Qobuz + MBP speaker problem

[Dave2002]

I've been driving my DAC plus amp plus speakers from my MBP today, and listening to music from iTunes.

It works when I set the output to <strikeout>Soundflower 2 channels </strikeout> USB Audio CODEC in Sound Preferences.

However, when I try to listen to Qobuz, it refuses to play through the DAC/amp and speakers.

Does anyone know how to fix this? Is it a known problem with Qobuz? Also the volume control may not be working.

[jayne lee wilson]

I've been driving my DAC plus amp plus speakers from my MBP today, and listening to music from iTunes.

It works when I set the output to Soundflower 2 channels.

However, when I try to listen to Qobuz, it refuses to play through the DAC/amp and speakers.

Does anyone know how to fix this? Is it a known problem with Qobuz? Also the volume control may not be working.

Don't know anything about Soundflower.....sorry.....

I'm listening to Xenakis' Les Pléïades in 24/96 on Qobuz Studio/Audirvana+ right now, off of a MacPro>USB>DAC etc., no problems here....

[Richard Barrett]

I don't really know why you're using Soundflower at all in that context, you just select your DAC as default output in the Sound control panel in System Preferences, and Qobuz and everything else will play through it without further ado.

[Dave2002]

Richard

Just checked - and you are right. I have now amended msg 1 to show what I should have written. Thanks for correcting me.

There is still a problem. I can direct iTunes output to the DAC and speakers. If I then switch to Qobuz the output comes from the computer speakers. Indeed it is possible to have iTunes running to the DAC/speakers and Qobuz to the internal ones at the same time.

I think I noticed this before, but gave up worrying about it. I think the problem remains even if I exit either program, then re-enter. The only "obvious" thing I've not tried (yet) is to close the system down and restart, to see if that "cures" the fault.

[Bryn]

I've been driving my DAC plus amp plus speakers from my MBP today, and listening to music from iTunes.

It works when I set the output to <strikeout>Soundflower 2 channels </strikeout> USB Audio CODEC in Sound Preferences.

However, when I try to listen to Qobuz, it refuses to play through the DAC/amp and speakers.

Does anyone know how to fix this? Is it a known problem with Qobuz? Also the volume control may not be working.

See https://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/info/qob...-desktop179419 , maybe?

[jayne lee wilson]

Richard

Just checked - and you are right. I have now amended msg 1 to show what I should have written. Thanks for correcting me.

There is still a problem. I can direct iTunes output to the DAC and speakers. If I then switch to Qobuz the output comes from the computer speakers. Indeed it is possible to have iTunes running to the DAC/speakers and Qobuz to the internal ones at the same time.

I think I noticed this before, but gave up worrying about it. I think the problem remains even if I exit either program, then re-enter. The only "obvious" thing I've not tried (yet) is to close the system down and restart, to see if that "cures" the fault.

Very basic, sorry but -
You have checked the Audio Midi Setup - to select output/devices etc?

[MrGongGong]

There are often issuses when using multiple soundcards /outputs depending on which version of OSX you have
If you have Soundflower installed it can be "automatically" selected to be the default output (easily changed in the system preferences but might "revert" to doing it again).
Also, if you (as I frequently do) have an external soundcard (or DAC) and you disconnect it without changing the output preferences first you might find you are unable to select the desired output simply without reconnecting the external and selecting it again. This is a "known issue' with OSX and some software like Adobe Audition.

[Dave2002]

Thanks mrgg. Soundflower does indeed seem to change things sometimes - which was what I thought originally - hence my error in the first post. I've also a hunch that it might be related to another add on - Bit Perfect, but I've not had time to check this yet. I don't even know if BP was/is active, but it may be, in which case it intercepts the audio (from iTunes?) and makes it inaccessible to other programs. I'll explore the powering off/restart "solution" first, before taking this further.

[MrGongGong]

Thanks mrgg. Soundflower does indeed seem to change things sometimes - which was what I thought originally - hence my error in the first post. I've also a hunch that it might be related to another add on - Bit Perfect, but I've not had time to check this yet. I don't even know if BP was/is active, but it may be, in which case it intercepts the audio (from iTunes?) and makes it inaccessible to other programs. I'll explore the powering off/restart "solution" first, before taking this further.

I've considered deleting Soundflower a few times because of this kind of thing BUT the things it does allow me to do simply seem worth the hassle.
It is also fairly "bombproof" as a way of fixing external soundcard problems when I've got heaps of other things connecting and restarting would involve possible remapping of MIDI and other controllers and output configurations in multichannel setups.

[Richard Barrett]

Qobuz has its own output selection panel, which maybe overrides the default output selected in System Preferences. (I would check this but my soundcard is away for repair.)

Moral of story: don't install Soundflower unless there's something specific you know you're going to need it for. I don't have it on my current three year old machine.

[Dave2002]

Slightly OT, but since you're here (both of you ...mrgg, richard). A while back we had a discussion about DAWs. Unfortunately I can't find that thread as DAW is only a 3 letter acronym (TLA!). Recently I wondered if Logic Pro X was worth having - I saw it running on an Apple iMac Pro recently, though I know that mrgg dislikes Garageband with a vengeance, and Logic Pro has some similarities. I found a list of popular DAWs and I think that package came second, with Ableton Live at the top. Another list had Image-Line FL Studio as top, with the other two demoted by one place each.

I still can't quite figure out how/why these packages work - but if Logic Pro is actually any good it's not impossibly expensive and I might be tempted to try to explore it this year. I know you recommended some other free or low cost ones in the previous thread.

[MrGongGong]

Slightly OT, but since you're here (both of you ...mrgg, richard). A while back we had a discussion about DAWs. Unfortunately I can't find that thread as DAW is only a 3 letter acronym (TLA!). Recently I wondered if Logic Pro X was worth having - I saw it running on an Apple iMac Pro recently, though I know that mrgg dislikes Garageband with a vengeance, and Logic Pro has some similarities. I found a list of popular DAWs and I think that package came second, with Ableton Live at the top. Another list had Image-Line FL Studio as top, with the other two demoted by one place each.

I still can't quite figure out how/why these packages work - but if Logic Pro is actually any good it's not impossibly expensive and I might be tempted to try to explore it this year. I know you recommended some other free or low cost ones in the previous thread.

A quick reply

In my experience Logic is anything but BUT it all really depends on what you want to do
If you want to do live playing of audio/virtual instruments etc (and don't want to spend hours learning Max , Pure Data, Bidule etc) then Ableton is brilliant

My own preference would be to go for REAPER which is very powerful but affordable and more logical than Logic
Fruity Loops (FL Studio) is very popular with the PC techno and "Black Midi" folks but a bit clunky for dealing with audio.

[Richard Barrett]

My own preference would be to go for REAPER which is very powerful but affordable and more logical than Logic

I agree. I use Reaper almost every day. I've had some experience with Logic but it hasn't been very encouraging.