Wonderous stories.
@ipeverywhere
Hi Ryan, just following on the discussion about DSD source material in HQP today, this is the paragraph about Direct SDM in the Embedded help:
Direct SDM
When Direct SDM is enabled and DAC supports DSD input, DSD sources go through bit-perfect when output mode is SDM. When Direct SDM is disabled and output mode is SDM, Integrator and SDM-SDM Conversion parameters apply. When output mode is PCM, Gain +6 dB, SDM-PCM Conversion and Noise filter parameters apply. **Note!**When Direct SDM is enabled, volume control is set to fixed -3.5 dB value also for PCM sources when output mode is set to SDM to avoid sudden jumps in volume at format changing track transition.
So as I read it when Direct SDM is unchecked, then the settings in Integrator and SDM-SDM conversion apply to upsampled DSD output, rather than the settings used for PCM to DSD conversion. When Direct SDM is checked then it’s bit-perfect from the source DSD with no upsampling.
So I’d be interested in what DSD upsampling options sound best to you on these high quality DSD recordings. No pressure, but it will go down on your permanent record.
Last Week Recap
Discussed New Rose Dac
Discussed Cheskyaudio bookshelf speakers
https://www.cheskyaudio.com/
Discussed about Newly Purchaed DAC from the CAF show.
Fireface RME UFX3
Discussed Recent Concerts:
ANOHNI and the Johnsons
Musical ensemble
Music Suggestions:
Kim Deal - Nobody Loves You More
Good Morning - The Accident
Hi All, I’m going to be out this afternoon but Ryan has agreed to host. I’ll try and log in via my phone if I can.
Meeting link for today:
<removed>, see you next week
Thankyou Ryan for stepping in while Daniel allowed people to put toasted marshmallows in his beer.
My musical discovery during the week was The Durutti Column, a post-punk UK band with consistent member Vini Reilly on guitar. There are some great stories about the band in this Guardian Article about an interview in 2023. Brian Eno described their second album ‘LC’ as his all time favourite record and John Frusciante has described Vini as ‘the best guitarist in the world’. The album that I was particularly taken with is from 2010 released after Tony Wilson’s (Factory Records) untimely death in 2007:
The track ‘Requiem’ is a particular standout, wonderfully expressing Vini’s rage and grief at the death of his friend. The following track ‘Stuki’ is also sounding pretty good as I type this.
I also listened to a great cover of another guitar instrumental inspired by death during the week. It is the version of ‘Maggot Brain’ on the ‘Moon Safari Rarities’ album from Air released earlier this year. That track was recorded live in Amsterdam in 1998. Saidly, they didn’t play it at the Melbourne concert during the week, but it was a great show nevertheless.
Finally, I listened to this ‘new release’ on Qobuz. I thought I knew most Manzanera solo material, but this had a lot I wasn’t familiar with and I did enjoy it:
Ryan and I had a deep discussion of MQA, so that you guys don’t have to.
We also talked about MQA. Their DSD to PCM thing seems to be a response to the fact their technology doesn’t work with DSD so their solution is to convert it to PCM which introduces problems which they then “fix” with their MQA processing. Just leave it DSD. Then no problems.
Their “new” MQA thing sounds exactly like their old MQA thing except now it works on all PCM and will be standard on all Bluesound devices. I kind of like this approach for whatever they are calling it. Kind of like any other streamer / DAC that uses a fixed processing up-sampling rate to get consistent performance. I’m sure the Bluesound devices will sound better which is great because I’ve never been convinced they sound great to begin with.
I’m sure it will be great for someone. Just not a technology I’m interested in anymore.
Ohh, sounds like an interesting convo. Thanks for hosting again. Still fighting a cough.
I’m not having much luck interfacing with Yes - Going for the one. I really don’t like Jon Anderson’s voice and find it all quite emotionless, albeit with some great playing.
The Genesis is more listenable but i really can’t get past the like of
There is lambswool under my naked feet
The wool is soft and warm
Gives off some kind of heat
A salamander scurries into flame to be destroyed Imaginary creatures are trapped in birth on celluloid
The fleas cling to the golden fleece
Hoping they’ll find peace
Each thought and gesture are caught in celluloid
There’s no hiding in memory
There’s no room to avoid
Similarly, for me, there’s no great soul or emotion here and doesn’t have a good enough dance beat to make up for this. Once again I can appreciate the musicianship.
