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[kr4]

What I am trying to do is to send any pair of channels from a multichannel (5.1) file to a single stereo DAC.  Since "Output Format" seems to be the obligatory first item in the DSP signal path (all the others can be moved around), it dictates stereo and makes any subsequent channel manipulations moot.  Is there any way to choose SR/SL for output to a stereo DAC?

(Of course, my aim is to use individual stereo DACs for multichannel but this appears to be the major impediment.)  TIA.

Kal

[mattkhan]

Try Stereo in a 5.1 container

Are you trying to get multiple zones to output to the same device concurrently?

[kr4]

Try Stereo in a 5.1 container

I did.  All I get is FL/FR or nothing regardless of what I chose from Mix Channels or Channel Order.

Are you trying to get multiple zones to output to the same device concurrently?

Nope.  I want to send just SL/SR or just Center/Sub to a stereo DAC.

[mattkhan]

I did.  All I get is FL/FR or nothing regardless of what I chose from Mix Channels or Channel Order.

stereo in a 5.1 container means you get 6 channel output with 2 channels provided by jriver, you then use the PEQ stage to move things around within those 6 channels however you like

if this isn't working for you then share your DSP studio config and we can work it out

[mojave]

What I am trying to do is to send any pair of channels from a multichannel (5.1) file to a single stereo DAC.  Since "Output Format" seems to be the obligatory first item in the DSP signal path (all the others can be moved around), it dictates stereo and makes any subsequent channel manipulations moot.  Is there any way to choose SR/SL for output to a stereo DAC?

(Of course, my aim is to use individual stereo DACs for multichannel but this appears to be the major impediment.)  TIA.

Kal

You won't be able to do it in JRiver since the DAC only accepts stereo input. JRiver doesn't have a way to manipulate multi-channel and then output it in stereo.

The other major impediment is that the various DAC's will slightly drift in time from each other unless they use a master clock. What DAC(s) are you going to use?

A solution is to use a Lynx Studio AES16e if your DAC accepts AES. This lets one output 16 channels to 8 DACs and keeps everything clocked the same.

Another solution is to use a MOTU 112D and use it for the digital routing to the DAC's.

I have tested the above with my AES16e and with my MOTU 1248.

[kr4]

stereo in a 5.1 container means you get 6 channel output with 2 channels provided by jriver, you then use the PEQ stage to move things around within those 6 channels however you like

But I cannot send a 6 channel output to a stereo DAC.  If I try, the warning window pops up and forces me to change the output to stereo!

if this isn't working for you then share your DSP studio config and we can work it out.

OK.
Here's what I get for the SR/SL operation. After accepting the change to stereo output, I get stereo output but of the FR/FL info.  Same for the Center/Sub DAC.

Also, when I link the three outputs, only the FR/FL and Center/Sub make sounds.

Since this forum sees my 5 attachments as "more than 6," here's a zip.

[kr4]

You won't be able to do it in JRiver since the DAC only accepts stereo input. JRiver doesn't have a way to manipulate multi-channel and then output it in stereo.

I see the reason for this is the obligatory placement of "Output Format" at the beginning of the Audio Path.  If one synthesizes multichannel from a stereo source, there are tools to select/prioritize the channels for each stereo output.  If one could move that option to a place after these other tools.

The other major impediment is that the various DAC's will slightly drift in time from each other unless they use a master clock. What DAC(s) are you going to use?

Mytek Brooklyns with clock links.  They work fine on a MAC because MacOS permits combining the 3 USB outputs into an "aggregate" 6channel output.

A solution is to use a Lynx Studio AES16e if your DAC accepts AES. This lets one output 16 channels to 8 DACs and keeps everything clocked the same.
Another solution is to use a MOTU 112D and use it for the digital routing to the DAC's.
I have tested the above with my AES16e and with my MOTU 1248.

Thanks but I do have multichannel DACs.  My interest here is partly academic but, mainly, to find an inexpensive option for others.

[mattkhan]

Ah sorry, I misread this as sending 2 channels to a multichannel dac. I think Mojave has covered it though. Inexpensive in this case tends to involve finding some adat device on eBay or similar. Generally there are various use cases for changing the way output format works, haven't seen any sign this will happen though unfortunately.

Btw I thought the Mac aggregate output was implemented via resampling all streams if a hardware clock is not present?

[kr4]

Ah sorry, I misread this as sending 2 channels to a multichannel dac. I think Mojave has covered it though. Inexpensive in this case tends to involve finding some adat device on eBay or similar. Generally there are various use cases for changing the way output format works, haven't seen any sign this will happen though unfortunately.

Well, it has been done.  In the past, I was able to connect three Mytek DSD/192 Stereo DACs to my PC and run it from MC for multichannel.  It worked superbly but relied on a special ASIO driver from Mytek.  The DACs simply picked off the appropriate channels based on their S/N.  Lowest S/N got SR/SL, next got Center/Sub and the newest got FR/FL.  If Mytek figured it out.....................

Btw I thought the Mac aggregate output was implemented via resampling all streams if a hardware clock is not present?

But it is with the Myteks and some others.

[mattkhan]

Yes so jriver opens a single output device for playback and some hardware has drivers that can present multiple physical devices as one (most pro audio hardware for example) and other times you can use other utilities to synthesise one (asio4all on Windows, hacking alsa config on Linux, aggregate devices on osx).

So going back to your original post, if you are trying to do this on Windows, don't have explicit driver support but do have hardware clock sync and aren't using asio then you can try to create an aggregate device using asio4all.

[kr4]

Yes so jriver opens a single output device for playback and some hardware has drivers that can present multiple physical devices as one (most pro audio hardware for example) and other times you can use other utilities to synthesise one (asio4all on Windows, hacking alsa config on Linux, aggregate devices on osx).

So going back to your original post, if you are trying to do this on Windows, don't have explicit driver support but do have hardware clock sync and aren't using asio then you can try to create an aggregate device using asio4all.

Thanks for this reply.   I will try to use asio4all but, iirc, it will not support DSD.

[mojave]

Well, it has been done.  In the past, I was able to connect three Mytek DSD/192 Stereo DACs to my PC and run it from MC for multichannel.  It worked superbly but relied on a special ASIO driver from Mytek.  The DACs simply picked off the appropriate channels based on their S/N.  Lowest S/N got SR/SL, next got Center/Sub and the newest got FR/FL.  If Mytek figured it out.....................
But it is with the Myteks and some others.

I remember doing that with three Mytek's, too, but it seems like forever ago. I just looked back through my e-mails and it was in February of 2013 - 5 years ago!