Alternative Remote Control

I am very upset that the latest dCS generation is not equipped with a remote control (having a good preamp on board). Even my old Debussy had a remote control included. Perhaps there is a cheaper alternative so that can control the volume using remote, not from Mosaic?

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The latest dCS generation is equipped with an IR remote control. It just does not come as a standard accessory with all models , no doubt to keep the purchase price down and because the free Mosaic control offers an alternative.

The remote is included with the Vivaldi DAC for example. However I believe that you are a Bartok user for which the specification says :

" dCS Universal IR remote control is available as an optional extra."

Yes, but the dCS remote for Bartok costs 1/10 of its price :slight_smile:
Despite the fact that Bartok is a replacement for Debussy, Debussy had the privileges of having a remote control in the box.
My question was that there may be an available alternative, for example, the Apple Remote, which can control the volume level in Bartok.

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Universal remotes at their most complex are basically configured to serve home theatre systems. There is no facility to enter codes for e.g. filter, reverse phase, even the range of inputs that a dCS component has. They will certainly not offer pre-programmed options for dCS.

However there will be a volume control. You will need to programme this and can only do this using an existing dCS remote as the code donor. If you have access to one then even a cheap universal remote from a supermarket will suffice so long as volume control is your only objective.

The Philips Pronto can be programmed to serve all of the dCS IR control selections but this is a pain to do requiring details of the codes and a computer. In any case its cost is roughly in the same bracket as the dCS remote.

I do not know if some of the codes that dCS currently use are the same as the previous generation. If the volume code has not changed and you have the old Debussy remote maybe that can be the donor.

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See, this is why I got the Vivaldi. The remote was only 1/60 the cost. :wink:

In all seriousness, you can “teach” an Apple IR Remote the volume codes in a roundabout way using pre-4K AppleTV with optical out [or a 4K one with a Toslink audio extractor unit], but this is really hit or miss. I have a NEEO universal remote system for the video part of my living room, and I love it. The NEEO library contains remote codes for a number of dCS models, including Vivaldi, Scarlatti, Paganini, Puccini, and Debussy. I don’t see Bartok or Rossini in there, but my guess is the codes are not likely different [though I realize they could be].

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The Logitech Harmony remotes also support dCS DACs. I haven’t tried it myself so not sure how rich the feature set is, but it would certainly include volume.

The advantage of these is that you just download the profile to the remote and don’t need to do any manual programming.

Unfortunately NEEO seems no longer to be available. They were taken over by Control4 who discontinued the product ( so the internet tells me).

As for the Logitech Harmony and pre-installed dCS codes the viability of these may depend upon the generations of dCS DACs supported. I have checked the Logitech Harmony device compatibility database and support does not extend beyond the Scarlatti generation.

From Remote control I need Volume level control and playback control (ATC’s SCA2 remote does it for Bartok).
Using Mosaic it’s impossible to do this promptly. The rest of the settings I can perform through Mosaic leisurely.

Thanks to all for the tips!

Just a tiny extra tip. If you do need to use Mosaic to adjust volume then use the full screen album view. The volume slider seems easier to use in that view though I agree it is fiddly. Someone was asking for + and - buttons instead for a future revision.

NB: The SCA2 remote uses Philips type codes but although pretty standard there are variations so that multiple devices in a single system do not all respond to the same command. I have an ATC SCA2 remote here and it will not adjust volume on my Vivaldi.

It was me possible ))
Although no, I asked to activate tablet/phone physical buttons for volume control. But + - soft buttons in Mosaic it would be convenient, as an addition, but not as replacement for the VC slider.
I also asked to add “disable screen off” feature, as it is implemented in ROON. Or add playback controls on lockscreen.

My SCA2 controls Bartok’s pause, stop, standby, next track and search using buttons on CD section.

Unfortunately true. I hadn’t even been aware of that, which in this case is a testament to just how good the product is. In their early crowdfunding and launch days, there were a lot of software hiccups, but they seemed to get all those ironed out. The hardware is/was superb with an Apple-esque quality to it. I’ve been using universal remotes since the Core in the 80s, and I’ve been a beta tester for Logitech. Ironically, the one thing Control4 preserved—the remote—is the one thing I don’t use. It’s just as nice as they make it out to be at the website, and it is quite elegant, fitting in well with a sophisticated and modern system, but NEEO software on the iPhone is so good, I never have to pick up the remote. And because of Roon and Mosaic, keeping everything accessible on the iPhone makes for a very convenient experience (the Townshend Reference is upsetting that elegance a bit, but I’m working on it).

Interestingly, the app is still available in the App Store. After getting everything reconfigured on the HT system after acquiring my dCS components, I downloaded it to my wife’s phone and set it up for full system control for her in about 5 minutes. It’s a shame that Control4 (and the NEEO developers) walked away from all that.

Finally, FWIW, I’ll also put in a plug for SevenHugs. It’s a dumb name, but it’s an excellent universal remote. I definitely prefer it to the Logitech line. I’ve not set it up for my living room, but I will try to do so today and see how it interacts with the Vivaldi and the audio stack.

I use a Logitech harmony with a vivaldi stack. Works fine. I am pretty sure codes are all the same for all dCS models. There is a list of ir-codes on the dCS site somewhere.
I also use an old philips pronto. That’s my favorite but it’s out of production. With the pronto software you can manually type in the code-numbers so you can add some things that are even not on the original dCS remote.

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As is clear from the other responses, you sould be able to use an alternative remote to control basic functions. When I was about to purchase my Puccini player I decided that: (a) I did not like the dCS remote that came with it at all, and (b) wanted to save the approx. 250 GBP that it cost. So I got the player without the remote control, and then bought a Philips Prestigo universal remote (70 GBP). I “trained” it with the appropriate control codes with a dCS remote borrowed for the weekend from my dealer.

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Does anyone know a 5 digit remote code for a One for All universal remote? I’d like to use this to control volume of my Rossini :slight_smile:

Now we all understand why the dCS units are so ridiculously cheap! :thinking:

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I am also using a Logitech Harmony 950 to control my Rossini (and the rest of my system). I programmed certain sequences to make functions available that consist of several commands (i.e. getting to the settings screen on the Rossini). Works perfectly

I have also been using a Harmony Remote on the Vivaldi stack and prior to that a Puccini Player in addition to the dCS remotes and now the Mosaic app. The Harmony remotes are very reactive, particularly for changing volume and work better for long distances and when there is not a clear line of sight to the Vivaldi.

Unfortunately the Harmony software for MacOS does not work with MacOS Catalina. They are not planning to update and rumors are that Logitech is abandoning Harmony altogether :frowning:

I am on a hunt for a dCS remote , so i anyone got a spare plastic veraion for 2:nd gen dCS products you can PM me would be great :+1:

Can you give me some details on how you program the 950 to control the Rossini? Thx.