Audiolinux Server configurations, Software, Hardware, and Listening Impressions

[ronfint]

3 minutes ago, lpost said:

pstate-frequency doesn't work if I have 'Quiet n' Cool' disabled in bios.  It's AMD version of Intel SpeedStep.  

 

I adjust the mulitplier for CPU frequency in bios.  I find the slowest Ghz sounds the best in my system.  It's still plenty of HP for my use, a bit of low frequency eq and convolution filters (that I need to re-measure and update for dual subs).

 

Worth a try, checking SpeedStep setting.  I believe this is what allows for scaling.

 

 

Thanks very much. I do have Speedstep and Turbo on. pstate-frequency works fine for me, just not after booting to isolated cores.

[lmitche]

13 minutes ago, ronfint said:

I did update with yaourt -S pstate-frequency on Wednesday. I thought that I had both working together, but when I checked CPU frequency in the Status menu, I realized that it was not working.I also checked with  cpupower frequency-info.I then wrote to Piero who confirmed that I was correct, and he said that he would investigate. 

 

My above message was asking whether the commands involving echo your_frequency > /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/scaling_min_freq 

offer a work around.

As the problem was fixed here with bios changes there is no need for a work around and one hasn't been tested.

[JohanJ]

I ask Piero so much and he always is so quick and patient in his answers, so a big compliment.

But now I have a question I really don't dare ask him.

When you open a menu item , at the right underside of the screen appears a percentage, like 28% or likewise.

I can't figure out what it possibly mean... anyone?

[ronfint]

3 hours ago, JohanJ said:

I ask Piero so much and he always is so quick and patient in his answers, so a big compliment.

But now I have a question I really don't dare ask him.

When you open a menu item , at the right underside of the screen appears a percentage, like 28% or likewise.

I can't figure out what it possibly mean... anyone?

I think that in case you have not displayed the whole menu on your screen, it is telling you how far down you have scrolled.

[mourip]

34 minutes ago, ronfint said:

I think that in case you have not displayed the whole menu on your screen, it is telling you how far down you have scrolled.

 

Thanks for that. It has always been confusing to see the results with the "OK" button enabled and also see what looks like a progress update number. Since the OK button was available and everything always seemed to work I just ignored it. It would probably be less confusing to just have a scroll bar on the side.

[JohanJ]

2 hours ago, ronfint said:

I think that in case you have not displayed the whole menu on your screen, it is telling you how far down you have scrolled.

Good to know I am not alone in this.... I have the same experience, thinking it was a sort of progress indication. Thanks for the explanation.

 

[JohanJ]

I have my first experience with ramroot. I must say it sounds great. I only run HQPe on this machine, so my 8Gb is enough to do it.

 

In testing today with different kind of music I came across with this very nice and new playlist in Qobuz. A bit off-topic maybe, but give it a try to test your equipment to this.

 

Le Notre Dame, Paris

https://open.qobuz.com/playlist/2228952?j=115902&sfmc_sub=11649435&l=29_HTML&u=4772286&mid=7290575&jb=4

 

This it is a very honourable salut to the great Organ and acoustics of the Paris Notre Dame. The organ gives you depth, incredible low and high frequencies. The mids are oh so smooth and sweet. And you get the acoustics of the Notre Dame for free...
 

I can recommend nr. 1 (for your low end}, nr 5 (just because it is pure beauty), nr. 16 (wonder if your ears can handle this one) and 36 (we all know those first bars, but the last chord is the most emotional with the dying reverb of a space that doesnt exist anymore)

 

Turn up your volume as much you can handle and just enjoy this piece of art on your AL gear....

[hifi25nl]

New menu version 112 is out with option 5 "Set Ethernet speed limit" in Expert menu

[lpost]

Hi Piero,

 

When you get a moment, would you mind updating Pink Faun version of the menu?

 

Thanks

[hifi25nl]

... made speed limit at high speed...

menu Pinkfaun 231

[gsquared]

I finally updated the latest version of AL and I am configuring the Optane stick to store my Roon DB.

 

Thank you Piero for the awesome work on updating and improving this and for the amazing customer support!

