YEAR!!

[theREALdotnet]

Any help is much appreciated.

Here are screenshots showing my setup, using two Topping DACs (D90 for LR and D30 for subs). Hope this helps.

Aggregate Audio device:

Dirac Live Processor:

 

[DWPress]

In my set up Dirac's "custom channel config" lists channel numbers 1-4 instead of left, right, sub1, sub2. I think your problem may be in Audio Midi Config app - leave Dirac set to Stereo, not quadraphonic but obviously your aggregate device is viewed as 4ch of output. "Loopback Audio" is what you would select as your output device in Dirac which directs output to your 2 aggregated DACs. If you're using it as a plugin instead of Dirac Processor app then there are a couple other hoops you have to jump through to get DLBC to work.

 

[RickyC34]

@theREALdotnet
Thank you. I have a few questions... Did you rename the D30's outputs as sub 1 sub 2 or did the program populate that from your custom channel config from the processor? When I select custom channel config on my combined device and choose the quad setup as you have my screen looks quite a bit different. I have to choose the two dacs at the top and the option to toggle between stereo and multichannel is not there. I also noticed your sample rates are different on the midi side vs processor. I changed mine to try to match, could this have messed things up? Also, what is your speaker config in the midi settings for the Dirac virtual device?

 

[RickyC34]

@DWPress I had hoped to run Dirac as a stand-alone vs plug in. On the MIDI setting, you said to leave Dirac set to stereo for its speaker config. What about the aggregate device? do you have that set to quad? Would I need to adjust loopbacks config if I have to go this route to get things to work?

 

[AudioKC]

Swapped the Schiit and same results.

The only way I have been able to get the source to play "correctly" is still wrong and believe It would cause issues. It's with loopback software. Others like @DWPress and @AudioKC appear to have had success with this program. My problem is still here in the program on the pass-tru device. On other posts, you can see they have output on channels besides 1 and 2. I have no output on Ch 3 or 4. I've attached a picture of how I have routed things. I feel like there has to be a downside to this right? It almost makes me feel like routing a mini dsp 2x 4. Any potential issues this could cause? When set up this way each individual speaker plays correctly in the Dirac volume calibration. Then again, that's the only place where I can get all four outputs to play. Successful routing with a similar setup to mine can be found on page 4.

I think in my setup I added channels to the pass through device. First device has 4 channels. See here

 

[theREALdotnet]

@theREALdotnet
Thank you. I have a few questions... Did you rename the D30's outputs as sub 1 sub 2 or did the program populate that from your custom channel config from the processor?

I named them in Audio Midi Setup, so I won’t get confused and make mistakes later on.

When I select custom channel config on my combined device and choose the quad setup as you have my screen looks quite a bit different. I have to choose the two dacs at the top and the option to toggle between stereo and multichannel is not there.

Not sure what you mean. The “quadraphonic” configuration is selected in Audio Midi Setup for the aggragate audio device, under “Configure Speakers”. That just makes it a 4-channel output device. The custom channel configuration is in Dirac Live Processor, and tells Dirac which of the channels of the aggregate device are to be used for what. In “Custom channel config” I selected Stereo and added the two subs by clicking ”Add subwoofer”.

I also noticed your sample rates are different on the midi side vs processor. I changed mine to try to match, could this have messed things up?

The sample rate is controlled by the source (Audirvana in my case) and all devices (Dirac Virtual Audio Device, DACs, aggregate audio device) change to suit. Where do you see them to be different?

Also, what is your speaker config in the midi settings for the Dirac virtual device?

I don’t think I changed or configured anything there, but for reference:

 

[RickyC34]

1st pic is the Aggregate device and 2nd Dirac Virtural device. At he top of your last picture @theREALdotnet you have a stereo or multip-channel option. I don't see that one mine.

 

[RickyC34]

If I change the speaker config of the aggregate device to stereo, this is what I get. Having to select each dac a the top. In this config, if I select both dac and choose one channel from each of them I do get output from each dac at the same time. One speaker or sub from each. This tells me my Mac is seeing the two individual devices at the same time and is capable of playing each.

