HQPlayer Linux Desktop and HQplayer embedded

[luisma]

On 5/21/2018 at 1:48 PM, Miska said:

 

Yes, you can scan local content to HQPlayer's library using the web interface. Then you just point HQPDcontrol at HQPlayer Embedded machine.

 

 

Bare minimum Ubuntu Server with lowlatency kernel (or my custom one), or alternatively bare minimum Debian 9 with realtime kernel (or my custom one). These will have only simple text mode console and no graphical output.

 

Hi Miska;

 

I would like to run Roon and HQPe in the best possible efficient environment. Which image should I use? yours? or a standard minimal distribution.

I'm very familiar with Linux so anything you believe is "efficient for both" will do

 

ROCK I guess is off the table

 

 

[luisma]

Notice you recommend this Ubuntu Server with my custom kernel (most recommended) but if that's the case will that be best for Roon as well sharing the same NUC, I'm planning to run the OS native not under Windows

 

[luisma]

2 hours ago, Miska said:

This is also what I do on two servers at the moment; use the standard minimal Ubuntu Server as a starting point, nothing else installed except SSH server. Then install my 4.14 kernel build which is optimized for this use case unlike the one installed as standard on Ubuntu. Then install libgmpris and hqplayerd packages and then fetch the missing dependencies with "apt install -f". That's pretty much it. Just set the configuration username+password with "hqplayerd -s username password" and restart hqplayerd service.

 

Network configuration is straightforward through /etc/network/interfaces file.

 

This should be good basis for Roon Core as well. Putting anything extra on my bootable images is tricky at best, so they are best as-is.

Thanks, where can I get your kernel build? your site?

 

[luisma]

@Miska you agree that Linux (performance and SQ wise) is the way to go right?

 

[luisma]

3 hours ago, Miska said:

 

For sound quality OS shouldn't matter much. Performance-wise Linux is best. Some features are different, like support for native DSD without DoP and such.

Thank you for confirming.

 

[luisma]

On 7/10/2018 at 6:50 AM, Miska said:

Currently supported ones are Ubuntu Server with my custom kernel (most recommended), minimal Debian 9 (Stretch), Fedora 28 minimal install.

@Miska Where can we download your latest custom kernel to replace Ubuntu's kernel?

 

[luisma]

@Miska never mind found a link

 

https://www.sonarnerd.net/src/

 

Thanks

[luisma]

13 hours ago, Miska said:

This is also what I do on two servers at the moment; use the standard minimal Ubuntu Server as a starting point, nothing else installed except SSH server.

So sorry, it is Ubuntu Studio Xenial Xerus 16.04.4 LTS  NOT Ubuntu Desktop correct?

[luisma]

1 hour ago, Miska said:

 

No no, both are desktop variants with GUI and I absolutely don't want to have any graphics running, only bare text mode console. So Ubuntu Server:

https://www.ubuntu.com/server

 

Currently still using 16.04 until 18.04 becomes officially upgradeable from 16.04 on the first point release. Downloads are here:

http://releases.ubuntu.com/16.04.4/

Thank you so much for clarifying, I had a lapse there

 

[luisma]

Couple of threads above there's a reference to use 16.04 for the time being, might be related 

 

[luisma]

On 7/10/2018 at 7:13 PM, Miska said:

Just set the configuration username+password with "hqplayerd -s username password" and restart hqplayerd service.

I used the username created by the installation which is hqplayer so something like "hqplayerd -s hqplayer 123456" is that accurate? the management interface seems to work so far with these settings.

@Miska does your custom kernel removes wireless support or wireless comms in any way? I was able to connect to the wireless but not layer3 connectivity only l1 and l2

I will be posting the installation I followed today and maybe you can take a look and outline any errors if you see any

 

Thank you in advance.

 

[luisma]

Finally I had a chance to test today my new Linux system with Roon and HQPe.

I have it connected to the Denafrips Terminator

Playing PCM, HQPe detects the settings PCM 384 and 24 bits max, when playing PCM 352 unless the auto rate is selected noise (not music) I would love to know how you guys call this, is like a high pitch hissing sound.

At PCM 384 either auto rate or not I get noise as well.

then I changed the buffer from the detected one 100ms over to the max 250ms and can play now PCM384 with no issues.

This happened before without HQP just Roon sometimes, could it be the buffering on the DAC too small therefore the need to compensate?

Uh the DAC was in NOS mode, let me change to OS mode and test, should not make any difference as the DAC should not oversample anyways

This is very weird now with the 100ms parameter doesn't do it anymore either with NOS or OS.

These are my settings, anyone please feel free to comment or provide advise.

I think this is it and I'm going to go ahead and purchase HQPe

Any need to mess with the xml config file?

