Using EKIO with an AV Receiver via HDMI

The HDMI output from a personal computer can be used as an 8-channel LPCM 24bits - 192 kHz digital output. It can be connected to your existing AVR that will serve as a multi channel DAC and amplifier. This tutorial describes how to make EKIO filter the sound comming from Windows applications, and send the result to an AVR via the HDMI output.

Before you start, check that the driver of your HDMI port is installed and that it works properly. Your AVR must be connected to your laptop with a HDMI cable. Audio processing should be disabled on the receiver.

The following procedure needs to be performed only once because all the settings will be kept for future use.

1. Start by installing the following software:
   • ASIO4ALL
   • VB-Audio Hi-Fi Cable
   • EKIO
2. Choose a samplerate that you will use troughout the configuration. In this example, we will use 48000 Hz everywhere.

3. In the Windows Sound Manager, set Hi-Fi Cable Input as the default Playback device.

   

   Click on Configure. Then choose the number of inputs that you need: stereo or multichannel. We choose Stereo.

   

   Click on Next. Define all speakers as full range. Click on Next and Terminate.

   

4. In the Windows Sound Manager, select HifiCable Input and click on Properties. Go to the Advanced tab and select the following format : 24 bit, 48000 Hz (use the samplerate that you chose at step 2).

   

5. Do the same for the HDMI output. Select HDMI Output and click on Properties. Go to the Advanced tab and select the following format : 24 bit, 48000 Hz (use the samplerate that you chose at step 2).

   
6. Now, you can run EKIO and create a new config by clicking the File/New menu.

7. In the "Settings" tab, select the sampling rate that you chose at step 2. Then select the ASIO4ALL driver.

   
8. Open the ASIO4ALL configuration window by clicking its icon in the system tray ( ). Click the spanner located in the lower right of the window to activate the "Advanced Options."

9. Select the VB-Audio Hi-Fi Cable inputs and the HDMI output. When you select a line, select its header too or it won't be taken into account. Uncheck all of the other lines.

   

   For the changes to take effect, you must restart the ASIO4ALL driver. For doing this, go to the Settings tab and select the driver None.

   

   Then select ASIO4ALL again.

   

   The changes are now applied.

10. Within EKIO, go to the Inputs/Outputs tab. Create, for example, two inputs and two outputs and connect them together in the Routing tab.

    In the Inputs/Outputs tab, select the input channels "VB-Hi-Fi Audio Cable 1" and "VB-Audio Hi-Fi Cable 2". Select output channels 1 and 2.

    

11. Now, you can start audio processing by clicking on the playback button. Save the config on a disk if you want to load it again later.