Auralic Lightning DS App (Software) - Impressions and Information

[ksalno]

When initializing my nas library (Synology 413j) I get the following which hangs continuously without being able to fully load the library ... Have searched my Synology for this Apple double file without any luck... Any ideas? I do not have an aries btw...

 

Interesting. I was copying some files from my Netgear ReadyNAS to another server this past weekend. I doing so I got a number of duplicate file name warnings for this AppleDouble file in various album folders. Not all albums, just a few. I have no idea what this file is but it seems like a hidden file because it is not visible through Windows Explorer when I look at the folders that reported the error messages. Anyone know what this hidden file is used for or how it ended up in my album folders?

[baddog]

Lest anyone would want to know about AppleDouble and potential solutions to fix:

 

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5260367

 

Prune Hidden Files created by OSX (on a Synology DiskStation) | The Thirteen Thirty-Seven

 

Removing .AppleDouble files

 

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5260367

 

AppleSingle and AppleDouble formats - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Question, are folks with these issues using both Macs and Windows machine to write to their NAS?

 

And is the NAS volume formatted as an NTFS drive or something else?

 

Regardless the links provided should indicate a path to resolution.

[Cebolla]

Aagh, thanks guys for reminding me how poor my memory is (& how old I'm getting)!

I've seen Mac exclusive file types (eg .AppleDouble) causing problems on a NAS mentioned before on this site (with a solution). Well it was nearly 2 years ago:

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f8-general-forum/network-attached-storage-permissions-issue-15767/

[ksalno]

Question, are folks with these issues using both Macs and Windows machine to write to their NAS?

 

And is the NAS volume formatted as an NTFS drive or something else?

 

Regardless the links provided should indicate a path to resolution.

 

Thanks for the links, will take a look and get this cleaned up.

 

Yes, I am using both Win PCs and Mac Minis in my network. All running JRMC. My ReadyNAS is using RAID 5 and the ReadyNAS does all the drive formatting, so I really don't not what file types are used. I assume it is not NTFS, since I don't think Macs can access NTFS file types.

[Rotur]

Lest anyone would want to know about AppleDouble and potential solutions to fix:

 

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5260367

 

Prune Hidden Files created by OSX (on a Synology DiskStation) | The Thirteen Thirty-Seven

 

Removing .AppleDouble files

 

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5260367

 

AppleSingle and AppleDouble formats - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Question, are folks with these issues using both Macs and Windows machine to write to their NAS?

 

And is the NAS volume formatted as an NTFS drive or something else?

 

Regardless the links provided should indicate a path to resolution.

 

Thank you for the links but in re indexing via SSH actually introduced new .AppleDouble files... Not sure where to go from here

[dr.sah]

DS V1.8 is out.

[baddog]

While i have not used TinkerTool, this tool is supposed to allow you to disable the creation of AppleDouble files:

 

It is located here.

 

You will probably still have to delete the existing files from your NAS.

 

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[TD]Disable the creation of hidden Finder .DS_Store files on network volumes

 

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[wdw]

DS V1.8 is out.

Do we know what the update addresses?

[baddog]

Per Auralic:

 

The Lightning DS V1.8 is now available to update in Apple App Store. The new software with our coming firmware V2.2 will improve the device discoverability a lot. We are expecting much less drop off in this new version.

[wdw]

Per Auralic:

 

The Lightning DS V1.8 is now available to update in Apple App Store. The new software with our coming firmware V2.2 will improve the device discoverability a lot. We are expecting much less drop off in this new version.

 

I use my Aries connected by ethernet to an Airport Express as a portal for the iPad control by DS with a USB attached bus-powered drive...wifi off...but then Auralic claims the Aries sounds better via wifi...is this so? That is counterintuative to me.

[baddog]

Yes indeed, they do believe the quality of sound is better with Wi-Fi as opposed to ethernet. I have tried both, I did not do any extensive A/B testing. I did not notice a perceptible difference between wired vs wireless. Thus I kept my connection wireless as that is more convenient for me, and the quality of my wi-fi network is very good with a 450 Mbps TX Rate where the Aries is located.

 

MY recommendation, if you are curious, is to try it both ways and determine if you can hear any difference.

 

Oh, and in my case I have all music Music on a NAS, which is located on a different floor, wired via ethernet to my Apple Extreme (802.11ac version).

