[PROBLEM] moOde won't start with Inno-maker HiFi DAC Pro HAT and NamedI2SDevice

[TheOldPresbyope]

Curious problem with the Katana and Pi4B.

I could swear I wasn't being offered hardware volume control when I first tried it out but this morning with the Inno-maker DAC HAT installed and choosing named I2S Device 'Allo Katana DAC" I am.

Example

Code:

Audio information
Input / Output
Source http://stream.wqxr.org/wqxr
Encoded at VBR compression
Decoded to 24 bit, 48 kHz, Stereo, 128 kbps
Output rate 32 bit, 48 kHz, Stereo, 3.072 Mbps
Output mode ALSA Direct (hw)
Output chain MPD -> hw -> Device
DSP operations
Resample rate Off
Selective rate Off
Resample quality Off
CamillaDSP Off
Chip options Apodizing Fast Roll-off Filter, De-emphasis=Bypass, DoP=on
Volume type Hardware (On-chip)
Audio Device
Device Allo Katana DAC
Mixer name Master
Chip ESS Sabre ES9038Q2M
Interface I2S
Formats S16_LE, S32_LE
Platform Pi-4B 1.1 2GB

FYI

Code:

pi@moode:~ $ alsacap
*** Scanning for playback devices ***
Card 0, ID `Katana', name `Allo Katana'
 Device 0, ID `bcm2835-i2s-allo-katana-codec allo-katana-codec-0', name `bcm2835-i2s-allo-katana-codec allo-katana-codec-0', 1 subdevices (1 available)
   2 channels, sampling rate 44100..384000 Hz
   Sample formats: S16_LE, S32_LE
   Buffer size range from 4 to 131072
   Period size range from 2 to 65536

     Subdevice 0, name `subdevice #0'

Code:

pi@moode:~ $ aplay -L
null
   Discard all samples (playback) or generate zero samples (capture)
_audioout
_audioout__
alsaequal
plug_alsaequal
btstream
camilladsp
crossfeed
plug_bs2b
eqfa12p
plug_eqfa12p
invpolarity
trx_send
hw:CARD=Katana,DEV=0
   Allo Katana, bcm2835-i2s-allo-katana-codec allo-katana-codec-0
   Direct hardware device without any conversions
plughw:CARD=Katana,DEV=0
   Allo Katana, bcm2835-i2s-allo-katana-codec allo-katana-codec-0
   Hardware device with all software conversions
default:CARD=Katana
   Allo Katana, bcm2835-i2s-allo-katana-codec allo-katana-codec-0
   Default Audio Device
sysdefault:CARD=Katana
   Allo Katana, bcm2835-i2s-allo-katana-codec allo-katana-codec-0
   Default Audio Device
dmix:CARD=Katana,DEV=0
   Allo Katana, bcm2835-i2s-allo-katana-codec allo-katana-codec-0
   Direct sample mixing device

Code:

pi@moode:~ $ amixer
Simple mixer control 'Master',0
 Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined
 Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
 Limits: Playback 0 - 255
 Mono:
 Front Left: Playback 255 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
 Front Right: Playback 255 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'DSP Program',0
 Capabilities: enum
 Items: 'Linear Phase Fast Roll-off Filter' 'Linear Phase Slow Roll-off Filter' 'Minimum Phase Fast Roll-off Filter' 'Minimum Phase Slow Roll-off Filter' 'Apodizing Fast Roll-off Filter' 'Corrected Minimum Phase Fast Roll-off Filter' 'Brick Wall Filter'
 Item0: 'Apodizing Fast Roll-off Filter'
Simple mixer control 'Deemphasis',0
 Capabilities: enum
 Items: 'Bypass' '32kHz' '44.1kHz' '48kHz'
 Item0: 'Bypass'
Simple mixer control 'DoP',0
 Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
 Playback channels: Mono
 Mono: Playback [on]

I don't know enough about the driver-level code to know how many of these values actually reflect the underlying hardware. I'm curious what differences are seen with a genuine Allo Katana DAC installed.

In an exercise in brute force and ignorance I may have to compare and contrast the Allo and Audiophonics dtb's and drivers.

Regards,
Kent