DSPi users (and prospects) projects discussions

[Barrelhouse Solly]

I am looking at using rPi 5 as a player node. How best to send its output direct to DSPi for when I do not want the Schiit SYN in between?

Could someone link to a good HowTo for noobs with a complete BoM list, ideally with purchase links?

I've used DSPi connected directly to a Pi by USB. I send the output to a DAC.

 

[Tell]

I am looking at using rPi 5 as a player node. How best to send its output direct to DSPi for when I do not want the Schiit SYN in between?

Why not just use CamillaDSP on that Pie together with a suitable DAC?

 

[john61ct]

I will, but here the goal is to play with DSPi

 

[TheWalkman]

I’m with you John. I’m comfortable with the Pico - I have half a dozen or more Pi’s around the house running FlightAware, Pi-hole, Volumio, etc. but it’s been a long time since I’ve done any breadboarding, so I’m struggling a bit on getting a DSPi project up and running.

On the original thread, I saw a couple of items referenced to build the equalizer including:

A Pi Pico (or W or 2W)=>

an RCA/ TOSlink interface:

https://www.amazon.com/Luejnbogty-D...ical+and+rca+out+plate,electronics,177&sr=1-3


(Though I’m not completely certain which pins I attach the interface to!)

A breakout board:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BFB53Y2N/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?smid=AV3WCPW70PEXC&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BFB53Y2N/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?smid=AV3WCPW70PEXC&psc=1


and a case:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FHVBWY21?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

For a stereo DSP, I’m gathering my configuration would be:

Streamer (existing RasPi Zero2W) USB OUT =>

DSPI USB IN (Pivco2W) =>
(Would a separate, 5V power in be needed for the Pico?)

Toslink/RCA card (though I’m not completely clear which pins to use on the Pico. I’ve also seen some comments about adding resistor on the audio in) =>

Existing preamp ((Topping E70) via optical or RCA) =>

Existing amp (Audiophonics)

Am I on the right track?

 

[john61ct]

Hopefully them-knows-more-than-I will feed back.

I was asking

> Could someone link to a good HowTo for noobs with a complete BoM list, ideally with purchase links?

not in any way asking for "concierge service"

I thought knowledgeable members could just recommend a good existing "HowTo for rPi Noobs" page on buying / assembling an "Audiophile player / renderer" with the I/O I mentioned.

I honestly don't even know what further details I could provide about this test-bench use case, I'm not looking to use this to build a specific system, it's all about the learning, something cheap to connect DSPi's to.

Again really not helping narrow down the options. I'm out.

In case it wasn't clear: We're not a concierge service!

 

[john61ct]

I've used DSPi connected directly to a Pi by USB. I send the output to a DAC.

Yes exactly my question, how to accomplish that, what to order?

 

[Barrelhouse Solly]

Yes exactly my question, how to accomplish that, what to order?

The DSPi can be plugged into one of the Pi's USB ports. Any reasonably decent DAC with a coax or toslink input will do the job. I'm using an SMSL SU-1 on my desktop. I've also used DSPI with a PI with the DSPi output going to an Ayima A-80. I prefer using the coax output configuration for DSPi just because it takes less skill to mount in a box than an optical transmitter.

 

[john61ct]

getting a DSPi project up and running...

an RCA/ TOSlink interface:

https://www.amazon.com/Luejnbogty-Daughter-Optical-Bracket-500111302/dp/B0CQJBKFXS

OK, so that unit

24Bit 192Khz Daughter Card SPDIF Optical and RCA Out Plate Cable Bracket Digital Audio Output for, Black, 500111302

What would that be for, input or output, DSPi or rPi5, or in between?

Is that what you call a "Toslink/RCA card" below? so final output from DSPi?

from there to DAC/Preamp/Power amp?


> and a case

Wow OK I thought it would require a case specifically designed for rPi5 !

