Tidal and WiMP through your software player of choice

[jhwalker]

My Kodi add ons for Tidal and Qobuz will allow you to feed the tracks to HQPlayer where you can upsample them if you've set up HQPlayer to do that.

 

I have the Tidal plug-in working (thank you!), but where can we find an up-to-date version of the Qobuz plug-in?

 

I looked at your github link and see an older version of the Qobuz code - trying to implement it in Kodi, though, results in an error ("Add-on does not have the correct structure").

 

Again, thank you so much for this - very enjoyable.

[nodolby]

How do I know that sounds hqplayer, if every time open itunes.

Help me.

[Geoffrey Armstrong]

I have the Tidal plug-in working (thank you!), but where can we find an up-to-date version of the Qobuz plug-in?

Please pm me.

[stabia]

Hello Geoff

I've a problem on Tidal with HQ Player: Kodi loads always only a part of an album into HQPlayer, also with the last version of your script.

There is this error in the log:

21:47:22 T:2940 NOTICE: -->Python Interpreter Initialized<--

21:47:24 T:2940 ERROR: C:\Users\maurizio\AppData\Roaming\Kodi\addons\script.module.requests\lib\requests\packages\urllib3\util\ssl_.py:79: InsecurePlatformWarning: A true SSLContext object is not available. This prevents urllib3 from configuring SSL appropriately and may cause certain SSL connections to fail. For more information, see https://urllib3.readthedocs.org/en/latest/security.html#insecureplatformwarning.

InsecurePlatformWarning

 

 

Maurizio

[ted_b]

I have an email into you Geoff. Thanks.

[jhwalker]

So my feedback is way different than most I guess. Not that I am not pleased with Geoffrey's incredibly generous work. But....

 

1) the Tidal interface on Kodi is very very rudimentary. No browsing of artists, etc (other than going to the search menu). You just have to hope that a genre listing or recommended playlist listing gets you something you'd like to listen to. Seems like going to the library but books aren't really arranged, just on favorites table. I must be missing something.

 

2) when I do find something , even if HQPlayer is loaded and up, it closes it and starts a new one (and I am still on the trial copy so I get that trial countdown and then press ok...this happens with every music choice!!). I am not a new HQPlayer user, just new on this pc (although been using it happily for 10 days or so here..great player). For example, I tried to search on John Coltrane and pulled up his Impulse Albums: Vol 3. When I attempted to see what was in it the action was taken as a playlist pick, so it attempted to load to HQplayer (even though I was still in the act of browsing). And then HQPlayer tried to load like 20 times (countdown to one, then restarted, over and over).

 

3) furthermore, the "version" of HQPlayer ii pulls up is missing my device setup and my library (which is not small; 6TB of stereo music), so it is useless to me (until I set the exaSound as ASIO, etc). i reloaded the library (no small task) and it did it AGAIN!! (re-started, countdown to ok, no library, etc etc). Argh. At least the device setup was kept.

 

4) then...when I go to change a sample rate or modulator/filter setting, the ugly URL-looking playlist (no idea what the actual songs are) disappears and I'm stuck doing it all over again (and yes, I did the "streaming.xml" export into the temp folder but the last it pulled up was set at 96K when I exported 352.8k? Filter was fine)

 

5) Kodi does not close when I try to close it (i.e I can't re-open, so I must go to task manager and kill it)

 

Not worth the incredible hassle to me. I'm out...thanks. Was hoping to report on it for the article. I won't say anything (good or bad).

 

I experience all the same problems, but I guess I expect less

 

If I want a bulletproof experience, I use iTunes. For a little bit better sound (in my mind), I use JRiver, but lose a bit of stability Audirvana is one step better, but still buggy. Best sound is HQPlayer . . . but each step brings about more hassles and hoops to jump through.

 

As HQPlayer itself is already quite a bit of hassle, jumping through a few extra hoops to use Tidal with it is just that . . . a few more hoops.

