HQPlayer Linux Desktop and HQplayer embedded

[Miska]

37 minutes ago, StreamFidelity said:

In my case the digital volume control is sensitive, as I go directly from the Denafrips Terminator DAC to my T+A M10 power amplifiers. I have had a Windows system chime before, where I thought I was right inside the church bell tower.  😄

 

I control the HQPlayer via Roon. A Comfort Limit can be set there.

 

 

You could as well set HQPlayer volume max to -20 dB? Or do you frequently go over it?

 

[StreamFidelity]

5 hours ago, Miska said:

You could as well set HQPlayer volume max to -20 dB? Or do you frequently go over it?

 

Occasionally I let it rip. 🤣Changing the setup of the HqPlayer would be too cumbersome for me.

[Bob Stern]

re Volume Control in Client:

 

On 4/11/2020 at 6:54 PM, Miska said:

Use mouse wheel on top of it and it is much more comfortable.

 

With a Mac trackpad, you have to hold down the trackpad button while scrolling up and down. 

 

On 4/11/2020 at 6:54 PM, Miska said:

Alternatively use the popup-slider

 

On a Mac, double-clicking the volume control reveals the slider.  However, with a Mac trackpad, the volume control functions as I just described regardless of whether the slider appears, so displaying the slider doesn’t seem to affect anything.

[Miska]

3 hours ago, Bob Stern said:

With a Mac trackpad, you have to hold down the trackpad button while scrolling up and down. 

 

I don't have a Mac trackpad at hand to try, but I think two finger scrolling over the volume control widget should work (equivalent of mouse wheel).

 

3 hours ago, Bob Stern said:

On a Mac, double-clicking the volume control reveals the slider.  However, with a Mac trackpad, the volume control functions as I just described regardless of whether the slider appears, so displaying the slider doesn’t seem to affect anything.

 

You can use the slider instead if you don't like to use the spin-wheel. So there are two alternative ways to do the same thing.

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

Is there any way to access HQP Desktop’s settings via web interface? I know HQP embedded enables this, but I’m using Windows desktop. 
 

use case - Listening to my headphones in bed via mRendu. Want to switch NAA outputs from my main system to the mRendu but only have access to my phone. I don’t want to run an rdp session on my phone either. 
 

 

[Miska]

5 hours ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Is there any way to access HQP Desktop’s settings via web interface? I know HQP embedded enables this, but I’m using Windows desktop. 

 

No, there's no such possibility in Desktop. For remotely adjusting settings, VNC is probably best alternative.

 

You can have more than one setting file stored, and you can remotely switch between these using HQPlayer's control API, for example through hqp-control2 command line utility. But at the moment this is not likely very helpful for a phone, unless someone wants to write a phone app for doing such.

 

[jabbr]

20 hours ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Is there any way to access HQP Desktop’s settings via web interface? I know HQP embedded enables this, but I’m using Windows desktop. 
 

use case - Listening to my headphones in bed via mRendu. Want to switch NAA outputs from my main system to the mRendu but only have access to my phone. I don’t want to run an rdp session on my phone either. 

Theres a lot to be said for HQP Embedded though even this use case isn’t perfectly covered. I use the Roon iPhone app to select music to play into HQPlayer but there’s a single zone for an instance of HQP ... maybe an iPhone/Android app that sends a message to HQPe to switch NAAs? Doesn’t yet exist AFAIK

[asdf1000]

@The Computer Audiophile you gotta go Embedded.

 

Once you go Embedded, you’ll never go back.

 

Then you can adjust all HQP settings from any browser (phone, tablet, whatever).

 

It doesn’t have to be a separate machine. You can run Embedded from a USB stick, keep your Windows machine untouched.

 

But if you use Roon, you’ll then need a separate machine although Roon doesn’t need anywhere near as much powah as HQP doing DSD256 with EC modulators.

 

I have Roon and HQP Embedded on Ubuntu Server (Headless) on the same 9900K.
 

The same machine is dual boot with Windows 10.

 

By default it boots Ubuntu (headless) when I press the power button. But I can load Windows 10 really quickly and easily, if I ever need.