[scan80269]

My apology if the following has been asked before.

 

I noticed some differences in the way Lightning DS displays the tech details of a playing track: sampling rate, bit depth & streaming bit rate.

 

For example, when playing a 24/192 FLAC track from a NAS running MinimServer, LDS displays:

 

192Khz 32bit 9.216Mbps (fixed)

 

When playing the same track from a USB flash drive plugged into Aries, LDS displays:

 

192kHz 24bit 5.7-7Mbps (varying)

 

It appears in one case LDS displays the decompressed bit rate (along with "32bit" for bit depth) but for the other case it is the FLAC compressed bit rate, which varies.

 

The situation is similar while playing 16/44.1 FLAC files, though the bit depth is correctly displayed as 16bit in both scenarios.

 

My Aries has latest v2.1 firmware and LDS is v1.8.

 

Can all this be explained by functional differences between MinimServer and LightningServer? Just trying to understand this a bit better.

[wanta911]

My apology if the following has been asked before.

 

I noticed some differences in the way Lightning DS displays the tech details of a playing track: sampling rate, bit depth & streaming bit rate.

 

For example, when playing a 24/192 FLAC track from a NAS running MinimServer, LDS displays:

 

192Khz 32bit 9.216Mbps (fixed)

 

When playing the same track from a USB flash drive plugged into Aries, LDS displays:

 

192kHz 24bit 5.7-7Mbps (varying)

 

 

Are you transcoding to WAV through Minimserver? If I recall correctly, mine started displaying that way once I added Minimstreamer.

[scan80269]

Are you transcoding to WAV through Minimserver? If I recall correctly, mine started displaying that way once I added Minimstreamer.

 

Thanks for the pointer, wanta911! That was it! I had forgotten about having added MinimStreamer to play with FLAC-to-WAV transcoding.

 

With MinimStreamer removed, there is no difference in the display between playing from MinimServer and LightningServer now.

 

Thanks again!

[FIndingit]

Device discoverability really is better now. I had to use Lumin app every time I switched Aries to wireless, now I can use Lightning. The problem was my router configuration or something related to it, I'm sure, but now everything is as it should be.

[guildenstern]

Help, please. I have an Aries on the way. My music library is on Synology DS213 NAS. The library is currently tied to iTunes and to the Sonos system in my house.

 

Can I just direct Lightning DS access the music library on the Synology NAS as is? Or do I first have to install MinimServer on the NAS?

 

If I install MinimServer on the NAS, then will the NAS still work with iTunes and Sonos?

 

I have read the Lightning DS user guide, and been going through various forum posts, and now I'm more confused than when I started. Any guidance appreciated.

[baddog]

Help, please. I have an Aries on the way. My music library is on Synology DS213 NAS. The library is currently tied to iTunes and to the Sonos system in my house.

 

Can I just direct Lightning DS access the music library on the Synology NAS as is? Or do I first have to install MinimServer on the NAS?

 

If I install MinimServer on the NAS, then will the NAS still work with iTunes and Sonos?

 

I have read the Lightning DS user guide, and been going through various forum posts, and now I'm more confused than when I started. Any guidance appreciated.

 

When the v2.0 Lightning DS application is released you could access the NAS and music library directly from the Aries using the built in Lightning Server. I don't know when Auralic will be releasing v2.0 of the Lightning DS application. So you would be able to do so without any other changes. The NAS should still work in iTunes and Sonos ( though so you are aware I do not have that setup in my system).

 

If however you receive the Aries prior to the release of the v.2.0 Lightning DS application than yes, you could install Minimserver on your NAS, and it would serve as the music server for the Aries. I would again believe you could also continue to run iTunes and the Sonos. I don't know what would happen if you tried to use both at the same time.

 

There is other music server software you could use in lieu of Minimserver, including one that is bundled with the Synology ( I cannot recall the name off hand ), it does appear that most folks who have an Aries and a Synology NAS are using the Minimserver software which is a great software package.

 

BTW, I assume you have the iTunes database on a PC/Mac and you have it configured to read the music files from the Synology NAS, is that correct?

 

Barr

[guildenstern]

 

If however you receive the Aries prior to the release of the v.2.0 Lightning DS application than yes, you could install Minimserver on your NAS, and it would serve as the music server for the Aries. I would again believe you could also continue to run iTunes and the Sonos. I don't know what would happen if you tried to use both at the same time.

