Using iPad as a Music Server Remote Control - Is it Possible??

[Jason36]

If I have a Laptop / Netbook (using Foobar2000 for HiRes FLAC Files / iTunes for Apple Lossless / Spotify) connected via a DAC into my Roksan Caspian Amplifiers is there any way I can control what music is played using any of these applications via my iPad?

What I am trying to achieve is total remote control of my Laptop / Netbook via an iPad without having to keep getting up and change tracks / albums directly on the music server containing the music.

Ideally I want to keep my FLAC and Apple Lossless file seperatly so I can manage and see what I have in each file format.

Alternatively if I was to change to J.River Media Centre using Windows 7.....would I be able to get Jriver to show me just the FLAC Files or just the Apple Lossless files or does it just bundle them all together. I know there is an app for the iPad called PlugPlayer but not sure if this allows full control via iPad.

What I am trying to achieve is the ability control music via the PC to HiFi System without any additonal outlay (i.e. NAS Drive / SqueezeBox Touch or Sonos etc).

Can anybody help with this??

 

[professorhat]

Apple's Remote App will let you directly control your iTunes instance, but probably the easiest solution is something like RealVNC, which will let you directly control your laptop from the iPad. Simply install the RealVNC app from that link and install the VNC Server onto your laptop and you can then connect and remotely control the laptop without leaving your seat.

 

[john1000000boy]

Tried to reply to this post earlier but it didnt work.....

Prof..hat has it right though!!

The remote app is excellent- very slick!!

 

[pwiles1968]

Remote App for iTunes is fantastic on the iPad.

 

[pwiles1968]

Remote App for iTunes is fantastic on the iPad.

 

[pkerai]

This a very important.

I think the basic idea is to have a server/pc/laptop/netbook as the computer music source connected to a dac.

Thats the important factor-to the dac AND NOT to the amp.

Then be able to control music from a portable device such as ipod touch, android device or ipad-as you have stated.

The key thing is to have as much control over the music program as possible with touch screen response.

There are many possible methods that can possibly! achive this.

What your needs are for quality, file compatability, budget and knowledge is in fact a personal requirement.

What I wanted is for a server to be always on (this would mean it shouldnt pose a health and safety risk because of this), with low noise and power consumption. It should have a audiophile music program which plays the most variety of losses files with the best possible sound.

Another key criteria is to have as much control of this program via an app on some form of touch screen device (as stated above).

This would mean I dont have to boot up a pc and change sound setting frequently, nor should there be a conflict of music programs. This can be a little tricky with the fact that apple lossless files need an apple based music program to play them. But if you can-try rip the required music in a format which provides the best possible solution to the above (ie. remote app with good access to files,settings and with best possible sound). Its around these parameters, that I can then choose an operating system for the server ie. windows 7 or mac based.

Has anyone experimented with these options and come up with any results. Dont forget it has to meet a budget - but no point in spending excess money either. A solid state hard drive on the server is preferable due to a number of reasons.

This would indeed prove to be a better option then using squeezebox, sonos or anything else in fact.

Another thing I was considering is (depending on the size of music library and its future growth) to have an ipod on a digital connection to the dac. The ipod touch could be used for example (in the 64gb version of course) to store lossless files, and act as a server. Then you could control that ipod with either another ipod touch or ipad on the same wifi network. I was wondering what audiophiles think about this. Not only would it not pose health and safety risk, its cheap and provides a great solution. Does this method provide the same quality of sound as a dedicated audiophile program on a server. I know there wont be any tweaking possibilities, but how does it compare.

There are differing methods of connecting the computer music source to the DAC. These include digital outputs (optical/coaxial) and USB. I presently have an audiolabs 8200cd as my DAC and I think the USB provides a better connection to a PC atleast, but dont know about Mac based computers though. Any advice?

Any comparisons between software that meets these and related criteria would be much appreciated from anyone who listens to computer based music!

 

[Jason36]

Cheers Guys,

I have downloaded both "remote" and the "VNC" app and both are working perfectly. The VNC app gives me complete control of the laptop so I can access Spotify, Foobar, iTunes and obviously any hard drive that is connected the laptop.

Probably not as slick as using a Squeezebox touch or Sonos and associated apps, but it does the job in the first instance and allows me to play my PC based music content via my main HiFi system without having to keep getting up and down to mess with the laptop.

This is actually potentially leading me down the avenue of a netbook (I have one sitting around doing nothing), connected to an external 500Gb hard drive into my HiFi system. I am looking into DACs at the moment and I am considering either the DacMagic Plus or the Audiolab MDAC....this then also means I can do away with my iPod for listening to music and just sit the netbook in its place.