Jump to content
IGNORED

NAS --> Mac/iTunes speed issues


Recommended Posts

I've recently switched from housing my music library on a Drobo 5D (directly attached to a Mac Mini), to housing the library on a NAS. The Mac Mini is connected to my network via a MOCA 2.0 adapter -- so while it's not true gigabit, I can get speeds of 70-80 MB/s when transferring a file from the NAS to the Mini local hard drive (and vice versa). HOWEVER - all things iTunes (lastest version - 12.4.1.6) are behaving very sluggishly after switching to the NAS. For example, when downloading a track into memory with Pure Music, the transfer speed is about 6 MB/s. When I add tracks to the iTunes library and they are being copied to the NAS, I get similarly slow transfer speeds, about 4-6 MB/s.

 

I know the NAS and the Mac can transfer data and communicate closer to 70-80 MB/s, based on testing sample files. Why is iTunes behavior suddenly VERY SLOW (~5 MB/s) after switching to a NAS as the the library drive?

 

Any help appreciated! Thanks!

Link to comment
bump for any suggestions, thanks!

 

I don't have any suggestions, but a bit of Google-ing indicates this is not an uncommon problem. Seems iTunes does not work very well with libraries stored on NAS.

 

FWIW, I am using a 4TB directly-attached (Firewire) disk and using my NAS for backup only. That said, I'm getting low on disk space, and not sure what my next "play" will be - there is certainly a limit on the size of directly-attached disks. Do I just keep buying the next largest size (i.e., 4>6TB) until I hit some sort of physical limit, or will someday iTunes work better with NAS drives?

 

PS - I really only use iTunes to edit metadata, for easy media ingestion, and because my husband finds it easy to use - all my listening is via Roon + HQP and / or Audirvana.

John Walker - IT Executive

Headphone - SonicTransporter i9 running Roon Server > Netgear Orbi > Blue Jeans Cable Ethernet > mRendu Roon endpoint > Topping D90 > Topping A90d > Dan Clark Expanse / HiFiMan H6SE v2 / HiFiman Arya Stealth

Home Theater / Music -SonicTransporter i9 running Roon Server > Netgear Orbi > Blue Jeans Cable HDMI > Denon X3700h > Anthem Amp for front channels > Revel F208-based 5.2.4 Atmos speaker system

Link to comment

It is probably a SMB issue (with a fix). There is a recent thread on this. I will try to find it.

 

I can mount my NAS at work on my laptop in a bedroom where my wireless connection is fairly weak, and it works fine via AFP.

 

Here is the thread: http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f7-disk-storage-music-library-storage/if-you-have-network-attached-storage-beware-os-x-10-11-5-a-28709/

 

Oh: What John said, i.e., using Audirvana or other memory player, can really help too, since it loads the track in first, so it takes network glitchiness completely out of the equation.

Link to comment

A third option is to use the Synology iTunes server software. You no longer need to make a share in that case.

Synology DS214+ with MinimServer --> Ethernet --> Sonore mRendu / SOtM SMS-200 --> Chord Hugo --> Chord interconnects --> Naim NAP 200--> Chord speaker cable --> Focal Aria 948

Link to comment

Thanks guys-

 

I don't think its a SMB issue, as I've been using AFP to share the NAS. Also, with simple file transfers I can achieve 70-80 MB/s, so I don't think think it's a connectivity issue per se -- it seems to be an iTunes only problem.

 

I do use Pure Music for memory play, but even then it can get annoying when a long 24/192 track loads -- the playback is fine, but iTunes is inaccessible for ~45 sec while the large track loads at 5 MB/s. All other iTunes functions have slowed considerably since the library location changed to the NAS, as well ... copying new music to itunes, editing metadata, etc etc... Again, though, simple file transfer speeds are more than adequate.

 

Part of me wonders if moving the iTunes itl/xml library files only to the Mac Mini HD, and keeping all the actual media on the NAS might help??