 

BTW, I assume you have the iTunes database on a PC/Mac and you have it configured to read the music files from the Synology NAS, is that correct?

 

Barr

 

Thanks for your reply. Yes, I use iTunes on PC, and my Music Library for iTunes is on the Synology NAS.

 

I'll have the Aries in a few days. It sounds like I might have to install MinimServer. If anyone is aware of a set of simple, plain English, easy-to-follow instructions to install MinimServer on the Synology NAS, I'd appreciate a link or reference. I don't have the background knowledge needed to understand the instructions at this link: Installing MinimServer on a Synology NAS

[baddog]

Thanks for your reply. Yes, I use iTunes on PC, and my Music Library for iTunes is on the Synology NAS.

 

I'll have the Aries in a few days. It sounds like I might have to install MinimServer. If anyone is aware of a set of simple, plain English, easy-to-follow instructions to install MinimServer on the Synology NAS, I'd appreciate a link or reference. I don't have the background knowledge needed to understand the instructions at this link: Installing MinimServer on a Synology NAS

 

 

Hi, I think I do have a relatively simple set of instructions for you to follow in regards to installation of Minimserver. I will PM you so I can email them to you.

 

Barr

[ksalno]

Thanks for your reply. Yes, I use iTunes on PC, and my Music Library for iTunes is on the Synology NAS.

 

I'll have the Aries in a few days. It sounds like I might have to install MinimServer. If anyone is aware of a set of simple, plain English, easy-to-follow instructions to install MinimServer on the Synology NAS, I'd appreciate a link or reference. I don't have the background knowledge needed to understand the instructions at this link: Installing MinimServer on a Synology NAS

 

In addition to the MinimServer, you will need to install a small app on your PC called MinimWatch. This is essentially a UI that gets you access to the server running on your NAS so you can check the status, rescan your library after changes (which you have to do manually), change properties, etc.

[maniac]

Hello fellow Aries owners

 

is it only me who is missing features in Lightning DS implementation of Tidal?

 

Some examples od what i'm missing:

- Recent releases of followed artists

- Search for similar artists/music

- Displayed Artist / Album names on many places are not clickable hyperlinks which would make life much easier than manually typing that stuff into the search field

 

I'm not sure if tidal's api would allow it but don't see any reason why not..

 

Are there any rumors about DS2 regarding possible improvement of streaming features? kind of road-map even maybe?

[guildenstern]

In addition to the MinimServer, you will need to install a small app on your PC called MinimWatch. This is essentially a UI that gets you access to the server running on your NAS so you can check the status, rescan your library after changes (which you have to do manually), change properties, etc.

 

Thanks to you and to bplexico. I managed to decipher the directions at Installing MinimServer on a Synology NAS, and have installed MinimServer and MinimWatch -- um, at least I think I have. When the Aries arrives, we'll see whether things are working as they should!

[baddog]

If you have Minimserver running now on the NAS, then you can launch Minimwatch on your PC, and choose "Show Log" from Miminwatch. If the logging level in the Miminwatch application is not already set to "Info" then set it to "Info". The log will indicate whether Minimserver is running successfully.

 

It may also show some errors depending on the meta data and other factors in regards to your music files. Don't be overly alarmed at what you see.

 

Also, if you want to see the music library itself in advance of getting your Aries, you could download the Linn Kinsky or Kazoo application to your PC, and configure it for the music library running on your NAS ( Minimserver ). It should locate it and be able to list out your albums, etc.

 

The Linn applications can be found here.

[Murrayb]

No, Maniac, I'm with you. I too am hoping that Auralic improves upon the Tidal portion of their App. Features like the ones you suggested are good. I'd also like to see searching by genre in order to scroll through and discover new music.

 

Does anyone know if there are any plans to incorporate other streaming services?

[baddog]

Slightly off topic. But for those who from time to time wish to control the Aries from their Mac/PC, I had been using the Linn Kinsky application for quite some time. They had released Kazoo, but I couldn't get it to work properly. I downloaded it today and it works! And other than the fact you cannot right click to select Play/Play Now, it is a much improved interface (compared to the Kinsky application), much easier to sort through artists and albums, and now has a search feature. And if you use say both Minimserver plus have a USB drive attached using Lightning Server, you can toggle between music servers.

 

Barr