View Full Version : Moode - Alsamixer layout
Have finally got Moode to work (kind of) and recognise my SSD drive, although it took all afternoon and many many reboots to get there :scratch:
Playback is OK if a little distorted compared to what I'm used to with Volumio.
One thing I have noticed that Alsamixer has a different layout - the PCM column in Volumio, which effectively reflects the app on-screen volume setting (shown in the first grab) has disappeared in Moode and the same function is now showing in the column to the right in the second grab - titled 'Digital'
Has this any significance at all?
I'm only asking because I've found that I need to keep this to a much lower setting than 0db to reduce distortion - i.e. around the 70 mark rather than 86
Volumio
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7735/18223571932_c1707008fd_b.jpg
Moode 2.1
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/774/20451926589_32fff9c9cd_b.jpg
The Black Adder
17-08-2015, 05:19
Hi Mike.
How you have set Moode is correct. It runs with a much higher volume than Volumio.
My settings are nearly the same as it depends your pre-amp. I've found that setting the main gain volume to 78 (-6.50db) opposed to 86 (0.0db) works for me with both boosts active. It's still pretty high on the preamp volume.
But your right, it reduces a lot of distortion. I'd go to say that it sounds much more lucid than Volumio.
I too have previously set mine to 72 but I found that it lost a bit of it's drive being that low. Again, this could be the differences in our preamps.
Although I'm happy with the setting, it isn't definitive. It's an ongoing thing reducing it bit by bit gradually to get accustomed to the sound. After listening to so many cdp's over the years and volumio it takes a while to get it right.
I also set mine to DSP Program [Low latency IIR with de-emphasis] :)
Incidentally, how are you finding the SSD drive?
Isn't it better to disable Moodes volume control and just use ones pre-amp for best sq?
if you get the i sabre dac alsa is done away with. ive not had any probs with distortion although it does have a healthy output compared to Volumio.
The Black Adder
17-08-2015, 08:26
Isn't it better to disable Moodes volume control and just use ones pre-amp for best sq?
Yes, disabling the software control is a good thing, same as in Volumio... What we are doing is adjusting the PCM master control.
The Black Adder
17-08-2015, 08:26
if you get the i sabre dac alsa is done away with. ive not had any probs with distortion although it does have a healthy output compared to Volumio.
Interesting, Grant... Does the Sabre Dac give a voltage output spec?
Forgotton Josie. think its the full output of 2mv. it is certainly loud and i have to turn stuff down with my sensitive speakers. my pre has large steps and it is 2 or 3 notches down plus the monos are 2 notches down too. no distortion just a healthy powerful output. it seems to be better suited to moode than volumio . it will be interesting to try volumio 2 when it comes out although its still a few months away.
Isn't it better to disable Moodes volume control and just use ones pre-amp for best sq?
I've found the best setting to be with the first 'Analogue Volume' column in Moode alsamixer ON and the second 'Analogue Playback Boost' OFF. I left them both on for clarity in the screen grabs.
At the moment I have it feeding my power amp via a passive pot (Alps 10k) but at some point will try it via my active pre (Quad 33/405-2 combo)
Hi Mike.
I also set mine to DSP Program [Low latency IIR with de-emphasis] :)
Incidentally, how are you finding the SSD drive?
Will try DSP Josie and see how that fares. Just playing with settings at the moment; like the 'Logarithmic' option for the volume control which gives a better sweep IMV.
The SSD drive works a treat, just took a long while getting Moode to recognise it. Worked fine with a 16gb memory stick but no joy at first when I switched to the big gun.
I was using an older Crucial 64gb but found this to be a bit hit and miss so bought a new Samsung 120gb which is both quicker and more reliable (at least in Volumio it was)
Also cracked the album art problem using the 'folder.jpg' tip someone suggested here (think it was Kitkat?) - works a treat :)
if you get the i sabre dac alsa is done away with. ive not had any probs with distortion although it does have a healthy output compared to Volumio.
Waiting for my Sabre board to arrive from China Grant - very curious after your very positive reports :)
Do you still have the option for 'Logarithmic' volume control in Moode?
on configure page you get these options
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08/17/6a829e49292db482f8e75ba7d5a2200c.jpg
that's reassuring Grant, I much prefer the 'Logarithmic' setting - more like a standard analogue pot
Incidentally, I have the 'Album Art lookup method' set to 'Default' rather than 'All' for the folder.jpg trick to work.
The Black Adder
17-08-2015, 10:39
Does anyone know how to get the likes of 6 Music to display what's playing in Moode?
Listening today I'm finding that, if I'm perfectly honest, playback of the same WAV files via my Toshiba Blu-Ray/coax/Q-DAC combo is better in every respect than via the Pi/IQaudio/Moode combination. There is a clarity in the first that is sadly lacking in the second without any sense of the muddying distortion I've been hearing since finally getting Moode to work. The interface on the Toshiba is woefully primitive and tweaks non-existent but at the end of the day it's the sound that counts. To be honest the endless fiddling and quirky performance is also starting to get on my wick.
