Master Volume Control application on PC

edorr

WBF Founding Member
May 10, 2010
3,139
14
36
Smyrna, GA
I will be receiving a CAPS 3.0 Zuma with an additional AES16e card installed for Multi Channel.

Eventually, I will be ripping some of my MCH (BR, DVD and SACD) content to the server and use Jriver for all playback. However, I will probably continue to use my modded Oppo (4x digital out) as a MCH digital source directly into the lynx card.

Apparently, In this application I can trim individual channels using the lynx mixer application, but I cannot control master volume. There is probably a wat to set this up using the Windows master volume controller, but this will probably compromise sound quality. In other words, I need a digital master volume control application on my server for the input I feed to my Lynx card. I'm a total novice in this field and don't know what application would do the trick. I am thinking some sort of bare bones (preferably free) digital audio workstations.

My question is do you have any recommendations for a windows 8 application that allows me to do this (i.e. control master volume) using 32 bit dithering?
 

mojave

Well-Known Member
Oct 29, 2010
251
0
321
Elkhorn, NE
You can route the AES input from the Lynx card through JRiver and use its 64-bit volume control that will then dither to 24 bits. While the Lynx AES16e accepts 32 bits, it only uses the 24 most significant bits on ASIO input per Lynx Studios. For this reason JRiver has added the "Device uses only most significant 24-bits (Lynx, etc.)" in the audio output mode settings. You can also activate the dither on the Lynx mixer, but it is my understanding that it is best done by JRiver if using JRiver for volume control.
 

dallasjustice

Member Sponsor
Apr 12, 2011
2,067
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Dallas, Texas
So if volume is dithered at only 24 bits, then you would be dropping some bits playing 24 bit files by using the jriver volume control?

You can route the AES input from the Lynx card through JRiver and use its 64-bit volume control that will then dither to 24 bits. While the Lynx AES16e accepts 32 bits, it only uses the 24 most significant bits on ASIO input per Lynx Studios. For this reason JRiver has added the "Device uses only most significant 24-bits (Lynx, etc.)" in the audio output mode settings. You can also activate the dither on the Lynx mixer, but it is my understanding that it is best done by JRiver if using JRiver for volume control.
 

edorr

WBF Founding Member
May 10, 2010
3,139
14
36
Smyrna, GA
You can route the AES input from the Lynx card through JRiver and use its 64-bit volume control that will then dither to 24 bits. While the Lynx AES16e accepts 32 bits, it only uses the 24 most significant bits on ASIO input per Lynx Studios. For this reason JRiver has added the "Device uses only most significant 24-bits (Lynx, etc.)" in the audio output mode settings. You can also activate the dither on the Lynx mixer, but it is my understanding that it is best done by JRiver if using JRiver for volume control.

Thanks. That would be ideal. I'll try to figure out how to get this work once the hardware is in, and check back in if I have problems.
 

dallasjustice

Member Sponsor
Apr 12, 2011
2,067
8
0
Dallas, Texas
Sorry my question wasn't clear. If volume is dithered at 24 bits in jriver and any attenuation using the jriver volume is used on 24 bit files, the 24 bit dither will drop bits from the 24 bit file to get the desired attenuation? I know jriver processes audio at 64 bits. But my understanding is that the volume control is not dithered to 64 bits, its 24 bits. Am I misunderstood? Thanks,
Michael.
 

Roger Dressler

Industry Expert
Aug 4, 2011
129
2
93
Oregon
Hi Michael,

How loud does one play their audio system -- the 0 dBFS peak sine wave SPL? 120 dB spl? That's 20 bits above zero dB, and that's quieter than a human can hear. 24 bit dither sits some 20 dB quieter than that. Seems quite sufficient, even in a volume control.

The trick is to maintain more than 24 bits prior to dithering, which JRiver apparently does.
 

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