Roon Issue,?Hardware Issue? Other Issue? I'm Lost, Need Your Expertise!

[TubeLover]

I'm posting in the "general forum" because I honestly don't know where my issue resides. As noted above, it could be a  Roon software issue, a hardware issue (though I doubt that) something to do with a setting being incorrect (although that has been checked and rechecked) or something else. I Do know that there are a lot of people here in the forums that do have a great deal of knowledge associated with Roon, MicroRendu's, etc. who can hopefully help me end this frustrating situation. 

 

I recently purchased an i5 SonicTransporter to allow me to use Roon, and couldn't be happier with it. I'm hoping that someone can help me with a related problem that I am having. I have two audio systems in my house, the primary one is downstairs, in my listening room, the other is upstairs in my office. The downstairs system is using an UltraRendu, the office system is using a MicroRendu.
The upstairs Microrendu is somehow not now seen by Roon, Roon only shows my iPad pro, and only plays music via my iPad Pro. Obviously, I cannot currently use that audio system. If a setting is incorrect, I am not aware of it, but anything is possible. I have also tried rebooting the MicroRendu without any change in Roon. When this system was first tested, everything worked. 

The upstairs system is composed of a upgraded MicroRendu, a ModWright Elyse DAC, and the exceptional Mutec MC-3+USB reclocker and USB to SPDIF converter (needed for the DAC). 

 

At the suggestion of Andrew from Small Green Computer, I checked the DAC diagnostic and all appears well there. The MicroRendu sees the Mutec. I have checked and rechecked all connections. I have checked and rechecked all settings. Everything from the MicroRendu, to the configs, to the Roon settings have been restarted numerous  times. At this point in time, the Mutec unit that I am using to convert the USB signal to SPDIF (for the DAC) is not seeing any output from the MicroRendu. When I am in Roon, on my iPad Pro, in the lower right corner it shows the queue symbol, the symbol for my iPad, and the speaker on icon. If I press on the "my iPad" icon, it brings up a new window, under "Zones" that says JC's iPad, under that it shows the musical selection that is ready to play, and in the upper right corner of the box, there is a check mark.

 

I've walked through this with my friend Arnie (who has an i5SonicTransporter and uses Roon, and he has verified every setting and step I've taken and we are both at a loss as to what to do now. Especially as this exact system and setup worked, at least insofar as Roon, on my iPad seeing things correctly, when we tested it after installing the UltraRendu downstairs, and moving to using Roon with both systems. We were not able to play music though, due to a power amp failure that had taken place a few days earlier. 

 

Any help in resolving this issue would be greatly appreciated. Working these past few days in the office with no music has been frustrating. Thanks.

 

JC

 

 

 

 

[TubeLover]

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions so far. I will look into all of them in hope of finding the solution.

 

Paul, I am having trouble locating that Device Setup page you are showing. I've gone into "settings" in Roon (on my IPad Pro) and looked at every section without finding it. I did however come across something that might be associated with the problem. 

 

Under the "Audio" section of the Roon settings, its says JC's iPad and underneath that "Audio will play out of the default device." and below that " Apple". And then, to the right, the box under Zone Name says "JC's iPad". I'm relatively sure it should say MicroRendu? 

 

JC

[TubeLover]

5 minutes ago, bobfa said:

What audio devices are showing on your iPad?  Both of your Rendu devices should show there.  Did you set both of them up in Roon?

 

Settings -> audio and look around.  

Bob, thanks for the help. In Roon,settings, audio when I just checked it per your suggestion, under Networked, it only shows my home theater's Marantz preamp/processor (which has Apple connectivity) and my Apple TV box, also part of the home theater. 

 

JC

[TubeLover]

4 hours ago, bobfa said:

 

 

IF  you turn off one of the rendu devices can you play the other one?  Reverse that and see if the other one works..  This will tell you if it is a conflict between the Rendu devices or the ST.

 

 

The UltraRendu in my listening room has always worked perfectly with Roon, including as recently as Tuesday night. Unfortunately, I can't verify it again right now, as I have a couple guests staying the night, and one of them is currently asleep in the listening room. I will re-verify that all is well in that system, with the UltraRendu tomorrow.

 

JC

[TubeLover]

Good news. Everything is working perfectly now, although I am not entirely sure why or how. Last night, after I got home and ate dinner, I tried the primary system, which had always worked perfectly, and Roon came up the same way, with just my iPad Pro showing in the "zone area". I did something that I had done previously upstairs, without any result. I rebooted the Ultra Rendu, then rebooted Roon Ready, and then rebooted the Ipad Pro. Suddenly, another zone appears on that Roon page,  my UltraRendu. I just deactivated my Ipad Pro in the pull down window, and activated the UltraRendu showing in the other zone, and all was suddenly fine. Later, I followed the same process upstairs (something I had done several times previously without result). This time both the UltraRendu and MicroRendu both show up as available zones. I selected the MicroRendu and everything worked perfectly.