[luisma]

Operation Linux vs Windows ... night and day. Software freezes in Windows you won't see that in Linux, you can take advantage of bare resources to the max with Linux as well, the interface for HQPe very very minimalistic but super responsive even using a browser.

Have to admit the Windows version is easier to install but the interaction with Roon if you are using Roon is seamless with HQPe. So just pulled the trigger on this one.

 

 

[luisma]

11 hours ago, Miska said:

Seems like your DAC has Amanero USB interface. Depending on it's firmware version it may sometimes do that kind of funky stuff at highest rates. Stopping and restarting playback usually fixes it if it happens.

 

Trying to check firmware update options, quite a few so it seems. I have been reading about filters on another post so no need recommendations on that thanks

 

Found your post https://community.roonlabs.com/t/xtr-filters-why-do-they-sound-so-good/25687/66?u=zbyte

Wow 20 yrs since started HQP already, thought it was less than 10, congrats.

 

[luisma]

Anyone knows why using these settings PCM 384 (see image) Roon + HQPe starts skipping the track and won't play and when going down to 352800 will start playing with a high pitched noise, then set the auto rate family option at 352800 and plays just fine and then removing the option keeps playing just fine and when set back to 384 it will start skipping again

 

Amanero who knows why? maybe?

 

[luisma]

@Em2016 how are you setting fixed volume? with 0 and -3?

 

[luisma]

3 minutes ago, arglebargle said:

 

I can't speak to the high pitched noise glitches, but the fact is closed-form cannot upsample 44k material to 48k rates and vice versa, so auto-rate family is the only way to play mixed content with this filter combination.If you set the limit to 384, and the sample rate to auto, is there an issue? 

Thank you, no issue at all, Roon path below, it samples to 352.8, did not know about the closed form upsampling to multiples of 44k only, neophyte here, started reading about filter details recenlty

Thank you

 

 

[luisma]

17 minutes ago, arglebargle said:

@luisma

 

Glad to hear it! poly-sinc-hb and minrigFIR are two others that have the same limitation. There may be more, but those are two I use occasionally. 

that helps.thank you

[luisma]

On 7/24/2018 at 4:09 AM, Miska said:

Seems like your DAC has Amanero USB interface. Depending on it's firmware version it may sometimes do that kind of funky stuff at highest rates. Stopping and restarting playback usually fixes it if it happens.

 

Updated to Amanero 1096 now this happens constantly, can barely use it, PCM fails more often than SDM but both do, the only way to get the DAC out of the garbled white noise playing is change the filters to anything or switch from pcm to DSD or viceversa.

 

By any chance do you know any version of the firmware that works kind of stable with HQPE? or is there away to troubleshoot?

[luisma]

8 hours ago, bibo01 said:

@luisma Is there any reason you did not use 2004BE, Amanero's latest firmware?

I don't recall was one of the options but maybe was there in the oemtool options 

 

I used 1096 following manufacturer recommendations 

[luisma]

1 hour ago, Miska said:

 

I'd say it has nothing to do with HQPE, but generally you'd want a firmware that works properly on Linux. The most recent ones are quite OK, mostly sometimes get a bad playback start and need stop/play cycle to recover. And then work OK at least for a while.

 

But it of course also depends on the particular DAC too. Not all DACs are the same.

 

I agree is not related to HQPE directly, I'm doing some more testing to see if I can narrow down what could be happening.

[luisma]

I do have a question though. I have these settings in the configuration and of course I did apply.

 

It is playing PCM 352 as per the main page

 

The Main page shows

 

Thought the configuration after applied had preference over the main page?

 

[luisma]

4 minutes ago, Miska said:

 

You have Auto Rate Family enabled. And 352800 is highest rate below set upper limit of 384000 that is multiple of 44100. So to me it looks like working correctly.

 

Note, since you have fixed volume setting of 0 dBFS you've also got limiter triggered 6 times in your screenshot...

 

Thanks, that was a very noobish question  so indeed is good that automatically changes to PCM based on the input content.

Can you please describe what the limiter triggered 6 times is? which would it be the best settings?

 

[luisma]

33 minutes ago, Miska said:

 

You have Auto Rate Family enabled. And 352800 is highest rate below set upper limit of 384000 that is multiple of 44100. So to me it looks like working correctly.

 

Note, since you have fixed volume setting of 0 dBFS you've also got limiter triggered 6 times in your screenshot...

 

Still confused, does the configuration tab output mode should have preference and overrides the main tab? 

Just removed the auto rate option but keeps playing pcm not sdm with 48 content and Output mode is SDM

[luisma]

Figured out the server part, looking to install an NAA, what would it be recommended? Ubuntu Server + Jussi's kernel + NAA client software?