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Minimserver in NAS->USB->DAC. How does it work if no hardware renderer?


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Hi, I just installed minimserver in my Synology NAS 216play.

 

 

My config is minimserver in NAS -> USB -> DAC. No additional hardware streamer like computer to DAC. I downloaded the control point BubbleUPnP in my android. I can see the albums. However, I cannot play them. What else I need to setup? I am OK to listen music using synology DS audio, but the quality is not good.

 

 

I don't know how to config minimserver so that I can output music (whatever formats, wav, flac, dsf) thru USB to DAC. Don't know which uPnP apps I can use in my android phone too. I tried BubbleDS Next, BubbleUPnP, Kinsky.....all can only browse minimserver's album list, but cannot select the DAC as the output device. As in the app, my DAC is not in the list.....just my AV amp/my phone are in the list for song output.

 

 

Can anymore share the experience on using minimserver on NAS->USB->DAC setup?

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MinimServer will not output music via USB. It only works as a UPnP streamer to a separate renderer.

Eloise

---

...in my opinion / experience...

While I agree "Everything may matter" working out what actually affects the sound is a trickier thing.

And I agree "Trust your ears" but equally don't allow them to fool you - trust them with a bit of skepticism.

keep your mind open... But mind your brain doesn't fall out.

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You will need a renderer for BubbleUPnP to output to.

 

Either DAC has to be wireless... or AVR (most these days are), or you can use something like Chromecast Audio (optical Toslink) to make the DAC wireless.

Next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world - Martin Luther

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Unfortunately, I don't have a Synology NAS to verify, but isn't its Audio Station music player application supposed to support playback from UPnP/DLNA media servers through the NAS's USB audio output, using the DS Audio app? Synology's Service & Support page, states:

"With Audio Station, you can also browse and play songs on the DLNA-certified Digital Media Servers"

"Audio Station can play music with live lyrics display through USB or Bluetooth speakers connected to your Synology NAS"

"To connect to Audio Station via mobile devices, you can download DS audio with iOS/Android devices or Windows Phone"

https://www.synology.com/en-global/knowledgebase/DSM/help/AudioStation/AudioStation2_desc

 

It's possible that the actual issue is that the Synology NAS's Audio Station (software) music player is a Digital Media Player (DMP) and not a Digital Media Renderer (DMR). Only a DMR can be used with UPnP/DLNA controllers, such as the BubbleUPnP Android app, which 'push' the music files to the UPnP renderer from the UPnP media server.

 

A DMP streams from UPnP/DLNA media servers by 'pulling' the music files to itself, ie, if it is controlled with its own user interface, so would include using its own remote control, such as the DS Audio app. The DS Audio app is a remote control specifically for the Audio Station player and is not a UPnP controller.

 

Incidentally, UPnP/DLNA streamers (hardware and software ones) are not restricted to being just a DMR or just a DMP, as some can be both a DMR and a DMP.

We are far more united and have far more in common with each other than things that divide us.

-- Jo Cox

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Synology NAS includes Audiostation, a simple media player with a remote contol app for Android and Iphone called DS Audio. Assuming your NAS includes it and a USB port, you can connect your asynch USB DAC directly to the NAS and remote control playback selection from Diskstation... this would not use Minimserver. For sound quality you are better off following the instructions on the site for how to build a Beaglebone black streamer...the $75 spent on that will allow you to use Minimserver and sound far better.

Regards,

Dave

 

Audio system

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Dave, as I've said I don't have a Synology NAS to test, but the info on the Synology site does say that you can browse and play music from DLNA media servers on the Audio Station player.

 

Also, anecdotal references to MinimServer displayed in Audio Station on the MinimServer forums, eg:

http://forum.minimserver.com/showthread.php?tid=2885&pid=19515#pid19515

 

Hopefully someone will be able to varify this.

 

John

We are far more united and have far more in common with each other than things that divide us.

-- Jo Cox

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Dave, as I've said I don't have a Synology NAS to test, but the info on the Synology site does say that you can browse and play music from DLNA media servers on the Audio Station player.

 

Also, anecdotal references to MinimServer displayed in Audio Station on the MinimServer forums, eg:

Minimstreamer installed, not found on NAS

 

Hopefully someone will be able to varify this.

 

John

 

I have the DS Audio app on my iPhone; it doesn't allow you to change the library source, only the output destination ( iphone, USB out on Synology, UPNP streamers)

Regards,

Dave

 

Audio system

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Hi all,

 

Thanks for the tutorial. Seems only a hardware renderer is needed in between NAS and DAC. Per my reading from minimserver web: About UPnP AV I understand a complete UPnP system needs to have 3 components a) Server (i.e. minimserver on my NAS), b) Renderer c) Control Point.

 

The wiki link in the minimserver i.e. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UPnP_AV_media_servers_and_clients

It mentioned Android's BubbleUPNP is a UPNP/DLNA Server, Controller and Renderer. I "guess" the BubbleUPnP app can act as the software renderer function.

 

That's how I tried....but not work. I am sure a hardware renderer e.g. mac mini, raspberry pi, cubox...etc must work. I just want to know what's wrong in my concept/setup....

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Hi Relex,

 

Firstly, I think it's a bit too simplistic to say that a (DAC-less) dedicated hardware UPnP renderer is "needed in betwen NAS and DAC". It is perhaps more accurate to say that it is needed between network and DAC, because the UPnP renderer needs a network connection to the UPnP control point as well as a network connection to the UPnP media server, which may well be running (but not necessarily) on the NAS and managing the music files stored on the NAS.

 

Yes, the BubbleUPnP Android app does have a UPnP renderer and a UPnP media server in addition to its more commonly used component of a UPnP control point. However, a software UPnP renderer can only work on the device it's running on, since it is essentially music file decoding & playing software. Of course, the UPnP renderer software has also been designed to access the network so that it can be controlled by any UPnP control point running on that network, to obtain the music files to play on the device it's running on, by network streaming them from any UPnP media server on the same network.

 

That means, the BubbleUPnP app's (so software) UPnP renderer running on your Android phone, turns the phone itself into the UPnP renderer (and not any other device on the network). So if you wanted to use the BubbleUPnP app's UPnP renderer in your set up, you'd have to physically connect the Android phone's digital audio output (if it has one) to your DAC. In other words, in exactly the same place as a dedicated hardware UPnP renderer. You certainly would not be able to get the UPnP renderer, running on and playing on the Android phone, to then be able to somehow redirect the phone's audio output over the network so that it would also output on the NAS's connection to the DAC.

 

BTW, those devices you mentioned as examples of "hardware renderers" (Mac mini, Raspberry Pi, Cubox, ... etc) are actually 'computers', so would need to be running UPnP renderer software! After all your Android phone is similarly just another computer. In fact, if you somehow managed to install and run some UPnP renderer software actually on that NAS 'computer' of yours, you'd be on the right lines of achieving your original concept.

We are far more united and have far more in common with each other than things that divide us.

-- Jo Cox

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Hi Relex,

 

to be able to use Synology NAS USB output directly to your DAC you have to use dedicated Synology Audio Station app in your control device, it won't work with 3d party apps, if you tried it and didn't work problem might be compatibility of your USB chip inside/outside of your DAC with Synology NAS, can you tell us brand of your DAC/USB? I had no issue streaming music from NAS directly to my USB DAC but sound quality wasn't at expected level plus Synology app isn't my cap of tee...

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