Amazon Music, Blackhole, Sound Source, HQ Player, Mac Mini....????

I want to use a mac mini to host all of the software- amazon music, blackhole, sound source, and hq player. I will control everything with screen sharing from another mac. I want to use the mac mini into my 8 channel Oktodac8. I would like to get this working with just two channel to begin with, then add 2 more channels for a pair of subs, crossovers for the subs, and ultimately, room correction and eq, and finally, another input (optical to the mac mini from my smart tv). From what I have read this is feasible- the devil is in the details...I have blackhole set 2 channel in my sound preferences on the mac, sound source indicates the amazon signal is being passed through blackhole but I have no clue how to set up hq player to get it to stream the amazon content.

If this setup just won't work due to limitation in the software it would be nice to know that as well but from I have been able to find, it seems like it should work as I am hoping without any separate hardware or software...???

I have looked all over the net and have yet to find a step by step instruction set. Any pointers to instructions or actual experience from a mac/amazon/hq player user would be most helpful!



Thanks!

5 minutes ago, cab said:

I want to use a mac mini to host all of the software- amazon music, blackhole, sound source, and hq player. I will control everything with screen sharing from another mac. I want to use the mac mini into my 8 channel Oktodac8. I would like to get this working with just two channel to begin with, then add 2 more channels for a pair of subs, crossovers for the subs, and ultimately, room correction and eq, and finally, another input (optical to the mac mini from my smart tv). From what I have read this is feasible- the devil is in the details...I have blackhole set 2 channel in my sound preferences on the mac, sound source indicates the amazon signal is being passed through blackhole but I have no clue how to set up hq player to get it to stream the amazon content.

If this setup just won't work due to limitation in the software it would be nice to know that as well but from I have been able to find, it seems like it should work as I am hoping without any separate hardware or software...???

I have looked all over the net and have yet to find a step by step instruction set. Any pointers to instructions or actual experience from a mac/amazon/hq player user would be most helpful!



Thanks!

How will you play content from Amazon?

I can either use amazon music through the browser app on the mac mini or use the amazon music app on the mac mini, either controlled via screen sharing from a second mac (macbook air at the listening position).

It is my understanding that blackhole will allow the output of amazon music to route through sound source, and from sound source into hq player....Just can't figure out how to configure things to make this work....

Thanks!

2 minutes ago, cab said:

I can either use amazon music through the browser app on the mac mini or use the amazon music app on the mac mini, either controlled via screen sharing from a second mac (macbook air at the listening position).

It is my understanding that blackhole will allow the output of amazon music to route through sound source, and from sound source into hq player....Just can't figure out how to configure things to make this work....

Thanks!

 

I believe Amazon has retired its desktop app, leaving you with a mobile or browser experience only. The browser only supports Cd quality. Not sure if that matters to you. 

I haven't used Sound Source, but I use Blackhole daily. They seem like very similar apps in the sense that they are virtual interfaces and can route audio. Ideally @Miska's HQPlayer would enable you to select an interface for input, such as Blackhole, and an interface for output. But, last time I did something similar I had to se the input to look for audio like 2/24/44100 etc... then hit play on the desktop app. I haven't done it in a while. 

Perhaps Jussi can help.

Thanks for the reply.

Yes, I still have the amazon app working on the mac mini. Wasn't aware that I wouldn't be able to stream higher rate music through the browser...Not a deal breaker at this point.

Sound source as far as I know lets you use and switch between a variety of inputs- it's like blackhole but does a lot (!) more....

Would really appreciate a basic set of hq player settings (inputs and outputs) and instructions on how to initiate play....

Thanks again!

I just installed HQP on my MacBook. 

I would just send the Amazon audio to Blackhole and have HQP use that as its input. Then output to your audio device. 

Then set your Content Source URI to audio:default/2/0 and press play in HQP, then press play in Amazon music.

Thank you both for your input. I will give it a try as advised above!

I really don't want to add another device (pi) if I can at all help it....

Will report back...Thanks again!

For Toslink sources, with Macs, also RME Digiface USB works with automatic input rate switching. Providing four Toslink inputs.

2 hours ago, Miska said:

 

BlackHole works to HQPlayer input. You can then tell HQPlayer to play from "audio:default/0/2" or from some specific rate. If the source supports proper output rate switching, it will automatically switch the HQPlayer input rate too (like with Qobuz macOS application).

 

Some applications like Apple Music on macOS don't switch output rate, thus the output would normally go through CoreAudio's rate conversion to the default output rate. (I don't know what Apple was thinking with their hires Music combined with this!?) Lossless Switcher combined with HQPlayer script (included in installation package) helps with this.

