Bypassing MiniDSP for Mains

I'm looking to use a minidsp to integrate my subs with my mains while bypassing the minidsp for the mains output. This is because the minidsp downsamples to 96khz to apply peq and dsp. I don't mind that for my subs but don't want it for my mains. I have a schitt sys and use it to switch between 2 inputs (my avr and my 2 channel preamp) but it only has 1 output. If I split each channel of the output, I could run one set to the minidsp and the other directly into my amps. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Also, would there be any signal loss or would the signal degrade in any way if I do this? Additionally, I know using 2 dsp systems (hqplayer would be the one for my mains) would introduce latency and additional delay but I think I can still time align the subs with the mains in REW. Is this something REW can do?

Ice32 said:

I'm looking to use a minidsp to integrate my subs with my mains while bypassing the minidsp for the mains output. This is because the minidsp downsamples to 96khz to apply peq and dsp. I don't mind that for my subs but don't want it for my mains. I have a schitt sys and use it to switch between 2 inputs (my avr and my 2 channel preamp) but it only has 1 output. If I split each channel of the output, I could run one set to the minidsp and the other directly into my amps. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Also, would there be any signal loss or would the signal degrade in any way if I do this? Additionally, I know using 2 dsp systems (hqplayer would be the one for my mains) would introduce latency and additional delay but I think I can still time align the subs with the mains in REW. Is this something REW can do?

Click to expand...

If I understand you correctly, you want to do this:

Preamp out --> Y splitter 1 --> amp --> Mains
Preamp out --> Y splitter 2 --> MiniDSP --> Sub

The quick answer is, yes it will work. The longer answer is that it is a bad idea, for the following reasons:

1. MiniDSP's downsampling to 96kHz is likely to be inaudible. The difference is mostly in your head. You don't need anything more than 44.1kHz.
2. Main speakers usually need to be delayed to match the sub. If your mains are not controlled by your MiniDSP, you will have no way to do this. Remember that setting delays correctly will reduce summation errors between sub and mains.
3. You will not be able to high-pass your speakers if it bypasses your MiniDSP. You may or may not benefit from high-passing your speakers, all this depends on your system and your room.
4. Sometimes, PEQ's need to be placed on the main speakers for better bass integration. If your main speakers are not controlled by DSP, you can't do this.

REW can certainly do everything that you need. It's only a matter of choosing your workflow. There are some videos on Youtube by Obsessive-Compulsive Audiophile (OCA), or you could look at MiniDSP's website for a REW tutorial on how to do this.

If you have HQPlayer upstream of your MiniDSP, you could certainly use it to run two DSP's in series. That works, too. But it makes the filters more difficult to design. If this is your first time, I strongly recommend that you keep things as simple as possible. Getting one DSP right is hard enough for a beginner, let alone two which are in series.