Looking for suggestion for HDMI 5.1 or 7.1 audio output for use with REW

[Buckster]

I'm thinking my only real option is a cheap Nvidia (GT730 or equivalent) or AMD card - but spending £80 odd just for HDMI digital audio output seems a bit over the top

I have a gaming PC which has HDMI output etc but its very heavy to move around - I also have a Dell T20 which is already in my living room that has a Xeon 1225v3 CPU (plenty enough for REW etc) BUT it has the very annoying feature that the Display Port output does not have audio enabled (I found this confirmed on forum - whilst Display Port does support audio - it was not implemented on the T20)

I have a 2 channel DAC but its a pain to use to calibrate centre/rears/heights etc as I'd have to reach round the back of the amp (very difficult) and move the 2 channel output from DAC to different inputs on the 7.1 analogue input on my Denon 7200W.

I could move the gaming PC downstairs but calibrations are never one offs for me !

I thought there must be a simple USB to HDMI (including full 5.1/7.1 digital audio ) - but nothing came up immediately so I'm thinking my best bet is a cheap graphics card ? I was just checking I wasn't missing some obvious cheap solution

I have used a "work-around in the past" but I wasn't totally sure it worked as I'm not sure what processing was being performed - but the 7200W supports audio via USB memory stick - so I put the REW sweeps on that (with sync audio pulse) and then set amp to "Multi channel stereo" which I think just copies over L/R to Rear L/R, height L/R etc but I'm not totally sure - then for the speakers I wanted to disable (so as to isolate the channels I wanted to calibrate) I just set them on the amp to be Pre-amp therefore not output from the amp

the other alternative would be 5.1/7.1 REW sweeps played back on my Nvidia Shield but there doesn't seem to be the option to encode a multi-channel audio file - would be perfect in REW to make an offline audio sweep that was 5.1/7.1 PCM - one for FL, one for FR, centre etc etc

many thanks for any suggestions - after writing the above I think my only real option is a cheap graphics card even though I don't need anything other than the integrated graphics for the video output I need

 

[OCA]

You'll find a link to multichannel REW sweeps including Atmos channels in the description of this video and instructions on how to use them for measurement. It might help your problem:

 

[Buckster]

thanks very much - I don't think I can use that route although I haven't finished the video/downloaded the files yet as I think MP4s that he is playing on his PC (I don't have any audio out on my PC) - I think the Denon only plays back audio via USB

I could play them on my Shield TV though that might work but might be a bit of a faff, as I'd have to switch video to REW - prime it ready for the sweep, then switch to the Shield to start the mp4 playing - actually that would work but might be a bit tedious

that video link is fantastic though so much appreciated for pointing out, as it looks a really good process for EQ'ing on Denons/Marantz, and the filter EQ as input into REWs AutoEQ is really really useful as I have tried myself in the past but I wasn't sure what Q to use for each of the filters etc

also setting the crossover was really well described

 

[OCA]

thanks very much - I don't think I can use that route although I haven't finished the video/downloaded the files yet as I think MP4s that he is playing on his PC (I don't have any audio out on my PC) - I think the Denon only plays back audio via USB

I could play them on my Shield TV though that might work but might be a bit of a faff, as I'd have to switch video to REW - prime it ready for the sweep, then switch to the Shield to start the mp4 playing - actually that would work but might be a bit tedious

that video link is fantastic though so much appreciated for pointing out, as it looks a really good process for EQ'ing on Denons/Marantz, and the filter EQ as input into REWs AutoEQ is really really useful as I have tried myself in the past but I wasn't sure what Q to use for each of the filters etc

also setting the crossover was really well described

That's actually my channel REW will wait for the sweep to start (the acoustic reference channel chirp) as you're also loading a source file to REW. WMP, VLC all play these .mp4 files with just default settings and all channels play correctly from the receiver including Atmos channels. Those .mp4 files would play from a USB key as well I guess but I haven't tried.