2. pc-audio
  3. 1277519354

Utilizing PC, options for downloading muti-channel

I am rather new to utilizing PC Downloads as source for Stereo System. Still utilizing Pioneer DV-58AV to read
multi-channel SACD/DVD-Audio High Rez. Disks. Pioneer will
downmix these multi-channel disks to 2-channels, which I need for 2-channel Headphone System. PC DVD ROM will not read or rip these multi-channel disks. These same multi-channel high-rez. Recordings are available for downloading.
Is there any WAV downloading program that can not only
download multi-channel High-Rez onto PC, but also provide
for downmixing? Are there any Music Servers that can rip
a copy of a multi-channel high rez.disk, and provide for
downmixing at its output? Is this downmixing done in the
Analog or Digital Domain? What would be the best way to
transmit these type of recordings in a PC/Music Server
system. USB to DAC? USB from PC to Music Server after
downloading? I ask this because these multi-channel
downmixed recordings sound to me to be the best Digital
Recordings that I have ever heard. There doesn't seem to be a transition from Disk to PC/Music Server for these type
of Recordings with downmixed option. Is there even a Music
Server that can even store multi-channel high-rez. recordings? Is there even a PC/Music Server with a ROM
Drive that can even read these disks? Is there even an
external ROM Drive for a PC that can read these multi-
channel disks? If not, then maybe Computer based Systems
are a bad idea after all. No matter which Computer Expert
I talk to, no-one seems to have the answer to these questions. They just look at me like I am from another
Planet.
pettyofficer

Showing 3 responses by dtc

dtc's avatar
dtc
1,047 posts
 
Look at the recent thread on how to rip DVD audio.

I use DVD Audio Extractor to read DVD-Audio discs from my standard DVD player on my laptop. I just extract the hi rez 2 channel tracks, but it has an option to read multichannel and output 2 channel. It has a free 30 day trial.

I do not know of any program to do this with SACD.

J River Media Center handles multichannel files and can downmix them, although I do have not done this. I stick with just the 2 channel files. Again, there is a free 30 day trial.
dtc's avatar
dtc
1,047 posts
 
If by DVD Extractor you are referring to DVD Audio Extractor from Computer Audio Solution (CAS) (the one I referred to above), then I believe it can read the 6 channel audio and downmix it to 2 channel. Have you tried that?

Many DVD Audios have both 2 channel and 6 channel hi rez tracks. If so, you can just extract the 2 channel files. In fact, looking at the Krell DVD-A, I think it has 2 channel tracks at 24 bit/96khz (according to CDUniverse) It may be that the 2 channel on that disc may be better than a 6 channel downmix.
dtc's avatar
dtc
1,047 posts
 
It is possible that the 2 channel on the disc may be an upconverted version of the original 16/44 rather than a downmix of the 6 channel 24/96. It would not be the first time that was done.

You might want to look into outputing the downmixed digital signal from your player directly into a PC, rather than using the PC to rip it. Then you can play it back with any 2 channel player on the PC. You should also try some of the downmix software to see now it does.
More to discover