MinimServer
Posted by: hungryhalibut on 19 March 2015
Now, I'm a bit hopeless when it comes to IT, Asset won't work on Synology, and the installation process for Minim looked quite complicated. But after an hour of head scratching and tea drinking, Minim is installed.
What a difference! A lovely simple structure that makes finding albums really easy, no silly .flac extensions, no juddering, and much better album art. It's much faster in use and I'm convinced it sounds better, which I hope is not self delusion.
So, I'd say to anyone using a Synology NAS that they should give Minim a go. I would be interested to hear what others think of its functionality as well as its comparative sound quality against Synology's own server. Can the upnp software really make a sonic difference? Whether it does or not, it's a jolly sight better to use.
Absolutely! Transcoding is what he needs.
I'm a bit snookered at the moment, as since swapping routers and IP addresses, Minimwatch can't see Minimserver. It's all very odd, as I can get into the NAS from the same laptop that runs minimwatch. I can rescan by going into Minimserver on the NAS, but I cannot do it from minimwatch as it is greyed out.
HH - possibly a windows firewall or network problem following on from the reconfig of router & ip addresses.
This thread http://forum.minimserver.com/showthread.php?tid=876
from the minimserver forum may be helpful.
Dr. HH. The US should show up in the next couple of days. I fired up DBpa and attempted to convert a US ripped WAV to FLAC last night but it failed. Puzzled about that. I'll do a test batch when the US returns. However, the longevity of this saga has me strongly considering the following.
SONOS Connect-W4S Mod/NDAC
SONOS Connect-W4S Mod/NDX (using plain Connect in this configuration now sounds great)
SONOS Connect-W4S Mod/2Qute or Hugo models
Wat's solution. MacMini/Hugo models and SONOS Connect for my Deezer account
Return to Naim CD player
Thanks for the help from all.
M
That is very odd - I use dBpoweramp to convert the Naim ripped WAV files to flac and it was all fine. Maybe you are doing something wrong - not sure how you could be as it is all very intuitive.
If it were me, I'd just sell the Serve and continue with the QNAP and NDX.
That is very odd - I use dBpoweramp to convert the Naim ripped WAV files to flac and it was all fine. Maybe you are doing something wrong - not sure how you could be as it is all very intuitive.
If it were me, I'd just sell the Serve and continue with the QNAP and NDX.
Yep, very intuitive. Just pick and click convert but repeated attempts failed via batch convert.
I tried with on album then two. Neither worked.
So I have the US back. In transcode set flac to true?
With DB I converted one album to FLAC but I'm apparently left with two copies of each song...WAV and FLAC??
Once done, set minim to convert to WAV for best sound quality.
Thanks Dr Hungryhalibut.
I assume you mean that mackb3 should set minim to transcode the flac files on the fly rather than convert them.
To do this he should use minimwatch Properties>System>stream.transcode and type "flac:wav" or "flac:wav24" (the 2nd option will transcode from flac to 24bit wav).
I don't see... stream.transcode under properties>system...
Oh...I need MinimStreamer add in...
Done
Won't play the WAV to FLAC converted album in transcode. Sticking with UnitiServe and keep messing with MinimServer. Maybe over time it will be worth switching.
Won't play the WAV to FLAC converted album in transcode. Sticking with UnitiServe and keep messing with MinimServer. Maybe over time it will be worth switching.
Sorry...FLAC to WAV in transcode mode.
Apparently keeping this thread going on my own. Interestingly, The CD that I ripped with the US in FLAC finally decided to play via the US/NDX I think in transcode mode. However, I had to very painfully manually enter the album and each track in n-serve several times as the metadata didn't want to take. So the CD ripped is from Merlefest The Waybacks & Friends Hill Side Album Hour (more on this in a minute) which is generally not going to be in a database. I ripped with XLD, DBpoweramp to NAS and UnitiServe to NAS all of which could not pull the meta data. Ripped in iTunes and bingo all was there. If Apple doesn't pull their usual dumb move and goes full 44.1/16 for streaming and allow lower cost downloads the other services may have difficulty making it. All depends on pricing I suppose.
Merlefest is the biggest Bluegrass/Americana festival on the planet in which the Waybacks have performed I think eight Hillside stage (one of the 13 stages) Album hour which they play an entire classic album. From the Beatles to Bruce Springsteen. I recommend visiting their website and ordering the CD's. Jimi Hendrix Are You Experienced, Aerosmith are not listed I assume due to legal issues and this years Bruce Springsteen Born in The USA since it just occurred are not on the website. I've been to all of them except this year. Check them out.
Link... http://www.waybacks.com/music/
M
Dear all,
I just discovered that using minimserver one can not only transcode can do flac:wav or flac:wav24, but also can change the bitrate such as redbook cd flac at 44.1 can be transcoded to 192 by doing flac:wav24;192. To my ears, the separation of instruments have increased by just a tad bit. But what is the actual difference? Or is it just generating lots of useless 0 just to fill up the 'missing' data? Thanks!
Dear all,
I just discovered that using minimserver one can not only transcode can do flac:wav or flac:wav24, but also can change the bitrate such as redbook cd flac at 44.1 can be transcoded to 192 by doing flac:wav24;192. To my ears, the separation of instruments have increased by just a tad bit. But what is the actual difference? Or is it just generating lots of useless 0 just to fill up the 'missing' data? Thanks!
