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More => Old Versions => JRiver Media Center 31 for Mac => Topic started by: domhnall on July 20, 2023, 05:32:18 pm

Title: Bluetooth crackles on MC31 (and 29)
Post by: domhnall on July 20, 2023, 05:32:18 pm
Hi,

This is my first post, so I'm sorry if I don't express myself correctly here.  I'm on a Macbook Pro, Ventura 13.4, and I've been having problems playing MC via bluetooth -- to speakers and to headphones.  All playback crackles and pops, and not just a little bit, either.  When I plug the speakers or headphones into the Mac directly, no crackling.  When I play music on iTunes via bluetooth, also no crackling.

The problem started a while ago, on MC29, and with older versions of the Mac OS.  I've tried removing the speakers/headphones from my bluetooth and then re-adding them in -- no dice.  I've shut down the computer and restarted -- no dice.  I haven't re-installed MC, but I did just upgrade to 31 hoping that that might help.  No dice.

I'm not a sophisticated MC user -- I apologize in advance -- so there may be some setting I'm not aware of?  I've tried searching the discussion boards, but I haven't found anything useful.

Does anyone have any suggestions; I'd like to go cordless again when listening to music.

Thanks in advance!
Title: Re: Bluetooth crackles on MC31 (and 29)
Post by: JimH on July 20, 2023, 05:44:26 pm
You can probably fix it by using MC's DSP Studio > Output Settings to force everything to 48 kHz.  The wiki should help if you need more information.
Title: Re: Bluetooth crackles on MC31 (and 29)
Post by: domhnall on July 20, 2023, 06:14:33 pm
Thanks so much for the quick reply!  Unfortunately, the DSP Output Sample Rate is already set at 48K for all input values.  I'm open to other ideas.
Title: Re: Bluetooth crackles on MC31 (and 29)
Post by: bob on July 20, 2023, 06:16:23 pm
Thanks so much for the quick reply!  Unfortunately, the DSP Output Sample Rate is already set at 48K for all input values.  I'm open to other ideas.
In MC's audio settings make sure integer mode and exclusive mode are off.
Title: Re: Bluetooth crackles on MC31 (and 29)
Post by: domhnall on July 20, 2023, 07:13:42 pm
Thanks for your reply!  The integer mode was off, but the "open device w exclusive access" was checked.  I unchecked it.  I still got static on bluetooth playback.  I then restarted MC, and when that didn't work, I restarted the computer, thinking that might help the change to take effect.

Now, unfortunately, playback on bluetooth doesn't work at all.  I get an error message saying that playback could not be started on the core audio output (neither the bluetooth speakers nor the bluetooth headphones) using format "48kHz 2 ch."  It does play when I use the built-in speakers for the Macbook (without static).

The output settings are still set to 48kHz, which I thought they had to be.
Title: Re: Bluetooth crackles on MC31 (and 29)
Post by: bob on July 20, 2023, 08:41:08 pm
Thanks for your reply!  The integer mode was off, but the "open device w exclusive access" was checked.  I unchecked it.  I still got static on bluetooth playback.  I then restarted MC, and when that didn't work, I restarted the computer, thinking that might help the change to take effect.

Now, unfortunately, playback on bluetooth doesn't work at all.  I get an error message saying that playback could not be started on the core audio output (neither the bluetooth speakers nor the bluetooth headphones) using format "48kHz 2 ch."  It does play when I use the built-in speakers for the Macbook (without static).

The output settings are still set to 48kHz, which I thought they had to be.
Note that you can select the device either in MC's audio settings or in the finders audio output chooser if you are defaulting to core audio in MC.
If neither of those work,  please turn on logging and attach a log. The audio device open is logged heavily.
Title: Re: Bluetooth crackles on MC31 (and 29)
Post by: domhnall on July 20, 2023, 09:34:19 pm
Sorry -- when I said playback could not be started on the core audio output, that's what the message said.  It "could not be started on the output 'Core Audio' using the format 48 kHz 2ch."  The selected output under Audio>Audio Device is "Bluetooth Speaker [Core Audio]" or "Headphones [Core Audio]."  The Bluetooth speaker is also selected in the Mac's settings for Sound.

I've attached a log in which I tried and failed to play a file via bluetooth.
Title: Re: Bluetooth crackles on MC31 (and 29)
Post by: bob on July 20, 2023, 09:57:47 pm
According to the log, the device only supports 16k or 44.1k so try setting your DSP studio to 44.1k
Title: Re: Bluetooth crackles on MC31 (and 29)
Post by: domhnall on July 20, 2023, 10:48:13 pm
That worked!  The crackling is gone too -- thank you so much!
Title: Re: Bluetooth crackles on MC31 (and 29)
Post by: blgentry on July 21, 2023, 08:07:17 am
For quite some time, 48kHz has been the normal sampling rate for the vast majority of Bluetooth devices.  I think this is set by the end point device.  I.E., the actual headphones or bluetooth speakers.  I'm pretty sure that the Bluetooth sender (I.E. the MacBook Pro) can send any sampling rate in the Bluetooth standard.

In my experience it is extremely unusual to find a 44.1kHz bluetooth device.

Would you mind sharing with us the make and model of your 44.1kHz bluetooth device?  I'm just curious about it since it's outside of my experience.

Thanks,
Brian.
Title: Re: Bluetooth crackles on MC31 (and 29)
Post by: bob on July 21, 2023, 08:27:17 am
This is his device:

Code: [Select]
0099467: 123145362509824: Playback: CCoreAudioPlugin::StartCoreAudio: Output device name: SRS-XB41
0099469: 123145362509824: Playback: CCoreAudioPlugin::StartCoreAudio: Output device UID: F8-DF-15-14-B9-24:output
0099471: 123145362509824: Playback: CCoreAudioPlugin::StartCoreAudio: Physical format 0: Format=PCM, Samplerate=16000, Bits=16, Flags= +SignedInteger +Packed, Padding=0
0099471: 123145362509824: Playback: CCoreAudioPlugin::StartCoreAudio: Physical format 1: Format=PCM, Samplerate=44100, Bits=32, Flags= +Float +Packed, Padding=0
Title: Re: Bluetooth crackles on MC31 (and 29)
Post by: bob on July 21, 2023, 08:28:09 am
I wonder if something else on his system is forcing those rates?
Title: Re: Bluetooth crackles on MC31 (and 29)
Post by: Awesome Donkey on July 21, 2023, 08:38:20 am
Looking at the full specs, I notice this...

https://www.sony.com/et/electronics/wireless-speakers/srs-xb41/specifications

Quote
FREQUENCY TRANSMISSION RANGE
20 Hz - 20,000 Hz (44.1 kHz sampling)

Unusual indeed.
Title: Re: Bluetooth crackles on MC31 (and 29)
Post by: blgentry on July 21, 2023, 09:27:40 am
It makes a weird kind of sense.  It's Sony.  They, along with Philips, invented the CD.  Which has a sampling rate of 44.1kHz.  That's just a guess in terms of their motivations.

Brian.