SGC - "Roonify" your USB drive or NAS with the sonicTransporter

[agillis]

What is the CPU in this device?

 

Does it ship with a power supply included? Can it be powered by an Uptone Audio JS-2?

 

And is it available for shipment today?

 

Apologies for all the questions.

 

1. I uses an Intel Celeron CPU

2. it has a power supply included

3. I could be but don't waste your money. Save your good supply for the microRendu (player)

4. Yes I shipped 4 today already

[agillis]

I've been following and reading this thread closely since February and based on all of the recommendations, I will be switching to Roon + HQPlayer. I signed up for Roon and I will have HQPlayer shortly. At this point, I'm assembling all the component pieces in anticipation of the release of microRendu.

 

I currently have a headless Mac Mini, a 3TB USB drive that stores my music. My intention is to use Roon + HQPlayer in NAA mode using the microRendu and connect my USB drive to my network using a SonicTransporter.

 

This kind of setup is all new to me, so I had to draw a diagram so that I could get a better visual handle on how everything will fit together.

 

Below is the diagram I created (click it make it bigger).

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]25593[/ATTACH]

 

In short: I will run the RoonServer on the SonicTransporter, HQPlayer on my Mac Mini in NAA mode (microRendu), and the Roon control client will be on my iPad.

 

Does all of this look right? Am I overlooking something here?

 

I realize this setup includes products from Sonore, Signalyst, Small Green Computer and Roon, but I wanted to post it here in this thread because microRendu is the critical piece for my intended setup. And also... Jesus asked if I could post it here in CA

 

I appreciate any feedback on this.

 

Thanks!

 

This look like a great setup.

[agillis]

I'll try to answer a few questions from CA member posts.

 

1. This sonicTransporter is wired Ethernet only, not wifi. You would typically put it with your NAS or near your router if you don't have a NAS. It has one Ethernet port to connect to your router. Your NAS and the microRendu will also connect to your router via Ethernet. Buy a gig switch ($20) if you run out of ports on your router.

 

2. I wouldn't worry about power or location of the sonicTransporter. Save your exotic linear supply for the microRendu!

 

3. The sonicTransporter has Roon Server ready to go. All you need is your Roon account and password and your music collection on a NAS or USB drive

 

4. Some people are getting Roon Core to run on a NAS. But you need an Enterprise grade NAS, a lot of Memory, and some SSD for your Roon database. Much cheaper and easier to just get a sonicTransporter. Also this takes the CPU load of Roon Server off your NAS.

 

5. The sonicTransporter is a Roon Server (also a DLNA server, squeezebox server, and server for Sonos). It's not a player. You still need a Sonicorbiter SE, microRendu, or other RoonReady network DAC or player.

[gcoupe]

I see that you (agillis) state that the SonicTransporter has an Intel Celeron CPU. Is this really sufficient for Roon? Roon Labs are stating that an Intel Core i3 is the recommended minimum for Roon.

[JohnSwenson]

Can the sonicTransporter operate as a DHCP server? I've been hearing from a lot of people who want to use a microRendu in an environment without a network, no internet access etc. If the sonicTransporter could be a DHCP server as well as what it already does it would make a neat single box solution.

 

Thanks,

 

John S.

[MikeJazz]

Can the sonicTransporter operate as a DHCP server? I've been hearing from a lot of people who want to use a microRendu in an environment without a network, no internet access etc. If the sonicTransporter could be a DHCP server as well as what it already does it would make a neat single box solution.

 

Thanks,

 

John S.

 

Hi believe a simple Apple AirPort Express can work as a DHCP server. and this might be easier to setup that changing settings on a computer. A network does not have to be complex to create and, in my view, apple makes it easy...

 

Edit: apparently, since no internet is needed in that scenario, both ethernet ports can be used as LAN's, so one would attache to the "server" computer and the other to the microRendu.

Source:

Can i use the Ethernet WAN port as a second Ethernet LAN port to connect an AV receiver and an Apple TV? - Apple

 

Since sonicTransporter supports gigabit ethernet, I would opt for the Airport extreme instead.

[agillis]

I see that you (agillis) state that the SonicTransporter has an Intel Celeron CPU. Is this really sufficient for Roon? Roon Labs are stating that an Intel Core i3 is the recommended minimum for Roon.

 

The CPU we are using is almost as fast as an i3. Roon Lab is specing the i3 as the minimum for both Windows and Linux (with a desktop). Also Roon Lab has no idea what else you are running on your computer.

 

The sonicTransporter is a dedicated box with no Windows GUI so basically 100% of the CPU is running Roon. It actually preforms better then a Windows machine with an i3.

 

We have done extensive testing here to make sure it has very high performance even with a large music collection. In our tests Roon performance was still quick with 50,000+ tracks.