Link to comment

I ran into similar problems after buying a NAS and moving my music to it from a Lacie 3TB Firewire/USB3 drive connected directly to my Mac (yosemite). After several calls to Apple, escalated to Level2 support, they concluded that because my Lacie drive was formatted HFS+, copying files(typically AIFF & FLAC, some DFF, DSF) from the Drive to Synology NAS via a direct physical connection using USB3 cable resulted in slow file access to the Mac OSX and many errors where OSX couldn't access the files at all some even disappearing in Finder entirely even though you could see them when browsing the NAS via Diskstation. The solution required me to reconnect the Lacie drive to the Mac, erase the library on the NAS and recopy everything, but this time doing it over the network (much slower!) to the Synology NAS. Afterwards, the Mac OSX could find/access all the files and at much higher speeds. Apple's only explanation was "Sorry we only troubleshoot Apple gear" and told me that's what happens when you connect to non-Apple products.

 

I am now much happier having scrapped the Mac from the audio chain entirely and using a microRendu with the NAS. I still use a macbook to edit metadata w/Yate.

 

Also, note that iTunes doesn't imbed art into all files, so if you ever abandon iTunes, you'll have a job ahead to restoring all missing artwork.

Digital Source: Synology DS415+ NAS  and Small Green Computer SonicTransporter i5 Running Roon Core > Blue Jean Cable Cat6a >TP optical converter > Sonore OpticalRendu with Sonore LPS> Curious USB > Denafrips Pontus DAC

Analog Source: Dynavector XX2 mk2> Audiomods Series 5 silver arm > Sota Nova Series VI turntable w/Condor & Roadrunner motor controller/tachometer > Nagra BPS battery powered phono stage>

Both: BAT VK51SE preamp> Krell FPB300 power amp > Sound Lab A3 ESLs > > Custom room treatment > 50 yr. old ears(left-handed)

Link to comment

thanks sbank -- i'm not sure i have the same problem though, as the same files can be accessed at faster speeds from the NAS .... just not when using iTunes.

 

regarding the album art, etc -- i was thinking of copying the entire NAS iTunes folder back to the local Mac HD (minus the iTunes Media Folder) and then redirecting iTunes to the newly copied folder when opening iTunes again. i think that should work, as I have "keep media folder organized" checked, and the library target will still be the NAS?

Link to comment

regarding the album art, etc -- i was thinking of copying the entire NAS iTunes folder back to the local Mac HD (minus the iTunes Media Folder) and then redirecting iTunes to the newly copied folder when opening iTunes again. i think that should work, as I have "keep media folder organized" checked, and the library target will still be the NAS?

 

Not sure what that will accomplish bu it shouldn't affect the core iTunes art problem; that a copy of the art isn't embedded in each file. As soon as you access the files in better sounding software, the art will be missing. You want to rip using XLD or similar and download from places excluding iTunes Store so art is part of every music file. Then whatever software you use, including iTunes, will have art.

Digital Source: Synology DS415+ NAS  and Small Green Computer SonicTransporter i5 Running Roon Core > Blue Jean Cable Cat6a >TP optical converter > Sonore OpticalRendu with Sonore LPS> Curious USB > Denafrips Pontus DAC

Analog Source: Dynavector XX2 mk2> Audiomods Series 5 silver arm > Sota Nova Series VI turntable w/Condor & Roadrunner motor controller/tachometer > Nagra BPS battery powered phono stage>

Both: BAT VK51SE preamp> Krell FPB300 power amp > Sound Lab A3 ESLs > > Custom room treatment > 50 yr. old ears(left-handed)

Link to comment
You can use this script to re-embed artwork:

http://dougscripts.com/itunes/scripts/ss.php?sp=reembedartwork

 

Can use and should...because unless other care is taken, the script embeds for the first time, not re-embeds.

 

And embedded album covers make music files portable from system to system, without any extra work needed.

 

Dave, who has used the same music files without any alteration needed in iTunes and SqueezeBox and Amarra and Audirvana and Aurender and microRendu with MinimServer just to name the ones he can think of off the top of his tired Cycleman head

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Music is love, made audible.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now



×
×
  • Create New...