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Author Topic: Bass Management for 2 channel and multi-channel sources  (Read 3258 times)

Klangfarben

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Bass Management for 2 channel and multi-channel sources
« on: March 21, 2017, 04:58:48 pm »

Hi all, so I know this topic has been discussed in the forum but after reading several posts going back a few years I still can't seem to find an answer to my questions.

I use JRiver MC22 with an Exasound E38 on Windows 10. I have a 5.1 speaker configuration. What I would like to do is have all 5.1 material (including movies) outputted as normal and all 2.0 material have sub information added.

After much reading, the correct settings seem to be in output format, channels set to 5.1, mixing set to JRSS, check the box "for stereo sources only mix to 2.1" and leave the other boxes unchecked, and set Subwoofer to Silent.

Then in Room Correction, set both the Left and Right speakers to the correct Crossover under Bass Management and select Move Bass to Subwoofer.

Here's where my confusion comes in and I can't seem to find the answer. If I select the crossover to be say 80 Hz for Left and Right speakers, will that also affect 5.1 sources that already have a subwoofer? In other words, will I be adding extra LFE to 5.1 sources and also be removing any content below 80 Hz from my LR speakers on those sources? Because I don't want to do that. I want 5.1 sources left alone and only 2.0 sources to have LR info sent to the Subwoofer.

If that's the case, would I need to make a zone specifically for 2.0 material and a zone specifically for 5.1 material with different bass management settings?

And if I didn't want to have different zones for 2.0 material and 5.1 material, would it be better to just not use any Bass Management in Room Correction and instead set the Subwoofer in Output Format to the desired crossover and call it a day? I know this Subwoofer setting preceded the Bass Management in Room correction but all I'm trying to do is find an easy way to add sub information to 2.0 sources and have 5.1 sources left as they are (besides the ability to change levels in Room Correction).

Appreciate the help and sorry for bring up yet another Bass Management topic.
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mdx1

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Re: Bass Management for 2 channel and multi-channel sources
« Reply #1 on: March 22, 2017, 07:51:13 pm »

The bass management could be done in hardware which can be a preamp or integrated amp.  This is what I do.
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Nelson

Klangfarben

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Re: Bass Management for 2 channel and multi-channel sources
« Reply #2 on: March 23, 2017, 12:28:00 am »

Yes, I know but I don't have a receiver or an integrated amp, hence my relying on JRiver and my questions.
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mattkhan

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Re: Bass Management for 2 channel and multi-channel sources
« Reply #3 on: March 23, 2017, 03:35:18 am »

Are you asking whether you can run your mains full range for 5.1 but high pass them to a sub for 2.0?

If so, this requires separate zones.

However this isn't adding extra bass (double bass, or life+main, as some receivers call it), it is just standard bass management. The content is moved to the sw and summed with the lfe channel.

If you need a sub for 2.0 then why wouldn't you need it for 5.1?
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kr4

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Re: Bass Management for 2 channel and multi-channel sources
« Reply #4 on: March 23, 2017, 10:08:28 am »

The bass management could be done in hardware which can be a preamp or integrated amp.  This is what I do.
That is what is most commonly done but it may not be optimum in all cases because bass management needs to precede roomEQ in the signal path.  For example, if one is running any kind of roomEQ/convolution with MC, it would be better to do the bass management in MC and have it precede the EQ.  This cannot happen if the BM is external.
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Kal Rubinson
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Fitzcaraldo215

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Re: Bass Management for 2 channel and multi-channel sources
« Reply #5 on: March 23, 2017, 11:01:03 am »

Hi all, so I know this topic has been discussed in the forum but after reading several posts going back a few years I still can't seem to find an answer to my questions.

I use JRiver MC22 with an Exasound E38 on Windows 10. I have a 5.1 speaker configuration. What I would like to do is have all 5.1 material (including movies) outputted as normal and all 2.0 material have sub information added.

After much reading, the correct settings seem to be in output format, channels set to 5.1, mixing set to JRSS, check the box "for stereo sources only mix to 2.1" and leave the other boxes unchecked, and set Subwoofer to Silent.

Then in Room Correction, set both the Left and Right speakers to the correct Crossover under Bass Management and select Move Bass to Subwoofer.

Here's where my confusion comes in and I can't seem to find the answer. If I select the crossover to be say 80 Hz for Left and Right speakers, will that also affect 5.1 sources that already have a subwoofer? In other words, will I be adding extra LFE to 5.1 sources and also be removing any content below 80 Hz from my LR speakers on those sources? Because I don't want to do that. I want 5.1 sources left alone and only 2.0 sources to have LR info sent to the Subwoofer.

If that's the case, would I need to make a zone specifically for 2.0 material and a zone specifically for 5.1 material with different bass management settings?

And if I didn't want to have different zones for 2.0 material and 5.1 material, would it be better to just not use any Bass Management in Room Correction and instead set the Subwoofer in Output Format to the desired crossover and call it a day? I know this Subwoofer setting preceded the Bass Management in Room correction but all I'm trying to do is find an easy way to add sub information to 2.0 sources and have 5.1 sources left as they are (besides the ability to change levels in Room Correction).

Appreciate the help and sorry for bring up yet another Bass Management topic.

To echo others here, your fears are unjustified.  JR bass management works fine when set up as you outlined in your first 4 paragraphs.  I use it with an Exasound e28 DAC and Dirac Live EQ via its VST plugin beta. 

With 1.0, 2.0, 5.0 and 5.1 input source material, I use a zone with 5.1 output channels in DSP Studio.  (I also have SACDs with 3.0 or 4.0 channels, but they are put into a 5.0 container with nulled out channels.) With 7.1 source material, I use 7.1 output channels in an otherwise identical zone selected via Zoneswitch.

Bass management redirects signal below the designated crossover frequency from each input channel to the output sub channel. It also sums that with signal in the .1 input, if any.  Since the input source material is not mixed to "double up" the bass between input channels and the .1 input, using properly configured bass management will not "double up" the resulting output .1 channel after bass management.
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Klangfarben

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Re: Bass Management for 2 channel and multi-channel sources
« Reply #6 on: March 23, 2017, 01:48:42 pm »

Thanks for the input everyone. Yes, that makes sense that if the 5.1 is mixed accordingly, sending LR material to the JR bass management wouldn't really result in extra LFE being added and would give me the desired 2.0 > 2.1 sub information added on stereo material. Thanks for helping wrap my brain around that.
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narbi

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Re: Bass Management for 2 channel and multi-channel sources
« Reply #7 on: March 23, 2017, 02:38:25 pm »

This is what I do to upmix/downmix any signal to 2.1. It will not be exactly what you are needing, but you can take a look at it and build your own.

My output format is set to 24 channels, but you can set it to 7.1 channels in your case.
I don't use bass management, or jriver integrated downmixing, I built my own.

In your case simply do not copy center to L/R, and SL/SR to L/R, the rest you should be able to keep the same.
The redirected bass level (first adjust on sub volume) should match the value you need to match your subwoofer to the other speakers, and the second volume adjust to U1 (LFE) should be your sub volume +10 (I use +5 because I am stereo only).
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