My Multichannel Mess

Hello, @support Roon team and members.

I have multichannel audio in a variety of formats, to wit:

DSF (from SACD/DSD)

DVD-Audio (normally 24/96 six channel files)

DTS5.1 (@mitr, after getting WAV files, I find that if I convert them to FLAC using Total Audio mp3 Converter, a paid app, the DTS files are converted usually to 24/44.1 six channel files playable through Roon, albert still a single file for the full album – so JRiver is not required to play these files)

Quadro (most prominently, the first ten Chicago albums)

For this support question, I will ignore DTS5.1 files. As to the others, I would expect that by using the Focus feature and selecting 5.1, 5.0 and Quad formats, I should identify all of my multichannel files.

Not so.

Here’s some examples:

Billy Joel – Streetlife Serenade appears, but not The Stranger or 52nd Street (all DSF files)

Chicago – VII and IX (Greatest Hits) appear, but CTA, II, III, V, VI, VIII and X do not (Quadro files – 24/48 multichannel)

Elton John – Tumberweed, Honky Cat and the EJ SACD Sampler all appear, but not Elton John, Madman, Goodbye YBR, or Captain Fantastic (all DSF files)

R.E.M. – Reveal appears, but not Green or Document (DVD-Audio files that are 24/96 six channels)

Get the idea? If I go into the artist, I can find the album and the multichannel files are either in the list under the artist’s albums, or are located as another version of a two channel version. And the multichannel files all play fine through Roon, once found.

I have many more examples, but this more than sets up the problem at hand.

Roon core is on an i7 CAPSZuma server built by Small Green Computer. Files are stored on a Synology 1813+ NAS device.

Not sure what other information would be helpful for the diagnosis. With that, have at it all! Thanks. JCR

If Roon is hiding some multichannel albums underneath two channel versions, you may need to configure Roon not to hide duplicates. Also, entitle your multichannel albums accordingly (e.g. “The Stranger [SACD MCH]”).

AJ

Try DVD Audio Extractor.http://www.dvdae.com/

AJ, that did it. The various multichannel files, in all various format, now appear in Focus using 5.0, 5.1 and Quad. However, now I have duplicates of the multichannel files – pretty much two of everything. Is there a way to hide one version such that I will show only one multichannel version of an album? JCR

@mitr, are you suggesting that DVDAE (which I use for DVD-Audio extracting) works for DTS5.1 files to FLAC and you can use the metadata engine in DVDAE to separate the tracks, just as it does for DVD-Audio discs? If so, I need to go backwards and re-do my DTS5.1 rips accordingly! Let me know. Thanks. JCR

Yes. Most of the time (which is the best one can expect).