HQplayer 4 and Mac-mini M1

[Schafheide]

Yes, for the Pi.

[BrownMagic]

3 hours ago, Schafheide said:

How would I use the Mele PC Stick?

Just install linux and HQP NAA and you are good to go. That’s how I use it with my Holo May KTE. 

[Schafheide]

 

8 hours ago, BrownMagic said:

Just install linux and HQP NAA and you are good to go. That’s how I use it with my Holo May KTE. 

Do you just plug it into the mini which has HQP installed and then connect it via usb to your DAC? What are it's limitations ie will it work at DSD512?

[AudioDoctor]

2 minutes ago, Schafheide said:

 

Do you just plug it into the mini which has HQP installed and then connect it via usb to your DAC? What are it's limitations ie will it work at DSD512?

 

The raspberry Pi connects to your network, and then to your DAC. HQPlayer sends data to it over your network.

 

edit: A wired network is best.

[Schafheide]

Is it feasible to wipe MacOS on Mini M1, install Ubuntu 20.04 LTS with latest kernel 5.15. Then install HQPlayer?

Is so can someone explain how they did it?

Because it is Linux, I assume that it will play nativeDSD without the need for a NAA?

[camott]

53 minutes ago, Schafheide said:

Is it feasible to wipe MacOS on Mini M1, install Ubuntu 20.04 LTS with latest kernel 5.15. Then install HQPlayer?

Is so can someone explain how they did it?

Because it is Linux, I assume that it will play nativeDSD without the need for a NAA?

 

No. There are some projects working on porting Linux to M1. It's more than just the kernel, it's drivers and firmware and disk management and GPU and T2 security chip, and all sorts of things. I am following this project https://asahilinux.org and one of it's main contributors twitter.com/marcan42, who is simply amazing.They are making huge headway and may have an installable distro available soon. I wouldn't be surprised if they could already release something simple and useable for the Mac Mini that would meet our needs for HQP but they are mainly focussed on getting Linux running on the MacBook's as that is the big use case - and thus lots of work on the integrated keyboard driver, trackpad, etc, etc. So we will have to wait for that to get completed in the next few months.

 

[EDIT: I should clarify that there are a number of options already available that will allow you to run Linux as a VM on the M1 ... but of course that's not what we want]

[Schafheide]

Thanks camott!

I guess that I will have to survive with HQP on MacOS and DoP DSD and be patient!

[Schafheide]

camott - Have you seen this

https://fedoramagazine.org/contribute-at-the-fedora-linux-36-test-week-for-kernel-5-15/

[camott]

2 minutes ago, Schafheide said:

camott - Have you seen this

https://fedoramagazine.org/contribute-at-the-fedora-linux-36-test-week-for-kernel-5-15/

 

Sorry, no, and what does that have to do with the M1?

[AudioDoctor]

58 minutes ago, Schafheide said:

Thanks camott!

I guess that I will have to survive with HQP on MacOS and DoP DSD and be patient!

 

If you use a raspberry Pi on the network as an NAA, you don't need DoP

[Schafheide]

AudioDoctor

Thank you, I am now aware of this but, I just want to avoid another box in the chain.

[Schafheide]

43 minutes ago, camott said:

 

Sorry, no, and what does that have to do with the M1?

https://appleinsider.com/articles/21/06/28/apples-m1-now-supported-by-linux-kernel-in-version-513

[AudioDoctor]

20 minutes ago, Schafheide said:

AudioDoctor

Thank you, I am now aware of this but, I just want to avoid another box in the chain.

 

ok... but it sounds dramatically better.

[camott]

19 minutes ago, Schafheide said:

https://appleinsider.com/articles/21/06/28/apples-m1-now-supported-by-linux-kernel-in-version-513

 

Ah ok, yes kernel support has been around for a while now. As I said, there's more to it than just the kernel though. That's the easy part.

[Schafheide]

See

https://communities.vmware.com/t5/Fusion-for-Apple-Silicon-Tech/Fedora-35-warning/m-p/2868128

[camott]

This is a VM via VMware running on MacOS, not native Linux. Hey look, by all means try installing HQP in a Linux VM on Mac OS on the M1 and let us know how it goes ... 

