Core downloads folder

On the UServe and HDX, the Downloads folder is where the user puts his/her music files sourced from other than ripping a cd in the device.  100% certain it's "editable."  Just browse to it with Finder (OS X) or whatever Windows Explorer is called these days.

Sorry - an imprecise query. Can the metadata be edited? Something not possible on a US.

It is possible on the Serve. 

You edit the files in the US downloads folder by finding them on a computer. It can't be done through N-Serve in the way it can for CD rips. My understanding is that the Core is the same in this respect - I think?

While on this subject matter... how do I download files from my NAS into the Core? 

ChrisSU posted:

You edit the files in the US downloads folder by finding them on a computer. It can't be done through N-Serve in the way it can for CD rips. My understanding is that the Core is the same in this respect - I think?

I've read here that while that is the idea, it's not yet been implemented into the software (at the Naim App end it sounded like).  Presumably if a current owner wants to do this, 3rd party software is needed, as was always the case with the uServe.  

My "pro tip" was always to edit the metadata BEFORE copying the files over to Downloads.  

Bart posted:

ChrisSU posted:

You edit the files in the US downloads folder by finding them on a computer. It can't be done through N-Serve in the way it can for CD rips. My understanding is that the Core is the same in this respect - I think?

I've read here that while that is the idea, it's not yet been implemented into the software (at the Naim App end it sounded like).  Presumably if a current owner wants to do this, 3rd party software is needed, as was always the case with the uServe.  

My "pro tip" was always to edit the metadata BEFORE copying the files over to Downloads.  

I don't see why you would need anything to be implemented on the Core in order to see the folders on its drive on a computer. I'm not talking about viewing them through Naim interfaces such as the DTC or N-Serve, which in any case, do not allow editing of the downloads folder. I simply mean seeing the drive on your network, and doing the editing on the Mac or PC. Preferably, as you say, as soon as you do the download, so it's all sorted before you even copy it to the Core or Unitiserve.

rded posted:

While on this subject matter... how do I download files from my NAS into the Core? 

Find the two drives and their relevant folders on a computer, and just drag, or copy and paste, from one to the other. Here's a little more detail from the Core web page, which you might want to read - look in the Support section near the bottom of the page:-

"A Downloads folder is created on a music store. The folder works the same as any other folder on a network. Select files to copy from another location on the network and paste them into the Downloads folder. The new music will be assimilated into the Uniti Core library and made available for playback. File formats that do not have embedded metadata (e.g. WAV files) need to be set up a specific way. Files copied to the downloads folder must have the music files and the album artwork in a folder with the name of the album. This folder should be located in a folder with the name of the Artist. Album artwork should be in a JPG format with the file name of ‘album.jpg’ For supported music file formats, see the Specification section.
Before you can access the Downloads folder on your PC or Mac you will need to find the IP Address for the Uniti Core. Touch the Naim app."

Bart posted:

ChrisSU posted:

You edit the files in the US downloads folder by finding them on a computer. It can't be done through N-Serve in the way it can for CD rips. My understanding is that the Core is the same in this respect - I think?

I've read here that while that is the idea, it's not yet been implemented into the software (at the Naim App end it sounded like).  Presumably if a current owner wants to do this, 3rd party software is needed, as was always the case with the uServe.  

My "pro tip" was always to edit the metadata BEFORE copying the files over to Downloads.  

As Chris says, you can edit stuff in the. downloads folder the same way as with the US. It's editing metadata in rips made by the Core that isn't available yet.

best

David

Interesting that the Core info on Naim's website says:  "Album artwork should be in a JPG format with the file name of ‘album.jpg’ For supported music file formats, see the Specification section." because with the US you used the name cover.jpg or folder.jpg . So that makes me wonder whether the Core recognises artwork labelled for the US.

best

David

it has no problem with nas storing  my hdx rips

ChrisSU posted:

Bart posted:

ChrisSU posted:

You edit the files in the US downloads folder by finding them on a computer. It can't be done through N-Serve in the way it can for CD rips. My understanding is that the Core is the same in this respect - I think?

I've read here that while that is the idea, it's not yet been implemented into the software (at the Naim App end it sounded like).  Presumably if a current owner wants to do this, 3rd party software is needed, as was always the case with the uServe.  

My "pro tip" was always to edit the metadata BEFORE copying the files over to Downloads.  

I don't see why you would need anything to be implemented on the Core in order to see the folders on its drive on a computer. I'm not talking about viewing them through Naim interfaces such as the DTC or N-Serve, which in any case, do not allow editing of the downloads folder. I simply mean seeing the drive on your network, and doing the editing on the Mac or PC. Preferably, as you say, as soon as you do the download, so it's all sorted before you even copy it to the Core or Unitiserve.

I was referring to potential use of the Naim App to edit metadata of files on the Core (the "it can't be done . . . " part).  What I wrote wasn't all that clear.

ChrisSU posted:

rded posted:

While on this subject matter... how do I download files from my NAS into the Core? 