 

Newbie question: My old USB stick contains my Roon DB. While booted from the updated USB stick, I want to plug in my old USB stick and copy the Roon DB from the old one to the new one. What is the Linux command to do this?

 

Once I've copied the DB to the new USB stick, I will use the "Transfer Roon database to another drive" feature in AL to move it to the Optane memory.

[jcn3]

2 hours ago, gsquared said:

I finally updated the latest version of AL and I am configuring the Optane stick to store my Roon DB.

 

Thank you Piero for the awesome work on updating and improving this and for the amazing customer support!

 

Newbie question: My old USB stick contains my Roon DB. While booted from the updated USB stick, I want to plug in my old USB stick and copy the Roon DB from the old one to the new one. What is the Linux command to do this?

 

Once I've copied the DB to the new USB stick, I will use the "Transfer Roon database to another drive" feature in AL to move it to the Optane memory.

 

i usually back up the db in roon, build/configure my new stick, and then restore the roon db within roon.  works perfectly.

[gsquared]

8 minutes ago, jcn3 said:

 

i usually back up the db in roon, build/configure my new stick, and then restore the roon db within roon.  works perfectly.

That sounds like an easy way to do it. When you back up your db in Roon, where do store it? I’m wondering if I can store it on my music library on an external drive.

[jcn3]

2 minutes ago, gsquared said:

That sounds like an easy way to do it. When you back up your db in Roon, where do store it? I’m wondering if I can store it on my music library on an external drive.

 

i back up my roon db in roon every night to a nas -- it's easy for me to retrieve as a result.  it is the same drive (different folder) as my music library.

 

you should have no trouble backing it up to an external drive -- just reference the same location you reference for your music library.

[gsquared]

4 hours ago, jcn3 said:

 

i usually back up the db in roon, build/configure my new stick, and then restore the roon db within roon.  works perfectly.

 

Well I was able to backup my roon db on my music drive, but when I tried to restore it, it seemed like it finished the restore, but now it's giving me a screen that says "There was an issue loading your database" Don't worry. Roon staff... etc. etc.

 

I quit Roon and restarted and now it's at the Choose your Roon Core screen and it shows audiolinux, but it seems to be stuck at Initializing...

 

Has anyone had this issue before?

[gsquared]

Never mind... I was able to get it working after a few more attempts. 

 

Thanks @jcn3 for the tip!

[hifi25nl]

New Option "Load music to memory" in main menu and "ENABLE/DISABLE play music from memory" in the configuration menu with version 113!

 

Here an example:

 

MUSIC2RAM CONFIGURATION

 

This script will create the folder /media/ramdisk
All music files copied to this folder will be loaded to RAM
Remember to add /media/ramdisk to your player music library
Since this configuration script will modify /etc/fstab, if you are in ram mode you should reboot to normal mode answering N to ramroot boot prompt
When configuration is done, you should select your music files with the corresponding option in the main menu
1-Enable and configure
2-Disable
3-Exit

?1

Please specify the amount of RAM in megabytes you want to be assigned to /media/ramdisk
Your available RAM is 13283 MiB
?1000
The new ramdisk mount line has been added to /etc/fstab

Do you want to to re-load your music files to RAM after reboot?
y = Yes
n = No
?y
Created symlink /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/music2ram.service → /etc/systemd/system/music2ram.service.

Please specify the folder where is stored your music library
If you have configured the right way your system, it should be a sub-folder of /media
Available folders are:

linux1
linux2
windows1
windows2

?linux1
From now on MUSIC2RAM script will use /media/linux1 as source

Configuration done

--------------------------------------------------------

MUSIC2RAM

This script will load your selected music files to memory
Before using it you must configure your music directory and other parameters with the option ENABLE/DISABLE play music from memory in Audiolinux configuration menu

Type album name to be searched, 0 for exit
arioli
This is the music you have selected:

/media/linux/Music/Susie Arioli - Night Lights
/media/linux/Music/Susie Arioli
/media/linux/Music/Susie Arioli, Susie Arioli Swing Band
/media/linux/Music/Susie Arioli Band -  Pennies From Heaven

Your selected music will use 520M

If this is right, press Y, otherwise press Enter to correct or refine your search
y
Please wait... I am copying the files
Your music files have been copied to the RAM folder
 

[bobfa]

On 4/27/2019 at 7:19 PM, gsquared said:

 

Well I was able to backup my roon db on my music drive, but when I tried to restore it, it seemed like it finished the restore, but now it's giving me a screen that says "There was an issue loading your database" Don't worry. Roon staff... etc. etc.

