Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Advice from Axiom Owners Help me build a music server!

Well, I was only half serious. I was kind of hoping you'd be able to rip vinyl in a way that it'd not be obvious. Because I can't claim to have ever heard a "really good" turntable setup, and ever time I've listen to one it's been plagued with pops and hiss. I'm sorry, but that totally takes me out of the listening experience.*

If it's obvious that it from a vinyl source, it's obviously less listenable to me. But I'll still give it a chance. But you see the problem, I have a prejudice against vinyl and tape.

You don't happen to have Toad the Wet Sprocket's "Fear" on vinyl, do you? That was an AAD CD (back when they applied those labels), and one of the best sounding in my collection.

Sorry, I don't know anything about XLD at all.



*Like movies that try to be more "realistic" by having water/mud/blood splash on the "camera". That immediately pulls me out of the viewing experience. Because up to that point I was seeing through my "eyes".

That's pretty much what I'll be doing.

Except it won't be normalizing as much as just matching levels.

As far as re-mastering, I will capture the vinyl in it's current state and will not use any noise reduction or click/pop removal software.

I've found that when archiving, if you use too much corrective tools to get rid of "noise" you end up sucking the life out of the recording if it's not used diligently and sparingly.

So, basically I will take a signal out of the phono stage preamp and "capture" that signal into a DAW at 24 bits @96k using very high end professional converters.

The only thing I will have to do is manually put in edit points/markers between the tracks.

And of course flip and clean the record as well as clean and inspect the stylus... Every. Single. Time.

The labor of love...

btw, I've started to rip my cd collection using XLD and I'm quite amused by the data information that is spewed out after every rip.

Looks like old NASA read-outs or something...

X Lossless Decoder version 20101212 (126.2)

XLD extraction logfile from 2011-01-31 17:49:33 -0500

Soft Machine / Third

Used drive : OPTIARC DVD RW AD-5680H (revision 3AHB)

Ripper mode : CDParanoia III 10.2
Disable audio cache : OK for the drive with a cache less than 2750KiB
Make use of C2 pointers : NO
Read offset correction : 48
Max retry count : 100
Gap status : Analyzed, Appended

TOC of the extracted CD
Track | Start | Length | Start sector | End sector
---------------------------------------------------------
1 | 00:00:00 | 18:45:42 | 0 | 84416
2 | 18:45:42 | 18:12:43 | 84417 | 166359
3 | 36:58:10 | 19:08:30 | 166360 | 252489
4 | 56:06:40 | 19:13:57 | 252490 | 339021

List of alternate offset correction values
# | Absolute | Relative | Confidence
------------------------------------------
1 | 833 | 785 | 9
2 | 344 | 296 | 5
3 | 1038 | 990 | 5

AccurateRip Summary
Track 01 : OK (confidence 8, with different offset)
Track 02 : OK (confidence 9, with different offset)
Track 03 : OK (confidence 9, with different offset)
Track 04 : OK (confidence 8, with different offset)
->All tracks accurately ripped.

All Tracks
Statistics
Read error : 0
Skipped (treated as error) : 0
Edge jitter error (maybe fixed) : 0
Atom jitter error (maybe fixed) : 0
Drift error (maybe fixed) : 0
Dropped bytes error (maybe fixed) : 0
Duplicated bytes error (maybe fixed) : 0

Track 01
Filename : /Users/terrydouglas/Music/iTunes/iTunes Media/Music/Soft Machine/01 Soft Machine - Facelift.aiff
Pre-gap length : 00:02:00

CRC32 hash : 5D3BEE02
CRC32 hash (skip zero) : 8185C66F
AccurateRip signature : 2F1CD6F6
->Accurately ripped! (confidence 8)
(matched with the different offset correction value;
calculated using an additional offset of 785;
the signature after correction is: 172F711F)
Statistics
Read error : 0
Skipped (treated as error) : 0
Edge jitter error (maybe fixed) : 0
Atom jitter error (maybe fixed) : 0
Drift error (maybe fixed) : 0
Dropped bytes error (maybe fixed) : 0
Duplicated bytes error (maybe fixed) : 0

Track 02
Filename : /Users/terrydouglas/Music/iTunes/iTunes Media/Music/Soft Machine/02 Soft Machine - Slightly All The Time.aiff

CRC32 hash : D6E5B4A8
CRC32 hash (skip zero) : EDAFBE2D
AccurateRip signature : 41E5D5C5
->Accurately ripped! (confidence 9)
(matched with the different offset correction value;
calculated using an additional offset of 785;
the signature after correction is: DD6A8CA8)
Statistics
Read error : 0
Skipped (treated as error) : 0
Edge jitter error (maybe fixed) : 0
Atom jitter error (maybe fixed) : 0
Drift error (maybe fixed) : 0
Dropped bytes error (maybe fixed) : 0
Duplicated bytes error (maybe fixed) : 0

