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Mac Mini help and questions


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Hi there,

I am knew to this process and I am sure this has been covered but I have a hard time uncovering the answers. As many before me, I am interested in in developing a computer based music service system to complement my vinyl rig.

I am interested in using the mac mini and some USB based Dac to accomplish this, but I have some unanswered questions about the mini. Of course, calls to Apple have produced less than satisfactory answers. Sometimes I not sure they even know the capabilities of their own equipment.

My questions are as follows:

I am not interested in having a monitor in my two-channel listening room. How do I accomplish this with the mac mini? I do have an iMac and an iTouch.

Can i control the mini mac, in terms of itunes with the itouch? If so how? When I access itune son my itouch right now it just goes to the store. How do i see and work with my itunes library on the itouch, if that is possible.

Do i really need a monitor and keyboard to control the mac mini, or can I simply hook it up to my iMac when I want to burn cd's or download music?

Lastly, can i control the mini through my iMac? Meaning, can I access the mini's itunes library and visually display it through my iMac.

I suppose in the end I want to use the mac mini and control it with out having a monitor in my listening room, which for me will distract from the ambiance. I know more knowledgeable folks are doing this so how?

Thanks for your time.

 

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Hi mariasplunge - Yes, yes, and yes you can do all of that :~)

 

You can control iTunes on the Mac Mini with an iPod Touch using the free Apple Remote application available via the App Store. When you launch this app on the iPod Touch it connects to your iTunes library and you can select the songs very easily.

 

A monitor and keyboard are not necessary but can come in handy sometimes.With your iMac you can use the built in screen sharing function and remote control the complete screen on the Mini. I don't have a monitor in my listening room. I use a MacBook Air to control my Mac Pro server that's in the adjacent room.

 

Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems AudiophileStyleStickerWhite2.0.png AudiophileStyleStickerWhite7.1.4.png

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I recently started this myself and I am controlling it with my Touch. You should start out with a monitor to set up screen sharing so that you can pull up the Mini screen on your iMac and this will allow you to move folders, apply updates, etc. which you cannot due with the Touch.

 

When you add the Touch as a remote you will also need to share the screen on your iMac as you will need to put in a code in iTunes to allow for the Touch to take control.

 

I have found the lack of monitor not to be a problem as I control everything from my MacBook Pro from the listening chair or my Touch.

 

Mac Mini>Amarra>PS Audio PerfectWave DAC/Weiss DAC2/Metric Halo ULN-2/Audio Research DAC-7>Toole Audio Balanced M^3>Balanced Sennheiser HD-800 or Halcro DM-10>DM58>Magico M5s

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Many thanks Chris. I was hoping to be able to talk to you about this set-up. It sounds like it is possible and logistically functional. Tell me, what is a Mac Pro server? I would like to know, if you don't mind, more information about your set-up, as it seems you have what I am looking to get, including the Ayre Dac to match my ayre integrated :)

Cheers,

Peter

 

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VPI, thanks for the help! A couple of clarifications....so I can hook up the Mini to my iMac through screen sharing? How do i access screen sharing in my iMac? I am assuming screen sharing means I can see both the Mini and iMac on the same monitor and transfer files and updates between the two?

 

Thanks again,

Peter

 

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Oh one more thing, would it just be easier to buy an MacBook Air for example and connect that to a USB DAC. Of course one of the attractions of the Mini for me is storage capacity which lacks with the Air unless I have external storage which again gets into less desirable ergonomics. I want as streamline as possible.

 

 

 

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At the bottom of my Ayre QB-9 review is a description of my Mac Pro (Desktop Macintosh). Here is a link http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/Ayre-Acoustics-QB-9-Asynchronous-USB-DAC-Review

 

I recommend sticking with the Mini for what you want to do. The MacBook Air will be more of a hassle than it seems.

 

Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems AudiophileStyleStickerWhite2.0.png AudiophileStyleStickerWhite7.1.4.png

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When you have both computers you will see the Mini on the finder window at which time you can choose to connect to the Mini and then choose the share screen button and the Mini screen will show up as a window on your iMac.

 

You will just need to go into the Mini first and set up remote management, etc. so it will allow you to control it from the iMac.

 

Much easier than I thought it would be and it works great.

 

Mac Mini>Amarra>PS Audio PerfectWave DAC/Weiss DAC2/Metric Halo ULN-2/Audio Research DAC-7>Toole Audio Balanced M^3>Balanced Sennheiser HD-800 or Halcro DM-10>DM58>Magico M5s

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Peter says:

"How do i access screen sharing in my iMac? I am assuming screen sharing means I can see both the Mini and iMac on the same monitor and transfer files and updates between the two?"

VPI says:

"You will just need to go into the Mini first and set up remote management, etc. so it will allow you to control it from the iMac."

 

 

Peter, you can turn on Screen Sharing on your Mac Mini via System Preferences, specifically within the Sharing control panel. The first item in the window is Screen Sharing. There are other options like File Sharing, etc.

 

As VPI said, amazingly simple under OS X. A little more complicated for Tiger, but doesn't seem like that' an issue for you.

 

enjoy

clay

 

 

 

 

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