AudiophileOptimizer BETA Thread (AO 3.00 beta is closed)

[Nouchka]

It may have nothing to do with AO or ST, but in my experience a network bridge remains intact in minimal server mode (W2012R2 with latest updates).

 

I will ask the contributors to the thread :A novel way to massively improve the SQ of the sMS-200 and microRendu

 

if they have a similar experience.

I have the same experience: I use W2012 R2 in minimal server mode, with a direct connection to my sotm sms-200 and the network bridge is still functionnal (for more than a month now).

Is there still the mode "minimal server" in W2016?

[AudioPhil]

Hi

 

Windows Server 2016 knows only GUI and Core-Mode, no more Minimal-Server Mode :-(

 

Best,

AudioPhil

[Peter_T]

Hi

Windows Server 2016 knows only GUI and Core-Mode, no more Minimal-Server Mode :-(

Best, AudioPhil

 

I know and therefore a bridge in W2016-Core is out of the question. But I can connect my SOTM directly to my PC on a separate subnet : see my earlier post here. The program that allows that does work in W2012R2-core mode and potentially also in W2016-core, hopefully. I will let you know. It gives about the same increase in SQ in W2012R2-core as the bridge trick in W2012R2-minimal server mode.

[Nouchka]

I know and therefore a bridge in W2016-Core is out of the question. But I can connect my SOTM directly to my PC on a separate subnet : see my earlier post here. The program that allows that does work in W2012R2-core mode and potentially also in W2016-core, hopefully. I will let you know. It gives about the same increase in SQ in W2012R2-core as the bridge trick in W2012R2-minimal server mode.

I see your post on the other forum, just for your information: DHCP server is a default service that can be enable and configured on all windows Server, and this is certainly better than using a third party tool.

Same for a router, because having 2 different subnet on your server will probably required that you use the router service.

 

Kind regards,

[Peter_T]

I see your post on the other forum, just for your information: DHCP server is a default service that can be enable and configured on all windows Server, and this is certainly better than using a third party tool.

Same for a router, because having 2 different subnet on your server will probably required that you use the router service. Kind regards,

Thank you for pointing this out. I did have a suspicion that Windows server could do this by looking at the Server Manager page. The youtube movie makes it clearer but it seems a rather complicated set of steps. I will give it a try in W2012R2. But my main worry is that this will not work if you install W2016 in core mode?

[Nouchka]

You are welcome ;-)

 

Yes that will works, this is a basic server function and core mode is designed to simplified the server and all server services previously configured will still works. You are right, as this is a professionnal tool, it has lot of options and so it can be more difficult to setup, but it should have less performance impact than a third party tools (but a DHCP server who will have as only job to assigned an IP address to an only device each XXX days will sleep 99,999% of the time ;-) ) .

 

Thank you for pointing this out. I did have a suspicion that Windows server could do this by looking at the Server Manager page. The youtube movie makes it clearer but it seems a rather complicated set of steps. I will give it a try in W2012R2. But my main worry is that this will not work if you install W2016 in core mode?

[Shanepj]

Anyone's comments with windows 10 on beta 4? I'm interested in the Cortana disablement. What's the reliability on 10 too?

 

I know it's a beta, just unsure how many beta's are launched until it's stable

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Computer Audiophile

[Mercman]

Anyone's comments with windows 10 on beta 4? I'm interested in the Cortana disablement. What's the reliability on 10 too?

 

I know it's a beta, just unsure how many beta's are launched until it's stable

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Computer Audiophile

 

Windows 10 Pro with beta 4 has been very stable with Cortana disabled. Sounds excellent. I have had no issues with daily play since release.

[Shanepj]

Will try it tomorrow

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Computer Audiophile

[jcn3]

Windows 10 Pro with beta 4 has been very stable with Cortana disabled. Sounds excellent. I have had no issues with daily play since release.

 

agreed -- works wonderfully with no issues.

[AudioPhil]

Anyone's comments with windows 10 on beta 4? I'm interested in the Cortana disablement. What's the reliability on 10 too?

 

I know it's a beta, just unsure how many beta's are launched until it's stable

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Computer Audiophile

 

hello

 

if you worry about stability just wait one or two days after a beta is released. During the first two days we have between 750 and 1000 downloads, so you would hear pretty fast about any issues.

