Help! Apogee Duet Optimal Settings

[f00fighters]

I am trying to figure out how to get the optimal performance from my apogee duet as an amp. My main source of information other than the FAQ, has been from this thread.

I have updated recently to the latest apogee drivers labeled "september 2009 Snow Leopard" update. I am using a Mac Pro tower.

I disabled Apogee Maestro from startup in the Apogee Maestro preferences. I'm not entirely sure how to even use it. I have never adjusted any settings in there. Every time I go into Maestro Control, the title of the window says "Maestro Control: Untitled*" And whenever I exit, I never save.

From System Preferences I went to "Sound" and I selected Duet under the Input tab, as well as under the Output tab. So all volume control is controlled by the duet.

I went into Audio MIDI Setup, while iTunes was closed, and selected the 96000.0 Hz and 2ch-24bit under the output and input tabs for the Duet. Then I closed Audio Midi Setup.

Then I open iTunes, and play my music. 98% of my music is formatted in Apple Lossless from CD ripping.

Am I getting the most from my duet as an amp with what I'm doing? Am I doing anything wrong? Does Audio Midi Setup need to be open while iTunes is running so that it is up-converting to 96 khz? I'd appreciate any help or suggestions.

 

[f00fighters]

anyone?

 

[grawk]

Experiment and answer that question for yourself? If you don't have any 96/24 content, you mght be better off just picking 44/24 in audio midi setup, tho.

 

[f00fighters]

Quote:

Originally Posted by grawk /img/forum/go_quote.gif Experiment and answer that question for yourself? If you don't have any 96/24 content, you mght be better off just picking 44/24 in audio midi setup, tho.

I have been experimenting this entire time. I wanted to know if I'm missing something, or if I'm doing something wrong. I have maybe six tracks that are 96/24 vinyl rips. But I was under the impression that having the audio midi setup set to 96/24 would automatically up-sample/convert 44/24 to 96/24 for an improvement.

 

[paaj]

That depends on your philosophy, most here think that playing back 44.1 content in native format is best.
I don't think there is much to change, other than the amp settings in the Maestro panel.
If I remember the Benchmark FAQ right, iTunes volume control is better than System volume control so that would make: 44.1khz for CD playback, iTunes at 100% and volume control with the Duet for easy to use setting, iTunes volume control and Duet at 100% for quality.

Even better is a separate amp

 

[grawk]

If you like how it sounds, you're doing nothing wrong. If you prefer upsampling to 96, then that's right right setting for you. This isn't anything with empirical rights and wrongs. And I think duet at 100% is probably not optimal no matter how you're listening.

 

[f00fighters]

Quote:

Originally Posted by paaj /img/forum/go_quote.gif That depends on your philosophy, most here think that playing back 44.1 content in native format is best. I don't think there is much to change, other than the amp settings in the Maestro panel. If I remember the Benchmark FAQ right, iTunes volume control is better than System volume control so that would make: 44.1khz for CD playback, iTunes at 100% and volume control with the Duet for easy to use setting, iTunes volume control and Duet at 100% for quality. Even better is a separate amp

What amp settings did you use in Apogee Maestro? And when I change settings, do I have to save the "untitled" window? Also does Maestro have to be running in the background, or can I exit out of it for the settings to take effect? Again, I'm using the duet's dac and built-in amp.

You say iTunes volume is always better than system volume. I have set the duet's volume as the system's volume. But the volume in iTunes is always set to max. Do I have that right?

Quote:

Originally Posted by grawk /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you like how it sounds, you're doing nothing wrong. If you prefer upsampling to 96, then that's right right setting for you. This isn't anything with empirical rights and wrongs. And I think duet at 100% is probably not optimal no matter how you're listening.

Let me ask you this. iTunes is closed. I load up audio midi setup. I change a setting to 96/24 for the duet. At that point, can I exit out of audio midi setup, and those settings are changed for good, at which point iTunes will use those settings? Or is it while, iTunes is closed, I change the setting in Audio Midi setup, and leave it open, and then start iTunes for the changes to take effect.

 

[grawk]

You can open or close audio midi settings, the settings change when you apply them.

 

[leveller1642]

I don't have the Maestro software installed. I plug the Duet in and then hold the Duet's knob down for a few seconds.

In Audio Midi set up, I have it set at 44.1 and 16 bit.

 

[f00fighters]

Quote:

Originally Posted by leveller1642 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't have the Maestro software installed. I plug the Duet in and then hold the Duet's knob down for a few seconds. In Audio Midi set up, I have it set at 44.1 and 16 bit.

How are you able to choose 16bit to go with your 44.1 setting? In my drop box, I can only choose 2ch-24bit. There are no other options in that particular drop box.

 

[f00fighters]

2ch-16bit for the duet is not an option for me in "audio midi setup". Only 2ch-24bit is listed. Is this a bug of the updated apogee duet snow leopard september 2009 software? Does anyone else have this issue? No matter which sampling format I choose, 2ch-24bit seems to be the only option available under both input and output tabs.