 

I'm extremely happy to have this all resolved, I just wish I could account for why it happened in the first place, and why the same steps towards a resolution did not work at some times, and did work at others? Oh well.

 

Thanks, very much, to everyone for your efforts to help. They are greatly appreciated.

 

JC

[TubeLover]

These problems seem to surface anytime something is changed in the upstairs system, and I'm really getting tired of the frustration and effort required to troubleshoot and deal with them. Perhaps going back to other hardware than a MicroRendu might be my best way forward. No disrespect to Sonore, but I have had way too may difficulties with the MicroRendu/Roon combination, but to be fair, they are probably mostly associated with Roon, insofar as network related things. 

 

My upstairs/office system was limited to a headphone amplifier while my integrated amplifier was off having a repair and update done. Now the integrated is back, and in it's previous place in the system. For no possible reason I can understand Roon (when I go to settings, audio) cannot, again, find the MicroRendu. All it shows is my iPad (and an Apple TV  and a home theater receiver under the "networked" category). My Sonic Transporter clearly shows the MicroRendu (but I have tried restarting it also. I have restarted the MicroRendu at least four times.  It is set to MPD/DLNA Renderer, I have restarted Roon Server. I have rebooted the iPad Pro at least four times. 

 

I know there is nothing wrong with the network, or equipment, since I am able to use the MicroRendu when set for Shairplay routing music from my iPad Pro to my DAC and integrated amp without issue.  

 

Any thoughts about how to attempt to solve the problem, this time around, would be greatly appreciated. The frustration at yet another issue, is enormous. And especially irritating, having just gotten back the integrated amp, and being unable to use it except for shairplay enabled music from the iPad.

 

JC

[TubeLover]

John, Thanks for being the voice of sanity once again, and saving me from any further embarassment. When I posted late last night, I had just gotten back from an all day drive to Toronto and back, fighting through construction, at many points, after unexpectedly having to travel to pick up my sister.  I was extremely tired, and only not sleeping, because I was a bit "overtired" and trying to mentally wind down from a long, tricky drive so I could fall asleep effectively. 

 

My brain was clearly not operating in normal mode, enhanced by the fact that I had not set up the MicroRendu for Roon for quite some time. When I got up, after a lengthy sleep, I realized my mistake, as you do indeed never set it up for MPD/DLNA, only for Roon Ready with the MicroRendu. My brain defaulted to appropriate setting for the hardware/software I used before getting it. 

 

Last time I will try to operate things that require me to both think, and remember at the same time while being mentally and physically exhausted.

 

All is working now, thanks again.

 

JC

[TubeLover]

30 minutes ago, Daccord said:

 

Other than your car? 🤕

For that very reason, I had my sister drive the last couple hours!

JC

[TubeLover]

Okay, now I am completely confused. I thought all was well, but something still isn't right.

 

After correcting things to enable Roon Ready, I listened to several hours of great music, via Roon,, with no issues, this afternoon. An hour and a half or so earlier tonight, I wanted to listen to a stream of "The Midnight Special" from WFMT in Chicago. I selected Shairport, and listened to a bit over an hour of the stream before the sound just dropped out. Now, this is something that sometimes happens with that WFMT stream sometimes, and has occurred a number of times even listening direct via my iPad. So, no worries, I set the MicroRendu back to Roon Ready, butd now I have no sound at all from the Roon playback.  

 

This time around, Roon clearly sees the MicroRendu, and when I look at the Zone, it shows right there that what I have selected is playing to the MicroRendu, but I am getting no sound. I'm just baffled now, what could have changed, and how do I fix this? I've tried rebooting Roon, and the MicroRendu numerous times, tried rebooting the iPad. It just isn't making sense. Everything appears exactly as it should, but still no sound.

 

Sorry to be a bother, but your help would again be greatly appreciated. My level of frustration is back to serious levels. And here I thought everything was fine this afternoon.

 

JC

[TubeLover]

Finally back up and operating. I wish I could tell you I knew why. The only difference to the procedure that I had been repeatedly trying:

 

1) Go into the Sonic Orbiter and verify that the network, and Sonic Orbiter sees the MicroRendu

2) Go into MicroRendu settings and select "Roon Ready" and let it complete that process

3) Reboot the MicroRendu and let it complete that process

4) Shut down the iPad, and restart it

5) open up Roon, verify that the MicroRendu is selected and ready

 

The only thing I added to the process was a suggestion (out of desperation) from a friend (who has almost the same system) to power fail the LPS1 power supply before starting the process above. Granted, he admitted that he was just shooting in the dark, but I did that first, anyway. 

 

I have absolutely no idea if, or why that would change anything, but I have sound again. Now if someone could tell my why following the process above (minus power failing the LPS1) repeatedly, last night, never allowed me to get sound out of my system, I would be all ears! This should NOT be this difficult!

 

JC