Feature Request: 1 Bit Dither Noise on All Outputs

[ModeratoMaestoso]

Hi guys,

This is (for me anyway) quite an important request. I use the ADA8000 quite a lot. The chaps who write Software Audio Console managed to get around the problem with the new chips as described below (I've copied and pasted from the SAC release notes). It would be a HUGELY useful feature in SCS...

Many thanks!

Martin

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Added a new item on the Mixer Menu called Dither. This option will add a 1 bit random dither noise pattern to the output device buffers. Unfortunately, the newer Behringer ADA8000 units (since Dec 2009… Date Code 0912) have changed the audio codec chip to a new Cirrus Logic chip. This chip has become popular in other devices as well. This chip is supposed to be of higher quality than the previous codec, but has a default Auto Mute behavior which mutes the DAC side of the chip when it sees a series of 8192 zero data buffers. The chip then un-mutes when it sees new data with non-zero values. Unfortunately, the un-muting can behave in a random fashion and actually ramp up in a slow manner like a slow timed release gate… sometimes taking 3-6 secs to open up completely depending on the audio material. The chip can be programmed to disable this so called feature, unfortunately the Behringer units do not do this at this time (currently July 2010). This behavior causes the initial attack of playback material, or solo material to be lost for a random amount of time. Any audio software that starts and stops playback will miss the first audio attacks. The dither option can be activated in SAC to keep the chip active at all times, fixing this otherwise annoying behavior. Unfortunately, there is no current method for fixing this behavior within SAWStudio, the Media Player, I-Tunes player, or any other audio program that starts and stops playback. Hopefully Behringer will address this issue, and hopefully other hardware products using this chip will properly disable this behavior. If you have newer ADA8000 units that exhibit this missing data behavior on startup or on the solo bus, activate the Dither option and save the preferences.
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[Mike Daniell]

Can you create a wav file containing a suitable 1 bit dither noise? If so then you could create a cue to play this file continuously looped. I realize it could be annoying to see this cue in the cue panels, constantly playing, but at least it should keep the ADA8000 awake. If you want to prevent the cue appearing in the cue panels you could assign it to a hot key and unset the Display Option 'Show Hot Key Cues in Cue Panels'.

[ModeratoMaestoso]

That's certainly possible, but over 8 outputs, it would take up several of the available devices per audio cue. I'm not sure if the chip turns itself off on a per-output basis, or if one ouput is open they all are. I'll look into it...

Thanks!

M