MQN

Anything to do with computer audio, hardware, software etc.
Aleg
Posts: 1381
Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2013 8:26 pm

Re: MQN

Post by Aleg »

I do like the 1024 raw background + get normal.

For pro audio I use 23220 and latency sensitive = true

I do prefer priority 8 + scheduling category High over priority 6 + scheduling category Medium.


Overall I think the bass has very much improved (reaching deeper into the lower bass ranges) and still with good detail in the bass.

Also I have still got the TimerResolution set to 2 ms and my Thesycon buffer also on 2 ms.
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sbgk
Posts: 1950
Joined: Mon Oct 07, 2013 9:45 pm

Re: MQN

Post by sbgk »

Aleg wrote:I do like the 1024 raw background + get normal.

For pro audio I use 23220 and latency sensitive = true

I do prefer priority 8 + scheduling category High over priority 6 + scheduling category Medium.


Overall I think the bass has very much improved (reaching deeper into the lower bass ranges) and still with good detail in the bass.

Also I have still got the TimerResolution set to 2 ms and my Thesycon buffer also on 2 ms.
I've now deleted the clock rate setting completely from pro audio, it hasn't complained, sounds ok. Think setting it to 0 or ffffffff has the same effect. need to see if there is a way of querying what setting it uses.

also set the affinity to 2 which is core 1, MQn runs on core 1.

MQn since timer 1 version sets the the clock to 1ms, maybe I should try 2ms. All these types of things can be made configurable

same here have gone back to high and 8, it means the thread runs at 25/26 - 31 is the highest priority.

think the Latency Sensitive setting has improved the bass a bit.

Have listened to 5 Rush albums this afternoon without fatigue, so something must be right.

suppose BackgroundPriority setting should be added to pro audio as well
cvrle59
Posts: 449
Joined: Tue Oct 08, 2013 12:45 am
Location: Canada

Re: MQN

Post by cvrle59 »

Sbgk,
Any progress on 24/192 project?
i3 Haswell, PPAStudio USB3 card and USB Micro cable/Chord Hugo/Nad-275BEE/Harbeth-30.1
internethandle
Posts: 91
Joined: Mon Nov 18, 2013 3:57 am

Re: MQN

Post by internethandle »

tony wrote:
Welcome aboard I think a lot of us are currently on exhaustion leave after a lot of months constant testing. Never heard of Alan Maher tweaks or ADuM4160 isolators nearly afraid to ask what they are about!
Sorry for just responding to this, thanks for the welcome.

"Alan Maher tweaks" and "ADuM4160 isolators" refer to hardware-based stuff, the former of which is not necessarily computer audio-specific. Alan Maher is a sort of underground audiophile savant that some of us follow - his products are only in R&D form so far but he innovates/invents at a rapid pace, and he only sells through his Facebook page/e-mail - but he has the most innovative and unique AC filtering tweaks I've experienced, especially for the price. I'm a bit of a fanboy of his, admittedly, but I don't mind singing his praises since he is the real McCoy. He also is a huge proponent of computer audio and poo poos the analog-obsessed. ADuM4160 isolators are USB isolating devices based around Analog Devices' ADuM4160 chip - the chip allows only the data portion of a USB cable's signal to pass through, isolating the power line, and allowing a separate power supply (5v, generally) to be injected and used in its stead. There are a lot of such devices, the most audiophile of which I've found being one made by Teralink and found on eBay, but they have limitations - namely, many do not allow hi-res playback, only redbook, or have problems with some asynchronous protocol DACs. Still, they're relatively cheap as a tweak.

Anyway, thanks for having me aboard! I'm a Win 7 stalwart still (I've tweaked this OS to such extremes that it's hard for me to give up on this particular install and start over again, although I've almost caved to 8.1), so I don't imagine further MQn builds will have much to do with me, but I definitely do enjoy the ones that I can actually use.
sbgk
Posts: 1950
Joined: Mon Oct 07, 2013 9:45 pm

Re: MQN

Post by sbgk »

uploaded 2.71 1024 raw background 8 + get normal - the idea with this version is to have a delay in the render loop after the buffer has been released to the end device, seems to produce less noise. There would normally be a delay, but with MQn preloading/preempting the buffer a delay is required.

removed the BackgroundPriority setting from mmcss pro audio setting as was affecting the SQ

edit - added it back in as problem was clock rate - set it back to 23220

am working on the 24 bit version and will make things configurable so it can be used in win7/8/8.1/r2
Last edited by sbgk on Sun Nov 24, 2013 12:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
John Dot
Posts: 166
Joined: Tue Oct 08, 2013 6:19 pm

Re: MQN

Post by John Dot »

sbgk wrote: am working on the 24 bit version and will make things configurable so it can be used in win7/8/8.1/r2
Great news. I like to play with configurations.
PC: CPU Q8400, 8GB Ram, Windows 8.1 x64
DAC: HRT Music Streamer II+, Asus Xonar Essence ST (+ HiEnd DYI upgrades)
sbgk
Posts: 1950
Joined: Mon Oct 07, 2013 9:45 pm

