Can you please try a RAATServer refresh on the affected machine to see if this helps? You can generate a new RAATServer instance on your device by following these instructions, but please be aware that this will reset your Roon Settings -> Audio Tab to factory settings and I would advise making a backup of any custom DSP settings you have:
I went to try. The database is in users/me/library/roon/database. Ther e is not Roon foler elsewhere (root Library, documents…). Inside the Roon–>database folder there is no RAATserver sub-folder. Working from memory orbit, CX, and 3 others.
To be clear you understand this is not my server correct? Its just a version of roon acting as a Roon endpoint (and a UI/remote too)
The RAATServer should be under your ~Library folder in the Mac: users/me/library/RAATServer
Correct if you access the Mac Library location and rename, only the devices specific to that Mac should be reset. I would advise making a database Backup beforehand just to be safe.
OK. Just for clarity for others in the future, you sent me to the Roon database folder (which exists in library…), in order to find the RAATserver folder. As you pointed out this time, it is not there, but rather its in its own folder in the user directory.
Once found, I renamed the old RAATserver folder (*+old) and re-started Roon. New RAATserver folder created. Modified time is old + 1 min. Good. All settings automatically recovered, including the name of the device. DSP settings were default. Set upsampling (again) to max power of two. Still not getting upsampling past 2X. Also it still shows device volume as an option (although it does nothing).
Its hard to say precisely why is being recognized and in what form, which is why i told you the objective things that i could. It only shows the device as via Core Audio. It shows device volume as an option, which if it detected it directly, it ought not. The volume (duh) does not work. not surprising since no such facility exists in a discrete R2R DAC…
Hopefully this evening i can play around and check the signal path for you.
Overall it sounds pretty good in a very revealing environment ( and with a level matched direct competitor right here). But upsampling is pretty subtle in general.
Norris - one very specific question that you did not address.
My understanding is that ideally ROON takes direct control of a “hgih res USB attached device” and does not run everything (indirectly) through core audio. Is that correct?
because my original evidence focused on the fact that this device now ONLY shows up via core audio.
Roon on macOS interfaces with audio devices through the Core Audio API.
Unless your audio device has a specific driver that you must run to use it on a Mac, this is applicable to all audio applications on macOS.
The CoreAudio API offers the “Exclusive Mode” option which allows the audio application to do the following:
A. Bypass the System audio mixer
B. Control the device’s playback parameters directly
C. Prevents other audio applications from interfacing with the device.
On macOS, the best way to play to a USB DAC is to use it via CoreAudio with the “Exclusive Mode” option enabled.
I’m not sure where you picked up this thread. The fly in that ointment is that this same audio DAC, connected to a one MacOS revision later MacBook Pro, connected differently. Maybe via corfeaudio, but it showed up as a distinct device, handled any upsampling multiple, did not support volume control, and did not pass macOS sounds (like text arrivals in iMessage). With the el cap version, it does.
I I’m currently away with no access to the system and little access to email, so I. Can’t say more. But the simple fact is: it changed with the macOS change, and not with a device change.