Too busy Lookin’ after No. 1 in 1977 to be worrying about scurrying salamanders.
.sjb
Aahh. Carpet Crawlers is one of my favorite songs. The lyric to quote is " You got to get in to get out", with all the overt sexual innuendos involved since the album is about sex and masculinity.
You should listen to “The Grand Parade of Lifeless Packaging” which, imho, was a marvel of recording/editing in 1973/1974. Eno was involved in getting the sound and the vocal processing on that track. In fact, that album is at the forefront for vocal processing, decades before it has become the norm.
Nice Boomtown reference @Sloop_John_B. ‘Seconds Out’ reminds me of my first “serious” girlfriend. I saw her again a few years ago, and she mentioned that she educated her kids to loving ‘A Trick Of The Tail’, primarily because of my influence.
I bought a second hand copy of ‘Going For The One’ last year, as mine left home many years ago. The second hand copy had some ‘Sounds’ and ‘Melody Maker’ articles stuffed inside the sleeve. Nice reading, in retrospect. The Prog Rock era was in it’s death knell at that time and deep down I think the dinosaur bands knew it.
Having said that - Parallels has a killer Chris Squire bass line and I do still have a soft spot for the whole album
I suggested Drama when Yes was Yes/Buggles. Have you listened to it yet. Jon is not with the band the one of the Buggles is singing lead.
I did listen to Tempus Fugit one of the ticked tracks which didn’t prevent me from moving on to one of my haul of CDs bought in Manchester last weekend.
It probably doesn’t help that the only person I know who was into Prog was my (now ex-) brother-in-law who was a bit of a scurrying salamander himself.
.sjb
I saw them on that tour. even got their autographs, as they were watching some amateur football on the afternoon of the gig, behind the venue (Deeside Leisure Centre) To be fair, Horn was trying to sound like Anderson.
Since I missed giving a musical suggestion, I’m doing it now. Track: Duke Ellington Bridge.
I suggested both these albums because they were much loved by me at ages 16 (Yes) and 18 (Genesis) respectively. There is probably a fair amount of rose coloured glasses in my recollection. Not liking Jon’s voice is a common hurdle for Yes appreciation and I think I grew used to it rather than actively liking it. He’s the only member whose solo albums I didn’t seek out.
Seconds Out is the album I first smoked (quite a lot of) hooch to and that may have something to do with it. Perhaps if you repeated the experiment stoned out of your gourd? Like Daniel Carpet Crawlers remains a real favourite, although I see it as more about having to endure suffering from the experience of life before achieving detached enlightenment, rather than sex.
But thanks for trying. Always interesting to hear your views.
I was also listening to punk and new wave (whatever that is) at the time I was listening to prog and jazz fusion. I never felt any dissonance between these styles, possibly because I was an optimist with few musical opinions who liked everything (except polka). All my friends and acquaintances thought there were ‘some’ good records in my collection, they just vigorously disagreed as to which.
Don’t Forget This Month is The Chat’s 4th Year Anniversary!!
Today’s meeting will be at the same time as usual, 3 pm EST. So, crack open a beverage of choice, and join us if you can.
The chats revolve around Roon, other hardware/software audio topics, or just music. If you are having an issue with Roon, or, hardware or network setups, let us know and we will try and help!
Please keep in mind, everyone here is a fellow user like yourself; so this is NOT an official Roon chat.
Link:
OLD LINK REMOVED
I’ll try and pop in, but is a bad time for us Brits. Got to get my twins to go bed and the in-laws are around.
I’ll be silent and showing no face if I do
Edit: sorry, not going to make today’s meet.
End of Year Best Lists!
Today’s meeting will be at the same time as usual, 3 pm EST. So, crack open a beverage of choice, and join us if you can.
The chats revolve around Roon, other hardware/software audio topics, or just music. If you are having an issue with Roon, or, hardware or network setups, let us know and we will try and help!
Please keep in mind, everyone here is a fellow user like yourself; so this is NOT an official Roon chat.
Link:
End of Year Best Lists! For Real!
Today’s meeting will be at the same time as usual, 3 pm EST. So, crack open a beverage of choice, and join us if you can.
The chats revolve around Roon, other hardware/software audio topics, or just music. If you are having an issue with Roon, or, hardware or network setups, let us know and we will try and help!
Please keep in mind, everyone here is a fellow user like yourself; so this is NOT an official chat.