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Dirac Live standalone for PC and Mac

Just checked:

1704638393145.png

That should just work.
 
I'll reach out to Dirac Live support, but just in case any of you might provide some pointers. Listening to music while working on my Windows 10 PC I've noticed some cracks etc., clearly related to other work the PC was doing (i.e. opening another browser tab etc.). This is new. I am pretty sure it's related to some Windows audio settings and perhaps Windows update. Dirac Live manual recommends increasing latency in case of cracks, which I assume correlates with buffer size. However, playing with those settings results in a much worse problem (do I have to remeasure, in that case?). I have also tried other settings in 'audio device type' (Windows Audio Exclusive & Windows Audio Low Latency). The 'Asio' option doesn't work, as my output devices don't appear.

Any ideas?

Edit: Never mind, it seems to be a Windows wide problem, even when bypassing the Dirac Live Processor. Damned windows updates.

1707391898406.png
 
staticV3 said:
@RosalieTheDog Try running LatencyMon, it may tell you specifically which background process is causing issues.

In case that's the Topping E30 in your screenshot, a manual driver install is required of you want to use ASIO.

You can download it here: https://www.tpdz.net/newsinfo/379406.html
Click to expand...
Thank you for your advice, as always. Installing the E30 driver and setting it to ASIO, then increaing the buffer size in the Topping Audio Device seemed to improve things. However, running LatencyMon and just listening to music / working, I did get a serious drop-out. It gave this result: "
Your system appears to be having trouble handling real-time audio and other tasks. You are likely to experience buffer underruns appearing as drop outs, clicks or pops. One or more DPC routines that belong to a driver running in your system appear to be executing for too long. One problem may be related to power management, disable CPU throttling settings in Control Panel and BIOS setup. Check for BIOS updates. LatencyMon has been analyzing your system for 0:02:41 (h:mm:ss) on all processors."

I am a bit at a loss as to how to interpret this. Will read up on what CPU throttling is and how to change the settings.
 

Attachments

  • latencymon.txt
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staticV3 said:
@RosalieTheDog would you mind uploading a screenshot of LatencyMon after running it for a while?
Click to expand...
1707397757150.png


I think it is related indeed to some AMD CPU setting. The above is with a performance focused AMD CPU/GPU setting in Amd software. The below is immediately after switching to a "quality" preset, with the same processes running.

1707397945667.png
 
RosalieTheDog said:
View attachment 348253

I think it is related indeed to some AMD CPU setting. The above is with a performance focused AMD CPU/GPU setting in Amd software. The below is immediately after switching to a "quality" preset, with the same processes running.

View attachment 348254
Click to expand...
Try to follow this exhaustive guide.
I too had similar problems and after a thousand investigations I discovered they were caused by a poorly managed Intel Tuning Management driver on my Dell laptop (Latencymon just showed very high DPC latency of ACPI.sys ...so not immediate to understand).
By disabling the driver I solved it (not with little effort) but if the cause is a driver that you need (like the one for the graphics card) it becomes more complicated.
My PC still has a dropout when it turns off the screen due to power saving timeout...
But the great thing is that with a different DAC there are no problems (probably due to higher safety buffer in the driver than my current professional interface, typically low latency).
The Windows architecture is simply not made for all this... it just question of luck.
So, good luck with investigation and settings.... And consider to return your pc if you can and try different model (avoid Dell).
 
Last edited:
Davide said:
Try to follow this exhaustive guide.
I too had similar problems and after a thousand investigations I discovered they were caused by a poorly managed Intel Tuning Management driver on my Dell laptop (Latencymon just showed very high DPC latency of ACPI.sys ...so not immediate to understand).
By disabling the driver I solved it (not with little effort) but if the cause is a driver that you need (like the one for the graphics card) it becomes more complicated.
My PC still has a dropout when it turns off the screen due to power saving timeout...
But the great thing is that with a different DAC there are no problems (probably due to higher safety buffer in the driver than my current professional interface, typically low latency).
The Windows architecture is simply not made for all this... it just question of luck.
So, good luck with investigation and settings.... And consider to return your pc if you can and try different model (avoid Dell).
Click to expand...
Thank you Davide for this resource. Whatever precise setting was interfering (one of the many Radeon CPU settings hidden in AMD Adrenaline), chosing the 'performance' preset has solved the issue. I am not very curious about finding out the exact cause. When it's necessary I will refer to that guide.
 
