Article: The Value Proposition In Computer Audio: Nuts, Bolts, and Building Blocks - Building a Home for Your Player Software

[JJinPDX]

I don't know if this is a problem or not, but I'm recording a temp of 68C using vcgencmd measure_temp. Seems high to me. 

 

Still no hiccups though. Might try DietPi for grins and giggles. 

[bluesman]

1 hour ago, JJinPDX said:

I don't know if this is a problem or not, but I'm recording a temp of 68C using vcgencmd measure_temp. Seems high to me. 

 

Still no hiccups though. Might try DietPi for grins and giggles. 

68C is normal for a Pi 4 in a generic plastic case and in many metal ones with no heat transfer mechanism with ambient temps between 70 and 75F.  The onboard throttling trigger is 80C, so 68 is “safe” according to Canonical and many Pi experts.  I suspect it does shorten component life, though.  
 

A passive cooling case like the Flirc has an integral platform inside that’s joined to the CPU by a heat transfer pad - Flirc brought my first 4 down from a high of 73C while recording live music to wav files with Audacity, monitoring via software playthrough, to about 50. A fan cooled case keeps it even further down - I haven’t gone above 43 with the same recording setup and the same sources (multitracking my own instruments) in either of two plastic cases with fans.
 

Routine 2 channel Redbook flacs cruise along at 35-36C with fan cooling and about 40-41C in a Flirc in a 70F room.

 

DietPi is cool, but it’s a bit much to configure if used only for audio - there are many software packages available in the setup, and even if you only want Roon bridge, you have to run through the setup screens anyway.  I like Ropieee because it’s just a Roon bridge on a JEOS, and there’s nothing else with which to deal.

[JJinPDX]

Ropieee. Ok. Will give it a try for the same grins and giggles. 

 

I have a flirc case on its way. 

 

The one thing I am now researching is how to automagically make sure the OS updates and protects itself without my having to do so myself, and how to make sure if there's a power outage that it can come back with no corruption. Since I'm going to install a few of these around the house to group using RAAT, I want it to be as much of an appliance as possible. 

 

This is great fun! 

 

John J

[JJinPDX]

Ropieee is having trouble with USB 2.0 out to a Music Streamer II DAC I had laying around. Pops and clicks, although it did start out okay. Not sure why it suddenly started misbehaving. It recognizes the DAC through Roon just fine. Will re-flash the 4-gig SD that I put it on and try again. I will also report the issue to the Ropieee folks on Roon, but thought I'd let you know. Went back to the Raspian Lite and no problems at all. 

[bluesman]

18 hours ago, JJinPDX said:

Ropieee is having trouble with USB 2.0 out to a Music Streamer II DAC I had laying around. Pops and clicks, although it did start out okay. Not sure why it suddenly started misbehaving. It recognizes the DAC through Roon just fine. Will re-flash the 4-gig SD that I put it on and try again. I will also report the issue to the Ropieee folks on Roon, but thought I'd let you know. Went back to the Raspian Lite and no problems at all. 

The 4 gig Pi 4 is obviously still a work in progress. I'm reminded of the early life of the Porsche 911 and how continued increases in engine size and power pushed components to and beyond their limits.  Yes, it's another loose analogy - but as displacement got closer to 3 liters than the original 2, little things like head studs started failing.  And factory "patches" like case savers and Dilivar studs were only partially effective.

 

Like air cooled 911s, the poor little Pi may have reached the limits of safe and reliable performance without costly and exotic work-arounds - and that's how reliable and inexpensive high performance items turn into finicky and expensive ones.  Let's keep trying to make these the best they can be, recognizing that we're probably just biding time until the next advance in SBC design.

[JJinPDX]

Just a follow up...  With the Flirc case running Bridge on Raspian Lite for many, many hours, highest temps, both CPU and GPU, 38C. Ambient temp 68F. No hiccups at all. 

 

- JJ 

[bluesman]

19 hours ago, JJinPDX said:

Just a follow up...  With the Flirc case running Bridge on Raspian Lite for many, many hours, highest temps, both CPU and GPU, 38C. Ambient temp 68F. No hiccups at all. 

 

- JJ 

Great stuff!  Here’s another teaser for the article I’m preparing right now - my task yesterday was to install, set up and gain more experience with OpenMediaVault on Raspbian Buster Lite on a Pi 3b+.  Today I’m adding it to a multi-Pi music system for live recording, ripping, and listening.  It’s up to 3 so far - one as a dedicated audio workstation, one for mixing, mastering, file conversion, and listening, plus the NAS to keep all files out of USB traffic and archive every bit.

 

The reason for separate recording and monitoring devices is that a 3b+ can’t process both a source signal and real time monitoring of it without stuttering, popping and dropping out. A 4gig Pi 4 handles this better for single track live recording and for ripping, but the price has to be paid for latency. Fortunately, Audacity has an excellent correction function, although it’s a bit tedious to dial in. It offsets the input by 123 msec on mine after setup, which lets me lay down multiple tracks with excellent time alignment. 
 

Once I figure out how to make it work with a brace of 3b pluses that I already own, I’ll try to distill it down to a portable recording station with two Pi 4s.  I’m waiting for complete resolution of the problems with the 4 gig version before buying any more.