Hang Loose Convolver in my system

Ofer

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Thread Starter
Joined
Mar 15, 2021
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Preamp, Processor or Receiver
miniDSP 4x10hd
Main Amp
Emotiva XPR200 midrange amp
Additional Amp
Crest audio 2001A bass amp, Crest audio 8002 sub
Other Amp
Rotel RA930ax twitter amp
Computer Audio
Sony Bravia android TV
DAC
RME FF400
Universal / Blu-ray / CD Player
Marantz original 5E CD
Front Speakers
Andromeda MkII
Subwoofers
18" OEM powered subwoofer, 18" Martycube Dayton A.
Screen
Sony bravia 65XF9005
Streaming Subscriptions
Deezer HiFi
Other Equipment
HP i5 running W10, HLC convolver for Audio Lense filters
Prolog

I have been using active crossover for about 10 years now. Most of the time the computer was the media source, Kodi and Foobar2000, and Ashly crossovers (analog and then digital) before the amps. The last 2 years my smart TV became the media source, as my computer died, using miniDSP as crossover and preamp. This was a very family friendly setup, yet the ~10 filters/channel provided by the miniDSP is hardly state of the art DRC. By moving to AL the hope was to have the computer as a DSP/DRC box and continue to stream from the TV. ALL my music files are CD rips so 44.1/16 streaming was just fine. I dedicated an i5 9th generation computer with 2 ~3ghz cores 16gb ram and bought a RME FF400, a bit old but still considered very high quality and stable audio interface. From then on everything went wrong. First despite the fact that streamers, including some high end music ones, were around for quite a while now it seems that most AL users still use the computer as their media source. The RME would not play with JRiver Asio line in function and AL standalone convolver did could not take the asio (SPDIF) in and send to the outputs. You could dive in the links below. The closest I could get it all to work with external input and computer convolution was with Elements/Plogue Bidule and X-MCFX convolver. But that had it issues too. The only setup that really works for me now is with HLC.

Setup

Mitch help file is extensive. I will go over pointers that were relevant to me on W10 and 3way stereo with sub. After installation of the convolver and VB-cable you choose VB-cable as your default input and output in windows sound this is for playing/streaming from the PC. For ASIO playback you open the convolver and choose options >audio settings>Asio.

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In my case I have left only the SPDIF input active and analog outputs 1-8. It is important that the sample rate in the audio interface match that of the convolver. In my system buffer size below 512 caused issues and hence I set it at 1024. In the interface I chose the SPDIF clock, clock issues cause cracks and pops so do low buffers. Beware of the test button it sends a very loud beep, don’t use it! You will get an input and output strips, in between right click on the empty space and add the HLC convolver. For stereo active choose the number of channels you need. In my case it was 8 so 7.1 or octagonal. What you get should look like this. I know it says 6.1 this is before the final setup.
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From here it is similar to Elements and X-MCFX you pull wires from the inputs to the convolver and from there to the outputs. Notice that the outputs (upon touching with the cursor) will read LF, LR, C etc. and not analog 1,2 etc. Disregard this it doesn’t matter. In the end it will look like this:

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That’s it you are ready to load filters. When creating filters use a flat folder architecture, nothing deeper then one folder otherwise HLC gets confused so C//Filters> minimum delay. In the folder have all the sample rate filter you thing you might need HLC will automatically change sample rates. In the filter module use the magnifying glass and add cfg. Files to each slot. I used pink noise and the bars on the right to trim the gain of each filter but the best way is with SPL meter. Each set of filterbanks can be saved but the audio settings are not saved. So if you saved a filter bank in windows audio settings and are now in ASIO setting it will not revert to windows audio.

I did configure windows audio as well and will answer any questions but I fill that many other users have done so as well.