RosalieTheDog said:
Thank you Davide for this resource. Whatever precise setting was interfering (one of the many Radeon CPU settings hidden in AMD Adrenaline), chosing the 'performance' preset has solved the issue. I am not very curious about finding out the exact cause. When it's necessary I will refer to that guide.
Click to expand...
FYI, in case someone ran into the same latency issue, it did sadly recur. I tried many solutions that I found online related to the wdf01000.sys issue. I was pretty sure it was some windows problem that I couldn't fix myself. Finally, I decided to upgrade windows 10 to windows 11, and so far, the problem has disappeared. It's ironic, because I stalled upgrading to Windows 11 because I feared it would mess up audio drivers and the like.
 
peng said:
30% discount is on again:

www.audiosciencereview.com

Comparison of Dirac Live Bass Control (DLBC) and Dirac ART for all known AVRs/Processors

I think the heading of the thread is its most important limitation. There is virtually nothing that could make DLBC (or the lower DL version) better that ART for certain systems. However, how the ART fares with bass routing options of Storm or D&M processors is something that I have not seen -...
www.audiosciencereview.com www.audiosciencereview.com
Click to expand...
Bought the entire suite. Now i will try to use it on jriver In a 2.2 configuration. I hope bass control will not screw things up
 
Ciobi69 said:
Bought the entire suite. Now i will try to use it on jriver In a 2.2 configuration. I hope bass control will not screw things up
Click to expand...

In my experience, it did improve the LF response, probably no audible difference in my case where even without BC it wasn't that bad at above 30 Hz. In this case, I only use one cheap Energy 8" subwoofer with my Philharmonic BMR bookshelves that doesn't have much response below 30 Hz in room. I bought BC license really out of curiosity, but based on my results, I am sure in some rooms, especially when multiple subs are used, it would be a must to have, just my educated guess.

Two channel (sort of 2.1), using an AVR-X1800H:

1716290210811.jpeg
 
Is a single license for Mac AND PC, or either Mac or PC, assuming that I am only using one and not both at the time? I like to know if changing platform is a problem or requiring to pay again.
 
mumford said:
Is a single license for Mac AND PC, or either Mac or PC, assuming that I am only using one and not both at the time? I like to know if changing platform is a problem or requiring to pay again.
Click to expand...

Same license, you are allow to use it on two devices, so you can install it on a windows PC and another on a Mac PC.
 
Hmmm would I be able to get full EQ of all sounds from PC with Dirac live using the virtual sound card including Dolby atmos? Currently I’m using EQAPO but that doesn’t seem to work when playing back atmos/bitstream from mpc-hc nor with games using atmos either. Or maybe some kind of DSP box with hdmi 2.1 in/out.
 
Yviena said:
Hmmm would I be able to get full EQ of all sounds from PC with Dirac live using the virtual sound card including Dolby atmos? Currently I’m using EQAPO but that doesn’t seem to work when playing back atmos/bitstream from mpc-hc nor with games using atmos either. Or maybe some kind of DSP box with hdmi 2.1 in/out.
Click to expand...
Dirac Live running on your PC will not apply EQ to bitstream audio.

An HDMI 2.1 in/out DSP box does not exist afaik.
 
staticV3 said:
Dirac Live running on your PC will not apply EQ to bitstream audio.
Click to expand...
Yeah was afraid of that….. does a hdmi 2.1 dsp box that can EQ bitstream even exist?

I got a good AVR but Room correction is kinda meh so that’s why I’m looking.
 
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