Hello all,
I'm interested in doing a Geddes multi-sub setup for my two-channel system. I have recently read that JRiver has some powerful DSP capabilities, with one possible use being to take the place of a DCX2496 or miniDSP for digital EQ and/or crossover duties of a multi-sub setup. Here is my hardware:
- Emotiva UMC-200 A/V pre-pro (has HDMI inputs)
- Four subwoofers, each powered by a separate channel of amplification via two stereo Crown pro amps
- Two mains speakers, powered by two mono Emotiva power amps
- To be built: an HTPC using JRiver for DSP?
Here is what I'd like to do if possible:
- In software, widen the two-channel bus to 7.1
- Center and LFE channel would be unused. leaving 6 channels remaining
- L and R as normal, but with crossover high-pass filters using JRiver DSP
- Left surround, right surround, left rear and right rear would be re-purposed to receive the subwoofer signals, starting out as 0.5 * (L + R)
- Each of the four re-purposed channels would have a low-pass filter (possibly having a different cutoff frequency and/or type for each channel), and multiple Parametric EQs per channel using JRiver DSP
- HDMI output of HTPC to HDMI input of UMC-200
- Left and right outputs of the UMC-200 to the two mono mains amps as normal
- Left surround, right surround, left rear and right rear outputs of UMC-200 to the two stereo Crown pro amps to drive the subs
- All speakers set to "large" in UMC-200 with no processing: just used as a multi-channel HDMI DAC and analog volume control via the remote
- Center channel and subwoofer set to "none" in UMC-200
Is this possible to do using HDMI and without needing a separate external multi-channel sound device to replace the UMC-200? My source material is two-channel-only FLAC files. I originally thought about this after reading
an article by Nyal Mellor about using an HTPC in place of an A/V pre-pro. There was also some discussion of a similar topic in the
AVS Forum "Oddball Inwall" thread.
Here's one point of confusion on my part. In the Nyal Mellor article, he uses a Lynx AES16, and it's not clear to me which functions are being performed by the mixer software that comes with this sound device, and which are performed by the JRiver DSP. However, since I only have two-channel capability with no room for multi-channel in my setup, I had this thought of re-purposing the HDMI 7.1 rear and surround channels for the subwoofers. If this is not possible, I might consider selling the Emotiva UMC-200 and getting something like a Steinberg UR824.
I have never used JRiver and couldn't find detailed documentation of its DSP capabilities, hence my questions here.