 

[TheWalkman]

OK, so that unit

24Bit 192Khz Daughter Card SPDIF Optical and RCA Out Plate Cable Bracket Digital Audio Output for, Black, 500111302

What would that be for, input or output, DSPi or rPi5, or in between?

Is that what you call a "Toslink/RCA card" below? so final output from DSPi?

from there to DAC/Preamp/Power amp

> and a case

Wow OK I thought it would require a case specifically designed for rPi5 !

John,

Let me try again with the caveat that this is my hunch on how to do it and the reason for my post was for confirmation or correction.

Not sure where the RPi5 you referenced came from. It’s not in my audio chain.

 

[TheWalkman]

OK, so that unit

24Bit 192Khz Daughter Card SPDIF Optical and RCA Out Plate Cable Bracket Digital Audio Output for, Black, 500111302

What would that be for, input or output, DSPi or rPi5, or in between?

Is that what you call a "Toslink/RCA card" below? so final output from DSPi?

from there to DAC/Preamp/Power amp?


> and a case

Wow OK I thought it would require a case specifically designed for rPi5 !

The SPDif card is the interface from the Pico to the DAC/ pre-amp via optical or RCA.

 

[john61ct]

Not sure where the RPi5 you referenced came from. It’s not in my audio chain.

sorry, my overkill choice for player/renderer, should not impact connectivity compared to older / less powerful models.

 

[john61ct]

Thanks for clarifying.

 

[john61ct]

I was a bit harsh with "john61c" recently (not really intentionally)

Not a problem Red

...

> But if you can output 16 channels from a stereo input, he can either put his rather peculiar preamp (Schiit SYN) away or sell it. Because simulating 5.1 from a stereo source shouldn't be too complicated, digitally speaking, no !?

Precisely replicating with DSP the effects Schiit produces with SYN would be a heck of a project, perhaps more work than the DSPi project itself.

And besides the point - I am currently committed to a modular approach, the low cost per unit is to me the main attraction of DSPi in the first place.

Otherwise I would just do all the convolution centrally, via my powerful PC

with 36 super-clean balanced / unbalanced 1/4" TRS/TR / XLR combo ports and near zero latency studio grade AD/DA conversion

 

[TOMSON]

I would like to run a 2.5-way crossover for a speaker on the DSP, which means that I can connect a PCM5102 and power amplifiers to individual speakers via I2S at the output, and an ADC for the analog signal would be useful at the input.

 

[TOMSON]

Instead of the PCM5102A, I plan to connect an amplifier based on the TAS5828M, which will be connected to the DSPi via I2S. I will assemble a board with three chips, which will give me 3 left channels and 3 right channels. The amplifier's startup sequence will be written in the ESP32C3 Xiao and will communicate with the TSA5828 via I2C. Additionally, I want to create a global volume control independent of the DSPi.

 

[markz]

As I commented in the main DSPi thread, I'm moving any further discussion of my little web service app to this thread. So, as an intro:

it lives at: https://github.com/MZachmann/DSPiCliRemote

it's a tiny (current 5MB) app that runs Windows, Mac, Ubuntu and soon Raspbian. Intended to run full-time on your DSPi-connected computer (not the Pico) to let you remotely (via web browser) control the DSPi.

For example, my current Pico box is a Mac Mini under the TV and here's a screen shot from my office desktop running Edge. The Log is just for diagnostics for now.

Mark

Current state: as of today it runs fairly reliably on all three tested devices. Mac and Ubuntu both require manual steps to point to drivers (Mac) or enable access to the usb devices (Ubuntu). I'll doc that and add the binaries to the next Release.

 

[Tell]

As I commented in the main DSPi thread, I'm moving any further discussion of my little web service app to this thread. So, as an intro:

it lives at: https://github.com/MZachmann/DSPiCliRemote

it's a tiny (current 5MB) app that runs Windows, Mac, Ubuntu and soon Raspbian. Intended to run full-time on your DSPi-connected computer (not the Pico) to let you remotely (via web browser) control the DSPi.