 

I quit Roon and restarted and now it's at the Choose your Roon Core screen and it shows audiolinux, but it seems to be stuck at Initializing...

 

Has anyone had this issue before?

Assuming this os from and ipad or iPhone .  Just force quite the app and try again.  Roon UI gets stuck on a regularl basis.

[lmitche]

This good news for us:

 

https://www.tomshardware.com/news/intel-10th-gen-comet-lake-cpus-specs,39200.html

[Dev]

1 hour ago, lmitche said:

This good news for us:

 

https://www.tomshardware.com/news/intel-10th-gen-comet-lake-cpus-specs,39200.html

 

Intel rocks !!!

 

All streamers using non-intel platforms will soon be obsolete.

[HeeBroG]

On 4/30/2019 at 12:20 AM, hifi25nl said:

New Option "Load music to memory" in main menu and "ENABLE/DISABLE play music from memory" in the configuration menu with version 113!

 

Here an example:

 

MUSIC2RAM CONFIGURATION

 

This script will create the folder /media/ramdisk
All music files copied to this folder will be loaded to RAM
Remember to add /media/ramdisk to your player music library
Since this configuration script will modify /etc/fstab, if you are in ram mode you should reboot to normal mode answering N to ramroot boot prompt
When configuration is done, you should select your music files with the corresponding option in the main menu
1-Enable and configure
2-Disable
3-Exit
 

Hi Piero,

 

Sorry for the ignorance but how is this different to 2Gb output buffer settings in Squeezelite as expounded here previously when in Ramroot mode?

[hifi25nl]

This option was designed for applications that don't support something like that squeezelite option.

 

If you use squeezelite is much easier to set buffer to some value, since music2ram is manual, that is you must load each time your music (but if have not finished listening your album you can set it to reload automatically after a reboot)

[misterspense]

On 4/30/2019 at 3:39 AM, Dev said:

 

Intel rocks !!!

 

All streamers using non-intel platforms will soon be obsolete.

Obsolete? How is that? Because the new Intel chips go back to the 15W TPD from the 7th generation, (idea is that lower is better) and have maybe more cores than previous generations (idea is that more is better). How are these small improvements so earth shattering making other platforms 'obsolete'?

[davide256]

Tough to keep track of the  latest, greatest config with AL/NUC, wondering if I've missed something important with

the configuration below?

 

1) on endpoint side I run

Bios: speed step off, low power mode, all peripherals other than USB disabled, wired Ethernet

AL: latest version with NUMA disabled, Roonbridge, realtime priority extreme, ethernet rate limited to 100, RAMroot

 

2) on server side I run

BIOS: speed step off, high power mode, all peripherals other than USB disabled, wired Ethernet

AL: latest version with NUMA disabled, Roonserver, realtime priority extreme, boot extreme, ethernet rate limited to 100, RAMroot

media USB3 connected with independent LPS power

 

got wifi working on the endpoint NUC7PJYH but wasn't impressed, still need to experiment with the server NUC 8i3BEH to see if it can do better.

Not impressed with dedicated audio cores so far.

 

Squeezelite for Roon endpoint sounds interesting but for some reason I could never see the endpoint when I enabled in Roonserver and AL menu,

wish there were a walkthrough of how to do this with the enhanced buffer settings?

 

[hifi25nl]

 New menu version 114. The crazy update never finish...

 

*** Version 114 update warning: Before rebooting, please go to Configuration Menu --> 20 SET boot to Extreme, Extreme2 or Standard and set your boot option, since this action will reconfigure some default settings. From now on if you select standard, extreme boot or isolated cores you must always boot with the option audiolinux (the other will not work correctly). The scripts will change the parameters of this boot option accordingly. I think this way is simple and more elegant.

 

Now the system is compatible with both kernels RT 5.x and RT-BFQ 4.19.x and you can switch easily from one to the other with the new kernel update script

For kernel RT 5.x you should make a full system update before installing it