Re: MQN

Post by sbgk »

these mmcss pro audio settings sound pretty good

"Scheduling Category"="High"
"GPU Priority"=dword:00000008
"Affinity"=dword:00000002
"SFIO Priority"="Normal"
"Priority"=dword:00000001
"Background Only"="True"
"Latency Sensitive"="True"
"Clock Rate"=dword:00005ab4
"BackgroundPriority"=dword:00000008

clock rate is 23220
jrling
Posts: 398
Joined: Tue Oct 08, 2013 7:54 pm
Location: London

Re: MQN

Post by jrling »

Aleg wrote:
Also I have still got the TimerResolution set to 2 ms and my Thesycon buffer also on 2 ms.
Hi Aleg - I have a WaveIO with Thesycon driver v1.67.
Wondered how you set numerical buffer setter in Thesycon Control Panel? Mine is set to Minimum Latency.

Also how do you set TimerResolution to 2ms? Which Windows Timer are you setting? Is this the same Timer that SBGK is setting in MQn [at 1ms now I think] or a different Timer?

I get quite confused with the various Windows Timers!

Many thanks

Jonathan
Maplin XM21X 12V float charging A123 26650 LiFePO4 battery/Maxwell Supercap PSU for Mitac PD10-BI J1900 Bay Trail, WTFPlay, Hiface Evo, Bow Technologies 1704 NOS DAC, StereoKnight TVC, Quad II monoblocks, ZU Audio Druid Mk4/Method Sub
Aleg
Posts: 1381
Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2013 8:26 pm

Re: MQN

Post by Aleg »

jrling wrote:
Aleg wrote:
Also I have still got the TimerResolution set to 2 ms and my Thesycon buffer also on 2 ms.
Hi Aleg - I have a WaveIO with Thesycon driver v1.67.
Wondered how you set numerical buffer setter in Thesycon Control Panel? Mine is set to Minimum Latency.

Also how do you set TimerResolution to 2ms? Which Windows Timer are you setting? Is this the same Timer that SBGK is setting in MQn [at 1ms now I think] or a different Timer?

I get quite confused with the various Windows Timers!

Many thanks

Jonathan

Hi Jonathan

The Thesycon drivers that come with my Diverter HR allow setting numerical values. I have indeed also read there exist Thesycon drivers that only let you select a latency category. Nothing to be done about that, I think other than urging your DAC manufacturer to opt for numerical versions.

TimerResolution is a (temporary) setting deep in the bowels of Windows OS, that can only be set by code, so it is not the registry setting.

I must say though that sbgk in his latest versions if mqn already sets the TimerResolution to 1ms thereby 'overruling' my 2ms setting. But it still sounds good (though I can't compare with my 2ms).

Gordon, hint hint, can you make TimerResolution configurable?

Yes, I have to agree these Windows timers are a complex bunch.
It is not easy to explain. See if you can find a copy of "Windows Internals, Sixth Edition" if you like to now more about the internals of Windows. It's difficult stuff though possible to grasp, the effect of these things on SQ remains obscure though, requiring 'visionaries' like Gordon to locate settings and positive effects on SQ.

Cheers

Aleg
HDPLEX;picoPSU;ASUS Q87M;i7-4770T;PH SR7EHD;Server2012R2;Thesycon 2.24;
JCAT USB;Sonicweld DiverterHR2;Naim DC1;Chord Hugo;Morrow Audio MA6;Naim NAC-282,SuperCapDR;NAP-300;
AQ Cinnamon;GISO GB;Netgear Pro+XM21X;Cisco SG300;NAS-ZFS.
jrling
Posts: 398
Joined: Tue Oct 08, 2013 7:54 pm
Location: London

Re: MQN

Post by jrling »

Thanks as always Aleg for the clear and helpful explanations.

I think MQn 1ms is overruling your 2ms setting, as you say.

Minimum Latency in my Thesycon driver is the lowest setting, so I chose that and have had no issues whatsoever from it.

The internal workings of Windows and Windows Timers and their effect on audio SQ is way beyond me and probably anyone other than the people that wrote the code and even then ....... The trouble is that registry settings we all follow or lead, can have unforeseen knock-on effects on other parts of the kernel code. I even found a website that promotes Windows Timer settings in W8 and WS2012 R2 anyhow of microseconds - see here if you think it is relevent to MQn or audio - http://www.windowstimestamp.com/
If it was relevent, I think it affects the whole Windows system timer and therefore would have a major adverse impact on Windows running generally, but for dedicated audio PCs that's not a problem.

Jonathan
Maplin XM21X 12V float charging A123 26650 LiFePO4 battery/Maxwell Supercap PSU for Mitac PD10-BI J1900 Bay Trail, WTFPlay, Hiface Evo, Bow Technologies 1704 NOS DAC, StereoKnight TVC, Quad II monoblocks, ZU Audio Druid Mk4/Method Sub
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