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[johnkaess]

I'm running JRiver Media Center 27.0.15 and I have a Schiit Bifrost DAC connected via USB directly to my iMac (27" 2020 version). I am getting no output from my DAC right now, though the spectrum volume displays are bouncing away in the top left and right of JRiver. If I select Core Audio from Device Select under Audio, I get playback through my iMac speakers. If I select my Bifrost DAC the spectrum display shows activity, but I get no sound. If I go into Device setting and uncheck Integer Mode, I get playback through the Bifrost DAC.

Here's the issue: I've been using this DAC for about 3 years with Integer Mode selected and no problems at all. Now it only plays if I uncheck Integer Mode. My first thought was that maybe my USB cable was bad, so I replaced it. No change.

What has changed: I replaced my 2014 iMac with a new 2020 iMac (with the T2 chip).

I'm wondering if the new iMac is the problem, or did my DAC go bad? Also, what impact does disabling Integer Mode have on the sound quality. My goal is to get bit perfect playback. I have mostly 44.1/16 files ripped in Apple Lossless, but I also have 96/24 Apple Lossless and FLAC files. The file type or depth or sample rate do not seem to make a difference to this playback problem.

I'm guess I'm in over my head on troubleshooting this issue. I'd sure appreciate any advice of things to check, settings to change, and some wild guesses on what might be causing my problem. I went back and reinstalled Media Center 26 and it acts identically as Media Center 27.

[JimH]

Please update to 27.0.22 from the top of this board.

[HansVanEijsden]

Hi @johnkaess, thank you for bringing this up. Since yesterday I have the same problem. Or, at least the same symptoms.

I'm using JRiver 27.0.22 on my iMac (27-inch, Late 2012) with the newest MacOS Catalina 10.15.7 (19H2), connected to the M2Tech HiFace Evo Two which is connected to the Audionet DNP.
Yesterday morning it worked perfectly with Integer Mode enabled. But in the afternoon I had no audio anymore. Spectrum displays are working and also the level indicators in the DSP plugins section. My interfaces also do change sample rates (depending on the file played) but the audio is silent.
As soon as I disable Integer Mode all works fine, just like it had before for several months.

Things I have changed between the morning (working) and the afternoon (not working anymore):

• I updated the Dirac Live VST plugin from 1.3.13 to 1.3.14 (downgrading and/or disabling didn't solve it)
• I upgraded another program on my Mac: Audio Hijack 3.7.2 to 3.7.3 with a newer installed ACE version 11.2.0

A reboot of my iMac didn't solve it. Playout through the internal iMac speakers still works though, with Integer Mode enabled.

My question to you, johnkaess: do you have Audio Hijack installed? And did you also update it, perhaps?

[johnkaess]

Great Question! I have Airfoil (also from RogueAmoeba) installed which also updated the ACE to 11.2 in the past day. I am not running airfoil, but of course the ACE is always running. Perhaps we should both inform Rogue Amoeba about this and see if it is the problem.

BTW, I did not state, but I am also on Catalina 15.7

[johnkaess]

BTW, updating to 27.0.22 made no difference. Same problem.

[JimH]

What is ACE?

[HansVanEijsden]

What is ACE?

ACE is the Audio Capture Engine from Rogue Amoeba. More information here.

Sidenote:
The folks at Dirac Live advised me to install Rogue Amoeba's Audio Hijack app (Dirac Live helpdesk ticket number DLS-2052) as an alternative solution to this problem. That problem doesn't occur here anymore, but I still use Audio Hijack to watch YouTube videos through my browser with Dirac Live enabled.

P.S. I will test the Integer Mode with ACE uninstalled when I'm home later this weekend.

[Awesome Donkey]

Integer mode was changed in MC27, so it might be related to this: https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,127257.0.html

Might want to follow Bob's instructions there and get a log if possible.

[johnkaess]

What is ACE?

