Dirac plugin..."stopping audio device" - whats going on?

Studio Audio Units and VST3
1

I’m feeling pretty frustrated after days of Dirac working within AS then not working then sorta working then not working then working great then not working at all. WTF?
Here’s the system;
M2 Mac mini
Mac Os Ventura 13.2
Audirvana 2.2.3/ with Quboz
Dirac Live 3.4.4
Dirac Processor 1.7.0
PS Audio Perfect Wave DAC
McIntosh C2300 Pre
Willsenton R8 amp

I don’t undrstand how this works. I open AS and sometimes it generates an Audio Device when I start playing and sometime not. Sometimes I open Dirac Processor and it works and sometimes not. It ends with audio device stopped.

I even got the Apple Audio Midi app to affect L/R balance in Exclusive mode but not again. I get the feeling this is a roll of the dice operation. Sheesh.

Any advice or guidance? Since we the customers have to provide our own customer service…

Many thanks!

2

First, ask Dirac if their last plugin version works on a M2 Mac Mini…

3

@tccaux … Are you enabling the “use new Audio Units macOS hosting API” in the Audio Units settings window?
:notes: :eye: :headphones: :eye: :notes:

4

Yes. Thanks.

5

Will do, Thanks.

6

Hi @tccaux,

That the right move to start when you have an issue with a plugin.

Can you send us a copy of the “Debug Info” when you have this issue? You can get it in Audirvana Settings>My account

Note: By clicking on the Debug Info button, Audirvana automatically copies all its content, all you have to do is paste it in response to this message.

7

Audirvana Studio 2.2.3 (20203)

macOS Version 13.2 (Build 22D49) with 8GB physical RAM

Connected account of : Terry Clotiaux

SIGNAL PROCESSING:

Polarity Inversion:
	Globally: OFF
	Per track: ON
Effects plugins ACTIVE in realtime mode with new macOS API
	AU plugin #0: Effect - Dirac Research DiracLiveProcessor ()
	AU plugin #1: None
	AU plugin #2: None
	AU plugin #3: None

UPSAMPLING:
SoX custom frequencies
SoX filter parameters
Bandwidth at 0dB = 99.5%
Filter max length = 30000
Anti-aliasing = 100
Phase = 66%

AUDIO VOLUME:
Max allowed volume: 100
Replay Gain: None
SW volume control: OFF

LIBRARY SETTINGS:
Sync list: 1 folders
AUTO: /Volumes/Music Server 1/Music Server 16_v2
iTunes/Music library synchronization: last synchronized on Thu Feb 2 18:19:07 2023

Library database path: /Users/MR_MUSIC/Library/Application Support/Audirvana/AudirvanaDatabase.sqlite

Remote Control server:
Listening on 127.0.0.1 on port 49466

ACTIVE STREAMING SERVICES
Qobuz: Connected as Qobuz Studio

=================== AUDIO DEVICE ========================

Active method: Local

Max. memory for audio buffers: 5998MB

Local Audio Engine: CoreAudio
Exclusive access: ON
Integer mode: ON
Use max I/O buffer size: OFF
Actual I/O buffer frame size: 512

Preferred device:
PS AUDIO PS AUDIOUSB 2.0 AUDIO OUT
Model UID:PS AudioUSB Audio 2.0:2616:0102
UID:AppleUSBAudioEngine:PS Audio:PS AudioUSB Audio 2.0:0000:1

Active Sample Rate: 44.1kHz
Hog Mode is off

Bridge settings:
Sample rate limitation: none
Sample rate switching latency: none
Limit bitdepth to 24bit: OFF
Mute during sample rate change: OFF

Selected device:PS AudioUSB 2.0 Audio Out
Manufacturer: PS Audio
Model name: PS AudioUSB 2.0 Audio Out
Model UID: PS AudioUSB Audio 2.0:2616:0102
UID: AppleUSBAudioEngine:PS Audio:PS AudioUSB Audio 2.0:0000:1
USB Vendor ID: 0x2616
USB Product ID: 0x0102
ID 0x32

6 available sample rates up to 192000Hz
44100
48000
88200
96000
176400
192000
Audio buffer frame size : 14 to 4096 frames
Current I/O buffer frame size : 512