 

happy to look back (the past 4 years) we never had to pull a stable or beta version back! :-)

 

Best,

AudioPhil

[dtb300]

happy to look back (the past 4 years) we never had to pull a stable or beta version back! :-)

Been a user most of those years and never once did AO cause me issues with 2012 or Windows 10.

 

Now with that said if you are going to run "any" beta software it is always good to have a current image or backup of your computer. I prefer images.

[Peter_T]

I know and therefore a bridge in W2016-Core is out of the question. But I can connect my SOTM directly to my PC on a separate subnet : see my earlier post here. The program that allows that does work in W2012R2-core mode and potentially also in W2016-core, hopefully. I will let you know. It gives about the same increase in SQ in W2012R2-core as the bridge trick in W2012R2-minimal server mode.

Yes it works : Windows-2016-core with AO V2.2beta4 and the SOTM directly attached to the PC + the DHCPServer program. See my post here.

[tboooe]

Yes it works : Windows-2016-core with AO V2.2beta4 and the SOTM directly attached to the PC + the DHCPServer program. See my post here.

@Peter_T, I am a little confused by your post. You say that a bridge is not possible in Core mode? If so, how did you get the SOTM to work connected directly to the PC? Did you use the Jplay approach of just creating a second subnet on the second nic port of the PC and the SOTM? Did you use the built in DHCP server of Server 2016 as pointed out by @Nouchka?

 

If this is the approach you took, the issue for me is not being able to remote into the SOTM (or whatever is used as the renderer) from a laptop on my home network. My server PC is headless so I have to use a laptop on subnet #1 to access it as well as the renderer.

 

EDIT - I see that you did use the Jplay approach. Glad it worked for you.

[Peter_T]

@Peter_T, I am a little confused by your post. You say that a bridge is not possible in Core mode? If so, how did you get the SOTM to work connected directly to the PC? Did you use the Jplay approach of just creating a second subnet on the second nic port of the PC and the SOTM? Did you use the built in DHCP server of Server 2016 as pointed out by @Nouchka?

If this is the approach you took, the issue for me is not being able to remote into the SOTM (or whatever is used as the renderer) from a laptop on my home network. My server PC is headless so I have to use a laptop on subnet #1 to access it as well as the renderer.

EDIT - I see that you did use the Jplay approach. Glad it worked for you.

 

I used the DHCPserver program as described earlier. to turn NIC2(PC==>SOTM) into a DHCPserver. After rebooting the SOTM I know the SOTM's IP-address but can't see the SOTM browser-page in minimal-server or core mode. I could remotely login to the server-PC, but then I could only ping the SOTM and wait till the server-program picks up the renderer. Apparently that gives problems with the HQplayer contact to the mR/SOTM? I have not tried that. If I want to change settings on my SOTM now I have to reboot the serverPC and start the W10 partition. Change the SOTM from there and go back to the W2016 partition. A hassle! Therefore I just emailed May Park to ask if they could make a command-line program to change settings on the SOTM. That would make life for us command-line nerds a lot easier.

[JazzDoc]

Hi Phil. I haven't kept up with the beta programme recently. I was still on AO 2.10. I installed 2.20 Beta 4 on my Dual PC setup (Windows Server 2012 R2 in Core Mode on both computers with Minimserver and Audiophile Optimizer 7.6 Pro) and there was an improvement in sound quality. Some posts on the JPLAY Forum indicated that WS2016 in GUI Mode offered an improvement over WS2012 in Core Mode. I couldn't resist and reinstalled both machines. It is sounding really good. I would love to run in Core Mode but doubt that I have the ability or understanding to set it up. Is there any possibility that you might at some point in the future, be able to offer GUI Mode to Core Mode as a utility in Service Tool. That really would be something if it could be done!

[AudioPhil]

Hi

 

Sadly Microsoft completely removed the OS's ability to switch between modes. I cannot imagine we will ever see this feature in this version of Windows Server. Maybe they bringt it back with the next Windows Server, who knows.

