HAL MS-3 Music Server and dspMusik digital crossover

[HAL]

For those wondering about digital crossovers and their differences to passive crossovers, here is a white paper from HAL to start discussions about them.

[HAL]

The Pocket CLIO measurement system made it's first passive crossover frequency response measurement.  It is fully calibrated to get accurate voltage response measurements. 

This will be packed and shipped to an owner of a pair of LS-9's to measure his passive crossovers to build the digital crossover software for the dspMusik. 

[rollo]

   Very cool Hal. No moss under your arse.


charles

[HAL]

First test of 8 channels of amp modules and FPS planars is complete.  They are making music!  Quick cell phone video.

https://youtu.be/gVYR0-6X_uE

[richidoo]

Kool!

subs on?

Your voice is low dude

[HAL]

Rich,
The servo subs are on.

My best impression of a radio announcer voice.   

[richidoo]

Congrats Rich!  You have liftoff!!  What's next in the process?

[HAL]

Split it off and started this thread to make it separate:

http://www.audionervosa.com/index.php?topic=5926.msg76504;topicseen#msg76504

[HAL]

For the first time in a long time have a MS-1 chassis in house to try Windows 10 OS.  This was basically a brand new chassis I found, so starting fresh.

This one can with a 80GB hard drive installed.  Man is it slow compared to the SSD I normally use! 

This specific machine will be setup to run the Pocket CLIO software to test speaker crossovers for making digital versions.  It is a bit more robust than the Netbook for shipping.  Just needs a standard keyboard, mouse and monitor to run. 

Built the first one of these in 2011, does not feel like that long ago. 

[HAL]

For MS-1 Music Server owners, Windows 10 64bit OS upgrade worked on my chassis here with improved sound results.  The only thing I have noticed is that my BluRay player for ripping CD's is no longer talking to the OS.  That maybe a registry issue I am working on, but will most likely not effect the original DVD drives most folks probably have.

Since the free upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10 64bit OS expires in June 2016, you should decide soon if you are going to try it.  You can go back to Windows 7 with tools Microsoft install.  The upgrade process takes about 4 hours on the MS-1 chassis. 

My suggestion is to backup anything you have added to your MS-1 along the way and then do the upgrade.  It will keep your files and programs, but certain default settings like Power Management get reset.  That is an OS level change that I make to turn off the sleep mode and not disable USB power ports for low power operation.  Easily corrected by the user under Control Panel, that is now a right click on the Start Icon.

For one MS-1 I am upgrading, I will be adding Math Audio Room EQ to Foobar2000 for the customers trials with his ACA LS-9 speakers being modified for a dspMusik digital crossover.  I am installing all the software along with the Windows 10 OS upgrade once it arrives. 

Good luck and let me know if you have any questions. 

[HAL]

After discussion with Math Audio, MathAudio Room EQ will now be part of the Foobar2000 install on all new MS-3 Music Servers. 

It will be up to the customer to obtain the calibrated mic for use if they wish to try the process with their system. 

Instructions for use of Room EQ are here:

http://mathaudio.com/room-eq.htm

[HAL]

Just setup a new MS-3 Music Server for a friend by another friend to demo while I am out.  The system has a MS-1 running Windows 7, so will be interested in the feedback.

[HAL]

The last in stock dspMusik digital crossover is now spoken for.

Latest is that the next production run of dspMusik units is at the end of July.  Will keep everyone posted as I know more.

This does not affect the availability of the MS-3 Music Server and dspMusik demo units.  They are available for trials.

[HAL]

Another part of the dspMusik concept is to eliminate all linear phase filtering from the digital crossover path.  From the USB input to the DAC output, there are no linear phase filters in the DC coupled, balanced signal path. 

For anyone reading the information from Bob Stuart at Meridian Audio about MQA, these are the same ideas he is using. 

To complete this system, a minimum phase ADC module is in build and will be in testing shortly.  The DAC's in use have always had minimum phase filters in use by choice for the Wolfson Micro WM8742 DAC's. 

This is unlike any other DSP based digital crossover out there for audio and the reason for the improved sound quality of the system.  This is not something that MiniDSP, DCX2496, or other entry level digital crossovers can do. 

[HAL]

As part of these ideas, all microphones and speaker drivers are minimum phase devices.  There is nothing in nature that is a non-causal filter like a linear phase filter.