Idiots' guide to setting up a NAS as music server

Posted by: Rockingdoc on 05 January 2011

Can anybody point me at a really simple set of instructions for setting up a NAS as a music server for my planned Naim streamer purchase. I'd like to have a good number of CDs ready ripped before getting the streamer.
I have purchased a Qnap NAS as it is on the Naim "approved" list.
I am using Windows 7 on a desk PC, with dbPowerbase for ripping and Media Monkey for file sorting and playback.
Problem is that I don't understand computer networks. I have the PC and NAS connected to a Belkin router via ethernet cable. The NAS appears on the computer when I click "Network" from the Start button in Windows. But that's as far as I can go. I have installed a Cat6 wired socket for the hi-fi also connected to the router.

How do I rip to the NAS? What file should I store rips to?, How will the streamer "see" the NAS do I have to install "streamer" software on the NAS?

As you can see my computer skills are minimal. Any idea where I should look for help/instructions?

Also, would setting this up be considered by Naim to be part of the dealer's normal home installation requirement for Naim gear? Or would I be expected to have the network up and running first?

thanks

malcolm
Posted on: 11 January 2011 by Aleg
quote:
Originally posted by Jack:
I didn't think you could tag WAV files in the same way as you can tag FLAC files i.e. include cover art, comments, other info etc?

What can I use to do this?


Rip your CDs with dBPoweramp to WAV and it will add tags and you can add any additional tags yourself in the ripper before the rip. After the rip you can edit the tags in the wav with the dBPoweramp tag editor which is installed in your context menu (right mouse click). This is fairly basic but you can add and modify all tags you like including (multiple) album art. I understand the developer is working on a more elaborate tag-editor. The ripper will look for the correct album art and add it during ripping.
You can use its Music Converter to convert other tagged formats to tagged WAV.

You can also edit the wav-tags with JRiver MediaCentre and use that as a PC mediaplayer.
mpd is a linux server based media player that runs as a background process and is controled by remote clients. It can also read and handle tagged WAV files.
The Asset UPnP server and Asset Control can also handle the tagged WAV-files since they are from the same developer as dBPoweramp.

Hopefully Naim will someday support tagged WAV files as well. With the Naim DAC they have become aware that tagged WAV files actualy exist. Maybe they can now learn how to read and use the tags instead of just having learned how to ignore these tags. Razz

-
aleg
Posted on: 11 January 2011 by Jack
Aleg.....thanks, I'll give that a try sounds promising!
Posted on: 11 January 2011 by Jack
Aleg....I configured dbPoweramp to rip to WAV with metadata and hey presto it works a treat Winker

J River reads the tags without problem, I'll try some compilations next. Looks like I may be moving from EAC/FLAC to dbPoweramp/WAV soon.

Cheers
Posted on: 11 January 2011 by likesmusic
quote:
Originally posted by Jack:
Aleg....I configured dbPoweramp to rip to WAV with metadata and hey presto it works a treat Winker

J River reads the tags without problem, I'll try some compilations next. Looks like I may be moving from EAC/FLAC to dbPoweramp/WAV soon.

Cheers


If you get a proper dBpoweramp licence - hardly extortionate - you'll get the very useful Batch converter so you could convert all your current rips in one big go if you wish.
Posted on: 11 January 2011 by Aleg
quote:
Originally posted by Jack:
Aleg....I configured dbPoweramp to rip to WAV with metadata and hey presto it works a treat Winker

J River reads the tags without problem, I'll try some compilations next. Looks like I may be moving from EAC/FLAC to dbPoweramp/WAV soon.

Cheers


Jack

Enjoy it, also remember to set JRiver to "Play from Memory instead of Disk" in the Audio settings. This will improve SQ even more.

-
aleg
Posted on: 11 January 2011 by Tog
MPD is highly flexible, reliable and sounds good - there are several programs that will give it a basic front end - just don't expect any help with tagging.

