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Computer Audio Design OSX Audio Optimization Script


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I have done a lot of work on optimizing Windows for audio over the last year and I decided to do the same for OSX. My background is more Windows based so I was lucky enough to find someone who knows a massive amount about Mac software to help me out.

 

We manufacture DACs and it is important that we can optimize our dealers and customers computers quickly and easily. One of the biggest issues I have is the perceived complexity of computer audio and anything that we can do to make it simpler and sound better is a good thing for the industry.

 

I am not a Mac expert! It would be helpful to have others take a look at what we have done and offer suggestions. I have no doubt there are additional things that can be done and maybe we have done some things that we shouldn't have!

 

If you want to make your Mac sound better I am a big believer in the first place to start is with good playback software. There are many excellent options for the Mac user and I recommend to start there. There are also many sites out there with some great ideas on other things to do to make your Mac sound better. This script has gone to extremes to stop Daemons (background processes) from starting up and running. This script will stop most applications from running that are not related to audio. So if you use your Mac for things other than audio this script is probably not for you.

 

The script was written with these personal requirements in mind:

 

· Computer used for nothing else but audio

· Be able to use iTunes

· Be able to control iTunes using an iPad and iTunes Remote

· Be able to use third party playback software such as Audirvana

· Ethernet connection for wifi

· A "return to original settings" script

 

You can view and modify the scripts by opening them in TextEdit.

 

These scripts are free and open source.

 

As you would expect the use of the script is completely at your own risk. I would strongly recommend making a backup of your Mac before using the optimization script.

 

At this point the script is only for Mountain Lion (10.8.x). Do NOT use with any other versions.

 

The CAD OSX Audio Optimization Script can be downloaded from the Computer Audio Design website here:

 

Computer Audio Design » OSX Audio Optimization

 

Scott

www.computeraudiodesign.com

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There are very few (if any) changes you would require for 10.9.

 

I would be very wary of turning off the launchd items between lines 139 and 281 without being told what they did explicitly.

 

Why, the 139th through 281st most important things on startup of course. Can probably get along without them.

One never knows, do one? - Fats Waller

The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. - Einstein

Computer, Audirvana -> optical Ethernet to Fitlet3 -> Fibbr Alpha Optical USB -> iFi NEO iDSD DAC -> Apollon Audio 1ET400A Mini (Purifi based) -> Vandersteen 3A Signature.

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Here's the last few lines. Isn't 'killall Finder' the command to quit the Finder?

 

# reloads to avoid reboot
echo
echo "Attempting to apply changes"
[b]sudo killall Finder[/b]
sudo killall Dock
sudo killall NotificationCenter

echo
echo "You should restart now to ensure all changes are applied."
echo

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Ok, anything other than anecdotal suggestions?

 

Line 95:

 

defaults write com.apple.finder QuitMenuItem 1

This adds a Quit menu item for the Finder, so you don't have to hard-kill the process.

 

Short of someone performing lab quality experiments, or even amateur DBT, I don't see how you're going to get anything other than anecdotal evidence about the sonic impact of any of these optimizations. But I could easily be unaware of work that's been performed to more or less scientifically confirm an effect.

One never knows, do one? - Fats Waller

The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. - Einstein

Computer, Audirvana -> optical Ethernet to Fitlet3 -> Fibbr Alpha Optical USB -> iFi NEO iDSD DAC -> Apollon Audio 1ET400A Mini (Purifi based) -> Vandersteen 3A Signature.

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The whole point of the launchd reformulation of startup items is so that processes won't be run unless required by the OS. A lot of effort has gone into optimizing this.

 

If you want to see what the system is running and your own user account is running, you can do this:

 

sudo launchctl list

 

and this, respectively,

 

launchctl list

 

You can see the conventionally launched processes this way:

 

ps -ax

 

The activity monitor can tell you whether any of these is consuming significant resources. In general, almost none of them do, except for metadata indexing and the actual time machine backups.

 

Quitting Safari is probably the next best thing you can do.

 

I have no evidence that any of these interfere with playback. (In 10.7 on my 2009 mini these three did. It wasn't subtle. But Lion was Apple's Vista.)

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The whole point of the launchd reformulation of startup items is so that processes won't be run unless required by the OS. A lot of effort has gone into optimizing this.

 

If you want to see what the system is running and your own user account is running, you can do this:

 

sudo launchctl list

 

and this, respectively,

 

launchctl list

 

You can see the conventionally launched processes this way:

 

ps -ax

 

The activity monitor can tell you whether any of these is consuming significant resources. In general, almost none of them do, except for metadata indexing and the actual time machine backups.

 

Quitting Safari is probably the next best thing you can do.

 

I have no evidence that any of these interfere with playback. (In 10.7 on my 2009 mini these three did. It wasn't subtle. But Lion was Apple's Vista.)

 

Not having any sort of reliably confirmed info to go on, I just turn off what Audirvana+ will turn off (which I think is 2 of 3 on your list) and wi-fi, which takes care of web browsers.

One never knows, do one? - Fats Waller

The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. - Einstein

Computer, Audirvana -> optical Ethernet to Fitlet3 -> Fibbr Alpha Optical USB -> iFi NEO iDSD DAC -> Apollon Audio 1ET400A Mini (Purifi based) -> Vandersteen 3A Signature.

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We're all savvy enough, for critical listening, to quit other applications and browsers without being told to do so, aren't we?