 

Roon Labs has also done their own testing to confirm the sonicTransporter meets their requirements.

[agillis]

If you are interested in "Extreme" Roon performance you might want to look at the sonicTransporter AP. It has an i5 processor, an 8TB drive, and a SSD for the Roon DB and drive cashing.

 

The sonicTransporter AP has 200GB of SSD caching the spinning drive so in most cases the spinning drive is parked.

 

The sonicTransporter AP also has built in CD ripping.

 

This makes for a single system that is both easy to use and has extremely high performance for virtually any sized music collection.

[MikeJazz]

If you are interested in "Extreme" Roon performance you might want to look at the sonicTransporter AP. It has an i5 processor, an 8TB drive, and a SSD for the Roon DB and drive cashing.

 

The sonicTransporter AP has 200GB of SSD caching the spinning drive so in most cases the spinning drive is parked.

 

The sonicTransporter AP also has built in CD ripping.

 

This makes for a single system that is both easy to use and has extremely high performance for virtually any sized music collection.

 

Hi agillies...

stretching it a bit more, could it also run hqplayer?

When I am ready to move to a new usb dac at home, I am certainly try to find the best solution and probably will be an integrated "server" with hqplayer and roon core. The added ripping facilities here would be a plus.

[Distinctive]

Hi agillies...

stretching it a bit more, could it also run hqplayer?

When I am ready to move to a new usb dac at home, I am certainly try to find the best solution and probably will be an integrated "server" with hqplayer and roon core. The added ripping facilities here would be a plus.

+1

[Doak]

I am trying like heck to "Roonify my USB drive."

Got the Sonic Transporter and microRendu on Saturday.

Wired them up to my cable modem/wifi router using the supplied ethernet patch cords and attached the uRendu to the Lampizator. Went through the setup instructions carefully and TIDAL started working immediately.

 

For starters I figured I'd start small with a flash drive that had only one album. It was found and scanned quickly and I was able to play this DSD music, no problem. The problem came when I tried to graduate to my real music library -a WD 4tb self externally powered drive with about 3tb of files. I tried to get Roon to scan this drive and to no avail. I also tried a couple of other smaller drives and flash drives - NADA.

 

I can see these drives on the the network attached to the Sonic Transporter. I mount them using the Sonic Transporter web GUI but can get Roon to pull them in. I think my problem arises when trying to add these drives through the Roon Remote app. I've tried unsuccessfully many times to add the drive path as "local storage" which I understand they should be in this configuration. Roon gives me an error message for all paths I attempt to type in: "Invalid path specified." I expect that I'm getting something very basically wrong here.

 

Anyone with some definite idea of how to get this right is most welcome to offer it.

TIA.

[sm31]

I am trying like heck to "Roonify my USB drive."

Got the Sonic Transporter and microRendu on Saturday.

Wired them up to my cable modem/wifi router using the supplied ethernet patch cords and attached the uRendu to the Lampizator. Went through the setup instructions carefully and TIDAL started working immediately.

 

For starters I figured I'd start small with a flash drive that had only one album. It was found and scanned quickly and I was able to play this DSD music, no problem. The problem came when I tried to graduate to my real music library -a WD 4tb self externally powered drive with about 3tb of files. I tried to get Roon to scan this drive and to no avail. I also tried a couple of other smaller drives and flash drives - NADA.

 

I can see these drives on the the network attached to the Sonic Transporter. I mount them using the Sonic Transporter web GUI but can get Roon to pull them in. I think my problem arises when trying to add these drives through the Roon Remote app. I've tried unsuccessfully many times to add the drive path as "local storage" which I understand they should be in this configuration. Roon gives me an error message for all paths I attempt to type in: "Invalid path specified." I expect that I'm getting something very basically wrong here.

 

Anyone with some definite idea of how to get this right is most welcome to offer it.

TIA.

So you have the music drives connected to the sonictransporter via USB?

 

If yes, you're right; local storage.

 

How are you specifying the paths? Possible there's some kind of syntax error or something?

[alonwa]

If the SonicTransporter also supported hqplayer, it would be ideal. If one wants hqplayer in addition to the server software running on the transporter, what would be the recommended hardware?

[agillis]

I can see these drives on the the network attached to the Sonic Transporter. I mount them using the Sonic Transporter web GUI but can get Roon to pull them in. I think my problem arises when trying to add these drives through the Roon Remote app. I've tried unsuccessfully many times to add the drive path as "local storage" which I understand they should be in this configuration. Roon gives me an error message for all paths I attempt to type in: "Invalid path specified." I expect that I'm getting something very basically wrong here.

 

Anyone with some definite idea of how to get this right is most welcome to offer it.