 

Another approach is to use RPi4 as USB-input device to HQPlayer (NAA OS as input side), this allows one to use iOS device as source instead. In this case, Apple Music for example results in output rate being correctly switched. I've been told that this approach, combined with WiiM streamer also provides proper Amazon Music HD audio output. I will try to test this Amazon Music aspect at some point too. I have couple of WiiM's acting as source into HQPlayer (mostly used boringly for Spotify though).

 

I believe only the wiim ultra has a usb output so you can connect to a rpi4 (usb input NAA) to hqplayer to allow input rate switch 

the nice thing about this setup is now you can use the wiim app for streaming tidal, qobuz, sportify, Amazon hd to hqplayer 

4 minutes ago, dericchan1 said:

I believe only the wiim ultra has a usb output so you can connect to a rpi4 (usb input NAA) to hqplayer to allow input rate switch 

 

the nice thing about this setup is now you can use the wiim app for streaming tidal, qobuz, sportify, Amazon hd to hqplayer 

Thanks but not interested in adding a streamer or rpi if at all possible...

3 hours ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

I believe Amazon has retired its desktop app, leaving you with a mobile or browser experience only. The browser only supports Cd quality. Not sure if that matters to you. 

 

 

I spoke with Amazon and they still have a desktop app available....I downloaded the latest version.

49 minutes ago, cab said:

downloaded the latest version.

Not from Amazon though correct?

No, the download wasn't on Amazon....

6 hours ago, cab said:

No, the download wasn't on Amazon....

Be careful. 
 

Amazon no longer offers the desktop app. Third parties offering it for download can be sketchy. 

Amazon pointed me to the download so I would have to believe it is ok....Thanks for the warning though!

Ok so I spent a few hours with this mostly in frustration...

I set my sound preferences in the mac mini to blackhole 2 channel input and output.

I set the inputs and outputs in Audio midi app on the mac mini to the same settings.

I set the output on Amazon Music to blackhole 2 channel.

I set the input on HQP to blackhole 2 and the output to my dac.

I went with the audio:default in the input bar on HQP and hit the play button after starting amazon music. Nothing. The audio:default setting turns grey and nothing happens.

Checking with sound source, I am getting signal out of Amazon Music and into blackhole but it seems nothing is getting into HQP. I messed with nearly every option and combination of options between mac sound, mac audio midi, and HQP inputs, nothing seems to bring audio into HQP.

Any ideas what I am doing wrong? Thanks!

6 minutes ago, cab said:

Ok so I spent a few hours with this mostly in frustration...

I set my sound preferences in the mac mini to blackhole 2 channel input and output.

I set the inputs and outputs in Audio midi app on the mac mini to the same settings.

I set the output on Amazon Music to blackhole 2 channel.

I set the input on HQP to blackhole 2 and the output to my dac.

I went with the audio:default in the input bar on HQP and hit the play button after starting amazon music. Nothing. The audio:default setting turns grey and nothing happens.

Checking with sound source, I am getting signal out of Amazon Music and into blackhole but it seems nothing is getting into HQP. I messed with nearly every option and combination of options between mac sound, mac audio midi, and HQP inputs, nothing seems to bring audio into HQP.

Any ideas what I am doing wrong? Thanks!

If one of the apps is taking exclusive control / access of Blackhole, it will be problematic. 

I just tested Apple Music > blackhole output > blackhole input > HQPlayer > My Audio Device and it works great. Here are my settings. Ignore the selected sample rate and filter, as I just picked them for the heck of it and testing.

Thanks! Can you show me your mac sound and audio midi settings?

Thanks again!

2 minutes ago, cab said:

Thanks! Can you show me your mac sound and audio midi settings?

Thanks again!

In this configuration the only setting in Audio Midi that matters is the output device. Apple Music just looks to the default audio output device and sends audio there. Nothing else in Audio Midi or macOS Sound matter. 

Make sure you have the volume in Blackhole set to the max.

Great, thanks! I will try again tonight!

i got rid of sound source and it worked! thanks again! now i need to get some crossovers added!

2 more questions!

1. Is there a way to get HQ player to simply play input directed to it without having to press the play button every time? Playing music to it with Amazon Music, it because rather inconvenient to have to press the play arrow every time a new song begins...???

2. Is there a tutorial somewhere on adding high and low pass filters? I am using Acoustat speakers which don't have normal crossovers- I would like to just send 20-100Hz to each pair of L and R subs, then have the Acoustats high passed from 100Hz on up. Later, I will get into the complexities of room correction, driver correction, and EQ but for now, would like to take this next step.

Thanks again!