New n-Stream app is here

Yeah, I hear you! I have my iTunes MP3 library set up that way, but didn't start ripping FLAC with very much sophistication - should've done a folder structured naming scheme but didn't see how with EAC or XLD at the outset... Complicated by my inexperience ripping locally first then transferring to NAS without wanting to trash folders already there. Silly, in retrospect. 

That said, the artist view should give the same hierarchy in my system as the folder view in yours: is browsing by artist not traversing the tree that you expect or see in folders view? The metadata used to manage artist view in the app should replace the literal file system view you use in Explorer...that is its principal strength, IMHO. I've only just discovered the joy of browsing by date...versatility through metadata management, lol.

Best wishes. And consider installing MinimServer on your Synology - really nice to use and on-the-fly server-side transcoding from FLAC to WAV gives a small but noticeable improvement in the sound. 

Regards, alan

@Vlad, Is it possible that you are using a different UPnP server on your synology or an software update NAS side has changed something? On the naim app if a UPnP server dishes out an image for a row then it will show it. If you do the following on the naim app:

Settings > Other settings > reset app  

and the folder images are still not there I would say your UPnP server has stopped giving them out for some reason

Ref single tap a track to play (and replace play queue). This is the behaviour of most streaming apps these days, at least it is with Spotify and iPhone built in music player. There is a strong case for trying to keep the UI consistent between apps, for example if you switch regularly between Spotify and the naim app it is good if the way you start your music playing is consistent.

On the other hand, I agree that an accidental tap on a track that trashes your carefully crafted playlist is hugely annoying. Trying to please both camps is often difficult. This could be a candidate for a new user definable settings.

Vlad,  I have something similar with my own filing system,  but unlike you (if I understand correctly),  I find it easier to browse the app by "folder" view as its shown exactly the same as I see in Win Explorer & Synology Folder view  

= Artist Name (main folder) > Album title(s) (sub folders)

Don't know why yours is different,  unless - as TJ suggests - you are not using the Synology Media Server

Graeme,  its a known problem with Synology transcoding with their Media Server.

Not sure another server fixes it - maybe less trouble to not use transcoding & just play straight FLAC or convert those albums with the gapless feature into straight WAV.  

I got fed up a while back (before DSM-5) & now have only WAV.

Graeme - confirming seamless transition on gapless play when transcoding to WAV via MinimServer. I don't transcode with Music Station (was having wifi issues on UnitiQute upstairs, so have a lower bandwidth service running also) but if you want me to double check I can see about changing settings for a test. 

Regards alan

Hi Mike, I am using the Synology Media Server app on the NAS.

I usually use folder view. So for me, choosing Music > By Folder > Pop > Joni Mitchell gives me all of my Joni albums but with generic folder icons (same icons as Music or By Folder). Choosing one of the icons gives me the tracks and the album cover. Not what n-Stream gave me.

However, Music > By Album Artist > Joni Mitchell gives me the same list but with thumbnails of the album covers instead of the generic icons. Exactly what n-Stream gave me. Most odd!

Thanks to all who replied. If I find out what's going on, I'll let you know.

Regards,

Vlad

Glad you're in on this TJ!

i agree with the complexity and potential confusion among similar apps with different behaviours. My take on the two "user modes" is that there is a play'n'go crowd, using fragile queues with abando, and a think ahead crowd, building longer lists to enjoy over the evening. A runtime option to toggle between "click to clear queuse and play" or "click to queue last" would probably satisfy everyone. Everyone who doesn't want "click to queue next", that is.... 

regards alan 

Thanks Alan but, no, don't go to the trouble. I'm quite happy with FLAC and all the palaver installing Java before installing MinimServer (and then having to install MinimWatch) puts me off a bit.

No worries Graeme. FLAC is good, for sure. My experience is that the change due to transcoding is real, but much much less than, say, moving to FLAC from MP3 In the first place.

That said, MinimServer is easier to install now in DSM than before. Java is available to install from the Package Center under Communities; you have to manually download the file (the embedded build) by following the steps and put it in the public directory (if you don't have one, create one in the main root directory first) then install like one of the default applications. MinimWatch is convenient, but you can use the web interface to MinimServer on your Synology to configure, re-scan, etc. it takes a little while, but it's not too hard and is a good way to learn how to manage things on your NAS. it is also a different (not better or worse) presentation than Music Station and some (especially with more advanced metadata tagging than me, and classical music fans in particular) find its browsing capabilities pleasing. I like having choices but mainly use MinimServer these days. Everything points at the same music library, by the way (well, except for Twonky running on my older ix2-200 which is where I back up now).

Anyway, sorry for perpetuating the thread hijacking!

Regards alan

I understand the annoyance.  But this shows how widely the user experience varies.  Thirty minutes cueing tracks???  There is no way I'd do this, unless I was hired to select music for a party hosted by the Sultan of Brunei and I was paid handsomely.  Or if it was a party celebrating my daughter's wedding.

I have found another minor issue!

The Contents links in the Rovi album details "booklet" don't work very well. Whichever "chapter" I choose to go to, I get taken to the track listing. It's a simple matter to turn the pages to find what I want, but it's not working as it should.

I find this on both iPad and iPhone versions.

Hi,

This has previously been reported and is on the list to be fixed...

Cheers

Phil

The more I use this app on iPad the less I like it.  When I waken the iPad the app (which was running) freezes and the iPad becomes unresponsive.  I can't use either the home button or the on/off power button for 4 or 5 seconds.

Then the power button kicks into gear and the iPad goes into off (not powered down) but then the power button is unresponsive for another few seconds before the iPad springs back into life and the Naim app has shut down.  This happens all too frequently.

I have the latest updated OS on the iPad.

Hi Jota,

I've not experienced this with the Naim app but have seen similar when using the iPhone Mail app and on one or two occasions Safari. For me the phone locks up for 5 seconds or so then seems to reboot, sometimes I even see the Apple logo as if the phone restarted. I tried resetting the iPhone like this and it has done it much less frequently since

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1430

Tom

Graeme, can you tell me what is the purpose of 'Clear UPnP cache'? What does it do? I am still using nStream, but have never understood why one would select that operation. 

My wife did 'update all' on her iPad and now has the new Naim app. I've spotted some of the gremlins others have mentioned here, but it looks OK. The white text and lines appear a bit garish though. I'd have preferred old Naim Audio green. I think I'll be sticking with nStream on my iPad though until it's been sorted (or until I update it by mistake). 

If you keep pressing on the menu item for 2 or 3 seconds then the link will take you to the correct section in the Rovi album info book.

I found that if I updated metadata, or album artwork, in audio files on my NAS while they were in a current playlist in n-Stream (or 4.1), when I then tried to play them again they would have disappeared from view (me confusing the app!). If I cleared the UPnP cache that sorted the problem.

Thank you. Every little bit helps!

I've not been following all the details of this thread but I am still finding new functionality on the NewApp as I use it. If you touch and hold a track in an album you can add/play just that track but if you touch and don't hold you add the whole album but play from the track you touched.

I'm looking forward to having a manual which explains how to get the best out of it and what those 'other settings' actually mean. Otherwise I'll be accidentally coming across useful features for a long time  to come. I'm frightened to touch 'Reset app'. Should I be?

(is it really called Naim app? couldn't anyone think of a natty name? What about simply NaimStream?).