Re: Help with Kernel Streaming 0.9y-5-01

[boleary]

Still no luck here with 9y--501. With split file size at 12, I crash and get the blue screen with: IRQL_Not_Less_Or_Equal.

[PeterSt]

... which was to be expected.

Do you have a possibility to test this with another PC ? (maybe I already asked this in the other topic; I forgot)

[DannyD]

This version works for my Lynx AES16/Berkeley Audio DAC. I didn't have to do anything more that choose Engine 4 and a different device which was clearly labeled with KS:.   I can hear improved detail in Engine 4 compared Engine 3.  So far I prefer Engine 4 without any upsampling.  To my ear QAP sounds artificial.  The spaciousness is impressive but the vocals lack focus and sound too "creamy". 

[PeterSt]

Dan - good !

It may sound strange to you, but KS is (as put by me at least) not meant to be better for these aspects. It is supposed to work better for the emotional experience. If you don't have that, also fine.

Here, KS clearly isn't better for things like focus or separation. But I like it 10 times better than Engine3 for it.

Otoh ... I never tried whether it is better without Arc Prediction because remember, my DAC is supposed to have just that (it is NOS/Filterless).
And thus ... there's also the aspect of Arc Predition officially not being able to work on OS DACs ... maybe that now comes out at last ?

Thank you very much for sharing. I hope everybody will do that !
Peter

[DannyD]

Peter,

Can you explain what you mean when you say QAP adds to the emotional experience of the music.  It seems to me that you'd have to be describing a coloration that is being added to the sound.  What happened to the pursuit of an Absolute Sound?  I perceive that a coloration is being added with QAP, and it is that coloration that I'm perceiving as a an exageration of spaciousness resulting in vocals that are too diffuse to be natural.  Do you agree?  Maybe this is the way music is supposed to sound, but I've heard some pretty high-end rigs in my day and I've never heard the music I listen to sound the way it does with QAP.  Just my two cents!

Dan

[JohanZ]

Hi Peter,

This version works for my ........ I didn't have to do anything more that choose Engine 4 and a different device which was clearly labeled with KS:.

Also the Audiotrak HD2 works with engine#4 without any errors or messages! Thanks. I need more time to listen to 09y-5-01. I like the sound of engine#3 in 09y-5-00. Greater involvement. All instruments have more authority......

Regards, Johan

[boleary]

It works (see below) but not with the Hiface in either vista or xp. Don't know about sq, yet. Don't know if I can take much more of this........I was gonna go stack wood for the wood stove but I guess I have to smoke another bowl 

[JohanZ]

Also the Audiotrak HD2 works with engine#4 without any errors or messages! 

So far one message "engine#3 has stopped" with engine#4. During playback i hear a very short strange distortion in the sound during playback. e.g. 5 times in a track of 5 minutes.

[Telstar]

Hi Peter,

This version works for my ........ I didn't have to do anything more that choose Engine 4 and a different device which was clearly labeled with KS:.

Also the Audiotrak HD2 works with engine#4 without any errors or messages! Thanks. I need more time to listen to 09y-5-01. I like the sound of engine#3 in 09y-5-00. Greater involvement. All instruments have more authority......

Regards, Johan

Works for me too. On x-fi/enterprise all good. Will check tomorrow on the other pc, but i'm sure it works too.
Finally i can compare the SQ

[PeterSt]

Also the Audiotrak HD2 works with engine#4 without any errors or messages! 

So far one message "engine#3 has stopped" with engine#4. During playback i hear a very short strange distortion in the sound during playback. e.g. 5 times in a track of 5 minutes.

Hi Johan,

I am fairly sure what sound you mean, and I must tell you, I have exactly the same (or had, see below). Also, I will be using the same drivers (sort of), ESI ... It like a kind of short "preep" and it can easily be part of the music when you hear it the first time (a kind of flagiolette from a guitar sound).

For those who have it, I think you can think like this :
Kernel Streaming has its own life and once it is playing there is not much to influence by me (completely different from Engine#3/WASAPI). Not after all what has been "prepared". It is given to the OS, and deep down it is playing. Now :
I play with Appontment Scheme 3 (never tried otherwise, and other settings may make "the" difference), but tonight I got rid of the "preep" at setting Thread Priority to High instead of Real Time (Player Prio is at lowest). At the same time I set my Split File parts at the highest my (2GB) system can bear, which seems to be 215 (notice I play Qaud Arc Prediction). Playing with this a couple of tracks, and I didn't hear the "preep" anymore, but it can be coincidence because it doesn't happen all the time (also : it happens in an internal process when my own code is at rest). Then I switched off my Virtual Memory (swap file), and btw this is when the beforementioned 215 setting applies (230 implies "low memory" messages and I imagined the sound to degrade). With *this* I played 3 hours or so, and never heard a "preep" anymore. Remember, switching off the virtual memory might be unrelated.

