iTunes and Hi-Res files
Posted by: Roman Kozyrev on 19 January 2013
Hi all!
Have a question. Planning to set up my NAS including iTunes server to feed my SU. Original plan was to put on iTunes library onto NAS. Library includes ALAC (16/44) files along with AAC. Most of the pop music in compressed format while jazz and classic are lossless. Now I started to feed my library with hi-res files from different sources. All works well with SU and I'm going to continue to populate my library with hires files and replace most favorable music with hires ones. The problem is that hires files are not synced to iPod / iPhone ... I don't want to sync music to mobile devices on compress format and lose the SQ. I thought that I shall keep hires files separately on NAS and have a copy of them in iTunes lib as ALAC. This solves the problem with mobile devices syncing but what will happen when I will browse my library through n-stream via uPnP? Will it leads to dubs? Hires and iTunes ALAC titles?
NAS is synology DS 412+ and all the rest is Mac OSX based system. Thanks in advance
Posted on: 19 January 2013 by PinkHamster
iTunes as a upnp server? Are you sure ths will work?
To answer your question, just keep your highres files in a different folder on the NAS which is located outside the library that is specifed in your server (be it iTunes or something else).
Posted on: 19 January 2013 by Roman Kozyrev
Thanks,
Naturally iTunes is not uPnP Synology nas comes with Twonky as uPnP. My question based on fact that when I installed some free uPnP software on my Mac which runs my iTunes lib and have external hard drive with hires files in flac, I have got a mess when browsing music through n-stream. All items that were both in iTunes and were in hires shows all together with no possibility to distinguish one from each other. May be that was due to crap cheap uPnP.... hope that Twonky will not treat in this way....
Posted on: 19 January 2013 by mutterback
I would avoid iTunes if you are getting an SU.Use the Naim streaming functionality - managing remote itunes libraries is a real pain, as you've experienced, and doesn't work with FLAC.
Even with itunes compatible file formats, you'll end up with 2 sets of files, 1 on the NAS and 1 in the iTunes library. Get a decent NAS - there's some good reviews here and on computer audiofile. Personally, I use and really like the VortexBox, which works great as an NAS, UPnP server and a CD ripper.
Posted on: 21 January 2013 by Roman Kozyrev
Thanks for opinion. I'm not able to avoid itunes as first i found it fully OK in my MAC OSX environment and I have to sync several iOS devices with it. It also works nicely as home sharing. I can easily convert FLAC to ALAC by XLD and itunes works fine with hires ALAC files. The problems comes in fact that iOS devices cannot sync hires res files. My original plan was to keep in iTunes library only lossless files 16/44 as maximum and keep hi res in separate directory. When I modelled this with some free upnp server for MAC osx I found that n-stream put all media available into one list by artists and that leads to double items in a list. Actually my question was - will it happen so with any upnp media serever or was it due to low complexity of free upnp server?
Posted on: 21 January 2013 by james n
The UPnP server will just serve up what is in the library so if you have two versions of a track then you will get two versions available to your control point. I'd need to check but i think in Playback there is an option to ignore 'checked' content which could be a way of doing this. I'll have a look later when i get home.
James
Posted on: 21 January 2013 by james n
Just checked - there is an option to play checked songs only so that gives you a useful option for mixed res libraries with duplicates.
Posted on: 21 January 2013 by Roman Kozyrev
James, thanks a lot. This info may encourage me to go this way!
Posted on: 21 January 2013 by Roman Kozyrev
Tried and had bought Playback. Easy to use uPnP server that fully respond my needs. For hd tracks I made a separate folder Nasir serves it as a separate one in n-stream. No mess in iTunes lib anymore and all my goals reached. I have to rethink the whole architecture of planned system but it makes it easier to use and I avoid a lot of useless functions of Synology NAS. Now I can still keep my system wholly on mac osx and enjoy the full streaming functions of SU!
Posted on: 21 January 2013 by Roman Kozyrev
Nasir = uPnP
