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1 minute ago, BioBrian said:

Like this?

457073392_SnOillibsnip.thumb.JPG.d48fc89b6d1c3004de059f440f616d48.JPG

 

I'm guessing that, as I have a single 8GB RAM stick, the 7000G should be either 7000M or 7G?

 

Maybe the whole library is in RAM all the time, hence the instant playback? (Its primary storage is the same SSD that the OS is on, inside the server computer).

 

BTW, I've tried ticking the Minimserver box under 'Music Player', and it won't do anything. Stuck between versions??

 

Tried putting the downloaded file into the magic box under 'System', but the file type is not accepted. Zipped, nor unzipped.

 

When reading the Minimserver instructions it says a Linux  computer needs Java 8, and so it goes on...

 

Going blind here. Need some fresh air. Maybe mpd will do after all, bless its cotton socks.

I can't get MPD working but I am really happy with LMS especially given there are a few other versions to choose from. Agent Kith will have a look at it for me at some stage.

 

I have a SSD and found that the SQ is better than playing from my NAS so in my case I am considering upgrading the SSD to a much larger size.

 

If you can try LMS using RAM I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how good it sounds.

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8 minutes ago, PKay said:

If you can try LMS using RAM I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how good it sounds.

But will is sound better than what I have working? From my posts above, you might glean that I'm a bit reluctant to poke the bear unless for a good reason.

 

In this case, my reading of the MinimServer info indicates something great to look forward to - a system that will treat Beethoven's 5th Piano Concerto as something other than a 'song' on an 'album', etc.

 

WRT it costing 28 GB Pounds, that's really only a couple of bottles of wine for all their work (times the number of users of course), so I'm OK with that, if it works as promised.

 

I just need to get it working - installed on Linux Snakeoil computer, and run from Windows computer, via ethernet / the router. (MinimWatch, or not? Etc etc.)

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1 hour ago, BioBrian said:

Like this?

I'm guessing that, as I have a single 8GB RAM stick, the 7000G should be either 7000M or 7G?

In Browse tab on SnakeOil, select music or folder to add to Ram

image.png.ccd318a36c2c75a81b9dbaae3b022adc.png

Not sure what you are using, but you may need to add " media/music/ram"  to your players library. Refresh music player's library if required.

 

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47 minutes ago, BioBrian said:

I just need to get it working - installed on Linux Snakeoil computer, and run from Windows computer, via ethernet / the router. (MinimWatch, or not? Etc etc.)

Minimwatch should be installed on Windows computer to manage MinimServer.

 

I have logged a ticket with Agent Kith to check MinimServer and whether the version change has caused the problem on SnakeOil

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16 minutes ago, PKay said:

I am on Ubuntu 16.04.7.  Do you know what is the easiest way to update?

There is an update button in System tab. It works for some people. If that fails, there is a manual process (which you will have to use Putty to access system and run some commands).  Note that there is no problem running 16.

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39 minutes ago, Snoopy8 said:

There is an update button in System tab. It works for some people. If that fails, there is a manual process (which you will have to use Putty to access system and run some commands).  Note that there is no problem running 16.

I did try - perhaps that's it for the 32 bit version.

 

Edited by PKay
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Just confirming that I found the Update button in the System tab too, and it worked.

 

Also some great news - I got JRiver 24 to work again, after remembering the PW, and all the planets aligning while I held my breath. Very amazed.

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Just now, BioBrian said:

Just confirming that I found the Update button in the System tab too, and it worked.

 

Also some great news - I got JRiver 24 to work again, after remembering the PW, and all the planets aligning while I held my breath. Very amazed.

How does JRiver sound compared to LMS and MPD?

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1 hour ago, PKay said:

How does JRiver sound compared to LMS and MPD?

Can't help you with that one yet - the server is in a room 200m away; I got a 'surprised' phone call from the person in the next room! Will check later.

 

Haven't tried LMS, ever.

 

But in my search from info back in 2016, I did come across a note which said JRiver was very much better than mpd (probably v.17 at the time).

 

Edit:     And of course this has been confirmed many times since.

 

My only gripe with JRiver now is that they keep asking for more money to get the latest version, and the new features added in are generally of no interest to me. I'm of the "less is more" school.