Track 03
Filename : /Users/terrydouglas/Music/iTunes/iTunes Media/Music/Soft Machine/03 Soft Machine - Moon In June.aiff
Pre-gap length : 00:00:58

CRC32 hash : 9EB8B649
CRC32 hash (skip zero) : 6CDFB70E
AccurateRip signature : D1F25E3C
->Accurately ripped! (confidence 9)
(matched with the different offset correction value;
calculated using an additional offset of 785;
the signature after correction is: DE61C5E4)
Statistics
Read error : 0
Skipped (treated as error) : 0
Edge jitter error (maybe fixed) : 0
Atom jitter error (maybe fixed) : 0
Drift error (maybe fixed) : 0
Dropped bytes error (maybe fixed) : 0
Duplicated bytes error (maybe fixed) : 0

Track 04
Filename : /Users/terrydouglas/Music/iTunes/iTunes Media/Music/Soft Machine/04 Soft Machine - Out-Bloody-Rageous.aiff
Pre-gap length : 00:01:15

CRC32 hash : 0AA70951
CRC32 hash (skip zero) : 0329104B
AccurateRip signature : 8917E59D
->Accurately ripped! (confidence 8)
(matched with the different offset correction value;
calculated using an additional offset of 785;
the signature after correction is: 12D8895C)
Statistics
Read error : 0
Skipped (treated as error) : 0
Edge jitter error (maybe fixed) : 0
Atom jitter error (maybe fixed) : 0
Drift error (maybe fixed) : 0
Dropped bytes error (maybe fixed) : 0
Duplicated bytes error (maybe fixed) : 0

No errors occurred

End of status report

Well, yeah, I meant remastered CD. Like Chris said, Toad the Wet Sprocket would be a good choice. In fact, I have that on CD, so if you've got it on vinyl, there we go.

Good call Henry.

This VotexBox really has my interest ... what do you guys (who know a lot more about this stuff than I do) think about it?

Looks easy enough for a non-geek like myself.

HTPC has been a hobby of mine for over 7 years now so I'd love to offer my 2 cents.

I have a WHS (Windows Home Server) tucked away that is just an old P4 with a lot of drives. I love it because I have a central place to access my files from. It also provides super easy to use features to make any data I desire redundant for me. It does that without having to mess with RAID and it does it with a collection of different sized drives.

In my main HT room I have a powerful HTPC built with Win7 running MCE (built into windows by default) as the software/GUI for the TV. I've always use the spdif output and let the AVR do the conversions. Once I replace my old DLP I'll switch to HDMI but still the AVR would do all the decoding. With this box I'm able to playback nearly any audio or video format.

In my bedroom I have an Xbox 360 that's sole job is to be a front end. Using it's built in MCE Extender it connects to my HTPC and gives me the exact same GUI that I see on the HTPC. It's great for the wife because she doesn't have to learn anything new. Personally I like the MCE UI better than anything else I've come across. Again I'm using HDMI for the audio output here.

You could simplify this setup by storing all the files on the HTPC and remove the WHS. I use my WHS for more things like workstation image backups (awesome feature) and remote access from the internet. You could also add more 360s on the network to be additional extenders (which I'm going to do myself in the near future). For the HTPC I've seen people build some pretty small boxes, low power too (fan-less) using Atom processors. The options are really endless, but that can be daunting to some as well. Probably why so many people have paid me to build and set them up for them.

(update)I was able to cobble together a temporary music server using off the shelf (crap I had lying around!) stuff somewhat easily.

I'm slowly ripping my cd collection (uncompressed 16/44 wave files) with some very good ripping software. So my collection is getting into the 'puter correctly. One disc at a time...

The files are stored on a firewire drive hooked to a MacMini (bought for general house computing/web surfing). I'm using a Tascam US-428 (24 bit) hooked up via USB to a HP laptop that feeds (via coaxial digital) the signal to my Onkyo receiver.

In iTunes you can access remote files. So I have iTunes loaded onto an HP laptop (it's great hardware but loaded with that sh$tty Microsoft software!) and I stream the files from the MacMini via WiFi.

I do get buffer problems sometimes. A little annoying glitch. But it's at least giving me a taste of what's possible.

But here's what I've learned thus far:

iTunes is excellent for organizing your music collection but horrible for ripping and playback. I'm seriously not into the consumer grade computer stuff. Macs or Windows. I like the professional stuff, period...

