Software Volume Control & Local DSD Playback Volume Issue

[conos1983]

***I have gone through the threads and didn’t find anything specific to my issue.

Hello…I’m using the latest version of Audirvana on a Mac. Due to budget constraints, I didn’t get a preamp yet. So I’m using the software volume control directly to my Northstar DAC (it’s DAC only, no volume control)

When I play Tidal or local FLAC/WAV tracks via an external SSD connected to the Mac, I have no issues with the volume control. I’m able to adjust it just fine on the iOS remote app.

However, when I play DSD tracks (over PCM 1.1) from the external SSD they play at max volume and the software volume control doesn’t work. So I’m unable to play any of the DSDs from my 600+ GB collection.

This happened on a MacBook Pro (debug info below) and a MacBook Air.

I hope I can get a resolution soon!

Stay safe,
V

Debug info:

Audirvana Mac Version 3.5.35 (3565)
macOS 10.15.4 with 16384MB RAM

Registered to

SIGNAL PROCESSING:

Polarity Inversion:
	Globally: OFF
	Per track: ON
Effects plugins NOT ACTIVE

UPSAMPLING:
SoX with Power Of Two upsampling
SoX filter parameters
Bandwidth at 0dB = 99.5
Filter max length = 30000
Anti-aliasing = 100
Phase = 66

AUDIO VOLUME:
Max allowed volume: 35.0859
Replay Gain: by album
SW volume control: ON

LIBRARY SETTINGS:
Sync list: 0 folders
iTunes/Music library synchronization: not synchronized
Library database path: /Users/sremella/Library/Application Support/Audirvana/AudirvanaPlusDatabaseV2.sqlite

ACTIVE STREAMING SERVICES
TIDAL: Connected as HIFI

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

CoreAudio audio path, buffer I/O frame size: 512

Max. memory for audio buffers: 15360MB

Local Audio Engine:
Exclusive access: Enabled
Integer mode: Enabled

Preferred device:
PCM-DSD USB Audio Interface
Model UID:PCM-DSD USB Audio Interface:16D0:07D7
UID:AppleUSBAudioEngine:North Star Design srl:PCM-DSD USB Audio Interface:413-001:2

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:
Local audio device
ID 0x42 PCM-DSD USB Audio Interface Manufacturer:North Star Design srl
Model UID:PCM-DSD USB Audio Interface:16D0:07D7 UID:AppleUSBAudioEngine:North Star Design srl:PCM-DSD USB Audio Interface:413-001:2

9 available sample rates up to 384000Hz
32000
44100
48000
88200
96000
176400
192000
352800
384000
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: DSD via PCM 1.1
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 0x43 2 channels starting at 1
18 virtual formats:
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 384kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 352.8kHz
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 Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 32kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 384kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 352.8kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 192kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 176.4kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 96kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 88.2kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 48kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 44.1kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 32kHz

18 physical formats
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 384kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 352.8kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 192kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 176.4kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 96kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 88.2kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 48kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 44.1kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 32kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 384kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 352.8kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 192kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 176.4kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 96kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 88.2kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 48kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 44.1kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 32kHz

Local devices found : 2
Device #0: ID 0x30 Built-in Output Manufacturer: Apple Inc. Model UID: AppleHDA:29 UID: AppleHDAEngineOutput:1B,0,1,2:0
Device #1: ID 0x42 PCM-DSD USB Audio Interface Manufacturer: North Star Design srl Model UID: PCM-DSD USB Audio Interface:16D0:07D7 UID: AppleUSBAudioEngine:North Star Design srl:PCM-DSD USB Audio Interface:413-001:2

UPnP devices found : 0

[conos1983]

I found the below on one of the threads. Looks like conversion to PCM (None: Convert to PCM) will let the volume control work, but I wont get DSD…I’m yet to try it!

Audirvana 3.5 DoP

I’m a new user and don’t understand one thing. When I have chosen for Native DSD streaming method a DSD over PCM1.0 I got DSD Native at my XMOS processor. But when I choose None, convert to PCM, then I really got PCM protocol that caries DSD (DoP). It is confusing, can you confirm what I’ve said? And I have a lot of noise (DoP) if I choose for Maximum Sample rate a No-Limit at a section For Bridge devices Connected to DAC. I see that the player upsample the music and then there is a noise. When…

(Since the DSD format consists in a very high-frequency binary digits encoding, 0 or 1, its sample values can’t be multiplied or divided, unless converted down to PCM and then back to DSD. So native DSD doesn’t allow digital processing such as volume control or EQ.

1. Now go to settings and turn on Software Volume Control (bottom of the config menu), then try to play some music with None: Convert to PCM and play DSD file. Now try to increase and decrease volume, the player will do it.
2. Change settings to DSD over PCM and try again to inc/dec volume level, player will not do it because DSD native must stay bit-perfect (without any other changes like changing the volume). You can try it on some other player where you can inc/dec volume level while playing DSD Native and you will get a Noise, just noise.)