Find the two drives and their relevant folders on a computer, and just drag, or copy and paste, from one to the other. Here's a little more detail from the Core web page, which you might want to read - look in the Support section near the bottom of the page:-

"... album. This folder should be located in a folder with the name of the Artist. ... "

Which artist?  There might be more than one.

nbpf posted:

ChrisSU posted:

rded posted:

While on this subject matter... how do I download files from my NAS into the Core? 

Find the two drives and their relevant folders on a computer, and just drag, or copy and paste, from one to the other. Here's a little more detail from the Core web page, which you might want to read - look in the Support section near the bottom of the page:-

"... album. This folder should be located in a folder with the name of the Artist. ... "

Which artist?  There might be more than one.

Who cares? 

The Naim servers support metadata tagging and do not rely on folder-based browsing. Naim's advice is good -- they recommend naming folders with artist names; that is a sound way to organize music.

Are you being pedantic or obstreperous?

Bart posted:

nbpf posted:

ChrisSU posted:

rded posted:

While on this subject matter... how do I download files from my NAS into the Core? 

Find the two drives and their relevant folders on a computer, and just drag, or copy and paste, from one to the other. Here's a little more detail from the Core web page, which you might want to read - look in the Support section near the bottom of the page:-

"... album. This folder should be located in a folder with the name of the Artist. ... "

Which artist?  There might be more than one.

Who cares? 

The Naim servers support metadata tagging and do not rely on folder-based browsing. Naim's advice is good -- they recommend naming folders with artist names; that is a sound way to organize music.

Are you being pedantic or obstreperous?

It's a true problem, expecially if you have a lot of opera. For opera (and, by large, classical music) the notion of artist is not obvious. You have the conductor+director pair which you might use for naming a root folder. But the venue, the orchestra, the choir and the singers are also relevant. Proper accounting for this information requires some sort of subfolder structure.

At the metadata level one faces the same problem: if (the limitations of your UPnP server force) you (to) lump together the notions of conductor, director, orchestra, choir, singer (perhaps alto, bass, soprano, etc. singer) into just one or two indexes, you end up with a tagging scheme which is not very expressive and likely not very useful for browsing your collection.

Naming folders with artist names is an approach that can be implemented straightforwardly for pop music and perhaps also for rock and, up to a certain extent, for jazz. But when it comes to classical music and opera, things become slightly more complicated ...

MinimServer can handle all of that in the metadata: the folder structure then becomes less important. 

Hungryhalibut posted:

MinimServer can handle all of that in the metadata: the folder structure then becomes less important. 

Absolutely, that's one of the great advantages of MinimServer. Unfortunately one cannot install MinimServer on the Core.

By the way, since November MinimServer exports liner notes metadata to control points. This makes it possible to open the booklet of an album in the control point. As far as I know, only Bubble UPnP supports this feature so far.

Which takes us back to the question of why buy a Core that doesn't do what you want when you could use Minim on a nas which does? 

But the Core and the Naim App will sort based on metadata; folder structure remains irrelevant.  

I hear what you both are saying -- Minim's metadata-based sorting is (although I've not fully explored its power) more powerful than what Naim servers have to-date provided.  Naim doesn't (hasn't to-date) been able to let the user declare, and then sort on, nearly the wide range of options (Conductor, Orchestra . . . ).  So yes, for classical, opera, and others, the few tag choices Naim provide make it (really) difficult to fully index such music; it's a big compromise.

But the above has nothing to do with folder structure, which is what set me off in the first place.

Yes I'm in the camp of those with a house full of Naim boxes, but not (no longer) a Naim server. I suppose I've said that a few hundred times now.

But can the

Bart posted:

But the Core and the Naim App will sort based on metadata; folder structure remains irrelevant.  

I hear what you both are saying -- Minim's metadata-based sorting is (although I've not fully explored its power) more powerful than what Naim servers have to-date provided.  Naim doesn't (hasn't to-date) been able to let the user declare, and then sort on, nearly the wide range of options (Conductor, Orchestra . . . ).  So yes, for classical, opera, and others, the few tag choices Naim provide make it (really) difficult to fully index such music; it's a big compromise.

But the above has nothing to do with folder structure, which is what set me off in the first place.

Yes I'm in the camp of those with a house full of Naim boxes, but not (no longer) a Naim server. I suppose I've said that a few hundred times now.

But regardless of whether it can by metadata, can the Core browse by folder? My old ND5XS controlled by the Naim app could. The question is important for anyone with libraries, especially large ones, having missing, incomplete or inconsistent metadata - and yes, in theory the answer is to fix the metadata, but that can be a huge task that people don't have time, patience or desire to do.

Hungryhalibut posted:

Which takes us back to the question of why buy a Core that doesn't do what you want when you could use Minim on a nas which does? 

Good and valid question, though that also depends on whether a nas and Minimserver does all that someone wants!  

Reasons for possibly wanting it to do what it might not, or is currently unclear whether it will, or might be rectifiable by a firmware update, could include wanting to use it direct to a DAC, obviating the need to stream files across a network (which causes problems for quite a few people).

