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[weedub]

Is it possible to convert a, .dsf file to a flac or other formats.

I have all my collection ripped as .dsf it is huge,I have it on a Synology 21Tb NAS.That I access from

my computer audio setup and my main listening room setup

some people have said to me why! bother converting to .dsf (large file size etc.) , "well it just sounds better to me"

And JRiver Media Center makes it all possible / I have been using it for a long time now

I have tried all the other Hi End media players / that some say they are better,they are not(my opinion)

JR Media Center Rules supreme,as I guess all here would agree.

Anyway a  problem I have found is that I have in recent times, I have acquired

 other devices that can not play .dsf ,I have tried to convert a .dsf file back to a flac or other formats.

With MC20/21 and it fails,there is a very quick conversion/and there are temp files in the folder that have

no size,and are not playable.

My main listening is done in .dsf 128/and 256

It would also be nice  to be able to rip to DSF 256, and not be restricted to DSF 128 only

Possibly this could be corrected / included in MC21

Thank you

[blgentry]

I've only experimented with this a *tiny* bit, so this is just to get you started.  I'm not an expert on this particular process.

Select one or more of your DSF files. Then:  Tools > Library Tools > Convert Format.

Select the format you want to convert to.  Click Options to get more settings.  If you want to convert to lower sampling rates (below 352.8kHz), click Apply DSP, and then click the DSP settings button.  Then find the output format you'd like to use and set it up.

I'd test this on a few files and see if they play ok on your target player.  Then you can do a bunch all at once.

Good luck!


Brian.

[dtc]

Yes, convert format works for converting DSD to Flac. You can also do in on the fly if you do not want to keep a second set of files around. You do that in the DSP Studio. Note that the conversion options in DSP Studio are distinct from those in Convert Format. The windows look the same, but the data is distinct.

One thing to consider is that when converting from DSD to Flac, there is a large amount of high frequency noise introduced into the Flac file unless it is filtered out. By default, MC uses an aggressive filter (24 KHz/48dB/octave). You can change the filter in Tools - Options- Audio - Advanced - Configure input plug-ins,  DSD. The other two options start filtering at higher frequencies but do have have as aggressive a slope, so some noise gets through. Another option is to turn the filter off in the plug-in and set a low pass filter in DSP studio. Hendrick has suggested that he might change the higher frequency filters to higher slopes, but I do not believe it has been done yet. Personally, I use a low pass filter at 60 KHz/48dB/octave. I believe the SACD standard is 50 KHz/48dB/octave. For 2x and 4x DSD I would suggest a higher frequency filter than the default, although not everyone agrees on this. Part of the reason of gong to a higher frequency cutoff is to move the noise from the filter significantly outside of the audible range. You might want to do some reading on this whole topic if you want to do serious listening on a non-DSD dac.

[weedub]

I've only experimented with this a *tiny* bit, so this is just to get you started.  I'm not an expert on this particular process.

Select one or more of your DSF files. Then:  Tools > Library Tools > Convert Format.

Select the format you want to convert to.  Click Options to get more settings.  If you want to convert to lower sampling rates (below 352.8kHz), click Apply DSP, and then click the DSP settings button.  Then find the output format you'd like to use and set it up.

I'd test this on a few files and see if they play ok on your target player.  Then you can do a bunch all at once.

Good luck!


Brian.

Thanks Brian,
I am very familiar with the conversion process and settings,what I am saying is

if a album is ripped to .dsf / I can not convert it back to from .dsf to a flac etc.

Here is an example of what ends up in the folder / it just will not work that way.

So I am asking the powers to be,the JRiver Brains if it is at all possible.

If not / could it be made possible in MC21

Also to be able to right click on a file or folder and select convert with MC would be convenient (Shell Integration)

where that file or folder.then temporarily loads to JRiver MC /converts to what every MC is set to

Thank you

[weedub]

Yes, convert format works for converting DSD to Flac. You can also do in on the fly if you do not want to keep a second set of files around. You do that in the DSP Studio. Note that the conversion options in DSP Studio are distinct from those in Convert Format. The windows look the same, but the data is distinct.

One thing to consider is that when converting from DSD to Flac, there is a large amount of high frequency noise introduced into the Flac file unless it is filtered out. By default, MC uses an aggressive filter (24 KHz/48dB/octave). You can change the filter in Tools - Options- Audio - Advanced - Configure input plug-ins,  DSD. The other two options start filtering at higher frequencies but do have have as aggressive a slope, so some noise gets through. Another option is to turn the filter off in the plug-in and set a low pass filter in DSP studio. Hendrick has suggested that he might change the higher frequency filters to higher slopes, but I do not believe it has been done yet. Personally, I use a low pass filter at 60 KHz/48dB/octave. I believe the SACD standard is 50 KHz/48dB/octave. For 2x and 4x DSD I would suggest a higher frequency filter than the default, although not everyone agrees on this. Part of the reason of gong to a higher frequency cutoff is to move the noise from the filter significantly outside of the audible range. You might want to do some reading on this whole topic if you want to do serious listening on a non-DSD dac.