Its my understanding that's exactly what it does. but don't worry about it if you prefer the sound then go with it. trust your ears
Dear all,
I just discovered that using minimserver one can not only transcode can do flac:wav or flac:wav24, but also can change the bitrate such as redbook cd flac at 44.1 can be transcoded to 192 by doing flac:wav24;192. To my ears, the separation of instruments have increased by just a tad bit. But what is the actual difference? Or is it just generating lots of useless 0 just to fill up the 'missing' data? Thanks!
Going from 16 to 24 bit is most likely simply adding zero value bits to the sample. However going from 44.1 to 192 kHz sample rate will require re sampling ( it's a non integer multiple) and therefor there will be some digital 'distortion' added.
However as said above, there is nothing wrong with this if you prefer the sound...but normally its best practice not to manipulate the sample data ahead of the DAC unless there is some specific reason to. (So called 'bit perfect' etc)
Regular lossless transcoding however does not manipulate the sample data, but just the sample encoding. There is no re sampling.
Simon
With DB I converted one album to FLAC but I'm apparently left with two copies of each song...WAV and FLAC??
When you use dBpoweramp to convert files, you can use the DSP/Actions box at the bottom to automate various actions e.g. deleting the original audio files and inserting/amending tags. If you have a set system for conversion/tagging, you can create and save it as a profile via the "converting to" dropdown box.
Dear all,
I just discovered that using minimserver one can not only transcode can do flac:wav or flac:wav24, but also can change the bitrate such as redbook cd flac at 44.1 can be transcoded to 192 by doing flac:wav24;192. To my ears, the separation of instruments have increased by just a tad bit. But what is the actual difference? Or is it just generating lots of useless 0 just to fill up the 'missing' data? Thanks!
I set mine at flacwave24. Seems to present slightly different textures etc than the same file played from the UnitiServe. I'm able to go back and forth now the US has returned from service so compairing MS and US with flac and wav. Eventually I'll get MS figured out but need to use the US for a time to be sure the repairs took this time.
M
Hi,
then would like to enquire what is the difference between setting the digital ouput of the NDX on native vs 96kHz 24bit? All these transcoding using Minimserver or the NDX is rather interesting. Thanks!
Hi,
then would like to enquire what is the difference between setting the digital ouput of the NDX on native vs 96kHz 24bit? All these transcoding using Minimserver or the NDX is rather interesting. Thanks!
No difference unless you are using the digital output (to drive an external DAC) - from your profile you seem to be using the analogue output.
Hi,
then would like to enquire what is the difference between setting the digital ouput of the NDX on native vs 96kHz 24bit? All these transcoding using Minimserver or the NDX is rather interesting. Thanks!
No difference unless you are using the digital output (to drive an external DAC) - from your profile you seem to be using the analogue output.
I'm also analogue out NDX to 282. Don't have my NDAC in the rig currently. NDX set Native.
M
Hi,
then would like to enquire what is the difference between setting the digital ouput of the NDX on native vs 96kHz 24bit? All these transcoding using Minimserver or the NDX is rather interesting. Thanks!
No difference unless you are using the digital output (to drive an external DAC) - from your profile you seem to be using the analogue output.
I'm also analogue out NDX to 282. Don't have my NDAC in the rig currently. NDX set Native.
M
If you're not using the digital output then the NDX sounds slightly better with this output disabled (go into menu settings and set to off). As i said above, the native / 96khz setting only affects the digital output and will make no difference to anything else the NDX is doing if you are using the NDX in its normal standalone analogue output mode. As an S/PDIF digital source to an external DAC then this setting will determine whether the NDX passes the source material in it's native format (sample rate and bit depth) or up samples (or down samples with 192Khz source material) to 96Khz.
James
Hi,
then would like to enquire what is the difference between setting the digital ouput of the NDX on native vs 96kHz 24bit? All these transcoding using Minimserver or the NDX is rather interesting. Thanks!
No difference unless you are using the digital output (to drive an external DAC) - from your profile you seem to be using the analogue output.
I'm also analogue out NDX to 282. Don't have my NDAC in the rig currently. NDX set Native.
M
If you're not using the digital output then the NDX sounds slightly better with this output disabled (go into menu settings and set to off). As i said above, the native / 96khz setting only affects the digital output and will make no difference to anything else the NDX is doing if you are using the NDX in its normal standalone analogue output mode. As an S/PDIF digital source to an external DAC then this setting will determine whether the NDX passes the source material in it's native format (sample rate and bit depth) or up samples (or down samples with 192Khz source material) to 96Khz.
James
James,
When analogue set it to disable the NDX goes silent. I set it to DIN as I'm using Chord SarumTA to the 282.
M
James is suggesting that you should disable the digital output of the NDX as this will improve its SQ.
Dear all,
sorry I did not update that I am trying out the Chord Hugo, hence the digital out and the difference between the two. Is there any difference transcoding using minimserver, or using the NDX transcoding? And the change from 44.1kHz to 96kHz, is there anything Naim did such that this transcoding is not affected the way Simon-in-Suffolk suggested? THanks!