[Geoffrey Armstrong]

Hello Geoff

I've a problem on Tidal with HQ Player: Kodi loads always only a part of an album into HQPlayer, also with the last version of your script.

There is this error in the log:

21:47:22 T:2940 NOTICE: -->Python Interpreter Initialized<--

21:47:24 T:2940 ERROR: C:\Users\maurizio\AppData\Roaming\Kodi\addons\script.module.requests\lib\requests\packages\urllib3\util\ssl_.py:79: InsecurePlatformWarning: A true SSLContext object is not available. This prevents urllib3 from configuring SSL appropriately and may cause certain SSL connections to fail. For more information, see https://urllib3.readthedocs.org/en/latest/security.html#insecureplatformwarning.

InsecurePlatformWarning

 

 

Maurizio

 

Thanks for providing the log Maurizio; but I don't think those errors have anything to do with Tidal Audiophile.

 

I can only load 35 minutes worth of tracks into HQPlayer at one time. Once those have played, after a short interlude the next batch of tracks (if there are any left) from the Album or Playlist you selected should be automatically loaded.

 

The reason for this is that these streaming services periodically recycle their urls. If I loaded all of them beyond the limit, once the time limit had passed the remaining tracks simply wouldn't play, because their urls are no longer valid.

 

How did I determine this time limit? Simply from listening. Qobuz is actually more generous as it works out to about 45mins, which covers a lot of albums recorded in the "classic album" (pre-cd) era.

 

You can control the length of the interlude with the interlude slider in the addon on settings which is part of the version in the last link I provided.

[ted_b]

I don't find HQplayer (normal use) a hassle at all! And of course not JRiver, but then I produced setup videos so duh.

 

I removed my diatribe here cuz it wasn't fair to Geoff (and instead sent them to his email to work at offline). I likely have 90% of the issues as pilot error or setup error due to the trial nature of my copy of HQPlayer.

[Geoffrey Armstrong]

I have an email into you Geoff. Thanks.

 

Let me answer each of your points as best I can Ted:

 

1) the Tidal interface on Kodi is very very rudimentary. No browsing of artists, etc (other than going to the search menu). You just have to hope that a genre listing or recommended playlist listing gets you something you'd like to listen to. Seems like going to the library but books aren't really arranged, just on favorites table. I must be missing something.

 

You're not missing anything. I built this on top of the original WiMP addon for Kodi which several other people also contributed to. It is not ideal and I suggest you use the Tidal desktop and/or mobile apps to set up playlists and favourites; etc. These will then immediately show up within the addon.

 

2) when I do find something , even if HQPlayer is loaded and up, it closes it and starts a new one (and I am still on the trial copy so I get that trial countdown and then press ok...this happens with every music choice!!). I am not a new HQPlayer user, just new on this pc (although been using it happily for 10 days or so here..great player)

 

I have to quit and reload HQPlayer each time I load a new batch of tracks (or when you just select one track to play). This is because with HQPlayer a new instance of HQP would be launched each time otherwise. If you experiment with other players, such as J River or Foobar in combination with this add on, there is no quitting or restarting. The next batch of tracks simply replaces or is added to the current playlist within those players.

 

I didn't realise you were already a seasoned HQPlayer user.

 

3) furthermore, the "version" of HQPlayer ii pulls up is missing my device setup and my library (which is not small; 6TB of stereo music), so it is useless to me (until I set the exaSound as ASIO, etc). i reloaded the library (no small task) and it did it AGAIN!! (re-started, countdown to ok, no library, etc etc). Argh. At least the device setup was kept.

 

Library management in HQPlayer as well as the gui is relatively rudimentary. That is not where Jussi's strength lies. Instead it's with his incredible understanding of DSP related functions which have been allowing us to get better and better sound quality with each new release. In my opinion as far as SQ is concerned it's light years ahead of anything else and continues to surge forward.

 

What I want is to have my cake and eat it. To combine the suberb SQ of HQPlayer with the convenience of steaming service such as Tidal.