Tog
Posted on: 12 January 2011 by Pev
Hi Jack - a bit late now judging by the intervening posts, but yes - the artist and track name shows up on the Uniti screen when playing the decoded WAV files from Foobar via UPnP. It's even in a font large enough to read (unlike the stream info when I'm listening to Radio Paradise).
I'm similar to Patrick on my overall set up - I like having the PC in the same room so I can use it with my HDTV - there's a lot of great stuff on video on the net and I link the tv and pc via HDMI using the Uniti for the sound - quality is very good and improving all the time.
Posted on: 13 January 2011 by Jack
Having been a long time Foobar user I switched over to J River some time last year to take advantage of memory playback. However, I have had a few problems with J River and in fairness it could be my audio driver although Foobar always seemed fairly stable.

One of the problems with memory playback I suffer is the amount of time it takes to buffer the file before it commences playing particularly with hi-res files. Anyway I am happy with the interface so have stayed with it but switched memory playback off for now.

Guess what...this problem seems to have disappeared with the few albums I have converted to WAV from FLAC (since discovering the DBPoweramp tagging capabilities)!

It's early days but could the FLAC decoding be causing those delays - I know the FLAC decoding aspect is supposed to very quick and not CPU intensive (that's one of the advantages of FLAC)?
Posted on: 13 January 2011 by garyi
Tog could you email me when you get a moment to garethirwin at gmx dot com

Cheers
Posted on: 01 January 2012 by Rattlesnaic

Trying to get my Squeezebox Touch to play from my QNAP NAS without my laptop being on.Files ripped with Dbpoweramp have been put into the group Administration. Server cant see these files only files in the group Everyone.How do I change these files from group Administration to group Everyone?

Posted on: 01 January 2012 by garyi
From the web interface under the shares section.

There is a qpackage available to install the sb server on the qnap
Posted on: 01 January 2012 by DaveBk
I run Squeezebox Server on my QNAP - works great!
Posted on: 01 January 2012 by Rattlesnaic

Yes Thankyou. I run the server on the Nas but it cant see the files in the group Adminstration !!!!!!!

Do I have to add the squeezebox to this share group ?

Posted on: 01 January 2012 by garyi

I think by default your music needs to be in the multimedia Qmedia.

 

The administrator/guest thing is really unnecessary in my household, so I don't bother with all that stuff.

Posted on: 02 January 2012 by YanC
Originally Posted by Jack:
Aleg....I configured dbPoweramp to rip to WAV with metadata and hey presto it works a treat Winker

J River reads the tags without problem, I'll try some compilations next. Looks like I may be moving from EAC/FLAC to dbPoweramp/WAV soon.

Cheers

 

dBpoweramp or any other app that embeds tags into a WAV file does so in a proprietary manner, as there is no standard way (i.e. a method agreed upon by the major SW vendors) to embed such tags. I suspect that Naim programmers may have adopted (licensed?) dBpoweramp's method. But as no standard exists, I suspect the interoperability and longevity of these tags may be short.

Posted on: 02 January 2012 by YanC
Originally Posted by Frank Abela:
... I'd want to rip in WAV rather than FLAC as my ears have told me on more than one occasion that FLAC doesn't sound as good...

This is an interesting point.

As far as file formats go, it makes no difference how your audio data is stored in the file. It's a bit like saying 3+4 gives a slightly different 7 than 4+3.

A difference in SQ, will therefore be solely down to the specific app you use to play them. (I wonder which app you used?).

For example (although unlikely) a badly designed app may have different routines for decoding -> buffering -> playing files depending on the file format, hence the difference you hear.

Posted on: 18 February 2012 by YouAndMe

Were can you find the NAS the Naim "approved" list?



Posted on: 19 February 2012 by David Leedham

In FAQs, link at bottom of pages

 

https://forums.naimaudio.com/di...ent/1566878604340111

 

Posted on: 09 March 2012 by digger628

That list is now over 2 years old.  Nothing more recent?

Posted on: 10 March 2012 by garyi

Just get a quality brand, netgear, qnap, synology and you will be fine.

 

Dont be a cheapskate about it ans you will be delighted