A few noob questions

[Ofer]

Hi,
I intend to use Audiolense XO and convolver on a 3way active system with sub. Most of the time the source will be smart TV => digital preamp=>computer. Some times local files will be played using foobar2000. So no J River and such. I have read through the AL help file and the convolver help file and still have a few basic questions.
1. most audio interfaces have 1-X(6/8) channels. I see that the first channel in AL is 0 not 1. Why is that? how does it map to the channels in the audio interface?
2. When using the convolver with the above setup does AL need to run in the background or are xover, FR, TTD settings loaded to the convolver and AL can be shut?
3. If the answer to 2 is that it is standalone how can one switch between different filters? like minimum phase and TTD. Are there presets or you just load a config file like you would load a file in any other program? Can you have a few preferences?

Thanks.

 

[jrobbins50]

I can answer at least some of your questions.

1. Channels 0, 1, 2… in AL are channels 1, 2, 3…elsewhere.

2. AL is used just for measurement and to create the filters and doesn’t have to run on the background for use of the filters through the convolver of your choosing.

3. Not sure which convolver you are using. I use AL generated filters in HQPlayer, which enables me to save settings, including the set of AL filters loaded for a particular setting. If you are planning to use the AL convolver, then I must defer to others as to whether filter banks can be saved as presets as compared to freshly loading each time you want to switch AL filters. JCR

 

[Ofer]

Hi JCR,

Thanks for your reply. I do intend to use the AL convolver. When you use HQPlayer for running convolver does this work for external sources e.g TV,CD or only for playing files from your PC?

Thanks.

 

[juicehifi]

Hi Ofer,

jrobbins is spot on.

The Audiolense convolver is perfect for this kind of setup.
You need a "middle man" to convert to asio for internal sources. I recommend jriver media center for that. It has a virtual audio driver and sends the audio to the convolver. Very stable. Works flawless for weeks.

If you can access all TV channels from the PC you should also try to use the smart TV strictly as a monitor. I prefer to do it that way. The hook/up is the same, so you can flip between the two.

 

[Ofer]

Hi Ofer,

jrobbins is spot on.

The Audiolense convolver is perfect for this kind of setup.
You need a "middle man" to convert to asio for internal sources. I recommend jriver media center for that. It has a virtual audio driver and sends the audio to the convolver. Very stable. Works flawless for weeks.

If you can access all TV channels from the PC you should also try to use the smart TV strictly as a monitor. I prefer to do it that way. The hook/up is the same, so you can flip between the two.

Hi Bernt,
Couldn't AL convolver be my middle man? If I play my audio files using foobar/kodi isn't the convolver enough? I can't stream broadcast TV from my PC and Netflix and even audio (I use Deezer) are simpler to stream from the TV. That is why I intend to have a digital preamp in the middle. J River is another paid app that I will have to learn and since I don't intend to play any video files from the PC, just stream then it seems overkill for my purposes.

 

[jrobbins50]

To your earlier question, no, I don’t run anything but file based music (Tidal through Roon, FLAC and DSF files on my NAS and Dolby Atmos from either Apple Music “spacial audio” (Lossy) or the Dolby Reference Player (lossless), with the latter two on a separate MacBook) through HQP on my Windows server. I am quite certain that foobar won’t decode Dolby Atmos television or movie programming for you. JRiver won’t, either, as I understand. JCR

 

[Ofer]

You got me a bit confused JCR. So the streamed audio from Tidal, apple TV and other streams you have do not go through the AL created filters? Only the audio (music files)?
Thanks

 

[jrobbins50]

No, my Tidal and Apple Music stream do go through the filters. No movie or TV content. JCR

 

[Ofer]

I see, so the Tidal and Apple music go through the HQplayer?

 

[jrobbins50]

Correct. JCR

 

[juicehifi]

Hi Bernt,
Couldn't AL convolver be my middle man? If I play my audio files using foobar/kodi isn't the convolver enough? I can't stream broadcast TV from my PC and Netflix and even audio (I use Deezer) are simpler to stream from the TV. That is why I intend to have a digital preamp in the middle. J River is another paid app that I will have to learn and since I don't intend to play any video files from the PC, just stream then it seems overkill for my purposes.

You only need jriver or similar if you play from internalisert sources without Asio streaming , such as a web browser or Spotify.

 

[Ofer]

OK. So when streaming Netflix/spotify and such from PC I need Jriver but if I use 2 channel PCM from TV/CD to the audio interface there is no need. Correct?
What about having different presets in the AL convolver, is that possible? or each time there is a need to load a configuration file?

Thanks.

 

[juicehifi]

Yes to the first. To the second: The convolver can save different settings for different "contexts", e.g. one filter for external sources, one for jriver and one for Qobuz etc. You could try that and see if it suits your needs. Otherwise you have to switch filters "manually".

 

[Ofer]

Thanks Brent, I was kind of aiming at a few setting for the same source. Like full TT, low latency etc. BTW is there another go between except Jriver? one that is free?

 

[Ofer]

You only need jriver or similar if you play from internalisert sources without Asio streaming , such as a web browser or Spotify.

Could ASIO-bridge do the trick for non-ASIO internal sources?

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[juicehifi]

Yes.

 

[Ofer]

Hi, thanks for that reply. How about several preset settings for the same source? to switch easily from TTD to low latency for example.

 

[juicehifi]

You need to load filter for that.