Synology DS212j > Rega DAC using iOS control app

[stevebrock]

A few questions as I am new to this. Thanks

I want a Synology DS212j that will be hardwired to my Rega DAC via USB.

I have a MacBook Pro that I will use to rip in ALAC but will set up my destination iTunes folder to be on the NAS so in effect I wont have any music on my MBP.

Can anyone see any problems with this?

Obviously I will have to use the Synology app when using my DAC or can I use the iOS remote app?

Can I still use iTunes via my MBP?

Sorry but I am new to all this!

Thanks

 

[bigboss]

Can anyone see any problems with this?

No, as long as you have another backup of your music, so you,don't lose everything if the hard drive on our NAS crashes.

Obviously I will have to use the Synology app when using my DAC or can I use the iOS remote app?

I don't know. Maybe someone else will come along and help you with this.

Can I still use iTunes via my MBP?

Yes, you can still play the songs in your MBP via iTunes.

 

[stevebrock]

Thanks for that, I have been reading some of your threads!

Logical step would be to use the DS Audio app on my iPhone - Does app have a good interface/easy to use/intuitive?

Thanks for you help

I plan to use 2 x 2TB

Lastly will the Synology output ALAC files through the USB?

 

[bigboss]

Logical step would be to use the DS Audio app on my iPhone - Does app have a good interface/easy to use/intuitive?

Yes, it's very good.

I plan to use 2 x 2TB

Are you planning to use Synology's hybrid RAID, or some other RAID? That's not a true backup. Also, if both the hard drives are from the same batch, they're likely to fail together. I would suggest using another external hard drive as a backup.

Lastly will the Synology output ALAC files through the USB?

Yes.

 

[Chisy1]

A few questions as I am new to this. Thanks

I want a Synology DS212j that will be hardwired to my Rega DAC via USB.

I have a MacBook Pro that I will use to rip in ALAC but will set up my destination iTunes folder to be on the NAS so in effect I wont have any music on my MBP.

Can anyone see any problems with this?

Obviously I will have to use the Synology app when using my DAC or can I use the iOS remote app?

Can I still use iTunes via my MBP?

Sorry but I am new to all this!

Thanks

Only other possible downside is that if you're away from home and don't have remote access to the NAS (which is possible but I'm yet to figure it out) then you won't have any music/media on your laptop. Obviously you may have other sources (eg iDevice) which would negate that problem. Or do what i end up doing and temporarily copying media across...it's a bit of a pain though.

 

[stevebrock]

Thanks

I must say Im confused about RAID, I want to mirror each HD in case one fails!

What do all the RAID suffixes mean?

 

[bigboss]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAID

You can mirror it (JBOD).

Are the 2 hard drives of the same brand & bought together? If so, they're very likely to be from the same batch & likely to fail together. Just a suggestion as you don't have any backup on your MBP.

 

[professorhat]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAID You can mirror it (JBOD).

Mirroring is also known as RAID1.

Are the 2 hard drives of the same brand & bought together? If so, they're very likely to be from the same batch & likely to fail together. Just a suggestion as you don't have any backup on your MBP.

I wouldn't say this was likely but certainly it's a possibility. The main reason for maintaining a separate backup is to protect against accidental deletion or corruption since RAID offers no protection against this.

 

[bigboss]

I meant use the drives as JBOD & set the 2nd drive to back the 1st drive up.

 

[ngibbs]

You might find that iTunes on your MacBook Pro won't keep your destination folder in your NAS, and will default each time to the Music folder on the computer. That's what happens with my MacBook Air and I haven't been able to find out if there's any way to stop it. By pressing Option when openning iTunes, it will ask you to choose a Library file. You can then locate your library file (iTunes Library.itl) on your NAS. After that you don't have to press Option each time (it'll ask you to locate your Library file ever after when switching on), but it will usually revert to it's default and won't 'save' the location for you.