TIA.

 

I can help you get this working. Call or email me.

[Doak]

I can help you get this working. Call or email me.

Will do Andrew.

Prob should have done that first. ;-)

Thanks

[Doak]

I can help you get this working. Call or email me.

 

FIXED !!

Yep, a short phone call is all it took.

Basic stuff, wrong word in drive path.

Andrew was able to diagnose & fix remotely.

Thanks again Andrew.

[ClothEars]

If you are interested in "Extreme" Roon performance you might want to look at the sonicTransporter AP. It has an i5 processor, an 8TB drive, and a SSD for the Roon DB and drive cashing.

 

The sonicTransporter AP has 200GB of SSD caching the spinning drive so in most cases the spinning drive is parked.

 

The sonicTransporter AP also has built in CD ripping.

 

This makes for a single system that is both easy to use and has extremely high performance for virtually any sized music collection.

 

Do you have a link for this product (sonicTransporter AP)? I can't seem to find anything about it.

[baddog]

@ClothEars -

 

sonicTransporter AP 8TB (Roon Server) – Small Green Computer

[ClothEars]

@ClothEars -

 

sonicTransporter AP 8TB (Roon Server) – Small Green Computer

 

Thanks for that but I already have a 2Tb drive with wave files (my preferred ripping format) so it's a bit of overkill for my requirements. I just want a headless PC so I can get rid of the laptop. Having already bought JRiver the Roon licence seems somewhat expensive given it's an annual subscription and I have yet to hear it on any system to determine whether is actually sounds any better than JRiver.

[Joaovieira]

Sorry for the silly question.

I ordered micro rendu. I have MacBook pro with Roon and HQPlayer, and all is upsampled to DSD 128 to my Lampi B7. I can't upsample to 256 or 512 due to hardware restriction.

Using Sonic Transporter will I be able to run Roon+HQPlayer? If positive, will I have enough hardware to upsample to DSD 512?

[orgel]

Using Sonic Transporter will I be able to run Roon+HQPlayer? If positive, will I have enough hardware to upsample to DSD 512?

 

Yes, you would run Roon Server on the sonicTransporter and HQP on your MBP. Ultimately, whether you'll be able to upsample to DSD512 will depend on what your particular model MBP (and your Lampi) can do, but in the near term, you're limited to DSD128 until the issues with creating a Linux driver that allows native DSD with the Amanero USB board in the Lampi are worked out.

 

--David

[orgel]

So a question occurred to me: Brian at Roon has talked about adding DSP capabilities to Roon in the future. I'm sure the sonicTransporter can handle everything one might want to do with the current version of Roon Server, but in the event that Roon Server eventually includes upsampling/filtering, room correction, etc., could the sonicTransporter be upgraded to handle that stuff?

 

--David

[Joaovieira]

Yes, you would run Roon Server on the sonicTransporter and HQP on your MBP. Ultimately, whether you'll be able to upsample to DSD512 will depend on what your particular model MBP (and your Lampi) can do, but in the near term, you're limited to DSD128 until the issues with creating a Linux driver that allows native DSD with the Amanero USB board in the Lampi are worked out.

 

--David

 

Thank you very much, David!

 

My MacBook is the problem actually. My Lampi is DSD512. But the MBP can't even upsample to DSD256, it has no processing capability. And it is quite new, less than a year.

[orgel]

My MacBook is the problem actually. My Lampi is DSD512. But the MBP can't even upsample to DSD256, it has no processing capability. And it is quite new, less than a year.

 

Are you sure it's the MacBook? What processor is in it? Does the Lampi do up to 24/768? I think that's what you need in order to do DSD256 via DoP directly from any OS X computer. If the Linux guys get native DSD working with the Lampi, then I think you might be able to do DSD256 via the microRendu.

 

--David

[Evo1668]

While this is a great device ... If you are running a NAS such as QNAP or Synology it might be worth waiting see if there is a installation of the Roon Server for your particular NAS coming along.

 

(Sorry hope I'm not sounding too much that I'm raining on Small Green's parade, just this might be a good solution for some people but not automatically a good solution for everyone - it may be worth waiting a while especially if you use one of the major NAS brands. For anyone with a library less than 6TB a USB drive connected direct would be brilliant IMO)

 

Well there is most definitely a Roon installation that runs on NAS. I have been running Roon on my Synology NAS for the last few days. Having Roon separated from HQPlayer, which both used to run on my MAc Mini connected to my DAC. HQPlayer has no problems converting DSD, now it has the mini all to itself. And the sound quality has taken a most definite leap forward - effortless dynamic increase and a much larger soundstage. I just need to wait for my Urendu to arrive and see if it betters the Intona/Recovery combination?