In neither case (after highering this File Part setting) I could manage to play a whole album, and it seems (of what I recall) that it is always the last track where a "Ran out of buffer" message shows up in the X3PB log file. So that may be a bug in my code somewhere.

Maybe this helps !
Peter

Edit : PS:

So far one message "engine#3 has stopped" with engine#4.

I know it is a well known obsession, but I hope that message told about Engine#4 has stopped.

[PeterSt]

Peter,

Can you explain what you mean when you say QAP adds to the emotional experience of the music.  It seems to me that you'd have to be describing a coloration that is being added to the sound.  What happened to the pursuit of an Absolute Sound?  I perceive that a coloration is being added with QAP, and it is that coloration that I'm perceiving as a an exageration of spaciousness resulting in vocals that are too diffuse to be natural.  Do you agree?  Maybe this is the way music is supposed to sound, but I've heard some pretty high-end rigs in my day and I've never heard the music I listen to sound the way it does with QAP.  Just my two cents!

Hi Dan,

I must admit that after I posted about this, I realized I had been confusing, because I wasn't quite talking into your subject 100%. So, I mixed up things a bit. So, I wasn't talking about QAP vs not QAP and merely about Engine#4 and its "purpose" (which hadn't been explicit before I heard it the first time). So, I recon QAP is not related to the "emotion" I am trying to feed you with. That is just Engine#4.
Now, if you feel that without QAP it is working better for you, this is perfectly allowed (and forget about my preevious confusing post). This is because QAP was created for NOS/Filterless DACs, and with OS DACs (which always filter) it *should* not workout for the better. It appeared (or appears) though that with Engine#3 for nearly everybody and OS it works better just the same. And, Since Engine#3 and #4 are so totally different sounding, I guess it well can make a difference (using QAP for either Engine).

What I perceive from Engine#4 -and the reason why it "works"- you might call coloration indeed (don't get confused again because I'm starting to be - again); But it is not explicit. It happens because all the instruments get less separated, and a very first thing to notice is a more "standing wave" like sound. Still, this doesn't seem to be so (plus you'd have to know what I mean by this). I prefer to call it more of a mesh (not mess) and the music becomes more a whole of it; The underlaying phenomenon which does this (less separation) seems technically less good, but *is* good for the perception of the music. And surprisingly enough it has a similar effect of two drivers (like bass and mid) not being properly aligned. That too separates, although at a different level.

For many this may be old school stuff, but I only learned the other day what kind of things create the emotion, and I feel it starts to become under my control. Maybe we can create a Q for it, haha.

So Dan, our subjects seem to be the same (if it may be about Engine#4 NOT bringing the absolut sound), but for you it is the difference between QAP and not, while for me it is just comparing #3 and #4. But to keep in mind : I will not be able to judge - or compare for you, because my DAC requires QAP, and it makes it a 100 times better (just because it was designed like that - and for it).

Thank you !
Peter

[PeterSt]

Dan, one more thing ...

I only now realize that you are using a Berkely DAC for this all (you might put your "stuff" in your signature (please));
But do you know you have to use Filter 2 ? (and then QAP)

If you didn't so far, let me know what comes from that !
Peter

[PeterSt]

It works (see below) but not with the Hiface in either vista or xp. Don't know about sq, yet. Don't know if I can take much more of this........I was gonna go stack wood for the wood stove but I guess I have to smoke another bowl 

Haha.
But I have a stupid question : Did you ever try the Hiface with any of the other Core Appointment settings (including None) ?

[boleary]

Tried the Hiface with each core appointment setting this morning. Crashed each time. Really strange that the M-Audio will work but not the Hiface with kernel streaming and, the Hiface was designed specifically for kernel streaming. Must be some kind of incompatability with xx. As I said before it works well with media monkey. So, what next, if anything, in your bag or tricks?

Regarding #4 v #3, using the M-Audio, like Russ, I'm having trouble distinguishing the two (both with 2x arc prediction). Will keep listening. 

Did I say before that my wife thinks I'm nuts and that Peter is increasingly considered a drug pusher in my house? I keep telling her it isn't so and she keeps saying: that's the addiction talking.

[JohanZ]

......but tonight I got rid of the "preep" at setting Thread Priority to High instead of Real Time (Player Prio is at lowest). At the same time I set my Split File parts at the highest my (2GB) system can bear, which seems to be 215   

No solution for me. I have the impression that it give's more problems. Lowering priority, increment Split file parts has no positive effect so far. This morning after a "preep" immediatly "engine#3(4) has stopped" message. This evening again. KS (engine#4) no success so far. Engine#3 works ok.