Some good tips here:

http://www.whathifi.com/forum/computer-based-music/tip-sharing-an-itunes-library

 

[stevebrock]

You might find that iTunes on your MacBook Pro won't keep your destination folder in your NAS, and will default each time to the Music folder on the computer. That's what happens with my MacBook Air and I haven't been able to find out if there's any way to stop it. By pressing Option when openning iTunes, it will ask you to choose a Library file. You can then locate your library file (iTunes Library.itl) on your NAS. After that you don't have to press Option each time (it'll ask you to locate your Library file ever after when switching on), but it will usually revert to it's default and won't 'save' the location for you.

Some good tips here:

http://www.whathifi.com/forum/computer-based-music/tip-sharing-an-itunes-library

Thanks for that!

I notice your using Bit Perfect - is that used in conjuction with itunes?

 

[ngibbs]

You might find that iTunes on your MacBook Pro won't keep your destination folder in your NAS, and will default each time to the Music folder on the computer. That's what happens with my MacBook Air and I haven't been able to find out if there's any way to stop it. By pressing Option when openning iTunes, it will ask you to choose a Library file. You can then locate your library file (iTunes Library.itl) on your NAS. After that you don't have to press Option each time (it'll ask you to locate your Library file ever after when switching on), but it will usually revert to it's default and won't 'save' the location for you.

Some good tips here:

http://www.whathifi.com/forum/computer-based-music/tip-sharing-an-itunes-library

Thanks for that!

I notice your using Bit Perfect - is that used in conjuction with itunes?

It is. I think iTunes sounds pretty rubbish without it to be honest. BitPerfect is a great bit of software that bolts on to iTunes and reduces its 'intervention' (make sure you've got everything unticked in iTunes Preferences - Playback; basically you want to take iTunes out of the equation as much as possible). Very reasonably priced too at 7 quid or so. There are others: Pure, Amarra etc., but they tend to be a lot more expensive and personally I didn't think they were worth the extra cash.

A word of warning to you: my experience at setting up a system similar to what you're wanting was far from hassle-free. Macs have strange anamolies, such as the music file reverting to default that I told you about, that can get very frustraing. My own Synology has not been hassle-free either (a week spent with their admittedly very good Help Desk to discover why a recent OS X upgrade had rendered my Music file on the NAS invisible), though it is generally a very good piece of kit. Basically I don't think that Macs and their OS are yet designed with a NAS as a music source in mind, and it's pretty well known that Apple don't give a fig about anyone else. Now that I know a little more about it, it's fine, but it's been a long time getting here, and lots of searching on forums. I can understand why some people go for streamers....

 

[stevebrock]

Thanks for that! Typical Apple eh!

I haven't my MBP or Synology yet, currently using an iMac streaming to a SBT but this will be used with some active speakers for bedroom I know the SBT is fine with synology - will have the synology hard wired to my rega DAC and controlled by DS Audio app.

I will take a look at Bit Perfect

 

[ngibbs]

Thanks for that! Typical Apple eh!

I haven't my MBP or Synology yet, currently using an iMac streaming to a SBT but this will be used with some active speakers for bedroom I know the SBT is fine with synology - will have the synology hard wired to my rega DAC and controlled by DS Audio app.

I will take a look at Bit Perfect

When I say Macs are not built for NAS as musical source, I should say be precise and say MacBooks (and of course I could be wrong about the MacBook Pro). My old iMac was far more co-operative and problem-free.

 

[stevebrock]

In essence all I will be using my MacBook Pro is purely ripping CDs with the iTunes destination folder on my NAS which will be connected via USB & SPDIF converter to my Rega DAC!

 

[ngibbs]

In essence all I will be using my MacBook Pro is purely ripping CDs with the iTunes destination folder on my NAS which will be connected via USB & SPDIF converter to my Rega DAC!

Ah, I see. Hadn't read your post properly. Clever!

 

[stevebrock]

And they have you believe streaming is simple!

With apple not likely to facilitate hi res music - this is the best option for me to stream my 24/96 files from my NAS to my DAC

 

[ngibbs]

With apple not likely to facilitate hi res music - this is the best option for me to stream my 24/96 files from my NAS to my DAC

You can stream hi res through itunes no problem, with ALAC, WAV OR AIFF.

 

[leadears]

In essence all I will be using my MacBook Pro is purely ripping CDs with the iTunes destination folder on my NAS which will be connected via USB & SPDIF converter to my Rega DAC!

