![]() The system-wide setup might be better suited for a always-on audio server with multiple users but a shared MPD instance. The way of setting up MPD depends on the way it is intended to be used: a local per-user configuration is easier to set up and may prove more adapted on a desktop system. Also it is possible to run multiple instances of MPD in a #Multi-MPD setup. MPD is able to run in #Per-user configuration or #System-wide configuration mode (settings apply to all users). Install the mpd package, or mpd-git AUR for the development version. In order to interface with it, a separate client is needed. It plays audio files, organizes playlists and maintains a music database, all while using very few resources. I'm curious about this and I'll look into the specifics of what it does.MPD (music player daemon) is an audio player that has a server-client architecture. I'm not 100% on how it protects the integrity of the audio signal on it's way to the D/A converter, but I can attest that it doesn't sound like an exciter, it sounds exactly the opposite, like all artifacts were removed. You still use iTunes just like you always have for organization, track selection, etc but BitPerfect is there in the background making sure your audio always sounds its best.īitPerfect is available in the Mac App Store and, for $4.99 is kind of a no-brainer. After that, start it and forget it whenever you want to listen to music. The first time you use it, you have to tell BitPerfect what output to use (your USB DAC) and you can configure some options about how to send data to your DAC. When you start it, it starts iTunes for you. I very much appreciate no longer hearing new mail or IM alerts being played over my music!īitPerfect is quite easy to use. Additionally, it also provides the big (to me) benefit of being able to route your music over your USB DAC while still letting the system sounds play out of whatever output they normally use. Best of all, it's the same every time you listen, regardless of what other things your computer might be up to at the time. I say "can be" because the output from BitPerfect is slightly better than the best I ever heard without it yet MUCH better than the average that I heard before using it. The differences in the audio output can be tremendous. It make sure that the music comes out of iTunes and makes it all the way to your USB DAC without getting harassed, mugged, or lost along the way. BitPerfect functions like a bodyguard for your music. "BitPerfect (the final name under which the product was released) is small companion/helper program for iTunes. I am very impressed (to say the least) just because I can see that it doesn't really add any crazy artifacts, but does exactly the opposite, removes them, and clears up the mess!Īnyone else know about this? Similar experiences? I really feel that listening to music at such an improved level can help anyone/everyone with their mixing and composing abilities, it's just so much easier to tell what's going on!Īnyway, rant over, lemme go scour my music library for more surprises! :D I have to say, if you guys don't know about it, please, consider shelving the 5 bucks. Secondly, with an MBox Pro (which has a nice A/D converter) and Genelec 8020s, my musical listening experience has been completely changed with this little app. I really should've been importing this stuff into my DAWs to hear it! First, I had no idea iTunes screwed THAT much with the sound of audio files! It's kind of scary that most of my audio experience when trying to A/B was from within iTunes. I thought of mentioning this here for 2 reasons. I can really hear the depth of the mix, the panning is 100000% more clear and the whole thing just seems to be more airy, less muddy, and just, well, clear! This is specially true when the orchestra is playing tutti! Again, UNBELIEVABLY more clear than regular old iTunes. Now I just queued up John Powell's "How to Train Your Dragon". ![]() It's not even funny! It was like I was hearing an entirely different mix from my Genelec 8020s! The panning was incredibly clear, the sound un-muddied, the recording amazingly pristine! I had an ear-to-ear grin for a whole 5 minutes! Now I hope this can express my exact reaction. Ok, so after installing the thing and seeing that it recognized my Mbox Pro, I booted up iTunes and clicked on a random tune (my first test was a lossless file tune by Aaron Parks, "Nemesis" - jazz quartet- just a good reference recording that I'm used to listening on iTunes). I was a little skeptical, but it was like 5 bucks so I thought, why the hell not? Of course I had no idea just how much iTunes' internal EQ screws around with the audio, I just figured I'd get it for the FLAC support (I really think the only thing I miss on a Mac since switching from PC has been Foobar2000 player, I loved that thing).
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