Set-up:
- QNAP453PRO with music stored FLAC
- Asset UPnP Version: R5.1 Premium Registered
- Naim NDX (via switch~ethernet cable)
- Various control points (e.g. iPad running App version 5.5.5 / 505505)
- Tagging via Tag&Rename v.3.9.13
I have a large-ish music collection, a significant portion of which is Classical . As is known, such works create an issue re: tagging. Whereas for the Frank Sinatra album, the singer is both the Album Artist and (Track) Artist, for the common Mozart album, Mozart will be the Album Artist but the (Track) Artist will be any one of many, such as Karajan or Davis or Abbado ... etc.
At least, this is so in my library 
Up until last week this worked fine: I've incorporated the Performer's name (i.e. the Track Artist) into the music title, e.g.:
Symphony #38, K504 in D "Prague" [Karajan/BPO/1970] distinguishing this recording from other Karajan recordings of the same work.
The music is selected via any of the menus:
- Album Artist (which is based on the Windows File Explorer directory, albeit it includes Track Artists' names) ... head for Mozart and then album
- Artist / Album ... head for Karajan and then album
- Album ... head for the album (Music title)
- Composer ... head for Mozart and then album
and these continue to work as before. But: once the music is playing we now see the Performer's name (=Track Artist) rather than the Album Artist' name.
So, my question: why has this change occured and how can I correct it? ...i.e. this is not satisfactory!
Last week I updated my QNAP453PRO NAS to Firmware version 4.3.3.0154 and then found I had to update the Asset UPnP server to version 5.1 as the installed version no longer worked.
Hence, I do not know whether this unwanted change re: Track Artist's name replacing Album Artist's name is due to the update of Asset (to v.5.1) or to on-going changes/updates to the Naim app.
On the plus-side, it appears to have solved my on-going problems re: Various Artists' albums but I'd much prefer to be where I was last week rather than with this new problem!
Any help, guidance ... please. I like Asset UPnP but its online documentation is almost a waste of paper as it provides so little guidance. If this is an Asset problem then I shall raise the query on its forum.
Cheers,
Mitch
Posted on: 27 April 2017 by Gavin B
Exactly, NBPF. It was right in the Linn app I tried (Kinsky?). That suggested to me that the issue lay in the Naim app, but it was an Asset release which corrected it. Had Asset been simply updated / adapted to deal with the Naim quirks? Who knows! It's certainly very difficult to pin-point whether any issue is caused by data / tags / settings, or either of the software elements.
Posted on: 27 April 2017 by Gavin B
The same problem comes up with another issue that I haven't fully investigated yet.
My FLAC files are stored with a file name beginning DISC NUM - TRACK NUM - then artist and track name. When I browse some (not sure if it's all) albums, the track title is displayed with the disc number at the beginning. What's happening there?
I need to check more albums, and try it with the Linn app too. It seemed to work okay in the days before I started adding the disc number to the file name. Surely the displayed data isn't obtained from the file name though!
I'll report back at some point.
Posted on: 27 April 2017 by Musicmad
Thanks to all for their considered replies. I've now had a reply from Spoon on the Asset forum advising that this change is due to a change in the Asset UPnP server, correcting what he describes was an anomaly. I disagree with his view that this new arrangement is as it should be but accept that I have to work with what is available.
Perhaps Naim could introduce a setting within the App's (very limited) configuration setting to allow the User to choose what information is displayed. Spoon advises that both pieces of information (Album Artist and Track Artist) are sent by the Asset program so it must be possible for the Naim App to select which piece of info to use.
Here's hoping - let's be positive!
Mitch
Posted on: 27 April 2017 by Musicmad
We know they are being sent, because when you look at the album in album view you see the album artist, and when you play the track you see the track artist. Exactly as it should be.
I'm sorry to be pedantic, HH, as I know you have tried to be helpful over this issue. But I have just proven that things have changed ... you were adamant that nothing had changed. Maybe the change has not affected the way you have structured your music library - you have stated that you have incorporated the composers' names in the album titles - I haven't ... and don't want to go down this route.
The system worked for me pre: R5.1 update - I designed my library to work within the limitations ... it doesn't now and Spoon has confirmed that it is a change brought about by the Asset update which has caused this.
It's not "... exactly as it should be ..." for me. Good, it works for you but as I've stated I've spent a lot of time building a library which worked under the pre-update server and now it doesn't. As a Naim customer with over GBP20k invested maybe I have a right to ask if the configuration can be amended to allow for an alternative set-up. Come to that, since the system worked (for you) pre-update why was the change actioned? Obviously it has had no positive effect ...
Mitch
Posted on: 28 April 2017 by Musicmad
Any chance of rolling back your version of Asset?
Did Spoon explain what the anomaly was in any detail?
'fraid not. Answers No and No.
After I asked if it was possible to have a setting in the Configuration page so as to choose the Album Artist rather than the (new) Track Artist, the reply I got was:
Previously you could describe it as a bug, I am sorry that fixing this bug has changed the way you want the program to work, however reverting this bug would affect much more than the naim program
Perhaps I think of this too simplistically but surely it can't be beyond the software developers' ability to include an option for this display line. I suppose I could contact Naim technical support to see if this is, or could be placed, on the development agenda.
Mitch