Edited by BioBrian
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2 hours ago, PKay said:

How does JRiver sound

Wow, I'm a bit excited - this is what I've been missing for a year or so - it's back to what I used to enjoy, but a couple of notches better than ever.

 

I do have some awesome Luxman 'separates' and my new big subs that weren't there before, but even so, compared with this afternoon on mpd, this is a revelation.

 

mpd sounds relatively 2D (flat) and cool, JR24 suddenly brings warmth and depth. I have some female vocal with piano accompaniment that's been sounding quite distant and thin - suddenly that grand piano is in the room, I can feel the weight of the bottom strings, and hear the keys bedding down in the 'action', all the harmonics and shaking air hovering just like the real thing (I lived with a pianist for 20 years, and have heard some of the greatest at close hand, from my seat in various orchestras). I'd been wondering if I was going deaf, or my speakers were a failure after all, but this has turned it all around, and the world's rosy again.

 

And JRiver has a whole swag of refinements that I've been missing, like a time bar, where you can jump to any point in a track, soft stops (gets quieter over a few seconds instead of instant death), notification of bit depth, ability to edit info, etc, etc.

 

So, will MinimServer continue the upward trend? I'll keep pushing, I suppose.

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That is great to hear. I found similar improvements going to Snakeoil OS and would highly recommend it for anyone who has some time to invest in implementing Snakeoil in order to hear how much an operating system can affect sound quality.

 

I have a licence for Jriver 24 windows only, so I'm not sure if it can be upgraded to include Linux or I need to go to 27.

Edited by PKay
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17 minutes ago, BioBrian said:

mpd sounds relatively 2D (flat) and cool, JR24 suddenly brings warmth and depth.

Agent Kith likes LMS.  It is closer to JR24 than MPD and you should give LMS a go (and it is free!).

https://www.snakeoil-os.net/wiki/Players/LMS-Squeezelite

21 minutes ago, BioBrian said:

So, will MinimServer continue the upward trend? I'll keep pushing, I suppose.

MinimServer is the UPnP server.  You will need a UPnP renderer and the one that I use, upmpdcli is not the sound that you like!  If you like LMS, you can use the UPnP Bridge plugin to make it a renderer.  Yes, it gets a bit complicated, but let me know when you reach this stage.

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10 hours ago, Snoopy8 said:

MinimServer is the UPnP server.  You will need a UPnP renderer and the one that I use, upmpdcli is not the sound that you like!  If you like LMS, you can use the UPnP Bridge plugin to make it a renderer.  Yes, it gets a bit complicated, but let me know when you reach this stage.

@BioBrian  thinking further, MinimServer will not work for you, unless you have 2 boxes.  SnakeOil can only run 1 server at a time and both MinimServer and LMS (with UPnP plugin) need to be running.  Hence, 1 box to run MinimServer and 2nd box to run LMS/Squeezlite.  

 

Given that you do not like the sound of  Mpd (and hence upmpdcli),  I think MinimServer is a no go for you...? 

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10 hours ago, Snoopy8 said:

upmpdcli is not the sound that you like

I've been wondering about this! Looking closer, I see the letters mpd in there, as you pointed out early on - I'd previously seen the 1st 4 letters as upnp, which is quite a different thing.

 

I also thought that my gushing review might have given the wrong impression, having contained words like 'rosy' and 'warmth'. What I like is real - as in the sound of actual acoustic instruments heard live in the same room, not as in valve-like glow, or some other distortion. My feeling is that mpd, in my present setup, takes away some of that reality - filters a bit of life out of it.

 

I do have 2 boxes - they look the same, both being Streacom FC8 fanless DC-input mITX computers, but the "server" is Linux and the "control" one is Win 10. (I don't use WiFi, or a phone to control anything).

 

I imagined MinimServer to be on the server (library, OS, and player) like JRiver, and MimimWatch to be on the control computer, like VNC, which I use to access JRiver.

 

Are you saying I need MinimServer on server and LMS/Squeeze on control computer? Or 2 Linux computers? I get a bit lost in the terminology.

 

Whatever. I am really thrilled that Snakeoil OS can provide us with such high quality music, and a variety of experiences according to each operator's desires and skills.