 

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

1 hour ago, asdf1000 said:

@The Computer Audiophile you gotta go Embedded.

 

Once you go Embedded, you’ll never go back.

 

Then you can adjust all HQP settings from any browser (phone, tablet, whatever).

 

It doesn’t have to be a separate machine. You can run Embedded from a USB stick, keep your Windows machine untouched.

 

But if you use Roon, you’ll then need a separate machine although Roon doesn’t need anywhere near as much powah as HQP doing DSD256 with EC modulators.

 

I have Roon and HQP Embedded on Ubuntu Server (Headless) on the same 9900K.
 

The same machine is dual boot with Windows 10.

 

By default it boots Ubuntu (headless) when I press the power button. But I can load Windows 10 really quickly and easily, if I ever need.

 

 

This is a big question I’m trying to answer. I’ve tested the embedded version and so far think it’s a little buggy. The Windows version works pretty well. I’d love to try it on Ubuntu Studio but I also have to make sure the new hardware I select works with Ubuntu. 
 

I hate to say it, but Windows is the safest bet and most people are comfortable with it. 
 

More testing to be done. 

[craighartley]

11 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

This is a big question I’m trying to answer. I’ve tested the embedded version and so far think it’s a little buggy. The Windows version works pretty well. I’d love to try it on Ubuntu Studio but I also have to make sure the new hardware I select works with Ubuntu. 
 

I hate to say it, but Windows is the safest bet and most people are comfortable with it. 
 

More testing to be done. 

Buggy? Embedded? That’s strange. My move from Windows to Embedded was precisely because it’s the least hassle. It’s like you suddenly have a turnkey solution without the messy variables of a Windows environment or the hassle (in my experience: I know it’s different for others) of coming to terms with Ubuntu. 

[asdf1000]

2 hours ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

I hate to say it, but Windows is the safest bet and most people are comfortable with it. 

All noted.

 

Don’t forget about the USB bootable Embedded version.

 

Some people think you require Linux command line for Embedded but not so with USB bootable version.

[Miska]

5 hours ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

This is a big question I’m trying to answer. I’ve tested the embedded version and so far think it’s a little buggy.

 

Which way buggy? Please let me know about any bugs you encounter.

 

3 hours ago, asdf1000 said:

Don’t forget about the USB bootable Embedded version.

 

On Intel NUCs and such that have SD-card readers, you can also boot it from (micro)SD. May be more neat in some cases.

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

1 hour ago, Miska said:

 

Which way buggy? Please let me know about any bugs you encounter.

 

I must use better language on this one. Buggy probably isn’t correct. The first couple times I used HPQe I installed it on an Ubuntu 18.04 machine and couldn’t get anything in the instructions to work “correctly.” I got music but it just seemed like I was lucky. 
 

This morning I downloaded the image to a usb drive and booted to it this way, and everything works absolutely perfect. 
 

Sorry for what was likely my own issues. 
 

 

[jabbr]

8 hours ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

This is a big question I’m trying to answer. I’ve tested the embedded version and so far think it’s a little buggy. The Windows version works pretty well. I’d love to try it on Ubuntu Studio but I also have to make sure the new hardware I select works with Ubuntu. 
 

I hate to say it, but Windows is the safest bet and most people are comfortable with it. 

 

I hear ya. People are comforted by a GUI. I started with the MacOS version and have used the Windows version of HQPlayer but just realized that my licenses for desktop are Version 3! I haven't tried to use HQPlayer desktop since I got HQPlayer embedded working.

 

Why? 

1) I take the view of music as a service. HQPe is a linux service, thus restarts when the power comes back on and the computer reboots.

2) I like the idea of HTTP config. That's how our music network *should* work  

3) I love the idea of being able to control my music with an iPad or iPhone. I really don't need to know where it is coming from.

4) This fits best with the model of a high powered, perhaps "noisy" compute server and a very quiet renderer/NAA connected to the DAC

5) The DLNA model is great -- I don't care for the implementation -- but HQPe can be paired with Rygel as a DLNA endpoint.

6) I would prefer that the HQP/NAA protocol be "opened" by I understand @Miska's business requirements. It the best "remote ALSA" protocol out there bar none.