Innocent Bystander posted:

But can the

Bart posted:

But the Core and the Naim App will sort based on metadata; folder structure remains irrelevant.  

I hear what you both are saying -- Minim's metadata-based sorting is (although I've not fully explored its power) more powerful than what Naim servers have to-date provided.  Naim doesn't (hasn't to-date) been able to let the user declare, and then sort on, nearly the wide range of options (Conductor, Orchestra . . . ).  So yes, for classical, opera, and others, the few tag choices Naim provide make it (really) difficult to fully index such music; it's a big compromise.

But the above has nothing to do with folder structure, which is what set me off in the first place.

Yes I'm in the camp of those with a house full of Naim boxes, but not (no longer) a Naim server. I suppose I've said that a few hundred times now.

But regardless of whether it can by metadata, can the Core browse by folder? My old ND5XS controlled by the Naim app could. The question is important for anyone with libraries, especially large ones, having missing, incomplete or inconsistent metadata - and yes, in theory the answer is to fix the metadata, but that can be a huge task that people don't have time, patience or desire to do.

The Core is a server, the ND5XS is a streamer.  The server determines how you can browse.  The ND5XS had no role in your ability to browse by folder.  What server were you using at the time?

When I owned a uServe, I'm pretty sure that it did not support browsing by folder.  Whether the Core does, or will, I don't know.  We do know that it's ultimate set of functions have not been enabled / released by Naim yet.

Hungryhalibut posted:

Which takes us back to the question of why buy a Core that doesn't do what you want when you could use Minim on a nas which does? 

I do not know. I have not considered buying a Core given its current specs. But if Naim would add support for MinimServer, MPD, upmpdcli and for scp and rsync data transfer (which seems very unlikely at this point) and assuming that it would deliver at least the same SPDIF quality of my current source, the Core could be a nice proposition for replacing 4 small boxes (the micro server, the USB to SPDIF bridge and their two linear PSUs) and some cables with a single box. It would allow me to further simplify my system. This is the reason why I was originally interested in the Core, before its limitations became clear. I would not myself buy a Core for ripping or for serving data to LAN streamers but, for other users, this also could be a meaningful use case. Also for this use case, however, support for MinimServer and other standard UPnP servers is mandatory, I believe.

Innocent Bystander posted:

But can the

Bart posted:

But the Core and the Naim App will sort based on metadata; folder structure remains irrelevant.  

I hear what you both are saying -- Minim's metadata-based sorting is (although I've not fully explored its power) more powerful than what Naim servers have to-date provided.  Naim doesn't (hasn't to-date) been able to let the user declare, and then sort on, nearly the wide range of options (Conductor, Orchestra . . . ).  So yes, for classical, opera, and others, the few tag choices Naim provide make it (really) difficult to fully index such music; it's a big compromise.

But the above has nothing to do with folder structure, which is what set me off in the first place.

Yes I'm in the camp of those with a house full of Naim boxes, but not (no longer) a Naim server. I suppose I've said that a few hundred times now.

But regardless of whether it can by metadata, can the Core browse by folder? ...

I would be very surprised if this was not the case, I do not actually know any server that does not support folder browsing. But of course, after all what we had to learn recently, this is a very pertinent question. Perhaps Naim or some Core owner can clarify.

Bart posted:

Innocent Bystander posted:

But can the

Bart posted:

But the Core and the Naim App will sort based on metadata; folder structure remains irrelevant.  

I hear what you both are saying -- Minim's metadata-based sorting is (although I've not fully explored its power) more powerful than what Naim servers have to-date provided.  Naim doesn't (hasn't to-date) been able to let the user declare, and then sort on, nearly the wide range of options (Conductor, Orchestra . . . ).  So yes, for classical, opera, and others, the few tag choices Naim provide make it (really) difficult to fully index such music; it's a big compromise.

But the above has nothing to do with folder structure, which is what set me off in the first place.

Yes I'm in the camp of those with a house full of Naim boxes, but not (no longer) a Naim server. I suppose I've said that a few hundred times now.

But regardless of whether it can by metadata, can the Core browse by folder? My old ND5XS controlled by the Naim app could. The question is important for anyone with libraries, especially large ones, having missing, incomplete or inconsistent metadata - and yes, in theory the answer is to fix the metadata, but that can be a huge task that people don't have time, patience or desire to do.

The Core is a server, the ND5XS is a streamer.  The server determines how you can browse.  The ND5XS had no role in your ability to browse by folder.  What server were you using at the time?

When I owned a uServe, I'm pretty sure that it did not support browsing by folder.  Whether the Core does, or will, I don't know.  We do know that it's ultimate set of functions have not been enabled / released by Naim yet.

Of course you're right, ignore my momentary befuddlement... But the question will stand until someone confirms - and of course may change if they issue a firmware update.

So much for the Core depends on what software and capability it will have when finally real eased. Here's hoping that in finalisation they build in all that they can of people's obvious hopes for it!