MAC MINI Operating System Optimisation.

[CG]

"The new Mini doesn't have a power brick."

 

No kidding?

 

The AC filter is still installed between the computer and the wall connection.

 

[mfaoro]

+1 For the Amarra setup links.

 

Here is the link.

http://www.sonicstudio.com/amarra/support/howtobuildaserver.html

 

Check out my signature for the music server I put together last week. I am interested in hardware tweaks but haven't seen any for the 2010 Mini. Would like to try a few different USB cables to my DAC too but haven't my hands on any demos yet.

 

Michael

 

[wgscott]

A simple terminal script or something that does it all that a layman like me could get to work.

 

wgscott- Bill where are you?

 

Here is a first attempt:

 

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/files/audiophool.zsh_.zip

 

Here is an uncompressed version, which makes it easier to just read it first (a good idea):

http://sage.ucsc.edu/downloads/shellscripts/audiophool.zsh

 

 

 

Download it to (say) the desktop, open the zip file, and if the name offends, sorry, just rename it.

 

 

 

Then run it by opening the terminal into the directory where you downloaded it (Desktop or Downloads) and then issue the command:

 

./audiophool.zsh

 

It might even be double-clickable.

 

Everything is undoable just by answering no (n).

 

You have to be an admin user, and some of the commands use "sudo" so you will have to supply your password. The shell script doesn't actually "see" the password, so it is safe.

 

 

 

 

 

[4est]

Thank you sir! Audiophool seem about right...

 

[wgscott]

It was meant to make fun of me, not anyone else!!!

 

[barrows]

Good to see you posting here. I know there is a fine line for manufacturers who might want to promote their products versus answering questions, and it appears that you are being respectful of that.

Because of the nature of my system, it is better for me to use a MacBook than a Mini, I am wondering if M2M is prepared to offer their full mod suite for the MacBook Pro in addition to the Mini? It sounds like you guys have preferred suppliers of memory and SSDs, and I understand that you would probably not like to divulge which providers these may come from (I understand, if you engaged in extensive testing, why would you want to share the knowledge which you have gained). For those of us thta prefer to use a laptop for our server, it would be nice if you could upgrade them.

 

[CG]

If Terminal scripts make you nervous, you can also try Deeper to turn off Spotlight and some other features that you might think compromise your system audio performance. (Nothing at all wrong with wgscott's script, but a lot of people are Terminal averse...)

 

http://www.titanium.free.fr/

 

Using Deeper may also give you a better feeling about the bass performance, too.

 

[dmccombs]

I'll answer some of the questions you asked here, that pertain to the thread, and suggest we take the in-depth Mach2 - MacBook Pro in discussion offline, since this is a Macmini thread.

 

We have tried different memory brands and so far we don't hear any differences. Having more memory generally helps though. So far, I haven't heard anyone claim one brand sounds better than other.

 

The quick reply to your MacBook Pro question is No, we don't offer a MacBook Pro Mach2 service, but we could if enough MacBook owners showed interest. When we discussed this we figured this would be a small market because most laptop owners run day-to-day apps which would negate a lot of the optimization. A dedicated Music server will sound best.

 

If you want to email me at Mach2, or start a MacBook thread here, we could discuss this further. Maybe we misjudged the MacBook Music server potential?

 

Darrell

 

 

 

 

 

[audiofox]

I'd love to read the Amarra tips page on how to set up a Mac audio server, but the page seems to be dead. Does anyone happen to have a download of the info that used to be contained on this page?

 

[bernardl]

Hello gentlemen,

 

Having recently started to use a mac mini 2010 as music server connected to a Weiss Int202 through firewire, I am wondering what part of all this really applies. The mac mini has 8GB or ram and a 200 GB OWC SSD.

 

Knowing that the Mac mini to Weiss communication through firewire is asynchronous and managed by the Weiss, the rationale should dictate that as long as the Mac mini is able to deliver the information reasonably well, the quality of the signal arriving to the dac should not be impacted at all by whatever you do on the Mac mini or upstream of it, right?

 

The only way the mac mini could therefore degrade the sound is by affecting negatively the other components of the system, either through AC or through waves, correct?

 

The consequences of these statements should be that:

 

1. OS tunes and the like should only deliver value if the mac without them isn't able to deliver enough information to the player... which should most probably not happen if playing from memory... and is proven not to happen at all if the Weiss is able to pass tests for perfect bit exactness. Things like Spotlight and the like have very small impact on CPU, and the effect is basically zero if the mac is used only as a music player (no new data to index).

 

2. Insulating the AC of the mac mini/HD/Weiss from the pre-amp/amp/dac might be required, but even this should take into account the fact that your AC cord is probably over-insulated already and very well filtered out in the first place. But OK, let's assume that a shielded power cable and power filter can help. What are the recommendations and are these recommendations based on some measurements and critical tests (see below)?

 

3. Regarding the ability of the Mac mini to affect negatively the sound quality through radiowaves (wifi, power unit emitted dirty waves,...). I have serious doubts as well but regardless, what can be done and how does the physical shielding of other components in the system impact the requirements?

 

Finally, one question regarding the tests showing that either of these things not supposed to make a difference actually make one. My scientific background leads me to think that tests to have meaning would have to be:

- blind,

- performed by several people with no direct interest in the results,

- performed at least 5 to 10 times.

 

I am wondering what part of the tests reported about here are done in these conditions?

 

Thank you.

 

Cheers,

Bernard

 

 

[wgscott]

I've run simulated annealing molecular dynamics jobs and compiled stuff maxing out both processors, and have never noticed any change in sound quality or playback, even with a simple optical out.