 

I also have an add-on for Subsonic, which allows HQPlayer to be used with your local music library (as well as allowing you to access that library remotely, thanks to Subsonic) I'm also working on a solution for iTunes for Mac users that will allow HQP to piggy back onto iTunes.

 

None of these solutions are ideal; but I've come to the conclusion that we're never likely to have one software package that does it all; SQ and convenience. The best we can do is to try to combine these worlds with some glue. All I'm doing is to create some glue scripts.

 

4) then...when I go to change a sample rate or modulator/filter setting, the ugly URL-looking playlist (no idea what the actual songs are) disappears and I'm stuck doing it all over again (and yes, I did the "streaming.xml" export into the temp folder but the last it pulled up was set at 96K when I exported 352.8k? Filter was fine)

 

HQPlayer is not to blame for the ugly urls. As you've already noted, when Tidal provide correct Artist/Album and Track info into their URLs, this shows up in HQP as does the cover art. Tidal are clearly in the process of reformatting their URLs to provide this info and that's a good thing. It's not an issue with Subsonic either.

 

Qobuz provide a wealth of information for each track in their database which could be put to even better use than they are currently, in my opinion; but the actual urls for each track do not contain this information. With more work I'm sure the services will be improved in every respect, including in terms of Meta Data.

 

exporting valid settings to a "steaming.xml" file and storing it in your Kodi temp folder should work. If not, there is either a fault in my software or it's, again related to the trial situation on that machine.

 

5) Kodi does not close when I try to close it (i.e I can't re-open, so I must go to task manager and kill it)

There's a work around for this. Though not idea, it functions. Create a playlist in Tidal and name it "Stop". Add one very short track to it of your choosing. Select this track and it will interrupt whatever is playing in HQP and play the "Stop" track. You have then effectively hit the stop button without having to kill Kodi. It's necessary because, of course, once an album or playlist of greater than 35mins is being processed, Kodi is waiting to send the next batch of tracks, until it's interrupted with a new playlist.

 

Not worth the incredible hassle to me. I'm out...thanks. Was hoping to report on it for the article. I won't say anything (good or bad).

 

I respect your decision and make these points for the benefit of others who do wish to persevere for the goal of incredible sound quality from Tidal; etc.

 

I will just add that in another thread here one of the chief reasons that keep coming up for people not taking the plunge on Tidal is that despite being lossless the SQ still falls far short of what they obtain from ripped CD's.

 

That's because there is a plethora of software out there that has allowed us to get the best from files on our hard drive.

 

What I've set out to do is close that gap. There is now no difference between a redbook file on your hard drive played through HQP and the same file residing on your hard drive using the same HQP settings. (Provided of course, the files are from the same master).

[ted_b]

Geoff, Thanks. Yes, Jussi's work in HQPlayer is clearly about sq (otherwise we wouldn't put up with the more-technical nature of some of the other pieces of the design ). The missing library comments were not really about Jussi's library mgmt. It's rudimentary but it at least stays put. That's all I ask of it. The issue I had is that the Tidal call up seemed to create a version that had no library and initially no device settings (neither of which ever happened before)...i.e a new untouched HQP.

 

I think you meant, in the last paragraph, to say that redbook sounds the same whether "streamed from a service" or on one's hard drive...assuming same master and same HQP settings.

[nodolby]

How do I know if it's really hqplayer playing ???

I tried turning the volume knob, but nothing changes.

I'm frustrated.-

[nodolby]

Also, make sure you move HQ Player from Application to Ramdisk and you haven't changed HQ Player from the default name of HQPlayerDesktop.

 

How do you move hq player in ramdisk???

[fordski]

Great! Strange that it's working for some and not for others. Glad it's working for you Rick.

 

The slider is necessary because the timing that's needed will depend on many factors including HQPlayer settings.

