Another streaming noob & MuSo

I'm not very technical, but you can definitely do this. My nas and Naim are connected via a switch, and if I turn the router off, it still works. If you are using an iPad , you will need a wireless router, but it won't need Internet access to work. Whether the express counts as a router I don't know. Hopefully someone (Mike or Simon?) will explain exactly what needs to be done, but I'm sure it can be. 

 Ebirah,   you've got an internet connection as you are reading & writing on this forum;  is that to a laptop or tablet over wireless or a desktop PC with a wire.  Whatever you have an ISP (your broadband provider) router somewhere in the house.   That's all you need to get you Muso up & running over its wireless connection.  You have internet, you can get 10's of thousands of web radio (iRadio) broadcasts from around the world, Tidal & Spotify.   You do not need to get involved with IP address or anything like that,  just read the manual or quick set up guide & you're off.  Then you will be able to connect to your iMac/Airport Express & stream iMac stored music.  Ideally it will work better & be more reliable with ethernet wired connections,  but you are ready to go now. 

Mike: no, he doesn't, that's the point. How to make the Muso work without internet in the flat. 

The mu-so should be able to see the Airport Express' network, but will look for a UPnP server, a piece of software that you have to install on the iMac (Minimserver, for example). An easier alternative is to connect an optical cable from the iMac's headphone jack to the mu-so's optical input.

OK,  I re-read & see that - sorry -  -too much going on tonite,  trying to edit tags on a collection of Chopin, be pleasant & attentive to sig other & listen to music.    Jan-Erik has answered it,  the AE will see the iMac & that needs Minimserver or eq .........

Hi Ebirah

Let's take this one step at a time and try to keep things as simple as possible.

Is it right that you currently play music stored on your iMac by using iTunes and the built-in speakers? I assume so. Then, has been said my Jan-Erik, if a directly wired setup is feasible in your flat, the simplest thing to do to play through the Mu-so instead is to use an optical  audio cable from the iMac to the Mu-so. Then there will be no need for a network, wireless or otherwise, and no need for the iPad. The Naim app is not needed as you can select the digital input directly by using the controls on the Mu-so (press "input" on the control wheel to select the rightmost of the three local inputs). You will need an adapter to fit onto the digital audio cable connection at the iMac end to plug it into the audio output. 

If you have music stored locally on the iPad, it is easier still. Just use the charging cable to plug the iPad into the side USB socket of the Mu-so. The input should automatically switch to the middle position but just press input to change it if necessary. Then just play whatever you have stored on the iPad as you would normally and it will play through the Mu-so. Again, no need for a network or for the Naim app.

You could also use the same iPad charging cable to connect the iPad to the iMac and copy across the music you wanted to listen to.

If you still really want a wireless solution, come back and let us know. You will use the Airport Express as a wireless base station. No internet connection is necessary, but there will be a bit of setting-up to do.

Happy listening

Roger

Thanks guys - I really appreciate the help you are giving me.

For boring reasons the iMac has to live on a desk which is screwed to the wall. The Muso lives on a shelf on the facing wall. There are floor to ceiling windows in between the two so, even though they are only a few feet apart, I really don't want to hard wire this - it's not possible to do it discreetly. So, yes, I'd like a wireless solution - Thanks Roger. I know there will be "setting up" and Lord knows I have been 'round that one intermittently over the last few months, clearly incompetently. My dealer suggested I download dbpoweramp to the imac, which I did back last December, but I can't say it made much sense to me. Looking at many of the threads here, at least I don't seem to be alone in finding this confusing?

Cheers, Steve

DB Poweramp is a great program that is used for ripping CDs and fiddling with the metadata. But you can't use it to stream music. You need an airport express, which will provide a wireless network, and then a upnp server on the Mac, such as Asset or Minimserver. 

It is confusing when you start, but you are clearly an intelligent person or you wouldn't have a London flat. Just go to the Minimserver website and install the Mac version. Then get an airport express, plug it in and get it going. Set aside an evening, get a nice bottle of wine and go for it. 

I'm a total numpty with IT but manage to muddle through, and I'm sure you cannot be as inept as me. 

Steve

Do not get into dbpoweramp or any UPnP server, until you have established network connectivity between the iMac and Mu-so. One step at a time. I assumed you don't have that yet is that right?

It will probably be tomorrow before I can get back on this in detail, but in the mean time can we assume that you have, or will have, the Airport Express on the desk near the iMac and can connect the two with an ethernet cable?

Roger

you just need a little wireless router. all you are missing is something to dish out ip addresses. 

But the AE is a wireless router.

garyi posted:

you just need a little wireless router. all you are missing is something to dish out ip addresses. 

Jan-Erik Nordoen posted:

But the AE is a wireless router.

Make sure the AE is not set to Bridge mode if it's to be used as a DHCP server - maybe it just needs to be reconfigured?

Hi Steve

Lots of people here happy to help you but we just need a better idea of how far you got before letting the Mu-so gather dust.

Step 1 would be to get the Airport Express configured as a standalone Wi-Fi base station only, with no Internet connection and no Airplay required (as the Mu-so itself provides for this) using Airport Utility on your Mac (or iPad). There is lots (probably too much) information at http://www.apple.com/uk/support/airport/ but just post again if you have any specific questions. Choose good passwords as others in neighbouring flats will probably see your wireless network.

The Airport Express has one ethernet network socket which you could use to directly connect your iMac. It will appear on the same network as wireless clients, including your iPad and the Mu-so.

Cheers

Roger

Couldn't you just copy your music files to a usb stick, plug it into the mu-so and play from there?

Certainly a possibility if all you want to do is play music files. Gets harder if you also want to play previously downloaded podcasts etc. But the main question is how you would select the music to play.? Without a wireless network you cannot use the Naim app on the iPad to control the Mu-so. Remember Steve already has an Airport Express.