 

[theREALdotnet]

With the Dirac Virtual Audio Device I don’t think the number of channels matters, I can select either stereo or multichannel but only use it as stereo device. I don’t know why I get the multichannel option, my license is for stereo only. Maybe from some beta or trial license I used to have…

The aggregate audio device, on the other hand, must be a multichannel device. It needs to reflect the total number of speakers you have (L, R, subs), otherwise Dirac can’t output to all the speakers.

Just FYI, I’m using MacOS Sonoma, screenshots of Audio Midi Setup might look slightly different from Ventura.

 

[RickyC34]

With the Dirac Virtual Audio Device I don’t think the number of channels matters, I can select either stereo or multichannel but only use it as stereo device. I don’t know why I get the multichannel option, my license is for stereo only. Maybe from some beta or trial license I used to have…

The aggregate audio device, on the other hand, must be a multichannel device. It needs to reflect the total number of speakers you have (L, R, subs), otherwise Dirac can’t output to all the speakers.

Just FYI, I’m using MacOS Sonoma, screenshots of Audio Midi Setup might look slightly different from Ventura.

Thanks for trying to help. Perhaps the os version is the culprit, I'm still stuck. I opened up a ticket with Dirac a few days ago. Hope to hear back soon.

 

[theREALdotnet]

Perhaps the os version is the culprit, I'm still stuck.

I’ve set all of this up under Ventura. I only recently upgraded to the Sonoma beta, and all the configuration settings came across as they were, even though some MacOS dialog boxes (like in Audio Midi Setup) might look slightly different.

 

[RickyC34]

I don't think I mentioned this and will feel like a dummy if this has something to do with my issues but.. I am currently using Dirac stereo + bass control. Are you running stereo or multichannel?

 

[theREALdotnet]

I don't think I mentioned this and will feel like a dummy if this has something to do with my issues but.. I am currently using Dirac stereo + bass control. Are you running stereo or multichannel?

I’m running stereo with bass control.

 

[theREALdotnet]

Can you show another screenshot of the speaker configuration of your aggregate audio device in Audio Midi Setup? Did you fix/enable the second lot of channels and make it a quadraphonic device?

 

[theREALdotnet]

Also, when you start Dirac Live via the ”calibrate” button in Dirac Live Processor, do all four speakers show up and produce the volume test sound when clicked?

 

[RickyC34]

Yes, that's the strangest thing of all of this. It shows two speakers and two subs. Output coming from each as they should. I can proceed to measurements and they all work there as well. I also get output from all four when hitting test on the Dirac processor when choosing my aggregate device outputs.

 

[RickyC34]

Can you show another screenshot of the speaker configuration of your aggregate audio device in Audio Midi Setup? Did you fix/enable the second lot of channels and make it a quadraphonic device?

I did but I noticed something. Anytime I changed the config of the Aggregate device the config of my Dirac virtual machine automatically changed to quadraphonic as well. Still no output from 3 and 4. If I change the Dirac device back to stereo, the aggregate device also changes but lists the two dacs at the top with one being unchecked like in the previous pic.

 

[theREALdotnet]

I did but I noticed something. Anytime I changed the config of the Aggregate device the config of my Dirac virtual machine automatically changed to quadraphonic as well. Still no output from 3 and 4. If I change the Dirac device back to stereo, the aggregate device also changes but lists the two dacs at the top with one being unchecked like in the previous pic.

That is strange. The two devices have nothing to do with each other, as far as MacOS is concerned. Are they linked somehow via a host app like Element or Loopback or something like that?

 

[RickyC34]

I tried loopback but the pass-thru device only had outputs on 1 and 2. I do not have them linked anywhere besides the aggregate device. Another odd thing that happens is if I right-click my aggregate device from the midi page and make it my output device the source plays but there is extreme static. If I create a multi-output device with the two dacs and select it as my output device I have output from both speakers and both subs.

 

[RickyC34]

Trying to rule things out that could cause any issues....I've noticed the majority of people who have had success are using Jriver / audionirvana. From my understanding, this should not be a necessity.

I've also seen a lot of people have success with dongle dac. This had me thinking that both of my dacs are connected via USB vs USB C but wouldn't think that would make a difference.

I thought about trying the headphone jack.