Volume Control
Physical: Yes
Virtual: Yes

MQA capability
Auto-detect MQA devices: No
Not a MQA device, user set to not MQA
DSD capability: Unhandled

Device audio channels
Preferred stereo channels L:1 R:2
Channel bitmap: Ox3, layout:
Channel 0 mapped to 0
Channel 1 mapped to 1

Audio channels in use
Number of channels: 2
Use as stereo device only: No
Simple stereo device: Yes

1 output streams:
Number of active channels: 2, in 1 stream(s)
Channel #0 :Stream 0 channel 0
Channel #1 :Stream 0 channel 1

Stream ID 0x33 2 channels starting at 1
12 virtual formats:
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 192kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 176.4kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 96kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 88.2kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 48kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 44.1kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 192kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 176.4kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 96kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 88.2kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 48kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 44.1kHz

12 physical formats
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 192kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 176.4kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 96kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 88.2kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 48kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 44.1kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 192kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 176.4kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 96kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 88.2kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 48kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 44.1kHz

Local devices found : 3
Device #0: ID 0x32 PS AudioUSB 2.0 Audio Out
Manufacturer: PS Audio
Model UID: PS AudioUSB Audio 2.0:2616:0102
UID: AppleUSBAudioEngine:PS Audio:PS AudioUSB Audio 2.0:0000:1
USB Vendor ID: 0x2616
USB Product ID: 0x0102
Model name: PS AudioUSB 2.0 Audio Out
Device #1: ID 0x55 Mac mini Speakers
Manufacturer: Apple Inc.
Model UID: Speaker
UID: BuiltInSpeakerDevice
Model name: Apple Inc. Mac mini Speakers
Device #2: ID 0x3c Dirac Virtual Audio Device
Manufacturer: Dirac Research AB
Model UID: com.dirac.vad_ModelUID
UID: com.dirac.vad_UID
Model name: Dirac Research AB Dirac Virtual Audio Device

UPnP

UPnP devices found : 0

Chromecast

Chromecast devices found : 0

8

Have you tried moving the buffer size down? Perhaps see if it can make a difference, you only have 8gb and you only leave 2gb to run os. Perhaps a bit ambitious. Try around 4000mb just to see if it can help.

9

I’ll give it a try. Of course, today it’s been working great…

I’ll throw this into the thread: If I start Midi before Audirvana, I can make balance adjusment in the channels and it holds after I start it although the Midi app itself is bypassed, I really prefer the adjustment in Midi rather than in the DAC or the preamp. More clarity and depth retained. Any ideas why the channle adjustment holds but other functions are bypassed? Thanks!

10

When having bug with a plugin,
start by playing your files bitperfect…
stop upsampling, and see.

11

Is it of interest that PS Audio and Dirac are two separate devices? I don’t know enough about it to say. Seems like a lot going on for only 8gb to me, I could be off base. Do what @RunHomeSlow advises , I think he’s advising to lighten the load as well.

12

Never fails

This is a good problem :+1:t2:

13

RunHome, If I understand you, there’s no upsampling. The Midi changes rate to match file and Dac shows same rate as file.

14

OffRode, Of course it started the craziness soon enough. I think it’s somecross talk with the computer since restarting usually gets it back to functioning most of the time…

15

Restart would flush the system and free the ram again, run the activity monitor and see if there are any stresses showing with the plug in enabled or not enabled, ram and cpu.

16

You set to upsampling disabled?

17

Turn the new MacOS API off, to test of course

18

you are upsampling… turn it off here:

Screenshot 2023-02-03 at 4.30.42 PM
Screenshot 2023-02-03 at 4.30.42 PM2615×1644 220 KB

1 Like
19

Thanks Run, I checked and it indicates “deactivated” Am I missing something?

1 Like
20

@tccaux … Check your USB bus hierarchy… The DAC should be at the top of the list… if not, change the USB port you are using…

The Dirac Virtual Audio Device may be causing problems if it is competing with Audirvana for Core Audio API access…

Have you checked with the Dirac folks about this?
:notes: :eye: :headphones: :eye: :notes: