Stereo Sound on 5.1 Speaker Setup (5 Viewers)

[ajs]

If I disable exklusive mode of WASAPI it will uses the Windows Mixer?

Yes, its WASAPI Shared mode

 

[joecrow]

No! It's totally bullshit!

EVERY audio signal from my HTPC was send with the same volume. No matter if I used BASS, MPAR, LAV Filter, WebBrowser, PCM, Dolby Digital, DTS, TrueHD, DTS HD Master, etc. Only with WASAPI the volume is 4-8 (!!!) times louder. This is incredible loud! That kills your speakers and your ears and the ears of all your neighbors!

I can confirm a similar volume problem. I was seeing a major difference in volume (though not quite as severe) between 5.1 Surround and a much louder Stereo (both Waspi Exc. and non-surround TV), fortunately on my Denon AVR I was able to enable a "Dynamic Volume" option which has set the volume levels to be pretty much the same for the different forms of imput.

 

[Snoopy87]

I went back to 2.0 in Windows Speaker Config and to BASS, so that volume is ok (after decreasing the volume on Windows) for PCM and bitstream. I also went back to DirectSound, cause MPAR is unusable (audio drops and very often after some time of watching the same TV channel audio and video is totally out of sync (abou 1sec or more).

 

[joecrow]

I have been following this thread closely, basically because I was not entirely happy with my audio setup. I'm not sure if this helps you but what I was/am looking for is:-
1) If content is Surround then play 5.1.
2) If video/TV is stereo play as multichannel stereo (sound on all speakers).
3) For music stereo (Music/TuneIn internet radio) play stereo (front L&R speakers only).
After a lot of trial and error I got it to work using the following settings. Please note I am using MPAR for everything except TV (Default Direct Sound).
I have Windows set to 5.1 Surround
I have set LAV to bitstream DTS,Dolby/AC3 and mixing is not enabled.
In MP config/Music I have set player as WASPI exclusive.
On my AVR in Cinema mode I have selected MCH Stereo (which I think becomes the default), AAC TV, non-suround videos and content from Online Videos play in this mode. When I switch to content with surround audio (e.g. zap to TV channel with AC3) the AVR automatically switches to DDS and or DTS for BD media. When Music or internet radio is played (TunIn plugin) the AVR atomatically switches to stereo (L&R speakers only. QED

The different volumes was the only problem and as reported in the previous post, I was able to resolve that with the Dynamic Volume option. I do have the AV sync option set in MPAR but have not noted a problem with it except the odd occaision with Online Videos, which I think is down to internet speeds/interupts rather than drift.With the AV Sync option disabled in LAV and as mentioned earlier, no MPAR for TV (as recommended) I therefore have no AV sync for TV but have never seen a problem.

 

[mm1352000]

So WASAPI is crap and totally useless. :-(

WASAPI or ASIO are the only options if you want to bypass the Windows mixer for PCM.

...and no, you can't control the volume on the PC side when using bit-streaming. Untouched means completely untouched! The PC will not touch even the volume. Expecting to be able to control the volume and have an untouched stream going to the AVR is expecting the impossible. You can have one or the other, not both.

I also went back to DirectSound, cause MPAR is unusable (audio drops and very often after some time of watching the same TV channel audio and video is totally out of sync (abou 1sec or more).

I told you that MPAR doesn't always work well for TV back on page 2!

P.S. Using MPAR for TV streams is not recommended. It often causes problems.

Can you provide a screenshot of your MPAR configuration?
You may need to disable certain sync correction features - v-sync adjustment and/or timestretch - if you want to use it successfully for TV.

 

[Snoopy87]

...and no, you can't control the volume on the PC side when using bit-streaming. Untouched means completely untouched!

I never ever asked for controlling the volume for a bitstream signal! I know that! I always said, that I want to control the PCM signal! And that signal can be controlled. And WASAPI is doing something wrong, because the volume is 4-8 times loudier than any other PCM signal with any other solution and that can damage your speakers.

I told you that MPAR doesn't always work well for TV back on page 2!

So why was it suggested then? I told that I want PCM 2.0 sent as PCM 2.0 while watching TV. MPAR was the only solution yet which have done that, when Windows Speaker Config was set to 5.1.

So I am at the beginning again. So everything is working great except 5.1 PCM.

 

[mm1352000]

I always said, that I want to control the PCM signal! And that signal can be controlled.

Do you understand that using WASAPI is almost the same as bit-streaming?
MP passes the PCM to the PC audio output without modification. If we reduce the volume, the SNR (signal to noise ratio) of the signal received by the AVR will be reduced.

And WASAPI is doing something wrong, because the volume is 4-8 times loudier than any other PCM signal with any other solution and that can damage your speakers.

You seem to assume that all PCM signals/streams have the same volume, but that's wrong. Volume completely depends on the source/stream. WASAPI is not doing anything wrong.

Anyway, if you won't use WASAPI, what about ASIO?

So why was it suggested then?

I never suggested using MPAR. I can't tell you why other people suggested it.

From the start my recommendation has been to upmix on the PC... but it seems you refuse to accept that might be the only way to get close to what you want. It isn't exactly what you want, but it's better than some of the other options.

I told that I want...

I know what you want, and I've said over and over again: sometimes you have to accept a compromise.


Still waiting for the screenshot of your MPAR settings!

 

[Snoopy87]

I know that different sources can have different volume. But if the same source is 4-8 times louder only with WASAPI it is an issue of WASAPI, because playing the same source with BASS, with VLC, with Windows Media Player, with Web Player in any Browser the volume is ok.

I don't like compromises if there is no need to ;-)

What we need is:
- global audio settings for MediaPortal
- all plugins (including the built in plugins like TV, Movie, Radio, etc.) have to use those settings
- Sent bitstream as bitstream
- Sent PCM 2.0 as PCM 2.0
- Sent PCM 5.1 as PCM 5.1
- Ignore Windows Speaker Config
- control volume for PCM
- optional upmix/downmix settings for those who need this

I understand that this rework can't be done with MediaPortal 1 but I hope that you will consider this for MediaPortal 2. Because the current solution with hundreds of settings and hundreds of different places and each plugin uses different solution which are not compatible to the other solutions is not a good solution.

If I am not wrong, Kodi also handles it the correct way. And also any Media Center set top box. You only have one global audio settings and everything is perfect.

Edit:

I can't send you a screenshot while I am at work, please wait until evening (in Germany)

 

[ajs]

But if the same source is 4-8 times louder only with WASAPI it is an issue of WASAPI

Sound Volume as is ie bitstream

playing the same source with BASS, with VLC, with Windows Media Player, with Web Player in any Browser the volume is ok

Sound Volume depends on the mixer and volume settings

... Turn up the volume on your computer up to 100% and turn down the volume on the receiver, and will be the same everywhere.

 

[Snoopy87]

Please read the full thread... WASAPI ignores the volume settings and is damaging your speakers. BASS and MPAR are using the volume settings, but not WASAPI.