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[zenpmd]

I understand this is possible - but can a PC send a multi channel signal to the DAC, and then be split at the dac to the power amps and onto the relevant speakers?

Thanks!

[pschelbert]

yes, you can do:

-multichannefiles 5.1, 6, 8 and more read it with JRiver

-stereofiles: read and convert to surround 5.1, 6, 8 (ambisonic etc.)

both works great and with just one single setting.

Just choose the file and thats it.
JRiver is the only player I found to work on PC with any filetype (mp3, flac, wav..) and any samplingrate (as much as your audiointerface does) and with any bit depth (16, 24, 32..)

Setup:

I use in "DSP&output format" fix multichannel 12 or 16 for example.
I send it then through VST (plogue-bidule and inside you place VST-plug ins you want).

As crossover you can use the JRiver or much more sophisticated ("accourate convolver", although not for free, ist EUR150.- minus VAT for export), or use the speakers crossover

Then use a multichannel audiointerface with as many channels you need to connect to power-amp and speakers:

-RME Fireface UFX: 12x analog out
-Motu828: 12x analog out
-focusrite saphire40: dont know that as well how many

many others....

actually for music, 4-6 channels are enough (5.1 or ambisonic hexagon=6 channels).

If you need movies may be you want more


Peter

[Kwikas]

I'm not sure what you're getting at here. ?

How does a DAC know which speakers get which signal exactly? That is not determined by the DAC.

Channel separation is handled in the PC and each channel is sent individually to the DAC and then on to the requisite speaker. If you're bi-amping/tr-iamping, then crossover functions etc are still carried out in the PC and then either 2 or 3 digital feeds will go to the DAC.... then onto the L/F, M/F, H/F driver within the speaker.

How many speakers are you intending to use...and are any being bi-amped? Each channel will need a DAC (if you're outputting a digital feed from the htpc).

I believe JRiver can output a total of 32 channels (provided you have the right soundcard(s).

[csimon]

Taking the OP's question literally, yes of course this is possible, if you have a multichannel DAC, e.g. Soundblaster X-fi Surround 5.1 Pro (which has 6 channels), to pluck a common soundcard out of the air.

The sound is mixed in MC to your specification and MC tells the soundcard what speaker gets what signal, which the soundcard then outputs on its respective pre-amp sockets.

You don't have to stick with the 6 channels being FL/C/FR/SL/SR/SUB - using MC's DSP functions you could output in stereo then copy the L/R channels to the other two pairs, to get a total of 3 stereo outputs, or use crossovers for bi-amping etc.