 

Hi Geoff

 

I've been doing a fair bit of listening today and it's been working well playing from Ramdisk. Every once in awhile it stutters but I think that's related to Tidal itself as I had the same issue with Amarra SQ+. I'm quite happy to do a little extra work to get the SQ offered by HQPlayer.

 

I've been using your suggestion to use the Tidal app on an IOS device to search for and create favourites and playlists. It works fine as they'll show up in the menu item My music on the Tidal Audiophile Menu either as My playlists or Favourites (Artists, etc.) almost immediately.

 

Just a little curiosity, do you think there would be any advantage or even be possible to play the playlist (TidalNow.m3u8) from Ramdisk?

[Jabs1542]

Geoffrey,

 

I'm having trouble with a Windows PC, running Windows 8.1. I have installed the add on and can get Tidal to play through Kodi. However when I try to enable "Audiophile (uses external player)" I can see my Playlists and select the one I want but it wont load any tracks. I thought that maybe HQP was taking too long with a longer playlist so I created a playlist with one track, still no load.

 

I then went and looked at the Ramdisk, I can see a folder named Temp but nothing is in it. It seems the playlist should have been placed there (total guess on my part).

 

Tidal Audiophile Settings:

Audiophile (uses external player) = On

Shuffle (Tracks in playlist) = off

Sample (Play 1 random track from each album in a playlist) = off

Repeat = off

Use HQPlayer if available = On

Use Ram Disk (must be named Ramdisk) On Windows use drive R: = On

 

For reference I am long time HQP customer and it works as planned on its own.

Tidal works properly as well - as planned.

 

Thanks for any insight you can provide,

Jay

[fordski]

Geoffrey,

 

I'm having trouble with a Windows PC, running Windows 8.1. I have installed the add on and can get Tidal to play through Kodi. However when I try to enable "Audiophile (uses external player)" I can see my Playlists and select the one I want but it wont load any tracks. I thought that maybe HQP was taking too long with a longer playlist so I created a playlist with one track, still no load.

 

I then went and looked at the Ramdisk, I can see a folder named Temp but nothing is in it. It seems the playlist should have been placed there (total guess on my part).

 

Tidal Audiophile Settings:

Audiophile (uses external player) = On

Shuffle (Tracks in playlist) = off

Sample (Play 1 random track from each album in a playlist) = off

Repeat = off

Use HQPlayer if available = On

Use Ram Disk (must be named Ramdisk) On Windows use drive R: = On

 

For reference I am long time HQP customer and it works as planned on its own.

Tidal works properly as well - as planned.

 

Thanks for any insight you can provide,

Jay

 

Hi Jay

 

If you're using Ramdisk you need to have a copy of HQPlayer in the Ramdisk itself. Of course that means that you must load it every time you boot your computer. I was using Primo Ramdisk in Windows to do this. In my Mac I've just got a script that copies the HQPlayer app into Ramdisk.

 

I'd suggest you get it working without Ramdisk first to make sure the Tidal Add-on is loading the playlist and starting HQPlayer as expected. Once you get it working you'll be pleased!

 

Rick

[Geoffrey Armstrong]

Geoff, Thanks. Yes, Jussi's work in HQPlayer is clearly about sq (otherwise we wouldn't put up with the more-technical nature of some of the other pieces of the design ). The missing library comments were not really about Jussi's library mgmt. It's rudimentary but it at least stays put. That's all I ask of it. The issue I had is that the Tidal call up seemed to create a version that had no library and initially no device settings (neither of which ever happened before)...i.e a new untouched HQP.

 

I think you meant, in the last paragraph, to say that redbook sounds the same whether "streamed from a service" or on one's hard drive...assuming same master and same HQP settings.

 

Sorry for my mis-understanding. I know what the problem is here; the library in HQPlayer is actually incorporated in each settings file.

 

Open "streaming.xml" with a text editor and you will see this. So what you need to do is import your library with the "streaming.xml" settings imported, then re-export it.

 

Now each time Tidal Audiophile re-launches HQP, your library should appear.