Usage

Once clock issues and buffers are set this software is very stable. It is by far the best option for my scenario. Once you set the gain for each filter it is very easy to just switch filter with the mouse. The switch is seamless. It is very educational for us AL users to really hear the difference in real-time. I have created a crossover only filter i.e. partial correction from 0hz. The difference from crossover only to FR only is huge, my room is very vibrant Topt ~700ms. TTD is audible but not as huge. Loading 6 TTD filters can really help understand how different step responses sound.

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Final words

The move to AL and computer DSP was not easy in my case and neither cheap. HLC is not a cheap software but IMO but it is gives the best overall solution by far. Only now can I enjoy the high quality that state of the art DRC has to offer without endless tweaking with audio settings and praying for it to work. I would like to thank @Mitchco for his assistance along beyond just setups, also to @hulkss , @Omid @mccarty350 @juicehifi and all the great community that tried to help along the way.
 

HerbertWest

Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2021
Messages
21
How many channels does HL convolver support? My current AL filters are geared towards Auro3D/Atmos, so I’d need 11 channels (5.4.2).
 

Mitchco

Member
Joined
Oct 1, 2017
Messages
79
Hi Herbert, as many as you like...

Here is an example of a 7.1.4 Atmos system using Audiolense DRC and HLC:
 

HerbertWest

Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2021
Messages
21
Thank you for the quick reply!
I will try the demo and report back. The use case I was thinking of is to use AL instead of the room correction embedded in AVRs.

Hi Herbert, as many as you like...

Here is an example of a 7.1.4 Atmos system using Audiolense DRC and HLC:
 

HerbertWest

Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2021
Messages
21
The demo version of HLC does not allow even limited filter testing, so I guess I’ll have to buy it. That said, the VST channel routing part is really easy and I managed to get Penteo in the loop too. :)

one question for @Mitchco: what is the semantic of the “Channel layout” in the input / output configuration of the convolver?
On the “input side” of HLC, I assume I need to provide channels order expected on the AL filter (I use the Auro3D channel order L/C/R/LS/RS/LFE/ and 4 height channels). So I would select 5.1.4, but use the channel input as specified in my AL filter and not the Dolby 5.1.4 channel order.

On the “output side”, will HLC use the AL “standard” output channel order as expressed in the Speaker configuration settings (L/R/C/etc), or will it use the channels as per the routing specified in the convolution filter (channels are defined during measurements in AL)?

E.g my L/R channels are output 11/12 in my UCX2, and AL filters route them correctly. If HLC keeps the same channel order as AL, then in order to connect the HLC out to the audio output in the VST host I will simply need to connect channels in the same order without “crossing them”. So I’d draw a line from output 11/12 of the HLC module to 11/12 of the audio out ASIO.
My output setup is also 5.2.4 (2subs, modeled in AL as single sub with two drivers), and such a configuration is not present in the drop down list; if HLC uses the same channel order as the AL filter, I assume I need to select any output configuration with enough channels (eg 7.1.4), and just connect the output lines from HLC to the audio output regardless of the “7.1.4” standard channel order.
Appreciate the help :)
 

Mitchco

Member
Joined
Oct 1, 2017
Messages
79
Hi Hebert,

I am in the process of updating my website which will have a free trial. In the meantime, please send a note to: mitch@accuratesound(dot)ca and I will send you a trial key.

Yes, just select any output configuration with enough channels for your setup. Yes, HLC keeps the same channel order as AL as defined in the .cfg, including bass management.

Hope that helps.
 

HerbertWest

Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2021
Messages
21
It did help. I tested the following chain:

stereo line-in -> Penteo upmix to auro3D -> HLC

no need for me to use vb-audio cable thanks to TotalMix.

Channel routing worked as you explained; I also verified it channel by channel in Penteo by muting all channels but one. The whole setup took less than 30 minutes, plus 30 mins of a random Blu Ray for a test. This is pretty exciting for me, because it will enable me to use AL filters (albeit low latency ones) on Atmos content from an avr/avp without worrying too much about Audissey or DL.
 
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