 

Best,

AudioPhil

[greenleo]

This is a very nice and interesting picture we can see here

 

It's Windows Server 2016 RTM (Build 10.0.14393) in Core Mode. Windows Audio Service & Audio Endpoint Builder are running, Kernel-Streaming is running as well. Kernel-Streaming actually also works, WASAPI does not (yet). We can see Foobar2000 playing a song via Kernel-Streaming... Sounding wonderful by the way!

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]28676[/ATTACH]

That's what I call a MILESTONE!

 

....to be continued

Hi Phil,

 

I'm a new and happy user of AO. What I want to do is exactly like what you shown but couldn't. Let me begin with what I did in the Server 2016 GUI first and then I'll come back to my problems encountered in the Server 2016 Core.

 

After installing WS16 GUI, I find lots of drivers missing in the device manager. I manually right-click and ask WS16 to search the drivers and get most of them updated. Then I find, near the system tray, the small speaker Icon with an "x". I used that small icon, select playback devices which was an spdif optical output , and then Audio Service worked and the "x" is no longer there. Then I enable the different sampling rates like 44k, 88k,...etc. Then I installed JPlay, launched JPlaymini and JPlaymini work. My DAC plays. Then I installed Foobar2k, again it worked and the output was WASAPI. Then I changed the output to ASIO JPlay and Foobar worked as well. NO DAC driver installed in this case and music plays.

 

Now my problems:

In WS16 core,

 

1. Is device manager still there? If yes, any way to use scripts to update the drivers(if scripts not possible, I can still live with my old method)? If device manger not available, how can I tell what drivers are missing and how to update them?

 

2. The speaker icon is no longer there, how can I enable the Audio Service?

 

3. I guessed that core mode provides no Audio Service. I installed JPlay and Foobar2k and Foobar not able to play. Then I AOed the system and believe that Audio Service would be installed and launched. I typed net start but could not be sure if AudioEnd Int Builder and the AudioSrv were there or not. The screen ran too fast and there were too many lines. I always ended with the first line that begins with C rather than A. Any way to pause the screen?

 

4. I launched Foobar again. This time the only output available is NULL.

 

Please tell me how to proceed.

 

 

** Finally, it would be great if you may provide a simple walk through for the WS16 core mode even if it is only a few lines of instruction, a few pages with simple screenshots, or only for particular scenarios (say walk through of how to setup Foobar2k only or Hysolid as an example). The guide that come with AO 2.2 is of little help because the scenario shown there was based on WS2012R2 that did all the installations in GUI mode and then switch to Core mode afterwards.

 

As some users have pointed out and I have truly experienced, even the installation of driver could be challemnging in WS16 core mode. I hope that this humble suggestion of basic walk through would be beneficial to both the existing and the potential customers.

[dtb300]

..........I always ended with the first line that begins with C rather than A. Any way to pause the screen?

There is a bunch of stuff out at Microsoft on how to manage a Core Installation - Commands, etc.

 

Y'all just need to do a little searching for possible solutions - 3-5 min finds a multitude of stuff: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee441257(v=ws.10).aspx (While mainly for 2008, most of them are still relevant.)

 

And for 2012 - https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh831799(v=ws.11).aspx

 

 

This will pause a screen at a time: net start | more .....Another quick search for basic cmd/batch file commands comes up with: Batch files and batch commands

 

Google is your friend.....

[greenleo]

Hi Phil,

 

I've sorted out the "net start | more" a few hours ago and am just home. Both the AudioEnd Int Builder and the Audio Service are not working after the command.

 

Any suggestions? How did you turn in the service?

[Octagon]

Both the AudioEnd Int Builder and the Audio Service are not working after the command.

Any suggestions?

Hi GreenLeo,

 

With the description of your Server2016 Core installation I guess you might mix some points. I tend to suggest following a step by step philosophy:

 

*clear install of 2016 Core

*install AO2.10b5

*install foobar

*add components for KS etc. to foobar and configure foobar to your needs

*restart foobar

*install usb driver for your output device like dac, reclocker etc.

*deinstall that driver again

*install that driver again

 

The latter points may only work if your driver is an executable .exe and has a deinstallation routine. It is not working with .inf files. Don't ask why, just trust me that installation - deinstallation - installation is the trick Phil did describe that several times as well.

