Problem having adjustable volume Roon with HQP

Audio Gear Talk HQ Player
1

Hi,
I use an RME ADI 2 DAC/preamp (AKM4493) with Roon server (latest version 1353) on a NUC (Dietpi Linux) and HQP Desktop (latest version 5.30) on a Mac Mini 2, then sending to another NUC (Dietpi Linux) with NAA (latest version 4.50).
With this configuration, I process in SDM 256 and I have the fixed volume on Roon and on HQP because I use the RME preamp volume.

Now, I would like to put the RME in “DSD Direct” config which deactivates the RME volume control, and I therefore have to use the Roon/HQP volume control instead.
I put “device volume” in roon for the HQP device and also put in output HQP min volume -60db and Max volume -3db. The “directSDM” box is not checked in HQP.

Ultimately, Roon always remains at a fixed, non-adjustable volume.
I forgot something ?

Config Roon1
Config Roon1816×787 57.6 KB

Config HQP1
Config HQP2
Config Roon2
Config Roon2721×367 29.4 KB

2

Does volume control work at HQPlayer side? So first see if you can adjust volume from standalone HQPlayer. This will tell if the HQPlayer configuration side is fine. And then if it does, next you can see if it works from Roon side.

3

I managed to get the volume control to work with HQP/roon, there is good interaction between them.
So I have DSDdirect on the RME, this of course removed the volume adjustment on the RME but also it seems to me the L/R balance.
How can I submit a balance correction under HQP?
Likewise, are there remote controls that can control the HQP/roon volume, since the RME remote control is no longer useful?

4

Either enable matrix processor and in matrix setup you can apply different gains for pipelines 1 and 2.

Alternatively you can use the speaker setup dialog for speaker processing.

Any HID remote connected to the HQPlayer machine with HQPlayer server window active, or HQPlayer Client window active should work.

5

Will the Apple Siri Remote (3rd generation) work?
HQP desktop is installed on a Mac Mini M2.

6

No, usually these don’t work on macOS. I have not tested recently, but at least earlier macOS was stealing all the media control buttons to their Music app, even if it’s not running. So pressing the buttons just tends to start the Apple’s application instead of letting the controls through to the currently active application.

On Windows and Linux things usually work though.

7

Ok, I also tried OSMC Remote Control, but I can’t control HQP on the Mac Mini…
So on Mac, it seems that this is more complicated, or even not possible?

8

There are alternative key presses to work around for example these macOS media key issues. Please see the manual for list of hotkeys. If you can make remote produce those key codes, then it should work as long as HQPlayer window has focus (and thus gets keyboard input).

9

Everything was ok for volume management between Roon and HQP, but for some unknown reason, Roon went back to fixed volume and I can’t put it back in peripheral volume. No changes having been made, why does roon come back on its own on fixed volume?

10

Well, it’s back to normal in Roon, I don’t understand why it alternates between fixed and peripheral variable…!

11

I set a volume limit in Roon.
But when I shut down and restart the system, the Roon volume limit is no longer present.
I suppose that it is HQP which sends the information to Roon at startup on the min and max volume and that it does not indicate the volume limit or keep it to Roon.

12

Yeah, Roon asks HQPlayer what is the volume range and then uses that one. You have the limits set in HQPlayer.

13

In fact, when HQP is shutdown, Roon displays fixed volume, but when restarting HQP and launching roon playback, everything becomes ok again with the peripheral volume and the min and max limits set in HQP.