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Post by John on Dec 6, 2014 20:05:37 GMT
The higher bit rate take up more space so you need to think of storage also think about back up I have 2 back up
DACs often come with their own drivers but usually easy to install
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Post by MartinT on Dec 6, 2014 20:47:19 GMT
Use a cloud service like OneDrive for your backups. Job done.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2014 20:57:49 GMT
Use a cloud service like OneDrive for your backups. Job done. Never in a million years would I use a cloud - ie third party - as a back up. Storage is so cheap, I would rather trust my files to something rather closer to home. |
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Post by MartinT on Dec 6, 2014 21:03:09 GMT
In my opinion, a cloud service is at least an order of magnitude safer than a hard disk drive. It depends on which service, but the big ones (Microsoft OneDrive/Azure, Amazon, LiveDrive, Google) are very reliable. They are used by many corporates with very much more sensitive and important data than a few thousand music files. I use LiveDrive at work for our file sync as well as local backups.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2014 21:22:46 GMT
In my opinion, a cloud service is at least an order of magnitude safer than a hard disk drive. It depends on which service, but the big ones (Microsoft OneDrive/Azure, Amazon, LiveDrive, Google) are very reliable. They are used by many corporates with very much more sensitive and important data than a few thousand music files. I use LiveDrive at work for our file sync as well as local backups. Not for me Martin, I just don't like the idea of someone else being responsible for anything of mine. I keep my bank account to the minimum to pay bills and hoard cash for the same reason. Unless the rates are really good of course - even then I don't trust the buggers. We have three 1tB disks in rotation as back up. |
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Post by canetoad on Dec 6, 2014 22:10:58 GMT
I generally rip SACDs to 24/88.2. I can't really hear any difference by going higher. |
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Post by MartinT on Dec 6, 2014 22:34:18 GMT
Is it not possible to rip SACD to a native bitstream format instead of PCM?
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Post by Pinch on Dec 7, 2014 0:29:07 GMT
I just use the disc images - ISO files. Drop then into JRiver and it will parse it into individual tracks.
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Post by MartinT on Dec 7, 2014 0:55:51 GMT
Nice! I'll try that.
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Post by Stratmangler on Dec 7, 2014 14:37:59 GMT
Ah! You've set Foobar to transcode the files to PCM, but adding a whole stack of redundant zeros in the process. |
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Post by Pinch on Dec 7, 2014 15:04:56 GMT
I don't know that I have. As I said above, I use the disc images - taken via a PS3 - so single, very large, ISO files. It's then parsed within JRiver, with stereo and multichannel layers, and registers the resolution, in some cases (not all) as 32/384. Here's some info from the JRiver forums: yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=72180.0Of course, I can't play files at that resolution, so downsample on the fly to 24/192. |
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Post by pinkie on Dec 7, 2014 18:23:42 GMT
OK I like Jriver for the moment. I have downloaded the Linn files and its immediately recognised the output device can't cope and offered to convert to a suitable format. So far so good. Somebody is going to have to remind me why I would want to use anything else. I don't have a problem with the price. I think the issue was it was too easy, and so I won't learn the nuts and bolts. We'll see where we are in 28 days time. How do I move forward on the interface? If I move to a usb dac then I don't need a better usb to DaCapo converter - but unless that DAC proves able to match DaCapo on cd's, I am unlikely to rip my cd colllection and go file-based only. If I move straight to the raspberry pi now, then there is still the dac connection issue - but I guess I could see how good the dac card someone mentioned is (too hungover*** to go back through the thread). It maybe that it doesnt need to be as good as I am used to - to match analogue. Just good enough to be HiFi - and tbh it is that now. The initial MP3 experience was very lo-fi, but what I already have is good enough to be worth playing through the 2 channel. But back to the question - how do I improve the interface? *** interesting - we had another of Sue's pro musician friends (trombonist) and his wife for dinner and a sleepover. Absolutely jaw-dropped listening to a bit of vinyl. Just couldnt believe the sound the Electrostatics make(now with a truly excellent BK subwoofer) . Especially on trombone.  |
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Post by Stratmangler on Dec 7, 2014 20:33:13 GMT
I don't know that I have. As I said above, I use the disc images - taken via a PS3 - so single, very large, ISO files. It's then parsed within JRiver, with stereo and multichannel layers, and registers the resolution, in some cases (not all) as 32/384. Here's some info from the JRiver forums: yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=72180.0Of course, I can't play files at that resolution, so downsample on the fly to 24/192. I forgot that JRiver does DSD too. I never played with it when I trialled it. I wonder if there are any user adjustable settings that you can play with - there's no need to be playing with 32bit float at 384kHz. |
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Post by Stratmangler on Dec 7, 2014 20:38:17 GMT
I think the issue was it was too easy, and so I won't learn the nuts and bolts. We'll see where we are in 28 days time. That's the problem with going for a one hit solution. I suggest that at some point it's worth getting to grips with the cheapskate way of doing things - not only is the cost right, but there's loads of procedural things to get to understand, and that's an education in itself. You can't beat a good bit of fundamental knowledge! |
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Post by MartinT on Dec 7, 2014 21:09:13 GMT
How do I move forward on the interface? If I move to a usb dac then I don't need a better usb to DaCapo converter - but unless that DAC proves able to match DaCapo on cd's, I am unlikely to rip my cd colllection and go file-based only. If I move straight to the raspberry pi now, then there is still the dac connection issue - but I guess I could see how good the dac card someone mentioned is (too hungover*** to go back through the thread). One of the key decisions you have to make is: a) where are the music files; b) where is the DAC.
