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[jctcom]

It seems a lot of times the DSP Icon in the upper right which used to turn blue when sending out a non altered signal (Even with Volume Leveling enabled and active)

Has something changed so it doesn't consider a Volume leveled signal to be pure anymore?

Input: 48Khz (Or 96Khz) / 24Bit / 6 Ch From Source Format Flac

Output: 48Khz (Or 96Khz) (Padded) / 6 Ch using WASAPI (Direct Connection)

I am pretty sure with the above I always got the blue direct connection icon before?

Not sure what "Padded" means though.  have I changed something to make it "Padded"?  Didn't notice if that was there before.

Carl.

[Scolex]

24bit in a 32bit container or 5.1 in a 7.1 container is Padded.
Look in your DSP / Output Format / Channels settings (x channels in a y container)
Options / Audio / Device settings / Bitdepth (x bit in a y container or auto)
If either of the above have something like in ( ) selected you will get the padded with auto bit depth padded may or may not appear

[jctcom]

Ok.  Bitdepth is set to "Automatic (Recommended ....)

Is there a reason with this setting that it doesn't use the native file specs?  (If that is what it is doing?).

When I changed it to 24Bit Integer it would not play my 24Bit/96Khz (Or 48Khz) 5.1 tracks for some reason.

Carl.

[jctcom]

I wish someone would make a decent stand alone HDMI sound card.  I really don't think the ones built into the video cards cut it.  They don't seem to provide any real support for proper audio drivers.  All the settings and functions are pretty much related to Video and none for Audio other than On and Off.

Carl.

[Scolex]

Are you using Volume Leveling or Adaptive Volume?
The (Direct Connection) is MC saying that or is just a note.

[jctcom]

Yes I am using both.

MC says "Direct Connection". 

Always showed Blue icon before whenever it said "direct Connection".

I think that the HDMI Audio in this GTX 660 Ti video card is not that great.  Nor does it have the attention and support from Nvidia that it should.  These video cards are thought of first and foremost as "Video Cards" and the Audio is completely incidental and / or secondary.

I would have thought by now that someone would have made a good stand alone HDMI audio card.

Carl.

[6233638]

OK - first question: have you changed skins recently? Some of the custom skins don't include a blue icon to indicate that a direct audio path is being used.
 
If the Audio Path status says that the output is Direct, and you're not seeing the blue icon, that's the most likely culprit.
 
Try changing your skin to the default Noire.
 
 
HDMI output is digital so there's no need for an HDMI "sound card" - a sound card is typically used to convert digital signals to analog.
 
Nvidia's HDMI drivers seem to be very stable/reliable for me, the only thing is that their hardware lacks the option to output 88.2kHz or 176.4kHz, when I think AMD and Intel can - though I have no idea what their drivers are like.
 
There are no HDMI devices that I know of for PCs which support DSD or DoP though, which is something I'd like to see addressed.
 
 
The "Automatic" bit-depth will use the highest bit-depth that your hardware supports.
Over HDMI this is 24-bit, and most (all?) HDMI interfaces use 24-bit in a 32-bit container rather than a plain 24-bit signal. ("padded") As I understand it, that's due to the HDMI spec, and not the video cards or drivers.
 
As long as the bit-depth is equal to or greater than the input, you have "bit-perfect" audio, and the audio path will be marked as being Direct. (blue icon)
 
Manual Volume adjustments or Volume Leveling should not affect the blue icon, as these are non-destructive until you get below 48dB of attenuation with a 16-bit source and a 24-bit output, for example.
 
Adaptive Volume in the Peak Normalize mode will also allow the blue icon to activate, as you're only raising the volume and increasing SNR. In the other two modes, you are compressing the audio, which is not "direct".
 
Any other DSP functions will change the audio path to not being direct.

[jctcom]

OK - first question: have you changed skins recently? Some of the custom skins don't include a blue icon to indicate that a direct audio path is being used.
 
If the Audio Path status says that the output is Direct, and you're not seeing the blue icon, that's the most likely culprit.
 
Try changing your skin to the default Noire.
 
 
HDMI output is digital so there's no need for an HDMI "sound card" - a sound card is typically used to convert digital signals to analog.
 
Nvidia's HDMI drivers seem to be very stable/reliable for me, the only thing is that their hardware lacks the option to output 88.2kHz or 176.4kHz, when I think AMD and Intel can - though I have no idea what their drivers are like.
 
There are no HDMI devices that I know of for PCs which support DSD or DoP though, which is something I'd like to see addressed.
 
 
The "Automatic" bit-depth will use the highest bit-depth that your hardware supports.
Over HDMI this is 24-bit, and most (all?) HDMI interfaces use 24-bit in a 32-bit container rather than a plain 24-bit signal. ("padded") As I understand it, that's due to the HDMI spec, and not the video cards or drivers.
 
As long as the bit-depth is equal to or greater than the input, you have "bit-perfect" audio, and the audio path will be marked as being Direct. (blue icon)
 
Manual Volume adjustments or Volume Leveling should not affect the blue icon, as these are non-destructive until you get below 48dB of attenuation with a 16-bit source and a 24-bit output, for example.
 
Adaptive Volume in the Peak Normalize mode will also allow the blue icon to activate, as you're only raising the volume and increasing SNR. In the other two modes, you are compressing the audio, which is not "direct".
 
Any other DSP functions will change the audio path to not being direct.

I only use the "Noir Viz" and default "Noir" depending on whether there are lyrics attached or not  (and if I am interested in reading them).

Strange though.  I just noticed that when I am playing stereo tracks that I have set up convert to 5.1 (For which I know it isn't supposed to have the Blue Icon) that it also indicates the output is "Direct Connection" like so: Output:  "96Khz 24bit (Padded) 6Ch Using WASAPI (Direct Connection)"

This is on a stereo track that is being upgraded to 5.1 using JRSS.  This shouldn't be showing as "Direct Connection" should it?

Bye the way.  The Nvida sound card also does not seem to support Quad Channel music.  Not sure why they made it support stereo, 2.1, 5.1 and 7.1 but not 4.0 or 4.1?

Carl

[6233638]

Strange though.  I just noticed that when I am playing stereo tracks that I have set up convert to 5.1 (For which I know it isn't supposed to have the Blue Icon) that it also indicates the output is "Direct Connection" like so: Output:  "96Khz 24bit (Padded) 6Ch Using WASAPI (Direct Connection)"

Are they being upmixed to 5.1, or are they being output in a 5.1 container? (only front left/right being used)

Bye the way.  The Nvida sound card also does not seem to support Quad Channel music.  Not sure why they made it support stereo, 2.1, 5.1 and 7.1 but not 4.0 or 4.1?

I don't think anything does 4.0 over HDMI. It's normally in a 5.1 container.

[jctcom]

Are they being upmixed to 5.1, or are they being output in a 5.1 container? (only front left/right being used)
I don't think anything does 4.0 over HDMI. It's normally in a 5.1 container.

Upmixed to 5.1.   Think I might go back to my Claro Halo HT with it's 7.1 Analogue Outs.  Seems like it was a much better sound card than the Nvidea and supported more of the formats etc...

Carl.