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[Mike48]

I'm considering using a media PC to serve as replacement for preamp in my audio system. I would run MC and get playback plus the DSP I would like. Probably use USB output to a Lynx Hilo DAC.

Is there a way (hardware, software) to get digital source switching while using the MC DSP engine? For example, I might have an AES3 or USB signal from second PC coming in, or an SPDIF signal from an optical disc player. Is there a way to easily switch MC to process those instead of music in its library? It would be preferable if the switching could be done by remote control (Gizmo, eos, DLNA, or other).

Since I'd be building the computer for this purpose, I could add a card if needed to accomplish this.

Suggestions will be appreciated!

[stewart_pk]

I've done something like you're wanting with LM Remote Keymap. I use it to send commands, keystrokes and mouse actions to JRiver.

[Mike48]

Thanks for the info. It's helpful to know how others have been able to do this. Clearly, it's not simple.

[blgentry]

I don't think the technology is mature enough for this to be done the way you are asking for.  As you said, even if you can find the right hardware, it's certainly not simple.

It's one thing if you want to use MC as a single preamp for itself, going directly to power amps and using MC's volume to control system volume.  It becomes a very different game when you want to route external sources through it.

If I wanted to do this, I would probably just use a traditional preamp and something like a MiniDSP if I wanted highly configurable parametric EQ and/or crossover.

Just one person's opinion.  Good luck.

Brian.

[mattkhan]

jriver has the feature required to do this on Windows (asio line in) but it does not currently expose this in a way that is amenable to remote control. The subject came up recently actually, see https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,111641.0.html for details

[Mike48]

Thanks again, guys! It looks like this would be too fussy for me to bother with. I love MC as a player and library manager in my desktop system (where I'm using a [silent] PC already), but I can see it's not destined for the core of my main system.

I like the idea of miniDSP. I haven't looked at them for a couple of years, and my impression is, they are improving at a pretty rapid rate. Off to check it out....

[stewart_pk]

I don't think the technology is mature enough for this to be done the way you are asking for.  As you said, even if you can find the right hardware, it's certainly not simple.

It's one thing if you want to use MC as a single preamp for itself, going directly to power amps and using MC's volume to control system volume.  It becomes a very different game when you want to route external sources through it.

If I wanted to do this, I would probably just use a traditional preamp and something like a MiniDSP if I wanted highly configurable parametric EQ and/or crossover.

Just one person's opinion.  Good luck.

Brian.

Using LM Remote Keymap I've managed to create a button on my IR Remote control that switches to ASIO Line in for optical audio input from an external satellite box.
It's not particularly elegant, but it works.

[Mike48]

Stewart,  Kudos!  Clearly what you did was an accomplishment.

Having spent 40+ years of my career working with computers and having learned to program in several languages (over a dozen if you include things like Rexx and JCL), I now want a rest. Something simple and well documented, like an ordinary hi-fi (which some non-audiophiles, even relatives of mine, still find too complex to hook up and work themselves).

I rather agree with Brian that "the technology is [not] mature enough" for what I hope to do. There still is no simple way to make a PC into a preamp -- unless you buy, say, a Trinnov Amethyst, which for about US$10k seems to be a PC in a very pretty case with a great little display and some advanced software. But it IS a preamp, so besides DSP, it does source switching, volume control, and all those functions that seem difficult to implement on a general-purpose small computer. We are chipping away at it, but the whole picture isn't there yet.