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MDAC First Listen (part 00110000)

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So here it is.

Each album has a slightly different recording level, requiring a different volume setting on the remote.(some more than others).

If you have a Subwoofer then you also need to alter the volume on this, if it is fed from a signal level source - digital input.
Hopefully this can be remedied by taking a feed from an XLR splitter cable.
(work in progress)

Different albums may have the same recording level, but have a higher Bass bias. So this too requires a change in Sub volume.

So my findings after 6 hours of Sub woofer ownership are that a remote volume control is essential.
 
misterdog said:
There's more to Bass and Subs than meets the eye.

Only 2 more to go (is there a merit badge for hitting 2K posts?)
Click to expand...

How about this one for posts...
http://www.troop94ama.org/blog/?p=1215

AND even one for John...
http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Digital_Technology

misterdog said:
So here it is.

Each album has a slightly different recording level, requiring a different volume setting on the remote.(some more than others).

If you have a Subwoofer then you also need to alter the volume on this, if it is fed from a signal level source - digital input.
Hopefully this can be remedied by taking a feed from an XLR splitter cable.
(work in progress)

Different albums may have the same recording level, but have a higher Bass bias. So this too requires a change in Sub volume.

So my findings after 6 hours of Sub woofer ownership are that a remote volume control is essential.
Click to expand...

I found the same issue with bass level but have compromised on setting a level based on a well recorded track(s) with male vocal or instrumental bass content recognizing that it will not be "correct" for everything. I am using a splitter on the line level output of my preamp. One could say the same thing about treble, hence the tone controls on many early components.
 
misterdog said:
So my findings after 6 hours of Sub woofer ownership are that a remote volume control is essential.
Click to expand...

I 200% agree with you here - without remote I'm always having to go to the rear of the sub to turn it up or down a notch.

Its also surprisingly sensitive - it tock a few days before I "found" the correct levels... :(

My experience with the subwooffers was the prime driving force to add the DIC on the rear of the FDAC to allow a secondary Audio channel for Subwoofers etc. Obviously this can then be fully adjusted via remote / maybe we can even sore these level settings on the "local" file if played back via the FDAC's internal storage.

I wish our Cars suspensions systems via GPS would automatically Lower or Raise as we approach the rough Ground of our Driveway outside the lab rather then us having to press the button manually - the number of times we have driven the whole journey in "High" setting...

We can have the FDAC recall the last subwoofer settings / (and EQ if used) for each track :)
 
I don't think that constant volume changes on a subwoofer are required (except for fun reasons), especially with room correction in place.

Paul connected his subwoofer to an output with no volume control. What he needs is an output which is synced to the main channel volume control (like the future DIC).
 
Last night I started working on my new PSU cable. Actually I'm using three shielded wires with three 0,34mm² conductors each.

img_20160516_105803_sibjpd.jpg


Not the greatest work, I know. Soldering the shield and a GND conductor to the same tiny thingie was P.I.T.A.

img_20160516_173727_sz8jo5.jpg


Final version with cable sleeves :)
 
fusion5 said:
I don't think that constant volume changes on a subwoofer are required (except for fun reasons), especially with room correction in place.

Paul connected his subwoofer to an output with no volume control. What he needs is an output which is synced to the main channel volume control (like the future DIC).
Click to expand...

I agree.

Integrating a subwoofer well (or a pair) does take a lot of time. One has to decide about positioning, gain and x-over levels.

However IME once it's done you don't even think about the subs being there. You just miss them a lot if somehow you forgot to turn them on. :)
 
fusion5 said:
I don't think that constant volume changes on a subwoofer are required.
Click to expand...

This is not my personal experience, I find that there is a great variance in "Bass Levels" on recordings - the "average level" is sometimes too much for some recordings... its a real pain.
 
JohnW said:
This is not my personal experience, I find that there is a great variance in "Bass Levels" on recordings - the "average level" is sometimes too much for some recordings... its a real pain.
Click to expand...

That makes me think that perhaps a better subwoofer could fix that...what sub are you using now?
 
Paul, you have a remote volume level via the Ethernet connection to the sub amp.

If you normalized all your playback levels with jrivrr it'd be a none issue.
 
sq225917 said:
Paul, you have a remote volume level via the Ethernet connection to the sub amp.

If you normalized all your playback levels with jrivrr it'd be a none issue.
Click to expand...

I presume as in my experience the problem is that the Bass Level varies so much between recordings its hard to find a "correct" level good for all recordings.

I found the same many years ago with my Celstion 6000 system - and again with the REL's.
 
Is there any reason why I couldn't swap my FUSION board into a silver MDAC? Although I would need a new set of those cool Lakewest stickers :)
 
No problem - all the modifications are on the Main PCB itself - ad I can print you a new label :)
 
sq225917 said:
John, my angle is that I don't believe the quads super resolving of soundstage, they already lack the precision of a good pair of coned speakers in that respect.
Click to expand...

Yes fully agree with you here - this is my experience of the Quad ELS63's

sq225917 said:
So you may well of hit upon something lacking in the he sound. That said you need to do the cap replacement. One can't expect the small caps on the Calex to match the 4700 per rail on the mdac psu board.
Click to expand...

The 1000uF cap on the Calex is on the input side of the PSU regulator (the Calex does not seem to have any significant amount of capacitance on its output) - while the 4700uF on the MDAC's AC/DC PCB would in effect be "local" to the MDAC...

Ian will be here next month so it be good to have another set of ears and we can play with the PSU's - ATM I'm pushing completion of the FDAC analogue PCB.
 
Looking forward to it John. Here's a random thought. The spec of the FDAC includes a high quality PSU. If that is going to be on a discrete PCB, would it be feasible to use the same board to construct an external PSU for the MDAC ( for those who will have a continuing need for an MDAC), or are the FDAC's PS requirements just too different?
 
JohnW said:
I presume as in my experience the problem is that the Bass Level varies so much between recordings its hard to find a "correct" level good for all recordings.
Click to expand...

Exactly, though there may be something buried within this Mini-DSP module once (If) I can get my head around it.

There is a dynamic range compressor/limiter, though no instructions on how to use it :confused:
 
JohnW said:
The 1000uF cap on the Calex is on the input side of the PSU regulator (the Calex does not seem to have any significant amount of capacitance on its output) - while the 4700uF on the MDAC's AC/DC PCB would in effect be "local" to the MDAC...

Ian will be here next month so it be good to have another set of ears and we can play with the PSU's - ATM I'm pushing completion of the FDAC analogue PCB.
Click to expand...

John, with this is mind is it worth adding an extra smoothing cap to each rail before it goes to the MDAC?
 
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