The the previous option I gave was to copy the files onto the iPad and then just play using the Music app connected directly to the USB input on the Mu-so but Steve has not picked up on that. So, we are seeing if we can help get the Airport Express configured.

Roger

ChrisSU posted:

Make sure the AE is not set to Bridge mode if it's to be used as a DHCP server - maybe it just needs to be reconfigured?

 

This is where I'm getting unstuck: I have no idea what "Bridge mode" is nor do I have the foggiest what "DHCP server" means. None of this was taught to me at school - the internet wasn't invented then! When I was trying to set the Mu-So up, a lot of the options thrown at me by my Mac involved making choices like this. I'm pretty much sticking a pin in a haystack when doing so.

So, I have the Airport Express plugged into the Mac via an ethernet cable (even then there are a number of confusing port choices on the back of the AE). My iMac wi-fi options include, "Create Network" and I tried that for a while before being told by Naim that I needed a router. So, I have been creating a local network with the AE using Airport Utility. My iPad can see this network and the Mu-So as well, but whenever I try to get the Mu-So to join the network I get an error message. I have restarted the Mu-So a zillion times and unplugged the mains cable loads as well.

I'm not at all interested in copying music to a USB stick - I have tons of ripped AIFF files on teh iMac and it sort of defeats the purpose of having a whole library of music to access.

I'm very grateful for all of your stirling efforts to help poor me. From what you'va all said, I should be able to get the Mu-So to work without internet using the equipment I have already. I think the best way forward is to have another go when I'm at my flat, being very precise about what I'm doing, the exact sequencing of events, and the error message I'm getting. 

Cheers, Steve

Hi Steve

Yes. Good idea. Take notes when you have a chance to try again. In the mean time, a couple of pointers:

1. If you connect an Ethernet cable to the airport express then make sure it plugs in to the LAN port, the one with a double-headed arrow symbol.

2. Choose to create a wireless network but choose not to configure a broadband or internet connection (pretty obvious as you will not have one).

3. Bridge mode, which you do not want, would allow you to connect the Airport Express to an existing wireless network and then plug the Ethernet cable into some other device.

4. Not sure what you mean when you say the iPad can see the Mu-so but you cannot connect the Mu-so to the wireless network?

5. DHCP stands for dynamic host configuration protocol and simply means that the airport express allocates network addresses to devices (hosts) such as the iMac and mu-so automatically. This save you from having to configure network addresses manually.

You will get there I am sure.

Roger

PS on 4. Do you just mean that you can use the Naim app to configure the Mu-so. I guess so. But for that you will be connecting to a temporary wireless network created by the Mu-so itself, just for configuration. 

Hello again Steve

Some more pointers ready for when you are back in your flat:

1. Once you have the Airport Express configured to create a wireless network, with your choice of name and good passwords (for the Airport Express itself and for the network itself) the best next step will be to get your iPad to join this network. From wifi settings on the iPad, select your chosen name for your wireless network from the list and supply the network password. Once you get this working you know that your wireless network is indeed created succesfully.

2. Before you go to the flat, download the latest Mu-so manual from https://www.naimaudio.com/site...al_england_rev3i.pdf which includes the Qb as well as the original Mu-so. If I was right in my PS on 4 in my last post, you have been trying the method in 2.1.4 to configure your Mu-so. Instead of this, use the method in 2.1.2, assuming you are running iOS7 on your iPad. That will just copy your settings from the iPad to the Mu-so.

3. Next, with iTunes running on the iMac, click the Airplay icon (a rectangle with a black triangle underneath) and you should see your Mu-so there as an option. Select it and play your music from iTunes through the Mu-so!

4. You could try and add your Mu-so as a new "room" on the Naim app running on the iPad. The thing is though that the app will try to check that you are running the latest firmware. Not having an internet connection, this might not allow you to proceed. But you would only need the Naim app anyway if you were planning on running a UPnP server on your iMac and wanted to use the Mu-so as a UPnP client. Not necessary at all if you are happy with Airplay from iTunes.

5. If you have downloaded music for Spotify or downloaded a program you wanted to listen to on iPlayer Radio on your iPad, you should also be able to select the Mu-so for AirPlay speakers from the iPad. Spotify Connect will not work on the Mu-so as this needs an internet connection.

6. Good luck!

Best

Roger

noname posted:

1. If you connect an Ethernet cable to the airport express then make sure it plugs in to the LAN port, the one with a double-headed arrow symbol.

 

Hey - Just checking in with an update. Yesterday I was at my flat for an hour or so and followed all of your generous instructions: It seems noname was on the money here - I had the airport using the WAN port rather than LAN. Such a simple mistake but very difficult to identify for those of us with no prior knowledge, who don't know what we are looking for. For the first time my iPad was able to connect to the Muso. Yaaaay!

My dealer had told me to use Asset UPnP so that is what I did but my iPad showed no music in my iTunes folder. There is a soft button in Asset that asks you whether you want to share your iTunes library but I couldn't tick that for some reason. I have a hard drive attached to the iMac with a backup of my iTunes library on it so I pointed Assett to that and - bingo! - I was able to see the files and play music through the Muso for the first time. Thanks +++ guys!

Clearly, I now need to sort the software side so that my iPad can see iTunes on my iMac but getting the damn thing to make a sound after nearly 5 months of gathering dust is a huge step forwards & I am grateful to you all for your selfless help. Thanks!

ebirah posted:Clearly, I now need to sort the software side so that my iPad can see iTunes on my iMac 

Just reading some other posts here and wonder if my inability to see iTunes is simply because I am using the free/trial version of Assett?