 

Most of this has already been covered here:

 

How to Optimize OS X Mountain Lion for Audio and Video | Audiofiles

 

It's proven safe, without messing with any more of the nebulous, unknown stuff in Terminal. Activity Monitor shows that all the other piddly backround processes that can't otherwise be force quit are using peanuts worth of RAM anyway, so you'd have to be really anal to fret about it.

 

I don't hear a difference with the Finder quit or not on my system, but in Mavericks, the Finder is "App Napp'ed" anyway, when Audirvana is playing. Make sure you disable App Nap in Audirvana "Get Info", though, or it won't behave properly, and probably iTunes, too, if you use it (which I don't). I disable the iTunes Helper app in Terminal manually, on startup.

 

I run a MacBook Pro, so one additional tip I would suggest is to set the display prefs to shut off the LCD screen one minute after starting play.

 

 

 

 

 

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We're all savvy enough, for critical listening, to quit other applications and browsers without being told to do so, aren't we?

 

Nope. In fact I started a few that are off by default, like apache2, and even started a few of my own launchd processes as well.

 

It really opens up the soundstage and gives tighter bass.

 

Then I use scary nebulous unknown stuff in the terminal. Except I use iTerm, so I can customize what appears in the title bars and tabs. And if that isn't flat-earth enough, I use zsh instead of bash, and load about 2 MB worth of shell customizations upon startup, and I have about 5 GB worth of nebulous unix software ready to be activated with a few key strokes and tab completion, and even keep the X11 server running.

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I have done a lot of work on optimizing Windows for audio over the last year and I decided to do the same for OSX. My background is more Windows based so I was lucky enough to find someone who knows a massive amount about Mac software to help me out.

 

We manufacture DACs and it is important that we can optimize our dealers and customers computers quickly and easily. One of the biggest issues I have is the perceived complexity of computer audio and anything that we can do to make it simpler and sound better is a good thing for the industry.

 

I am not a Mac expert! It would be helpful to have others take a look at what we have done and offer suggestions. I have no doubt there are additional things that can be done and maybe we have done some things that we shouldn't have!

 

If you want to make your Mac sound better I am a big believer in the first place to start is with good playback software. There are many excellent options for the Mac user and I recommend to start there. There are also many sites out there with some great ideas on other things to do to make your Mac sound better. This script has gone to extremes to stop Daemons (background processes) from starting up and running. This script will stop most applications from running that are not related to audio. So if you use your Mac for things other than audio this script is probably not for you.

 

The script was written with these personal requirements in mind:

 

· Computer used for nothing else but audio

· Be able to use iTunes

· Be able to control iTunes using an iPad and iTunes Remote

· Be able to use third party playback software such as Audirvana

· Ethernet connection for wifi

· A "return to original settings" script

 

You can view and modify the scripts by opening them in TextEdit.

 

These scripts are free and open source.

 

As you would expect the use of the script is completely at your own risk. I would strongly recommend making a backup of your Mac before using the optimization script.

 

At this point the script is only for Mountain Lion (10.8.x). Do NOT use with any other versions.

 

The CAD OSX Audio Optimization Script can be downloaded from the Computer Audio Design website here:

 

Computer Audio Design » OSX Audio Optimization

 

Scott

 

Scott, many thanks for your wonderful script.

I was trying to figure all this out on my own.

In my experience, optimizing the OS reducing the number of processes and services DOES make quite a difference in sound quality, providing the audio system is able to reveal it.

Keep doing the good work.....perhaps 10.9?

How can we keep track of your updates?

Thank you again and regards,

Juan.

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To Computer Audio Design...

Thank you for making such a script available for free to everyone interested.

 

To everyone else...

Do these changes make an audible difference - personally I don't know. I have only one suggestion - make a backup of your system and then try it - if you like the results keep them in place; if you don't revert to a backup.

 

There really doesn't need to be a debate about the audibility EVERY time someone posts something; especially when the post is about something WHICH IS FREE. If something is being sold, sure then debate the claims of the salesman, but apart from a small amount of promotion of their company they get by you visiting their website; there is nothing being gained here.

 

Eloise

Eloise

---

...in my opinion / experience...

While I agree "Everything may matter" working out what actually affects the sound is a trickier thing.

And I agree "Trust your ears" but equally don't allow them to fool you - trust them with a bit of skepticism.

keep your mind open... But mind your brain doesn't fall out.

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Nope. In fact I started a few that are off by default, like apache2, and even started a few of my own launchd processes as well.

 

It really opens up the soundstage and gives tighter bass.

 

Then I use scary nebulous unknown stuff in the terminal. Except I use iTerm, so I can customize what appears in the title bars and tabs. And if that isn't flat-earth enough, I use zsh instead of bash, and load about 2 MB worth of shell customizations upon startup, and I have about 5 GB worth of nebulous unix software ready to be activated with a few key strokes and tab completion, and even keep the X11 server running.

 

I like zsh too.

One never knows, do one? - Fats Waller

The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. - Einstein

Computer, Audirvana -> optical Ethernet to Fitlet3 -> Fibbr Alpha Optical USB -> iFi NEO iDSD DAC -> Apollon Audio 1ET400A Mini (Purifi based) -> Vandersteen 3A Signature.

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Scott, i look up to you. It's not long ago, i started my first steps with Win 8 and later on with server 2012. on of the first and best guides about the topic i read was yours.

 

and you even do it for mac -> this is amazing!!

 

i would not evem know how to change the IP adress on a Mac! :-)

 

...keep up the good work!

ıllıllı [  ...AO 4.00 BETA... ] ıllıllı
____________________________________________________________________________________

 

Shop | Reviews | Reference System | AudiophileOptimizer 3.00 | PDF Guide

 

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