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More => Old Versions => JRiver Media Center 28 for Windows => Topic started by: Matt on May 18, 2021, 09:01:14 am

Title: Mixing
Post by: Matt on May 18, 2021, 09:01:14 am
Hi everyone,

In MC you select the number of output channels you have and everything is mixed with JRSS to match that output.

So I have a 5.1 setup in my basement (with a biamped sub).  When I play stereo content, it is output at 5.1.  Our upmixing is one of my favorite features!

You make this selection in DSP Studio.

Recently someone was musing that they don't like mixing happening when they play stereo content.

So I thought one idea would be to add an options to the modes:
No upmixing or downmixing [already there]
JRSS mixing [already there]
JRSS mixing (exclude stereo content) [new one]

Or what other ways could we provide more flexibility here?

We're just hoping for feedback.

Thanks.
Title: Re: Mixing
Post by: mattkhan on May 18, 2021, 09:07:53 am
I would like to be able to choose a 5.1 target for higher channel counts, in your config it is stored as "Output Padding Channels" I think. Use case is better support for active speakers in a multi channel setup.
Title: Re: Mixing
Post by: mattkhan on May 18, 2021, 09:09:53 am
JRSS mixing (exclude stereo content) [new one]
How does it differ "for stereo sources, only mix to 2.1" exactly?
Title: Re: Mixing
Post by: Matt on May 18, 2021, 09:19:59 am
How does it differ "for stereo sources, only mix to 2.1" exactly?

Well I guess I was thinking it would just leave the content as 2.0.  We could also make that stereo choice a drop box?  Or put them all in the mixing mode.

Thanks.
Title: Re: Mixing
Post by: Hendrik on May 18, 2021, 09:40:59 am
Well I guess I was thinking it would just leave the content as 2.0.  We could also make that stereo choice a drop box?  Or put them all in the mixing mode.

The stereo checkbox should realistically already do that. There is a second option to choose if you want MC to fill a LFE channel or also leave it alone, but creating a LFE channel or upmixing stereo to surround are two huge differences.

I think there is too many potential permutations to put them into the JRSS Mixing dropdown all together. If that stereo -> 2.1 checkbox is not enough, make that a dropdown.
Title: Re: Mixing
Post by: Matt on May 18, 2021, 09:43:46 am
Well maybe we already have that covered then?

This was the post that prompted this discussion:
https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,129467.msg898473.html#msg898473
Title: Re: Mixing
Post by: Hendrik on May 18, 2021, 09:45:20 am
That option should be working just fine for that user, he doesn't even have a sub to consider. :)
However, for some reason the checkbox is greyed out when I set channels to 4, so maybe that should be fixed (I assume its because there is no sub, but that also prevents you from using it to prevent upmixing)

You could enable it there and make sure it works for that case when mixing to 4.0
Title: Re: Mixing
Post by: AGAWA on May 18, 2021, 01:26:50 pm
would be nice to have an option to disable copying to other channels in mch environment when 2ch music is played.
I've seen complaints that  in JRiver MC all speakers play and nothing can be done.

I'm on Mac, but my original topic has a redirection to this one
Title: Re: Mixing
Post by: kr4 on May 18, 2021, 05:26:12 pm
would be nice to have an option to disable copying to other channels in mch environment when 2ch music is played.
I've seen complaints that  in JRiver MC all speakers play and nothing can be done.
It only does that if you set it up to do that.  I work in a MCH (5.1 or 5.3) environment but I am set to play all sources in their original number of channels, including stereo.

As Matt noted in the top post:
No upmixing or downmixing [already there]
JRSS mixing Off [already there]
Title: Re: Mixing
Post by: AGAWA on May 19, 2021, 01:52:38 am
kr4,

there is more text in top post:
------------------------------------------------------------
"JRSS mixing (exclude stereo content) [new one]

Or what other ways could we provide more flexibility here?

We're just hoping for feedback."
--------------------------------------------------
This is exactly what I need.


please note that I have 4 speakers setup.
This requires channel management at all times except for 2 ch input.

I would expect additional setting  saying : no mixing when input  = 2ch.

There are two layers:
equipment - number of speakers
music - which speakers play what

and they should be dealt with separately allowing to avoid mixing when input =2ch.
Unless one expects 2ch music to sound from all speakers.
Title: Re: Mixing
Post by: kr4 on May 19, 2021, 09:31:36 am
please note that I have 4 speakers setup.
Ah.  I was not aware of that.
Title: Re: Mixing
Post by: AGAWA on May 21, 2021, 11:08:51 am

Recently someone was musing that they don't like mixing happening when they play stereo content.

So I thought one idea would be to add an options to the modes:
No upmixing or downmixing [already there]
JRSS mixing [already there]
JRSS mixing (exclude stereo content) [new one]

Or what other ways could we provide more flexibility here?

We're just hoping for feedback.

Thanks.


possibility to exclude 2ch, 3ch  - front channels arrangements used in recorded music.
Would like to hear it  as it was recorded.

There will be still possibility to do all kind of mixing for those who like it this way.

AGAWA
Title: Re: Mixing
Post by: MazingerZ on May 21, 2021, 09:15:33 pm
Would be good if we can apply multiple mappings within the Output DSP  (not as a separate DSP,  and not using the zones function,  but inside the Output DSP)

-----------------------------------------
Source   ---->  Output   mappings
-----------------------------------------

For example, if my output device is HDMI /  receiver with 5.1 setup,

(1) Default:  5.1      (7.1 or 6.1 sources will be downmixed to 5.1)
              JRRS = On


(2) Stereo --->  same as source  ( I want my receiver to do the upmixing to 5.1, because the receiver has better upmixing and more upmixing choices than JRiver).
                                 Or if I don't want to upmix,  then I can turn off upmixing on the receiver.

(3) 4 ch (quad) -->  5.1 ( It is necessary to output 5.1 to HDMI,  because many receivers do not support a 4-channel signal through HDMI)
                JRRS = OFF  (No mixing,  LFE and center should be empty -- Note:  if necessary, the bass management will be done on the receiver, not by JRiver,
                                     but I still want the center channel to be empty, to preserve the quad mix)

(4) 5.0 (example classical SACDs)  ---> 5.1 
      JRRS = OFF   ( empty LFE )

     Similar to quad above,   5.0 signal may not work through HDMI / receiver.
     So we want to send a 5.1 signal, with empty LFE ( again, if necessary the bass management can be done on the receiver, not in JRiver)

Note: Although (1), (3), and (4)  all have  5.1 output,  (1) uses JRRS = On, so we cannot use the same output setting for all three cases.


And my example is a 5.1 output device,  but this kind of functionality can also be used with other speaker setups,  like 4.0.
Title: Re: Mixing
Post by: Matt on June 08, 2021, 08:33:10 am
Thanks for keeping after this.

I'm wondering if there could be a checkbox or two added to accomplish what you're looking for?

Making the configuration independent per number of input channels would be complicated to code and use.  So I'd like to find one or two simple settings that could help you out.

Thanks again.
Title: Re: Mixing
Post by: Hendrik on June 08, 2021, 12:01:52 pm
Hey Matt, check my comment above, that should already cover the 4.0 case and is an easy change.

Before adding additional checkboxes, lets make sure there isn't a better solution.
Title: Re: Mixing
Post by: mattkhan on June 08, 2021, 12:14:48 pm
Is allowing higher channel counts with a 5.1 target really that hard to implement? I would have thought it is a trivial change