miniDSP Device Console Overview

[deercreekaudio]

We just published a new tech blog that provides an overview of miniDSP's Device Console, this covers the 2x4 and 2x8 architectures: Overview of miniDSP Device Console

 

[Pieter1267]

Very nice, however i miss an explanation for the outputlevel adjustment in the output channel just below the upper channel designation. Compared to the gain, why is there a 2nd level adjuster in minidsp?

 

[deercreekaudio]

Very nice, however i miss an explanation for the outputlevel adjustment in the output channel just below the upper channel designation. Compared to the gain, why is there a 2nd level adjuster in minidsp?

The reason is, if you wanted to sum inputs from the two different channles you could mix them at independent levels, see:

 

[bmwr75]

The three things I don't like about any of the miniDSP devices (own a FLEX, SHD and DDRC-24) are:

1. Once Dirac is closed, you apparently have to remember what is loaded to which of the four slots because none of that info is displayed via the computer interface to the device.

2. A computer is required to interact with any miniDSP device. They really need to develop a phone or table app that allow connection via Bluetooth and has the capabilities of a computer connected via USB cable.

3. Delay/Gain on the Inputs is active via default. I've had that completely destroy imaging on pairs of speakers when have forgotten to turn it off. And, apparently is has to be turned off every time the Device Console is started.

If there are ways to overcome issues 1 and/or 3, I'd really like to learn how.

 

[Keith_W]

3. Delay/Gain on the Inputs is active via default. I've had that completely destroy imaging on pairs of speakers when have forgotten to turn it off. And, apparently is has to be turned off every time the Device Console is started.

I don't understand this point? Surely you set your delay/gain at what you need and leave it at that? There is no need to turn it off if you have delay/gain set at 0.

 

[bmwr75]

I don't understand this point? Surely you set your delay/gain at what you need and leave it at that? There is no need to turn it off if you have delay/gain set at 0.

It appears to me that Dirac sets a Delay/Gain on the inputs (unless you disable this option) in the miniDSP control panel and after it does so I've not figured out how to set it back to zero manually in the control panel. The screen shot below shows a 0.04 ms delay set on Dirac 1 and 0.3 dB gain set on Dirac 2. I didn't set these, so Dirac Live must have done it.

I don't ever want any Delay/Gain set on miniDSP Input side. However, delay and gain adjustments on the Output side when using two main speakers and two subs are routinely set by me manually.

 

[Sharok]

I read in another discussion that there is not enough delay time in Flex HTx for the lipsync (I think maximum is 50 ms). Is there a way to increase the audio delay?

 

[Keith_W]

A delay of 0.04ms in your left channel input compared to the right channel means that your mic was off-center by 0.04ms (about 14mm) when you took the measurement. I don't know if there is a way to over-ride Dirac's input delay setting, but you can centre your microphone by using REW. Sweep your right speaker using your left speaker as acoustic reference, then sweep your right speaker using your left speaker as acoustic reference. When the delay is 0ms, your mic is centred.

To be honest, a delay of 0.04ms is nothing to write home about. It certainly won't make a difference when you listen. A gain difference of 0.3dB is different, though.

 

[DeanMartini]

It appears to me that Dirac sets a Delay/Gain on the inputs (unless you disable this option) in the miniDSP control panel and after it does so I've not figured out how to set it back to zero manually in the control panel. The screen shot below shows a 0.04 ms delay set on Dirac 1 and 0.3 dB gain set on Dirac 2. I didn't set these, so Dirac Live must have done it.

I don't ever want any Delay/Gain set on miniDSP Input side. However, delay and gain adjustments on the Output side when using two main speakers and two subs are routinely set by me manually.

View attachment 456920

According to their online manual it's not possible to change this on the input side for Dirac

Flex DL manual

 

[Sharok]

According to their online manual it's not possible to change this on the input side for Dirac

Flex DL manual

What if I don't use DIRAC, is it possible to increase the delay?
I don't understand why would they limit the audio delay to 50ms when Minidsp knows people would use this box and eARC for playing audio/video together. How difficult would it be for them to increase this delay to 200ms or even higher?

 

[bmwr75]

Edit: wrote this yesterday, but evidently never hit the post button.

Just found this in the Flex (DL) user manual (see screen capture). Aggravating. Pretty sure both of these Input parameters could be editted by the user in earlier software versions.