ACE (Audio Capture Engine) is used in apps made by Rogue Amoeba to enable Mac's to redirect the audio signal output and allow it to be manipulated. Their Airfoil app will grab the audio and send it out via Airplay. I rarely use it, but on occasion I run it to send audio from the Music app in Catalina to my Apple TV to play over my stereo. The ACE component was updated I think 2 days ago. I will try uninstalling the app to see if it has any impact on this issue. I have sent a tech support inquiry about this to Rogue Amoeba but have not received a response yet.

From the Rogue Amoeba Website:

The Audio Capture Engine (ACE) framework provides Mac apps with the ability to capture audio from specific running applications, as well as all audio currently being produced by the system. ACE can be used to provide audio to enhance screen recording, VNC/remote access, game streaming, and much more.

ACE provides an API for applications to create virtual CoreAudio capture devices, which then pull in the desired audio. For example, ACE can be used to programmatically create a capture device pulling audio from a running instance of VLC. Any audio that VLC produces will show up as audio input from the virtual capture device. The audio can then be read and processed by your application, using entirely standard CoreAudio APIs.

ACE can be integrated into an existing application in a matter of hours. It's provided in two parts: A C library that applications integrate to communicate with ACE, and a CoreAudio server plugin to be installed on the user's computer. Functions are provided for installing/uninstalling the server plugin, as well as creating virtual capture devices.

[johnkaess]

Integer mode was changed in MC27, so it might be related to this: https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,127257.0.html

Might want to follow Bob's instructions there and get a log if possible.

I went to the post, but found no instructions on how to get a log file.

[JimH]

The wiki has a topic on logging.

Questions like this can often be answered with a Google search.

[johnkaess]

Update!

I got an email from Rogue Amoeba tech support with a developer update to the ACE. I installed it and it did not solve the problem. Did a reboot and still no integer mode audio out from JRiver Media Center. Rogue Amoeba asked for feed back, so I went into both Soundsource (another Rogue Amoeba app which I use regularly to control all aspects for audio on my iMac, but has NOT has an update to ACE) and also into Airfoil (the app with the updated ACE) and both apps have a menu option to uninstall ACE which I did.

Uninstalling ACE via the menu option in Airfoil and Soundsource absolutely solved the Integer Mode problem in JRiver Media Center. Based on this, I think we can assume that the problem is not in JRiver Media Center 27, but rather in the Rogue Amoeba ACE module. I have emailed their tech support to make them aware of this.

[JimH]

ACE is the Audio Capture Engine from Rogue Amoeba. More information here.

Sidenote:
The folks at Dirac Live advised me to install Rogue Amoeba's Audio Hijack app (Dirac Live helpdesk ticket number DLS-2052) as an alternative solution to this problem. That problem doesn't occur here anymore, but I still use Audio Hijack to watch YouTube videos through my browser with Dirac Live enabled.

P.S. I will test the Integer Mode with ACE uninstalled when I'm home later this weekend.

When you're trying to identify a possible problem in MC, it would help to remove software that could be related to the problem.

[HansVanEijsden]

When you're trying to identify a possible problem in MC, it would help to remove software that could be related to the problem.

Quick update: I just came home, and have immediately uninstalled the ACE. And... Integer Mode audio works again! 
Later today I will collect some log files and post them here.

Edit: I see johnkaess beat me to it. Thanks again!

[JimH]

Thanks for reporting the possible solution.

[HansVanEijsden]

Might want to follow Bob's instructions there and get a log if possible.

FWIW: I've attached the log file to this post, with ACE installed and Integer Mode checked -> no audio while playing. I don't know if there's anything relevant in the log file though.

I also downgraded Audio Hijack to version 3.7.2 which reverts ACE to version 11.1.4. All is working again.

[aliciaviola]

I have AudioHijack, too and updated the ACE two days ago. I use it with version 3.7.3 and there is no problem playing files in with MC and Integer mode up to now. So I think AudioHijack 3.7.4 causes the problem.
I am using AudioHijack regularly. In my experience it's the best program to record files from the internet or nearly any other places that have audio. I often use it to record radio broadcasts from the US that take place when it is night in Europe. The programs can be programmed and AudioHijack even wakes up the Mac. 

Frank

[HansVanEijsden]

The issue has been solved in ACE 11.2.2 (so, also in Audio Hijack 3.7.5).