One point, unless they've fixed it with an update Synology's DS Audio doesn't do gapless playback, as far as I'm aware that's the only streaming interface to the USB out on the diskstation. So if you need gapless you'll need a different interface, e.g.: itunes -> SPDIF, Logitech media server (runs on the NAS) -> Ipeng (ios app) -> apple airport express -> DAC. You could also use a 2nd hand sqeezebox in place of the airport express in the previous example.

Some folks have had prolems using the usb to DAC interface, a non-exhaustive list of compatibility is here: http://forum.synology.com/wiki/index.php/User_Reported_Compatible_USB_Speakers

 

[Chisy1]

You might find that iTunes on your MacBook Pro won't keep your destination folder in your NAS, and will default each time to the Music folder on the computer. That's what happens with my MacBook Air and I haven't been able to find out if there's any way to stop it. By pressing Option when openning iTunes, it will ask you to choose a Library file. You can then locate your library file (iTunes Library.itl) on your NAS. After that you don't have to press Option each time (it'll ask you to locate your Library file ever after when switching on), but it will usually revert to it's default and won't 'save' the location for you.

Some good tips here:

http://www.whathifi.com/forum/computer-based-music/tip-sharing-an-itunes-library

i have a new MacBook Pro and decided to connect my NAS via afp, and it is set up to connect to the afp share on start up. Provided it connects, and very rarely I have to manually connect, then once I open up iTunes it automatically points to the NAS folder without problem.

 

[Hi-FiOutlaw]

Hi guys

I have a DS213 with 2 x 3 TB HDs, and my SBServer runs on it, I have the DS connected to my wifi tower through a QED LAN cable and the wifi tower connected to the SBT through a LAN cable again, i don't use streaming as the SQ is much better this way.

But I do have a question the DS audio Player do Hi Res? And Steve tomorow will try to connect the DS directly to the Rega DAc an see what happens, Hi Res is out of the picture as Rega DAC only do 44khz through is USB input.

 

[stevebrock]

Hi guys

I have a DS213 with 2 x 3 TB HDs, and my SBServer runs on it, I have the DS connected to my wifi tower through a QED LAN cable and the wifi tower connected to the SBT through a LAN cable again, i don't use streaming as the SQ is much better this way.

But I do have a question the DS audio Player do Hi Res? And Steve tomorow will try to connect the DS directly to the Rega DAc an see what happens, Hi Res is out of the picture as Rega DAC only do 44khz through is USB input.

yes i know yopu will need a spidf coverter through usb

 

[Hi-FiOutlaw]

Hi guys

I have a DS213 with 2 x 3 TB HDs, and my SBServer runs on it, I have the DS connected to my wifi tower through a QED LAN cable and the wifi tower connected to the SBT through a LAN cable again, i don't use streaming as the SQ is much better this way.

But I do have a question the DS audio Player do Hi Res? And Steve tomorow will try to connect the DS directly to the Rega DAc an see what happens, Hi Res is out of the picture as Rega DAC only do 44khz through is USB input.

yes i know yopu will need a spidf coverter through usb

For now I just want to know what the out come is, connecting the DS to Rega DAC.

 

[stevebrock]

I think it down samples to 16/44 through its usb - typical - makes you realise how good the SBT s doesn't it as I can just stream hi res straight to it with out any drop outs

 

[BitPerfect Support]

I just wanted to mention that I have been using a Synology DS411j 4-bay NAS (4x2TB, Synology Hybrid Raid) with my ca-2009 MBP, and more recently with my ca-2009 Mac Mini in my music playback system for about 18 months now. It has been entirely problem-free, with one minor exception handled nicely by Synology support. I have even taken the NAS to high-end audio trade shows to give me maximum demo flexibility.

I have one observation for stevebrock, which is that you are proposing to connect the NAS directly to the DAC via USB. I presume that to make this work you will be using DSM's built-in iTunes server. I have never tried this configuration myself (my NAS is co-located with all my networking hardware, with back-up power and everything, far from my music system), but I cannot see how BitPerfect could possibly work in this configuration. For BitPerfect to work, it needs to be running on the computer to which the DAC is connected.

Good luck.