For example, my current Pico box is a Mac Mini under the TV and here's a screen shot from my office desktop running Edge. The Log is just for diagnostics for now.

Mark

View attachment 528329

Current state: as of today it runs fairly reliably on all three tested devices. Mac and Ubuntu both require manual steps to point to drivers (Mac) or enable access to the usb devices (Ubuntu). I'll doc that and add the binaries to the next Release.

I did get it to run the other day, and testing it right now and it seems to get all the info from the DSPi, but won't send anything back to it no matter which button I press. I'm using Windows.

 

[markz]

I did get it to run the other day, and testing it right now and it seems to get all the info from the DSPi, but won't send anything back to it no matter which button I press. I'm using Windows.

Take a look at the log below the main gui and you can see if the Pico is sending stuff back correctly. Also, that first Release pretty much sucked for network
reliability (sorry) so try the current release.

Also, when you click something on the gui you should see the same log lines show up on the server/console side although formatted differently

postscript: I've been torture testing it pretty hard in my home where I don't get wifi in one room (good test) and it's been quite robust although it seems to be caching and then regurgitating something when wifi reconnects which isn't right but does work. I've still got work on Raspbian and net stability but otherwise I'm quite happy with it.

postscript2: it is now working just fine with Raspbian. like Ubuntu it takes adding some permissions and libusb but the application was fine.

 

[Tell]

Take a look at the log below the main gui and you can see if the Pico is sending stuff back correctly. Also, that first Release pretty much sucked for network
reliability (sorry) so try the current release.

Also, when you click something on the gui you should see the same log lines show up on the server/console side although formatted differently

postscript: I've been torture testing it pretty hard in my home where I don't get wifi in one room (good test) and it's been quite robust although it seems to be caching and then regurgitating something when wifi reconnects which isn't right but does work. I've still got work on Raspbian and net stability but otherwise I'm quite happy with it.

postscript2: it is now working just fine with Raspbian. like Ubuntu it takes adding some permissions and libusb but the application was fine.

I realised that it actually (mostly) works, it's just that the DSPiConsole.exe ain't updating it, you have to close and open it again for it to update. I guess this is nothing you can do anything about, rather it would be Weeb Labs that needs to push some kind of "update" button in there, unclear if this is something that he wants to do though.

Btw I wrote "mostly" because changing preset doesn't actually work, but everything else seems fine.

 

[markz]

I realised that it actually (mostly) works, it's just that the DSPiConsole.exe ain't updating it, you have to close and open it again for it to update. I guess this is nothing you can do anything about, rather it would be Weeb Labs that needs to push some kind of "update" button in there, unclear if this is something that he wants to do though.

Btw I wrote "mostly" because changing preset doesn't actually work, but everything else seems fine.

Yeah, I noticed that too. You can't really blame them for no refresh when they think they're the only 'setter of DSPi' out there.

The CliRemote gui updates only when you click refresh although the new Optical button refreshes periodically when it's turned on since it's kind of necessary for it to be useful.

My servers are running astoundingly reliably at this point. I realized my Mac (music server) was connected to the wrong Hub router and WiFi marginal and my control was still solid. Now that the Mac is on the nearby router it's ridiculously fast/solid so I'm optimistic.

Yesterday I watched a movie with the wife and at the last scene realized I had volume leveling on and when I then turned it off I couldn't hear the dialog... nice feature. Oh, and Optical was running in the background the entire movie to pipe the spdif into my DSPi via the Mac's usb input.

I haven't really tested the Preset changer since Preset copy just came out and so my rather complex crossover only worked on one preset. I'll take a look at it.

Postscript: hmmm, lost the Preset copier with the last DSPiConsole revision but anyway afaik the Preset seems to be working fine. Maybe I'm too default-y. I have 2 different presets I tried swapping between and it seemed to work ok. What are you trying/seeing?

latest releases: https://github.com/MZachmann/DSPiCliRemote/releases