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RPi3 Allo BOSS and SoX settings
#11
What is your setting for MPD volume control?
Enjoy the Music!
moodeaudio.org | Mastodon Feed | GitHub
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#12
(12-15-2019, 01:27 PM)Tim Curtis Wrote: What is your setting for MPD volume control?

Hi Tim,
MPD volume is set to "Disabled". Setting to "Hardware" has no effect.
Maybe this is similar to the Allo Boss issue?

Should have mentioned that enabling Parametric EQ to set gain results in error:
>MPD error
>Failed to open "ALSA parametric eq" (alsa); Error opening ALSA device "eqfa4p"; snd_pcm_hw_params() failed: Invalid argument

Richard.
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#13
I ran a quick test toggling Master Gain between 0 and -9.0 dB and no issues.

For Volume control set to either Disabled or Software you can set Max ALSA volume. It's on Audio Config.

-Tim
Enjoy the Music!
moodeaudio.org | Mastodon Feed | GitHub
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#14
(12-15-2019, 07:41 AM)rh2018 Wrote: Can Alsamixer card gain be set to persist through bootup by adding a command to a config file or start-up script?

As mentioned in Phil's post, The 4db attenuation when upsampling with SOX is important to minimise overmodulation.

The screen grab is from my Pi4 to HiFiBerry's new USB to I2S interface card and HiFiBerry Digi plus.
So far working very well with SoX set for 32/384 and Alsamixer at -4db as shown. 

Richard

https://www.hifiberry.com/docs/data-shee...et-usbi2s/[/url]

I was just reading that  /etc/asound.state  gets loaded every startup.

[url=https://askubuntu.com/questions/50067/howto-save-alsamixer-settings]
https://askubuntu.com/questions/50067/ho...r-settings
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#15
(12-15-2019, 09:44 PM)Tim Curtis Wrote: I ran a quick test toggling Master Gain between 0 and -9.0 dB and no issues.

For Volume control set to either Disabled or Software you can set Max ALSA volume. It's on Audio Config.

-Tim

Master Gain (Parametric) toggle does not work because of error.
With volume control set to Disabled how does set ALSA volume work?
Richard.
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#16
For audio devices that have on-chip Hardware volume controllers you will have two volume controls in the audio chain. The first one is MPD's software volume control and the second is ALSA's volume control which represents the on-chip volume controller.

The three valid volume configurations are:

1. MPD Disabled, ALSA 100% (MPD outputs 100%)
2. MPD Hardware, ALSA % varies with MPD volume setting (MPD is varying the on-chip controller)
3. MPD Software, ALSA 100% (MPD controls volume with its software algorithm)

The Disabled and Software volume control settings require ALSA volume to be at 100% (0dB) so the overall system volume is 100% (0dB) when MPD volume is 100%.

You can change ALSA max volume to be < 100% via the setting on Audio Config.

-Tim
Enjoy the Music!
moodeaudio.org | Mastodon Feed | GitHub
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#17
(12-15-2019, 10:12 PM)inthemoode Wrote:
(12-15-2019, 07:41 AM)rh2018 Wrote: Can Alsamixer card gain be set to persist through bootup by adding a command to a config file or start-up script?

As mentioned in Phil's post, The 4db attenuation when upsampling with SOX is important to minimise overmodulation.

The screen grab is from my Pi4 to HiFiBerry's new USB to I2S interface card and HiFiBerry Digi plus.
So far working very well with SoX set for 32/384 and Alsamixer at -4db as shown. 

Richard

https://www.hifiberry.com/docs/data-shee...et-usbi2s/[/url]

I was just reading that  /etc/asound.state  gets loaded every startup.

[url=https://askubuntu.com/questions/50067/howto-save-alsamixer-settings]
https://askubuntu.com/questions/50067/ho...r-settings

+1
Yes, that works! Great searching - many thanks.
- Richard
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#18
(12-15-2019, 10:43 PM)Tim Curtis Wrote: For audio devices that have on-chip Hardware volume controllers you will have two volume controls in the audio chain. The first one is MPD's software volume control and the second is ALSA's volume control which represents the on-chip volume controller.

The three valid volume configurations are:

1. MPD Disabled, ALSA 100% (MPD outputs 100%)
2. MPD Hardware, ALSA % varies with MPD volume setting (MPD is varying the on-chip controller)
3. MPD Software, ALSA 100% (MPD controls volume with its software algorithm)

The Disabled and Software volume control settings require ALSA volume to be at 100% (0dB) so the overall system volume is 100% (0dB) when MPD volume is 100%.

You can change ALSA max volume to be < 100% via the setting on Audio Config.

-Tim

Thanks for clarifying Tim. @inthemoode's tip also works with settings sticking between boots.
Thanks for all the hard work and All The Best for Christmas to you and the Team
-Richard.
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#19
(12-15-2019, 07:41 AM)rh2018 Wrote: Can Alsamixer card gain be set to persist through bootup by adding a command to a config file or start-up script?

As mentioned in Phil's post, The 4db attenuation when upsampling with SOX is important to minimise overmodulation.

The screen grab is from my Pi4 to HiFiBerry's new USB to I2S interface card and HiFiBerry Digi plus.
So far working very well with SoX set for 32/384 and Alsamixer at -4db as shown. 

Richard

https://www.hifiberry.com/docs/data-shee...et-usbi2s/[url=https://www.hifiberry.com/docs/data-sheets/datasheet-usbi2s/][/url]

Do you actually notice the difference with the 4dB attenuation?  And if so, what's the perceived effect?  Just curious.

Phil

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#20
Wink 
(12-16-2019, 04:59 PM)philrandal Wrote:
(12-15-2019, 07:41 AM)rh2018 Wrote: Can Alsamixer card gain be set to persist through bootup by adding a command to a config file or start-up script?

As mentioned in Phil's post, The 4db attenuation when upsampling with SOX is important to minimise overmodulation.

The screen grab is from my Pi4 to HiFiBerry's new USB to I2S interface card and HiFiBerry Digi plus.
So far working very well with SoX set for 32/384 and Alsamixer at -4db as shown. 

Richard

https://www.hifiberry.com/docs/data-shee...et-usbi2s/[url=https://www.hifiberry.com/docs/data-sheets/datasheet-usbi2s/][/url]

Do you actually notice the difference with the 4dB attenuation?  And if so, what's the perceived effect?  Just curious.

Phil

Phil,

It's a subjective thing but I perceive a slightly less congested sound on peaks in complex orchestral passages.

It's probably true to say that the peripheral equipment in the overall system will have more influence on the sound quality.

I don't necessarily think  oversampling in SoX provides any real advantage. Depending on the DAC moOde might out put at 192k and even 96k with some earlier devices. The Pi4 in particular and I2S HAT's like Allo Boss and HiFiBerry DAC+ with separate clocks look after the Pi's shortcomings and moOde delivers the source bit-perfect.

In particular the Allo Boss can be configured in chip/device options for -6db gain and a range of filter characteristics. I normally apply the -6db option with the Allo Boss. In that case lowering the Alsamixer gain is un-necessary.

I'm not aware of any objective test for the PCM 51xx series for intersample or filter issues with program material but one has to start with the basic assumption that TI/Burr Brown, as well as other DAC manufacturers, set out to design state of the art chips. Their specifications speak for themselves.

Bottom line is I'll stick with the gain reduction and SoX disabled. I'm not using any other tweaks.

I'm using a power bank and that does make a difference! (Steps down from soap-box and takes dog for walk) Smile

-Richard.
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