 

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23 minutes ago, BioBrian said:

I do have 2 boxes - they look the same, both being Streacom FC8 fanless DC-input mITX computers, but the "server" is Linux and the "control" one is Win 10. (I don't use WiFi, or a phone to control anything).

 

I imagined MinimServer to be on the server (library, OS, and player) like JRiver, and MimimWatch to be on the control computer, like VNC, which I use to access JRiver.

 

Are you saying I need MinimServer on server and LMS/Squeeze on control computer? Or 2 Linux computers? I get a bit lost in the terminology.

Good you have 2 boxes. You can run MinimServer on Win10, with Minimwatch to configure it, and LMS/Squeezelite on SnakeOil.

 

But that is step 2 for you.  Try LMS first and see whether you prefer that to JRiver.  If so, then you may wish to try MinimServer with LMS. If not, then stay with JRiver and enjoy the music.

 

Your impressions of Mpd are quite common. For me, LMS sounds fuzzy, Mpd is more realistic.  I prefer clarity and focussed on reducing smearing of instruments. Mpd can make the music too clinical and stressful in some setups but it does not show up in mine. I get a wonderful piano note with nice decay with my test track.  It comes down to individual preference...

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On 22/09/2020 at 8:47 PM, BioBrian said:

Oh, great that @Snoopy8's onto it. Hope I can learn some more from this thread...

 

I've found the 'play from RAM' button in Daphile makes a huge difference in cleanliness and space.

 

I'm getting a JCat XE USB card, hopefully in this latest batch, so think I'll swap back to SOOS while the lid's off.

Snakeoil deserves better than that?!

Hi Bio,

 

just about to put an order in for the XE.   How was the process and dealings with JCat?

 

Regards Cazzesman

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3 hours ago, cazzesman said:

How was the process and dealings with JCat?

Hi Cazzo!

 

Marcin prides himself on quick replies, from his website comment. In my case, I got no confirmation of payment, as is usual for an online purchase, and after I messaged him he apologized for the couple of days' delay. But considering he was under enormous international pressure to get these cards posted out, I can only applaud his dedication.

 

He is very to-the-point in communication, as you'll no doubt gather from his forum replies.

 

I've been given no cause for concern. His reply was comprehensive, and I now know that my package has moved from Wroclaw to Koeln in the last day - what fun can be had tracking!

 

Spending this much on a USB card nobody's heard is an act of faith for anybody - "We'll let you know" I guess! (@Chanh has one, but I haven't heard a squeak from over there).

 

Cheers.

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As you are the guinea pig I might await your review.    I have a Keces P8 arriving next week to power my CAPS, so I will let that bed down first and then see what's what.

 

What PC build are you putting the XE into?   Hardware/Software?

 

Regards Cazzesman 

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I've heard very good things about the Keces P8, and seen it - lovely piece of work. (Blue light too bright the only negative).

 

31 minutes ago, cazzesman said:

What PC build are you putting the XE into?   Hardware/Software?

 

The XE (I do like a good pun) is going into my "S8" Idealish Server. S8 stands for "Silver Streacom Shaar Snakeoil Server Started September '16".

 

It has 3 independent DC power supplies: 12V to Pico, and 5V to each of SSD and USB card. Solid silver in Teflon DC wiring, Tasso-mods to Pico, etc.

 

There's been a few refinements since this:

 

1975007394_S8earlyon.jpg.8b0dde2631cce5e3875b76aa88a46463.jpg

 

As in the thread above, it's mostly been running Snakeoil, with JRiver Linux as player.

 

Controlled via VNC/network from "Jack" (I needed an optical drive for ripping), which is almost the same computer as above, but running Win 10.

 

 

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Blue light = Black tape ?

 

I'm getting the single 12v 8amp version.  It comes with the 5vlt 1amp usb output so I will have to see what I can do with that.  The XE card runs of 5v 1amp so that might be the go.

 

Your rig looks good.

 

Look forward to reviews.    What USB card are you currently running?

 

Regards Cazzesman

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11 minutes ago, cazzesman said:

What USB card are you currently running?

It's the blue one in my pic. "Shaar" might be just visible in the photo? Made my Clones in Hong Kong. I think, no longer available. @Tasso liked it.

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