Thank you dtc
I will study you post and see if it works for me,just need to look at the option you present

will report back soon

[weedub]

Thank you dtc
I will study you post and see if it works for me,just need to look at the option you present

will report back soon

Hi dtc,

I could be wrong/ are you referring to outputting  a .dsf to a flac within MC by changing the DSP Studio settings

If so then there is a misunderstanding about what I am asking

I understand that I can do that, output any file to what ever I like (by changing the DSP Studio settings)

What I am asking is / I want to convert the file back to a flac

and move it to another device as a flac file.

Your point about High Frequency Noise on a non DSD device

Is noted and very good advice, it is some thing I have read on extensively

Thank you

[dtc]

You can use the Convert function to create a flac file from a DSD file. You can write the flac file to anyplace you want and choose to incorporate it directly into the MC library or not. You have those choices under Options when you convert. Within Convert (options - audio) there is an Apply DSP  option. It looks just like the DSP Studio you use for playback, but it is only used for the file conversion. So, select your files for conversion and hit options. My initial confusion was the the DSP Studio for playback and the DSP Studio for converting look exactly the same, but they actually store different values.

Try a Convert and look at the options. I just did a 2x dsf and a 2x dff conversion to flac and they worked fine.

Hope I am not missing something.

[weedub]

You can use the Convert function to create a flac file from a DSD file. You can write the flac file to anyplace you want and choose to incorporate it directly into the MC library or not. You have those choices under Options when you convert. Within Convert (options - audio) there is an Apply DSP  option. It looks just like the DSP Studio you use for playback, but it is only used for the file conversion. So, select your files for conversion and hit options. My initial confusion was the the DSP Studio for playback and the DSP Studio for converting look exactly the same, but they actually store different values.

Try a Convert and look at the options. I just did a 2x dsf and a 2x dff conversion to flac and they worked fine.

Hope I am not missing something.

dtc:
I think it is me who is missing something / I selected the option to use DSP

the conversion just keep failing

I am sure it is something simple,I am just not seeing it

I followed your instruction and selected use DSP option

under that check box is DSP settings/what do you use here

I usually have MC set to bit-steam to my DAC,and thought that might be causing a problem

so I set it to the recommended setting.Although that made no difference

I really appreciate your help with this

Thank you

[dtc]

On the first convert, set encoder to flac. In options, click on ... dsp setting and  in output formatting  set output encoding to none and Greater than 384K to 192K or 176K something like that. That should work.

[weedub]

In output formatting, did you set output encoding to none and Greater than 384K to 192K or 176K something like that?

dtc
Your the man!!!!

That was it, I had output encoding set to none/ although I have not set the Greater than ,

once I changed that. All was good,I thank you for your patience,and "Knowledge"

As soon as I read your last post / I said to myself "That's it"

The light went on,although only with your prompting

Thank you again/Cheers

[dtc]

Glad to help. Good luck.

[GS]

Greetings! I am new to this Forum so I apologize in advance if I am not doing this correctly. I have followed the instructions listed in the post about changing the Output Formatting settings to None for the Output Encoding and to 174K or greater in the Sample setting but I am still getting Failed upon trying to convert. I'm sure it's something simple but...  On this page I have the option to Load/Save and chose this, gave the settings a Name and went back to the Convert Format section, hit convert and I get the failed message. Thanks in advance. I also have screenshots if needed.

[dtc]

I use MC 20 that only goes to 384K as its maximum sample rate and it appears that when the change to include 705/768 KHz was added  the process was changed. Prior to the 705/768 change, you could just put the final sample rate you wanted in the >384 line. Now, it looks like it is a two step process. For 2x DSD, you put 705 in the >768 line, and then put the final sample rate you want (like 176 or 352) in the 705 line. You can also put 352 in the > line, and then put 176 in the 352 line. I have not done as much testing with 1x DSD, but I believe you put 352 in the >768 line and then 176 or 88 in the 352 line. Putting the final sample rate you want in the >768 line does not seem to work in MC 21. I have only done a little testing, but that is what now works for me.

I do not understand converting 1x to 352 and 2x to 705. That seems like twice the sample rate that is needed. The process also makes me believe that the current process may convert 1x to 352 and 2x to 705 and then use the PCM resampler to get to lower sample rates. That may have been true in MC 20, but it was never obvious.

Give the two step process a try and see if it works. It certainly is not intuitive.

If anyone else has played with this, it would be good to know what you have found to work.

[GS]

Thanks for your reply but now I am totally confused. I am rather tech-savvy but do not understand what you are saying to do in the two-step process. What I see is not matching up with what you are saying. I have included a screen shot so you can see what I see. 

[dtc]

Sorry for the confusion.

If you are converting a 2x DSD (5.6MHz) change the option next to >768Khz from No Change to 705Khz and change the option next to 705 KHz from No Change to your desired final sample rate, like 88 KHz or 176Khz or 352 KHz. Just click on  No Change to make the change.

For 1x DSD (2.8MHz) change the option next to >768 KHz from No Change to 352 KHz and change the option  next to 352 KHz from No Change to your desired final sample rate, like 88 Khz or 176 Khz.

So for 2x DSD converted to 176 it would look like

176KHz   No Change
192KHz   No Change
352KHz   No Change
384KHz   No Change
705KHz   176KHz
768KHz   No Change
>768KHz 705KHz

Make sure you are using the DSP studio page that you call from the Convert Dialog. There is a page that looks the same for playback that you get at from the Audio option and from the Audio Path button at the top of the screen, but that only affects playback, not conversions.

You do not need to use the load/save option. MC will remember the last settings you used.