VM shuts down when using foo_dsd_asio with conversion to DSD

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BigBen
Posts: 16
Joined: Tue Sep 29, 2015 4:33 pm

VM shuts down when using foo_dsd_asio with conversion to DSD

Post by BigBen »

Hello,

foo_dsd_asio was developed as a solution for Foobar to convert PCM input into DSD. Installing ASIOProxyInstall-0.9.4 ( https://sourceforge.net/projects/sacdde ... _dsd_asio/ ) makes foo_dsd_asio available to all asio hosts, such as Voicemeeter or JRiver MC.

I thought I could use foo_dsd_asio as an output on VM, as a potential way to get better sound quality from my DAC. (foo_dsd_asio is then configured to use my DAC's ASIO driver, Merging Ravenna ASIO v10.1)

That works fine as long as foo_dsd_asio is configured to do no conversion. For example, foo_dsd_asio is configured to convert 44.1k to DSD and do nothing on 48k sources, VM configured at 48k.

But if foo_dsd_asio is configured to convert VM output to DSD (DSD256 tested), then VM crashes (shuts down). In the above example, all is ok as long as VM is setup to use 48k, but VM crashes if its configuration is changed to 44.1k. Conversely, if VM still uses 48k, but foo_dsd_asio setup is modified to convert 48k to DSD, then VM crashes too.

I'm reporting this because it might be nice to have (or more than that, for those DACs that accept only DSD input), and because it works for JRiver MC, as reported here ( http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f11-s ... post563093 ) and confirmed by my test. My test shows that JRiver MC hangs for a while when configured to output to foo_dsd_asio converting to DSD, but it ends up working fine.

This was tested on Windows 10 x64.
Vincent Burel
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Posts: 2008
Joined: Sun Jan 17, 2010 12:01 pm

Re: VM shuts down when using foo_dsd_asio with conversion to DSD

Post by Vincent Burel »

don't know foo stuff.
could you described me the simplest way to reproduce the problem ?
BigBen
Posts: 16
Joined: Tue Sep 29, 2015 4:33 pm

Re: VM shuts down when using foo_dsd_asio with conversion to DSD

Post by BigBen »

download and install ASIOProxyInstall-0.9.4.exe from https://sourceforge.net/projects/sacdde ... p/download


In Voicemeeter,
- as A1 HARDWARE OUT, select the newly installed "ASIO: foo_dsd_asio"
- change VM Preferred Main Samplerate to 48000 (as an example, see below)
- then, access foo_dsd_asio asio proxy driver configuration (through VM Menu, System settings / Options, and then clicking on "ASIO: foo_dsd_asio" , under OUT A1 Main Device)

VM stuff so far, nothing new for you.

This brings up the attached ASIO Proxy 0.9.4 configuration table. In this picture, foo_dsd_asio is configured :
- to output to ASIO Device : "Merging Ravenna ASIO"
- to convert 44.1k input to DSD(64), and leave all other input formats unchanged. It gets configured like that by clicking the various table cells, which brings popup menus from where to choose the various configuration options (i.e. here: DSD64, SDM type D, NONE, DSD).

Once you have this configured, check that VM (configured at 48000 Preferred Main Samplerate) works fine. It outputs to foo_dsd_asio, which in turn outputs to Merging Ravenna ASIO, without doing anything else.

Then, change VM Preferred Main Samplerate to 41000, and then VM unexpectedly shuts down. :(

Another way of getting the same problem, is to go back to foo_dsd_asio configuration table and change the 48000 line to have the same parameters as the 41000 line configured earlier (w/ VM at 48000).

Bottom line, it's fine to get foo_dsd_asio to pass stuff from VM to foo_dsd_asio output driver, but as soon as foo_dsd_asio configuration requires, in addition, a conversion to DSD, VM crashes.


You can check under another asio host (such as foobar or Jriver, ... should work on any host) that foo_dsd_asio can be selected as its output, and that everything still works when foo_dsd_asio does actual PCM to DSD conversion.

I have only tested this with Merging Ravenna ASIO as it's the only DSD capable thing I have. It could be that the Merging driver plays a role here ( like there http://vbaudio.jcedeveloppement.com/for ... ?f=6&t=426 by the way, David from Merging said he would discuss it next time he talks to you )
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foo_dsd_asio.png
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Vincent Burel
Site Admin
Posts: 2008
Joined: Sun Jan 17, 2010 12:01 pm

Re: VM shuts down when using foo_dsd_asio with conversion to DSD

Post by Vincent Burel »

well , sure if its connected to Ravenna Driver at the end, the bugs can be the same...

But is seems foo_dsd_asio is also bugged, because i can do nothing with the driver here (Win7 64bits)...
Primary ASIO test shows that the ASIO device does not even start (open function fails).

please contact guys doing foo_dsd_asio to report the problem
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