I'll wait off for the arrival of the SabreDAC for final judgement but I sense that my Pi days might be sadly numbered :(
Does anyone know how to get the likes of 6 Music to display what's playing in Moode?
Not sure Moode is RDS capable - do they have a blog with answers for such questions?
The Black Adder
17-08-2015, 10:52
Not sure Moode is RDS capable - do they have a blog with answers for such questions?
I would have imagined it would be as Volumio brings up track info... I'll have a look.
For any questions your have on moode, you can get a quick answer from the author on these forum's.
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/pc-based/271811-moode-audio-player-raspberry-pi.html
http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f11-software/moode-audio-player-raspberry-pi-23858/
I would have imagined it would be as Volumio brings up track info... I'll have a look.
Track info shown in Volumio is read from the metadata embedded when you rip the file whereas the additional station info (prog title, what's playing, etc.) is part of the broadcast data that the receiver has to be capable of decoding from the data package it picks up and then displaying. As it is Moode doesn't seem able to display track info either (even though it's got it ...) I believe they are working on that though.
Listening today I'm finding that, if I'm perfectly honest, playback of the same WAV files via my Toshiba Blu-Ray/coax/Q-DAC combo is better in every respect than via the Pi/IQaudio/Moode combination. There is a clarity in the first that is sadly lacking in the second without any sense of the muddying distortion I've been hearing since finally getting Moode to work. The interface on the Toshiba is woefully primitive and tweaks non-existent but at the end of the day it's the sound that counts. To be honest the endless fiddling and quirky performance is also starting to get on my wick.
I'll wait off for the arrival of the SabreDAC for final judgement but I sense that my Pi days might be sadly numbered :(
Hi,
Do you have MoOde set to software or hardware volume control, it really needs to be set to Hardware as the software option buggers up the audio quality.
Set it to Hardware and then bring up Alsamixer and set it to 86 on 1st column and 100 on the other two, sorry I can remember what they are called, busy right this from my sun lounger in Rhodes lol.
You can just set the volume at 86 on the web interface as I think it does the same, but remember to 'refresh' the setup up via the menu.
86 as Grant says is 0 db but I know of outer users who find their system better at -6 or others so don't be afraid to fiddle about with the output as different levels bring different benefits such as bass, midrange and treble variations.
Is be surprised if you couldn't improve what you are hearing just now.
I also found MoOde to have more gain than Volumio, but I much prefer MoOde as its is much more stable than Volumio and it found all my NAS music without issue which is something I could never get right with Volumio. My android BubbleuPnP app finds MoOde everytime too, which was another failing of Volumio.
I'm intending to build another Pi system once back from holiday as I have one sitting at home and going to try the Audiophonics DAC on it.
Mike.
Hi,
Do you have MoOde set to software or hardware volume control, it really needs to be set to Hardware as the software option buggers up the audio quality.
Set it to Hardware and then bring up Alsamixer and set it to 86 on 1st column and 100 on the other two, sorry I can remember what they are called, busy right this from my sun lounger in Rhodes lol.
You can just set the volume at 86 on the web interface as I think it does the same, but remember to 'refresh' the setup up via the menu.
86 as Grant says is 0 db but I know of outer users who find their system better at -6 or others so don't be afraid to fiddle about with the output as different levels bring different benefits such as bass, midrange and treble variations.
Is be surprised if you couldn't improve what you are hearing just now.
I also found MoOde to have more gain than Volumio, but I much prefer MoOde as its is much more stable than Volumio and it found all my NAS music without issue which is something I could never get right with Volumio. My android BubbleuPnP app finds MoOde everytime too, which was another failing of Volumio.
I'm intending to build another Pi system once back from holiday as I have one sitting at home and going to try the Audiophonics DAC on it.
Mike.
Hi Mike,
already done all above (set to hardware etc. etc. etc. etc. ad nauseam) - have also had a few months experience with Volumio which I have to say achieves a better SQ than Moode thus far (although less stable).
Either which way, the playback via BluRay player and through my Q-DAC trounces both, so unless the Sabre DAC offers a better SQ there is little point playing around any further. Will probably install the Pi combo in the shed playing back through a Quad 303.
Gordon@IQ
18-08-2015, 14:16
All, I am in touch with Tim at Moode as there appears to be some strange volume setup with previous release.
Please select HW volume control in Moode UI
Through SSH and alsamixer... Please ensure that Analog boost and Analog volume are set to ON (100%). This will set 2vrms output and allow Moode Ui to adjust the 0..100% volume level as expected.
Latest Linux also correctly sets 100% to 0db and not +4db as it did previously.
Gordon
Hi,
I also meant to say that my Pi and iQAudio DAC sounded better after a good few hours of use, at around 50 hours mine definitely came good, I know this is probably tantamount to heresy in some quarters but I'm not alone in noticing this improvement.
Mike.
Thanks Gordon, I will try setting both analog settings to 100% as you recommend, but I tend to find 2vrms output too high for my old Arcam (A75+) amp. What do you recommend to lower the output, I have both set to 0 at the moment with the volume control on the amp at about 11 o'clock. I used a pair of attenuators with my last dac.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.3 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.