 

So ... in an  ideal world, there would be an HQP GUI that ran on the desktop as well as on an iPhone/Pad/Android that would control the HQP engine ... like Roon does ... but understand that  precious resources are devoted elsewhere.

[The Computer Audiophile]

Hi @Miska when I upload convolution filters to HQPe, they don't stay there if I don't enable convolution. 

 

I have multiple NAA endpoints I'm testing and need to turn it off and on. Being forced to re-upload them seems strange. Is this working as it should or am I missing something?

[Miska]

13 minutes ago, jabbr said:

So ... in an  ideal world, there would be an HQP GUI that ran on the desktop as well as on an iPhone/Pad/Android that would control the HQP engine ... like Roon does ... but understand that  precious resources are devoted elsewhere.

 

Isn't that what for example HQPlayer Client + HQPDcontrol already allow?

 

[Miska]

6 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Hi @Miska when I upload convolution filters to HQPe, they don't stay there if I don't enable convolution. 

 

I have multiple NAA endpoints I'm testing and need to turn it off and on. Being forced to re-upload them seems strange. Is this working as it should or am I missing something?

 

You can turn on/off convolution engine on the fly remotely without touching the configuration.

 

Another alternative is to use the the pipeline matrix for the purpose, it is somewhat more flexible and you can more easily turn it on/off. Just not switchable on the fly. Note that the two are practically mutually exclusive, so choose either one.

 

[jabbr]

11 minutes ago, Miska said:

 

Isn't that what for example HQPlayer Client + HQPDcontrol already allow?

 

You will pry my iPhone from my cold dead body  

 

Now HQPlayer Client ... I see that's bundled with HQP4 Desktop which I haven't looked at (see above 😆) ... so that is a GUI that works with HQPe?

[Miska]

7 minutes ago, jabbr said:

You will pry my iPhone from my cold dead body  

 

You listed Android too...

 

7 minutes ago, jabbr said:

Now HQPlayer Client ... I see that's bundled with HQP4 Desktop which I haven't looked at (see above 😆) ... so that is a GUI that works with HQPe?

 

Yes, it works with Embedded the same as with Desktop. For practical reasons it is just bundled with Desktop. But it can be installed independently without Desktop.

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

14 minutes ago, Miska said:

 

You can turn on/off convolution engine on the fly remotely without touching the configuration.

 

Another alternative is to use the the pipeline matrix for the purpose, it is somewhat more flexible and you can more easily turn it on/off. Just not switchable on the fly. Note that the two are practically mutually exclusive, so choose either one.

 

Even though the convolution files are no longer shown on the convolution page (HQPe), they will still be enabled when I enable convolution?

[Miska]

16 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Even though the convolution files are no longer shown on the convolution page (HQPe), they will still be enabled when I enable convolution?

 

Check if the filter says "set" on the page. If it is "set" then it exists and gets enabled. If it is "unset" then it won't.

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

2 minutes ago, Miska said:

 

Check if the filter says "set" on the page. If it is "set" then it exists and gets enabled. If it is "unset" then it won't.

 

Terrific. Thanks Jussi.

 

[Miska]

P.S. When someone wonders why the page layout is strange with such boxes, the interface is intended to scale from desktop browsers to tablets and mobile phones. CSS has those floating elements that the browser can rearrange to make them fit on a screen of various sizes... On a portrait mobile phone screen, the boxes are usually laid out as a vertical list.

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

3 minutes ago, Miska said:

P.S. When someone wonders why the page layout is strange with such boxes, the interface is intended to scale from desktop browsers to tablets and mobile phones. CSS has those floating elements that the browser can rearrange to make them fit on a screen of various sizes... On a portrait mobile phone screen, the boxes are usually laid out as a vertical list.

 

 

 

works:

 

 

Doesn’t work (goes off the page):

 

[Miska]

2 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Doesn’t work (goes off the page):

 

 

Yeah, I don't have a good solution for HTML tables... Those need horizontal scrolling. Or then I just don't know how to do it.

 

I could set width to "100%", but then it likely gets horribly crammed and unreadable.