 

Reboot and check if you can now choose the output in foobar. If not you may not have installed the right components in foobar or the driver is not installed correctly.

 

I keep my fingers crossed

Thomas

[greenleo]

Hi GreenLeo,

 

With the description of your Server2016 Core installation I guess you might mix some points. I tend to suggest following a step by step philosophy:

 

*clear install of 2016 Core

*install AO2.10b5

*install foobar

*add components for KS etc. to foobar and configure foobar to your needs

*restart foobar

*install usb driver for your output device like dac, reclocker etc.

*deinstall that driver again

*install that driver again

 

The latter points may only work if your driver is an executable .exe and has a deinstallation routine. It is not working with .inf files. Don't ask why, just trust me that installation - deinstallation - installation is the trick Phil did describe that several times as well.

 

Reboot and check if you can now choose the output in foobar. If not you may not have installed the right components in foobar or the driver is not installed correctly.

 

I keep my fingers crossed

Thomas

Thank you very much Thomas!

 

Your steps is the simple walk through that I'm looking for :-)

 

I'm told that correct installation steps should be

1. Clean installation of the OS

2. OS updates

3. Mobo driver updates as far as possible

4. DAC driver installation

5. Music Player installation.

6. Fidelizer installation (if one has Videlicet)

7. AO installation and optimization.

 

I'm also be reminded that AO optimization is always the last step. Hence my old steps described in post 168.

 

I will try your suggestions later and report back.

 

Also I would like to clarify the function of each of the steps as well.

 

Currently I'm using AO2.20b4. Would it work? Or must it be v 2.10b5? After this, KS will be back and net start should show Audio Service running? (as a check point)

 

After finishing Foobar's configuration, will Foobar play music? (2nd check point). In my setup using WS2016 GUI described, I did not install the DAC driver and the system could sing.

 

Finally, I've read Phil's suggestion of the installation-deinstallation-reinstallation. Since my old system didn't need the DAC driver, I didn't try before. Will do later and report back.

[greenleo]

*clear install of 2016 Core

Done.

*install AO2.10b5

Done with AO2.20b4 (AO2.10 found the OS not compatible)

*install foobar.

Done.

*add components for KS etc. to foobar and configure foobar to your needs

KS & ASIO component added.

*restart foobar.

Done.

*install usb driver for your output device like dac, reclocker etc.

Done.

*deinstall that driver

2 times, restart after each deinstallation.

*install that driver.

2 times, restart after each reinstallation.

My DAC driver was an exe and it did offer the remove option.

 

Foobar still cannot show the KS option in the WS2016 Core mode. ASIO option shown but cannot

Initiate the DAC. Plug & play was on.

No AudioSrv shown after issuing the net start command.

 

 

 

My WS16 GUI AOed partition did show the KS output in footbar and played music correctly. This shows that the installation of the foobar components, the physical connections, and the DAC were all working correctly.

 

 

Any suggestions?

[greenleo]

A miracle has come out! After another de-installation and re-installation of the DAC driver, now Foobar can play music in WS16 core mode.

 

Thank you Phil for the AO2.20b4. For your info, I still cannot see AudioSrv running after issuing net start.

 

 

Thank you Thomas!

 

The following were the steps to make Foobar work in Win Server 2016 Core mode

1. Clean installaltion of 2016 Core 2. AO2.20b4 with plug and play enabled.3. Install Foobar. 4. Add KS & ASIO components. (Eventually both of them work in my case)5. Restart foobar. 6. Install USB driver for your output device like dac, reclocker etc. Repeat de-install that driver. Restart ** DAC driver must be an exe and offer the remove option

** INF files won't work re-install that driver. Restart Until it works.

 

The credit belongs to Thomas.

[AudioPhil]

Hello Greenleo

 

AudioSrv and AudioEndpointbuilder belong to WASAPI, the screenshot you saw an engineering build of AO, nothing that was every released to public. In other words, the WASAPI services are not supposed to work in core Mode, only KS does with the help of AO.

 

Install/uninstall/Install is the current standard procedure to get KS in Core, please read posting number 1: Windows Server 2016 Core Mode - Does your DAC/DDC work? - Page 3 - Computer Audio - JPLAY - hi-end audio player for Windows

 

 

best,

AudioPhil