And as most of you know, I really despise the Windows os (It's overly complicated, aesthetically ugly and buggy. Always! Even OS7 which is a huge improvement!) and only use Macs for professional music/video production and other fun stuff. The HP is my girlfriend's and I use it because it's available for now (I got her an iPad for her 'puter needs as she prefers Macs as well) and I'm just trying out all options.

iTunes on Windows is even worse than on a Mac. Craptastic!

I found free software called Song Bird that sounds excellent but is a pos that cuts off the endings when it goes to the next song. I cannot figure out why this is. A lot of complains about it on the web. So...

I wish iTunes sounded better than a quality cd player but alas, it does not.

So all this talk about all digital being the "same" is horsesh#t.

I can definitely hear a difference!

So I think that what I'll probably do is continue to rip my cd collection (over 5000!!!) and get the Squeezebox for a client, using only the digital outs and a converter of higher quality.

I'm hoping that their software sounds better than iTunes!

Which, while not having a very good "sound" is still way better that Windows Media Player which blows even more chunks!

But this has been a fun learning experience! I really appreciate all the input for my fellow Axiomites. I hope others who, like me, have been waiting for the right time to integrate a computer into their playback system have gotten some good suggestions from this thread.

I may still spring some serious $ for a Sonos or some other higher end server device, but I feel that it's still a fluid and ever developing audio endeavor.

I will keep you all updated on my progress.

i a simple western digital 1TB NAS, i have created several folders on it labled

My HDTracks Music (these are hi-rez FLAC albums downloaded from the site in 192/96/88.2khz and 24/16bit)

WMA Lossless (these are the format that i rip my CD's into for listening 44.1khz/16bit)

MP3 (MP3's are, well, MP3's i do create them or download them at 256kb or 320kb if available)

B&W Society of Sound (high rez music from the B&W site 96khz/24bit)

all of the content of these files are viewable from my Onkyo 5507 pre-amp via my 1GB wired/wireless network. it is also available to all the PC's on my network throught the house via wi-fi too as I have a wireless N Accesspoint.

it's very simple, easy to setup (from a pc or mac)and i also have it setup so that i can listen to anything i have from anywhere in the world that there's internet access. i can log into my NAS from outside the network--either work, at a hotel and listen to my music. i also have pictures and video on there too. it makes things easy for the family to upload pictures and videos for all of use to share and see and NOT have to have a pc on (acting as a server) to do it.

best of luck.

Add a web interface so you can control different zones from the network and you're done. Oh, and make the receiver $500.

Hey Audiosavant et al.,

here's my 2 cents worth. Hope it helps!

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/category/Equipment/Music-Servers
info about music servers if you decide to change your setup from a DIY server

https://www.hdtracks.com/index.php
good source for hi res tracks - the only thing I dislike is that I don't get a physical copy of the cd/vinyl. =(

http://www.exactaudiocopy.de/
aka EAC and a free flac ripper for windows - this is what I use for ripping my cds and essential software imo.

http://tmkk.pv.land.to/xld/index_e.html
since you're using a Mac, XLD is the EAC (above) equivalent. If you want a concise setup guide please let me know and I'll email you the instructions. All audiophile level ripping should be done this way cause it'll save you close to 20% in terms of hard disk space and it's exactly the same quality as .wav or .aiff formats. With 5000+ cds that's roughly 750Gbs! Yikes! (I'm actually quite envious to tell you the truth)

http://www.dbpoweramp.com/
alternative, but not free, flac ripper for windows

http://www.foobar2000.org/
free music player/organizer for Windows - really, really recommend this for windows based computers

With regards to iTunes - if you download their music, it's in AAC format which is why the sound's sooo bad. It's not the iTunes player per se. I hate that organizer by the way. Much prefer foobar cause it's pretty minimalist and much more customizable if you want it to be.

[b7]fLuid

p.s. I'm about to post my audio setup, and I'd like to get some feedback. I think you might see why I prefer the idea/option of a Home Audio Personal Computer (HAPC) setup to that of a dedicated media server.

You should look into an UnRaid Server, http://www.lime-technology.com/. I've been using one for about 4yrs now. It's very simple to operate and works flawlessly. You can start out with two drives, one is parity and one data. When you run out of room, simply pop in another drive of any size and type as long as it's smaller than the parity drive. I currently have 10TB of drive space with my server capable of going up to 30TB. If any one drive fails, pop in a new one and the data is rebuilt.

I store all my full copy blu rays and dvd's as well as music ripped to wma lossless and flac. I then run an HTPC with Windows 7 and MCE.