MinimServer

*retired hurt*

Installed everything but minimwatch is all greyed out and can't see minimserver.

Bah!

My brother is helping me instal Minimserver on a Raspberry Pie in order to stream BBC Radio AAC embedded in HLS.

Keith

He really struggled with Minimwatch, particularly when it put hidden files in his laptop's registries. It's working now, but still not playing the BBC streams - apparently he has to manually install and configure ffmpeg.

I'm keeping the uServe.

Keith

Make sure in the Minimserver settings that it's pointed to the right folder(s) on the nas.  I don't THINK there are any settings just for Minimwatch but I'm not home so memory may be wrong. 

If so . . . reboot everything and try again.

Nick - I found that the icon on the desktop doesn't seem to do anything. But if you look in the tray bar at the bottom right of the screen (where the wifi and battery logos are) you will see a little green logo, which is what you use to make changes. It took me a while to work it out - the instructions said look in the tray, which I didn't realise was the name for the bar at the bottom. I learned a lot in the hour it took me - it's said that learning something new every day keeps you young!

I found the tray all right, but all but the last three lines were greyed out.

Googling it suggested all sorts of issues (firewall being one) which I'm not up to sorting out this evening. It's a weekend sort of task.

At this rate I shall regress to childhood by the time I've sorted it out. Actually, come to think of it, maybe I should just set my 13 year old onto it tomorrow evening...

Hi HH,  I've got both installed & prefer Synology Media Serve.

I only use .wav so do not have the issues allegedly associated with transcoding such as gapless & those annoying file extensions that & know Synology have.

I do find Synology easier to configure & manage the browsing options, MinimServer is a bit IT'ish. 

I have MS set to enhanced art & as a result do not see any difference in quality between them,  besides which I do prefer not seeing art until I get to the album.  That said MinimServer has better art views.

I cannot hear any difference between them during the various times I have swapped around, but was not listening for a change, but it did not stand out.  I will give it a test over the weekend & get back to you.     

The incorrect version of Java installed can mess with Minimwatch. I have had this issue before after a Java update. 

This morning I've tried numbers of tracks @ various resolutions 16/44, 24/48, 24/96, 24/192 all .wav & DSD(64) and I don't hear any difference between the native Synology Media Serve & MinimServer.

I read on other forums that there are differences but all that I've read are transcoding .flac to .wav;  so based only on forum chat, it seems most likely that any SQ changes there are is because Synology transcoding is loosing something compared to MinimServer.

For me the Synology native Media Serve gets my vote, despite that MinimServer has more art – which I prefer not to have - & yes its noticeably faster with opening & browsing

Media Serve works perfectly with .wav (no transcoding), gap-less & no annoying file extensions.

Plus I find Synology easier to access & configure using the General & Browsing format settings & prefer the browsing format in the DMA Advanced Style.  

I am no IT wizard but have found MS to be a great piece of software. I currently have it installed on our iMac where it is being used to access our external WD hard drive and AIFF and Flac music collection. Initially I thought it would only work if you had a NAS, but as it happens (from reading on the MS site) this is not so and you can use it to access any external hard drive as long as you install the software on your PC rather than on the HDD. I then use the Naim app on the iPad to navigate through the collection and choose what I want play etc. So far I have found the process very smooth with only having to roboot the iMac, iPad and Qute2 before they could all see each other (so to speak) 

I am also a fan of Minim, and although by no means really computer literate, have just about managed to get it set up on my Synology, albeit with a few hiccups along the way (e.g. had a moment last week to do with a java update that cost a few nerves....). Sad as it sounds, I am almost proud of myself for being able to cope with it, even though the instructions basically spoon feed you.......I do like the way you can take more control over the way albums/ artists are displayed (e.g. ignoring "The" in band titles, etc.) and it seems to be very stable. Every now and then I forget to rescan the collection once I have added another rip, but the rescan using Minim watch on the mac is also quick and painless. I couldn't say whether or not it sounds better or not than Synology's own music server, but will try a comparison.

Hi there

I've been using Minim Server on the DS214 Play for about six months now. I went with the Synology software at first as to be honest I found Minim hard to understand. Eventually with a bit of guidance from here I got it working just my just my iMac to rescan and update when required. The main reason I wanted to use Minim was to transcode flac to wav, which works perfectly and I'm very happy.

If you read the supplied info, Minim is clearly very powerful, and will do lots, but its not that approachable. That said I've got enough going to be fully working and happy, display via the Naim App, control and sound etc

One thing I do notice is sometimes if you update the Synology software, Minim may stop running, so you need to start it again using the control panel once logged into your device.

Simon

Thank you so much. The fact that The Smiths are shown under T has irked me ever since I starting streaming with a UnitiServe. Now, thanks to your post, they are restored to S! And The The are now showing as The, The. My wife thought their albums might disappear entirely......

Minim is somewhat impenetrable, but once mastered is miles better than the Synolgy server. I'm sure Asset is great too, but of course it doesn't work with Synology. 

+1 For Minimserver from me too, allowed me to transode on the fly high res flac to wav and  play them gaplessly which I couldn't get the Synology software to do.

Is there a good how to page for minim server or is it more of learn as you go? I had it I stalled on my Mac mini but uninstalled it and stayed with Twonkey. It seems like Twonkey had more options of looking at my files in different ways.

Hi HH,

I suppose The is technically correct. Alternatively, you could change the Artist to The The The

Keith

There is an on line user guide. It needs a clear head and lots of tea, but the basics are easy, once the right Java is installed, on both the NAS and the PC. 

As the developer says, the software is very powerful, but very simple in use. 

Ah, but then it would show as The The, The, which would be silly!

My next challenge is working out why I now can't play songs on the Roberts Internet radio which lives in the kitchen. It worked fine with the Naim and Synology servers, but now I can see all the albums, but when I select one is just says <EMPTY>. Aargh......... According to the Minim blurb, it's compatible with Roberts, and as upnp is standardised, it should work.

Hi HH, glad to have helped in some way! Your solution seems slightly different to mine; I have band names displayed including "The", but "The" is only ignored for sorting purposes. e.g. I have "The The", shown just like that, without comma, but listed between Thad Jones and Thelma Houston in the artist view. I guess this shows the flexibility of Minim - you seem to be able to customise the view any way you like. Just as long as Matt Johnson doesn't disappear....

BTW, I have a Roberts istream in the kitchen; just checked to see if I have the same problem as you.....and I do. I only see <EMPTY> in the folders which contain FLAC files on the NAS, but have a couple of album folders in mp3 only. These are visible and play as normal. I only really use the Roberts for internet radio/ connecting the ipod, so hadn't ever noticed. Possibly something to do with transcoding (I have Minim transcoding to WAV), as the Roberts user manual implies FLAC is supported for UPnP.....

When I was using the Synology media server it was transcoding to WAV and the Roberts played the songs happily. I've asked on the Minim forum what to do. If all else fails, I suppose I could reinstall Media server and use it for the Roberts. 

The 'The' option can be configured as I have it, with The showing at the end, or as you have it, with The left at the beginning but ignored for sorting purposes. I wasn't sure which to go for, so made an arbitrary decision. 

I've reinstalled minimserver to my Mac mini. Is there an easy way to get album art to show while scrolling the files?

It may be different on a mini, but all the album covers showed straight away via the Naim app, without the need to tweak anything.

the art shows with the Naim app but I was hoping it would show while scrolling the files. I guess it really doesn't need to do that but would be cool to see the art. that may be sonething I have to manually do to see the art.

What do you mean by scrolling the files? What are you using for that?