[Schafheide]

If it works, it would probably overtax the CPU for the higher DSD rates?

[AudioDoctor]

48 minutes ago, Schafheide said:

If it works, it would probably overtax the CPU for the higher DSD rates?

 

If, it works...

[Schafheide]

My new M1 has arrived.

Can someone point me to install & setup instructions please.

I will be using HQPDControl. So do I just install HQPlayer4 desktop? What about the other files in the dmg?

[MikePid]

Not sure if this is what you are looking for, but this is what I did to set up my headless mini M1, dedicated for HQPlayer, using Roon/Tidal and screen-sharing from another Mac, so you might need to change a few things (e.g. if you aren't going headless or playing local files):

- temporarily hook up a screen, keyboard and mouse, and optionally Ethernet cable

- do the initial set-up (region, wifi access, unique username/password - I used a username of HQPlayer)

- do not enable the following:

   - Siri, Spotlight, Location services

   - iCloud services (mail, photos, contacts, news, iCloud Drive, calendars, reminders, keychain, handoff, etc.)

   - Screen Time

- In Display: disable screen saver

- In Notifications: disable all

- In internet accounts: disable all

- In Security/Privacy: enable automatic login, disable screen lock

   - this is why you need a unique login, in case someone steals your mini, they don't get access to anything except HQPlayer

- In Software Update: automatically keep up to date; this will not do the annual major updates, just the "dot" releases

- Turn off bluetooth

- In Energy Saver:

   - set computer to never sleep

   - wake for network access

   - startup automatically after power failure

   - never turn display off (needed for screen sharing, but if you aren't headless, then you can set it to what you want)

- Sharing: enable screen sharing (if headless)

- remove most apps from Dock

- create shortcut to Signalyst website for HQPlayer updates

 

- download and install HQPlayer (ARM64 MacOS)

- install licence

- add HQPlayer to Dock

- In User Groups: put HQPlayer into Login Items so it always starts up on power-up

- configure HQPlayer to see your NAA/DAC, and also your filter/modulator/etc settings

- test it out, including unplugging power (to test auto restart)

- if going headless, set up screen sharing on the other computer, and once that is working, disconnect screen, keyboard and mouse

   - if have never needed to use screen, keyboard and mouse since I set it up 6 months ago

 

If anyone else has other suggestions, or finds errors, I can update this post later

 

 

[Schafheide]

@MikePid

 

Thank you for your most useful reply.

1. Can the install be done without using Roon?

2. What is "headless"?

[Schafheide]

@AudioDoctor

Don't get me wrong, I have not entirely dismissed the option of NAA on rasp.berry PI.

When you say "ok... but it sounds dramatically better." is this due only to DoP vs native DSD? Or is there something else?

I value your input.

[AudioDoctor]

19 minutes ago, Schafheide said:

Or is there something else?

 

Yes, disconnecting the DAC from the computer and sending the bits to a more optimized and quieter point to then connect to the DAC. Either way, it's a pretty cheap experiment to try on your own.

[MikePid]

42 minutes ago, Schafheide said:

@MikePid

 

Thank you for your most useful reply.

1. Can the install be done without using Roon?

2. What is "headless"?

1. Your music needs to come from somewhere.  If you are storing your library on the mini and using HQP to play it, I don't think anything needs to change for the install.

2. headless means no screen/monitor and keyboard/mouse.  You can run it with screen and keyboard/mouse too.  I just wanted something small that sits out of the way in my audio rack like my other boxes, so I didn't want a screen and keyboard.  I don't think there is any performance hit either way.

 

Good luck with setting things up.  I am really glad I went with this set up.  the mini M1 is an amazing box for the money, which lets me do DSD256 with ECv2.  Currently back to ext2 from guass-long, but it is a real luxury to have so many options!  And the mini is dead quiet and not warm at all despite pushing the performance cores to their limit.

[Schafheide]

My music in on my NAS.

What about Roon?