 

geoff

[Geoffrey Armstrong]

Hi Geoff

 

I've been doing a fair bit of listening today and it's been working well playing from Ramdisk. Every once in awhile it stutters but I think that's related to Tidal itself as I had the same issue with Amarra SQ+. I'm quite happy to do a little extra work to get the SQ offered by HQPlayer.

 

I've been using your suggestion to use the Tidal app on an IOS device to search for and create favourites and playlists. It works fine as they'll show up in the menu item My music on the Tidal Audiophile Menu either as My playlists or Favourites (Artists, etc.) almost immediately.

 

Just a little curiosity, do you think there would be any advantage or even be possible to play the playlist (TidalNow.m3u8) from Ramdisk?

 

Hi Rick,

 

That's a very good question. Edward (eurodriver) and I have been making some comparisons between HQPlayer in Ramdisk, music files on SSD and Music files on ramdisk and HQPlayer in ssd. In those cases HQPlayer in Ramdisk gave the preferred result. It definitely isn't a good idea to put both the music files and HQP on the ramdisk.

 

Now I know that's not directly relevant to your question. TidalNow.m3u8 is just a text file with a list of urls. Once HQPlayer reads the file into its memory it starts to stream the music from the first url. So I don't think there would be any advantage.

 

You could always test by copying TidalNow.m3u8 into the ramdisk, re-load it into HQP from there and click on the first url to start playing it.

 

If you definitely hear an advantage I don't wouldn't mind adding the necessary code to write the playlist to the Ramdisk when the Ramdick option is chosen.

 

geoff

[Geoffrey Armstrong]

My sincere apologies to any Linux users. I did the fix; but somehow uploaded the wrong version in the Dropbox link I provided.

 

 

My only excuse is that I’m on Easter vacation with my Wife and Daughter and trying to offer this support as time permits. The internet connection is also not so great at the rural hotel.

 

 

I’ve double and triple checked this time, so please install the attached version and let me know.

 

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/86110007/software/plugin.audio.tidalplus.zip

 

Thanks to Eric for pointing this out and sending his log file.

 

This only effects Linux users.

 

Thanks,

 

geoff

[stabia]

Thanks for providing the log Maurizio; but I don't think those errors have anything to do with Tidal Audiophile.

 

I can only load 35 minutes worth of tracks into HQPlayer at one time. Once those have played, after a short interlude the next batch of tracks (if there are any left) from the Album or Playlist you selected should be automatically loaded.

 

The reason for this is that these streaming services periodically recycle their urls. If I loaded all of them beyond the limit, once the time limit had passed the remaining tracks simply wouldn't play, because their urls are no longer valid.

 

How did I determine this time limit? Simply from listening. Qobuz is actually more generous as it works out to about 45mins, which covers a lot of albums recorded in the "classic album" (pre-cd) era.

 

You can control the length of the interlude with the interlude slider in the addon on settings which is part of the version in the last link I provided.

 

Thanks Geoffrey, it works fine. You have done an excellent job.

 

Maurizio

[ted_b]

Sorry for my mis-understanding. I know what the problem is here; the library in HQPlayer is actually incorporated in each settings file.

 

Open "streaming.xml" with a text editor and you will see this. So what you need to do is import your library with the "streaming.xml" settings imported, then re-export it.

 

Now each time Tidal Audiophile re-launches HQP, your library should appear.

 

geoff

 

But my streaming.xml already has my library in it, and my device settings (I can see them in notepad)...which makes sense cuz my HQPlayer was set sup and worked long before I added Kodi. So I exported "streaming.xml" indeed long after setting up my library and device. So I am unsure what to do now. Re-import streaming.xml into HQPlayer then immediately export it again? Should this file (Windows) indeed be in users/admin/apdata/roaming/kodi/cache/temp or just cache? Your instructions on page one stop (for Windows) is slightly left to interpretation:

 

You can also export those settings and give them the name "streaming.xml"

 

Save it to the Kodi temp folder, which on Mac is your user folder, the Kodi hidden folder and temp (~/.Kodi/temp/)

 

On Windows it's your user folder then AppData/Roaming/Kodi/Cache/

 

geoff

 

Edit/Update: I tried it in the cache folder, but it keeps using a setup that must be coming from one called PCM.xml that lives in cache (a quick setup that I must have done that has DAC device is fine, and modulator is fine, but library is missing). So I deleted that PCM.xml one and the next time HQP simply came back as raw/not set up (i.e no device, internal WASAPI driver, no library, no settings). I can't find a place where the streaming xml is used/seen. Cache or temp seems to make no difference.

