Dirac Live standalone for PC and Mac

[txbdan]

I've been using the plugin on my Mac hosted in SoundSource for a couple years now and it works great. What are the pros/cons to this setup vs the standalone version? With the standalone version, how do you interact with the plugin to select filters, etc?

 

[Kal Rubinson]

What are the pros/cons to this setup vs the standalone version?

The plug-in effects only what passes through the host program. The Stand-Alone becomes the default output device and effects everything on the PC/Mac.

With the standalone version, how do you interact with the plugin to select filters, etc?

Same way. There's a resident app.

 

[infin]

For me on Windows 10 - the Dirac virtual audio device disappears when coming back to a PC after it is idle. In the Dirac Live Processor UI it displays 'no signal' or something like that in red. What I have to do to get the virtual audio device back is to go to Options > Audio settings.

This is happening on both of the PCs I have it installed on. They are both AMD Ryzen 3600 machines, but use different outputs. One is the HDMI digital audio from the graphics card, the other outputs to a USB DAC.

Is there anything that I can do to prevent the virtual audio device from stopping?

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Is there anything that I can do to prevent the virtual audio device from stopping?

Do you have it set as your default output device in Win?

 

[infin]

Do you have it set as your default output device in Win?

Yes, that was one of the first things that I tried. I've also set power management to the high performance plan for both PCs and have it never put anything to sleep. But several hours later, the virtual audio device has still disappeared.

It seems like the process managing the driver is being closed at some point as there are no crashes being reported in the event viewer.

Based on this issue (and issues on the other PC around slow processing of audio and flakiness with audio resolution configuration), the software still needs a lot more work.

 

[Flak]

Yes, that was one of the first things that I tried. I've also set power management to the high performance plan for both PCs and have it never put anything to sleep. But several hours later, the virtual audio device has still disappeared.

It seems like the process managing the driver is being closed at some point as there are no crashes being reported in the event viewer.

Based on this issue (and issues on the other PC around slow processing of audio and flakiness with audio resolution configuration), the software still needs a lot more work.

Would you kindly open a ticket on our HelpDesk?
https://confluence.dirac.services/display/DLS/Dirac+Live+Support
we will be pleased to investigate that issue and try to solve it.

 

[infin]

Would you kindly open a ticket on our HelpDesk?
https://confluence.dirac.services/display/DLS/Dirac+Live+Support
we will be pleased to investigate that issue and try to solve it.

Thanks, I'll be logging a ticket for both issues.

 

[omm0910]

Here’s their manual for the Mac beta

macOS: Standalone Beta - Dirac Live Support - Confluence

confluence.dirac.services

They are updating regularly, latest version is here

Index of live/porter/mac/update/beta

 

[thewas]

@Kal Rubinson added his review of Dirac Live to Stereophile.com

Dirac Live 3 room-correction software

Adoption of DSP-based speaker-and-room correction in home theatera parallel universe to audiophiliais almost universal. It's easy to understand why. Home theater matured in the digital age. Its fans were expected to install several loudspeakers in a full-range setup that included at least one...

www.stereophile.com

 

[txbdan]

Finally got around to installing the beta Mac standalone processor. It seems to work well.

However, I think I prefer using SoundSource and the Dirac Processor Plugin. SoundSource also gives you handy control of the sample rate, individual app volumes and routing, etc. I don't think I want to give that up! Granted, I could run SoundSource as the "front end" with no plugin hosted and run that into Dirac Live Processor and that'll output to my audio interface.. it works but just seems like a little much.

 

[phoenixdogfan]

@Kal Rubinson added his review of Dirac Live to Stereophile.com

Dirac Live 3 room-correction software

Adoption of DSP-based speaker-and-room correction in home theatera parallel universe to audiophiliais almost universal. It's easy to understand why. Home theater matured in the digital age. Its fans were expected to install several loudspeakers in a full-range setup that included at least one...

www.stereophile.com

I bought the multichannel upgrade and installed both the plug in and standalone version on my Windows PC. Since I make JRiver my default audio output device for everything, I quickly realized I had no use for the standalone but I will keep it installed in case I want an alternative pathway.

I ran the wide correction for home a couple of times b/c I've set up both a stereo and a surround sound (with LFE by JRiver) use case on my PC, I picked the widest listening area b/c I find it better corrects the room. That method calls for 17 separate measurements. Surprisingly, it does not take long at all to do, b/c 8 sets of them are left/right pairs which merely require the boom to be reset from one side to the other. (you must have a microphone boom for this to work. Mine cost $20 on Amazon.)

The hardest trick on the multichannel for my 4.1 occurred b/c I don't have a center channel, and JRiver won't pass anything but a 5.1 channel to Dirac. Ultimately, a found a junk speaker, and drove it with my THX AAA 789, so JRiver had a center channel. Since Dirac corrects each speaker individually, using that speaker not affect the correction on the other speakers.

I also measured and corrected full range. Frankly, the proposed correction of the already EQ'd Metas and LS50's above the Schroeder frequency was so slight, I didn't see how it would hurt to either use or not use it.