If the files are in, for instance, a laptop and the DAC is alongside, then you only have to decide the best way of connecting them together.
If the files are in a PC/Mac/server in another room, then you need to stream the music and that would be where a Raspberry Pi or other streamer would come into play.
Make that decision and we can help you further.
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Post by pinkie on Dec 8, 2014 8:06:20 GMT
I think the issue was it was too easy, and so I won't learn the nuts and bolts. We'll see where we are in 28 days time. That's the problem with going for a one hit solution. I suggest that at some point it's worth getting to grips with the cheapskate way of doing things - not only is the cost right, but there's loads of procedural things to get to understand, and that's an education in itself. You can't beat a good bit of fundamental knowledge! My natural inclination is to want to do that. But I may come back to it. This is my silly busy season and on top of that I have a handful of other distractions, and I am struggling to keep up, even on a "skimming" basis with the pace of posts on this thread and the Raspberry Pi one. So I'll probably come back to it. (Maybe over Christmas I'll find the time to save me $50 on the Jriver software). Shocking realisation of age. As a kid I would have read the manual cover to cover and learned every feature before ever switching it on. Yesterday I assembled a Karcher K5 pressure washer cursing the Ikea picture based assembly guide at the rear of the book, but managing to assemble without fatal screw-ups, only to have a glance at the instructions at the front and find they explained the process and referenced the pictures at the back. I am rushing a lot of stuff, and I would love the luxury of the time to absorb and learn. My real priority is to start playing music again. Yesterday, Sue and I performed for our insistent guests. I had a pot at my almost learned accompaniment to "Your song" by Elton John, a karaoke favourite of Sue's who forgot the words after the first chorus - no karaoke screen. So we did her Eva Cassidy favourite - "Over the Rainbow" (which she performed on Opportunity Knocks as a teenager - so she knows the bloody words) and I forgot the chord change on the 3rd verse. Mind since its identical to the first 2 verses, and I completely couldn't remember it, I think alcohool poisoning may have been to blame. A bit of practice called for!!!  It's why I so appreciate the hand-holding and "bit by bit" advice on this blog and forum. I can keep it moving along without needing my traditional "absorption learning" approach of attempting to completely master it before making a start  |
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Post by pinkie on Dec 8, 2014 8:24:47 GMT
Martin Thanks. I am going to give the streamer project a go, but I am not sure how that helps. I have the lingering DaCapo issue and would use that as Dac of choice, maybe even with down-scaled files if they sound musically better than full resolution on a less attractive sounding DAC. And DaCapo has no native USB input. Raspberry Pi's output I believe is USB. In a way I yearn to discover a modern Dac which would better DaCapo - and I confess myself bewildered that I haven't. Of course my listening experiences have been confined to asking Arthur and Owen, and trying all the Dacs I could at Sevenoaks HiFi and Home Media Maidstone. They don't include many that are quoted in this context, such as the Caiman, and the board for the Pi which I can't remember the name of. I have heard them described - but its like me describing the Wensleydale cheese we had at the weekend to you. It's not the same as tasting it. And whilst this may seem excessive sentimental nonsense, it is interesting that its designer himself had the same, fairly recent, surprising experience, as I found yesterday when I googled for an instruction manual and specifications. "I've just return a Dacapo I repaired for a forum user (after having it on an extended “repair period” – sorry about that Paul). However it did gave my design team and I a chance to have extended listening seasons - and compare against a dual TI DSD1792 based Hi-End DAC, I was genuinely expecting the TI design to be superior to the Dacapo (I designed the Dacapo in 1991) - well to cut a long story short - the Dacapo completely floored the TI based DAC – much to the surprise of all including myself. Without hesitation, the HDCD filter was superior to all filter modules, including the later 24Bit filter (designed after I left PT)."
(Westlake on DIY audio). I haven't heard the 24 bit filter, nor the HDCD - although I think Arthur has one I could borrow - but even with 22 bit it was so much closer to analogue than other Dac's I have yet to hear.
Anyway - the answer was "streamer"
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Post by ChrisB on Dec 8, 2014 8:32:56 GMT
I'm bracing myself for getting a slice of the Pi in the next few months too, Richard, so I'm in a similar state to you- wild, staring eyes and overwhelmed by the jargon. However, I think I can ease your mind on one of the points above. Martin added an extra board to his Pi which provides both S/PDIF and Toslink output sockets: HiFiBerry Digi+ |
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Post by pinkie on Dec 8, 2014 9:12:33 GMT
Thanks Chris. I look forward to Martins shopping list. I am sure I could , with time, find it by back tracking the thread again (a treat I keep promising myself), but it's also a treat to have a custom solution made by someone who knows, when you are in a hurry. I am getting a few new experiences - given I was in the heat of the battle in the old turntable days, as groupie and then MD of Pink, you can't imagine the stomach-churning experience it was to create a Linn Records folder on my PC...  |
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Post by Stratmangler on Dec 8, 2014 10:31:20 GMT
Pinkie
On the USB interfacing front you could always give one of Stan's adapters a go - they seem to be having a good reception elsewhere.
I have and occasionally use a M2Tech HiFace2, and it handles everything I throw at it with no issues either.
All I have to do is set up the media player to utilise the WASAPI drivers (as I've said, OS on the laptop is Win7).
The only reason I occasionally use the HiFace is because 99.8% of the time I use my Squeezebox Touch for streaming duties, and the laptop only gets used for serious playback every now and then.
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