 

It's almost as if I should make my library while in that PCM.xml mode, then it will be part of that xml and will be seen next. I will try that. However, since HQP is called up so many times during Tidal use I have realized that it is simply not important to have my library there since playing a local song would require a re-start of HQP anyway....so why not just close Kodi and restart HQP normally (which then includes my normal HQP image..library and all).

[Geoffrey Armstrong]

Thanks Geoffrey, it works fine. You have done an excellent job.

 

Maurizio

 

Thanks. So glad it's working well for you Maurizio!

[Geoffrey Armstrong]

Edit/Update: I tried it in the cache folder, but it keeps using a setup that must be coming from one calledPCM.xml that lives in cache (a quick setup that I must have done that has DAC device is fine, and modulator is fine, but library is missing). So I deleted that PCM.xml one and the next time HQP simply came back as raw/not set up (i.e no device, internal WASAPI driver, no library, no settings). I can't find a place where the streaming xml is used/seen. Cache or temp seems to make no difference.

 

I just discovered that my software was actually looking for a settings file named "pcm.xml" Quite a coincidence; but true. NOT "streaming.xml" as I previously advised and as it should be. So this is entirely my fault. Apologies!

 

This shows how invaluable your testing (and everyone else's is). I've been using my addons for months and testing at the same time. It's in the nature of software development that it's not until we send it out into the real world that these sort of problems get picked up.

 

Could everyone please download this version:

 

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/86110007/software/plugin.audio.tidalplus.zip

 

…which indeed looks for "streaming.xml"

 

Thanks,

 

geoff

[ted_b]

On Windows it should be the AppData/Roaming/Kodi/Cache, i.e. the Cache directory. I'll do some more testing of this on Windows when I get home, since I only have my Mac Air with Yosemite installed while travelling.

 

Ok, yes seems like that's right cuz although there is a temp folder under cache (and you said "temp folder" in the instructions, which threw me) the active settings XML (in my case "PCM.xml") lives in cache. I did go ahead and add a tree (a small fraction of my library, just to test) to the HQP that came up via Tidal and sure enough it showed up next time HQP did, so I am not worried about streaming.xml now, regardless. It would be nice to know why it isn't being seen, but that's just for curiosity.

[ted_b]

Couldn't edit my post that used Geoff's earlier posting, not his edited one. Time travel is so confusing.

 

So....... I am glad I was of some help uncovering the PCM.xml thing. I downloaded the new one and it loads properly. Thanks. It still, however, loses the playlist with any movement within HQP whatsoever, even something as inert as opening the settings window and then simply pressing cancel (i.e closing the window after having done nothing).

[ericuco]

My sincere apologies to any Linux users. I did the fix; but somehow uploaded the wrong version in the Dropbox link I provided.

 

 

My only excuse is that I’m on Easter vacation with my Wife and Daughter and trying to offer this support as time permits. The internet connection is also not so great at the rural hotel.

 

 

I’ve double and triple checked this time, so please install the attached version and let me know.

 

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/86110007/software/plugin.audio.tidalplus.zip

 

Thanks to Eric for pointing this out and sending his log file.

 

This only effects Linux users.

 

Thanks,

 

geoff

 

The Linux version is working!! Thanks Geoff.

 

It does suffer from the same issues as those mentioned in earlier threads but I have been able to convert & upsample the Tidal FLAC files to DSD128.