I put in my own target curve which is very similar to if not identical to the Harman curve, and it's hard to find a flaw with the sound, though it seems to eat into how loud I can play everything. Fortunately, I'm in a small room, and don't like to play much above 75db ever. I set the meters so, playback is around -3 dbFS, and there is no indication of digital clippping, so I plan to not use the -8 dbFS recommended by Dirac.

I also use the Dirac Live corrected Metas + SB2000 at both my regular height stands (24") and surround sound height (65")-did a separate correction for them at that height, to capture a 23 channel personalized HRTF (know by Smyth Research as a PRIR) for my A16 headphone based binaural ATMOS system.

The Dirac corrected system sound great for both the actual stereo-4.1 speaker system and the virtual 23 channel over headphones Atmos system.

Now, my only question is when is Dirac planning to release multi sub bass management for PC. Anyone have an update on that one?

 

[txbdan]

I'd love to play with sub bass management on the PC processor. I have a 4 channel audio interface ready to go.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

I'd love to play with sub bass management on the PC processor. I have a 4 channel audio interface ready to go.

If you are a Dirac user, you can ask DL for a trial of DLBC.

 

[beren777]

As my fellow forumers likely know already, we have released a Dirac Live update for Windows which provides a virtual audio card (in addition to plugins) so that systemwide correction of all audio from the PC is available.
We are now going to release an update of the Mac version as well that will align it with the Windows version... if interested in testing it please open a ticket on the HelpDesk here:
https://confluence.dirac.services/display/DLS/Dirac+Live+Support
so that your findings and comments can be shared with the developers.

Thanks for your time
Flavio

Potential Mac or PC customer here.

Can multiple external DACs be used? I have a 2 channel balanced output DAC I'd like to use for my main L/R speakers, and a separate DAC I'd like to use for a subwoofer. My desire would be to use the 2.1 multichannel version of Dirac Live Standalone. In a multi-DAC configuration, will the Dirac output still be seen as a single audio device by the OS?

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Potential Mac or PC customer here.

Can multiple external DACs be used? I have a 2 channel balanced output DAC I'd like to use for my main L/R speakers, and a separate DAC I'd like to use for a subwoofer. My desire would be to use the 2.1 multichannel version of Dirac Live Standalone. In a multi-DAC configuration, will the Dirac output still be seen as a single audio device by the OS?

It has nothing to do with DL. Can your OS see an aggregate DAC? MacOS can handle it but you will need something extra to manage it in Win.

 

[jcarrico]

I've been testing the Dirac Live Standalone on Mac for the last month, and this latest version is really stable. I'm using it with Roon and it's been working well. I have a question that hopefully someone can answer for me though. If I have the standalone version of Dirac installed on my Mac that is also my Roon core, could I make a separate RoonBridge using a Raspberry Pi and RoPieee XL to have Dirac correction on a different system? I have two systems and don't want to have to pay for two Dirac licenses and use two separate computers for each. Any thoughts? Does this seem possible?

 

[omm0910]

Mac standalone has shipped. I am on macOS Big Sur version 11.6.1. I went to https://www.dirac.com/live/downloads/ and downloaded “diraclive-latest.zip” which now expands into “DiracLive v3.1.2 Setup Darwin”. After reboot, Dirac Virtual Audio Device shows up as a sound output destination. I guess my next step is the directions at https://confluence.dirac.services/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=159566914

 

[CMB]

Hi - I have a Stereo Licence of the plug-in version which I use in/with Audirvana on my secondary system.
Having often problems during measures, I more or less gave up on it.
Would you happen to know if I can use the same Licence (plug-in version) for the Mac Stand Alone version?
Would you happen to know if I can use the same Licence (plug-in version) eventually on a Minidsp (flex for instance)?
Thanks

 

[f1shb0n3]

Hi - I have a Stereo Licence of the plug-in version which I use in/with Audirvana on my secondary system.
Having often problems during measures, I more or less gave up on it.
Would you happen to know if I can use the same Licence (plug-in version) for the Mac Stand Alone version?
Would you happen to know if I can use the same Licence (plug-in version) eventually on a Minidsp (flex for instance)?
Thanks

Most likely not to MiniDSP, but I would ask them about the standalone. Even if they don’t offer license migration sometimes companies can give you a discount in similar situations.

 

[Flak]

Hi - I have a Stereo Licence of the plug-in version which I use in/with Audirvana on my secondary system.
Having often problems during measures, I more or less gave up on it.
Would you happen to know if I can use the same Licence (plug-in version) for the Mac Stand Alone version?
Would you happen to know if I can use the same Licence (plug-in version) eventually on a Minidsp (flex for instance)?
Thanks

Yes, you can get the latest Dirac Live 3 update free of charge and it includes both the Dirac virtual audio card for system-wide correction and the plugins for media players and DAWs.
I understand that you opened a ticket on our HelpDesk and we'll be pleased to send you detailed instructions