New System Setup

[autoformer]

The C48 and C50 are rated to accept 24bit/96kHz material through the S/PDIF ports. Someone on audioaficionado reported that they will also accept 24/192 via S/PDIF and that the C48/C50 report the correct bit depth and sample rate on the display. I have not been able to test this myself since my Macintosh computers will only output a maximum of 24/96 from their optical ports.

 

You should match your computer's bit depth and sample rate output to match the track, so the computer does not do any resampling. For the same reason, in iTunes, you should make sure the volume is set to maximum, the EQ is off (i.e., unchecked), and that the Crossfade Songs, Sound Enhancer, and Sound Check options are disabled in the playback preferences.

 

When I am in casual listening mode, I use the USB port on the C50 and leave the server set to 16/44.1, since that covers the majority of my content. Any high res tracks that I play when I'm in that mode simply get downsampled. If I want to hear with better fidelity, I switch to Decibel. There is no conflict between Decibel and iTunes, since they are operating on separate outputs. They can run simultaneously, and indeed I use them together as described in my earlier post. All I have to do is switch inputs on the C50 from USB (iTunes) to the optical port (Decibel).

 

I'm not sure why people talk about restarting iTunes after using the MIDI Setup app to change bit depth/sample rate. I don't do that and I can clearly hear the difference and the C50 does indeed report the change on its display.

 

I use the iPad and MacBook screen sharing interchangeably. In other words, one is not needed for the other to work. You can use either independently, or both together. In fact, the other night, a friend of mine was over, one of us with the iPad, the other with the Air, and we were both controlling the server simultaneously, taking turns selecting tracks. I think that answers your question. The server (MacBook Pro connected to C50 & MC452 in my other photo) is set up to enable screen sharing in the OSX System Preferences -> Sharing panel. This enables any Mac on the local area network to share the server's screen. On the iPad, I use iTap VNC primarily because it does not require any additional software on the server. It connects to the native OSX screen sharing service.

 

I have multiple remotes mostly because I am lazy and disorganized. I misplace stuff all the time. It's kind of like leaving multiple pairs of reading glasses all over the house in places where you usually need them rather than always having to hunt for them. I wanted to have a variety of ways to control my music servers. For example, sometimes I can't find the iPad, but the MacBook Air is at hand, or vice versa. Sometimes I go down into my music room and realize that I've forgotten both the iPad and the MacBook Air. But...I have my iPhone in my pocket. If I don't have even that, I can at least walk up to the rack and just use the server, which happens to be a MacBook Pro with its own screen, touchpad and keyboard. And as I noted earlier, the standard C48/C50 remote provides basic transport control.

 

I've attached another photo that shows my near field system rack, which uses a headless Mac Mini, C22 preamp, MC275 power amp, Wyred4Sound DAC2 and Oppo BDP-95 universal disc player. When I listen to this system, I can use the MacBook Air, iPad or even iPhone to remote control iTunes, just like the server. The Remote app running on the iPhone works fine for this, but it cannot control Decibel. So, with the iPhone, it's iTunes only.

 

I generally point the Mac Mini to the server in my other photo using standard iTunes music library sharing. I can stream high res music this way no problem.

 

There are a few other photos that show the iPad (iTap VNC), iPhone (Apple Remote app), and MacBook Air (built-in OSX screen sharing) controlling the headless Mac Mini in my near field rack.

 

With all your machines, make sure you go into the System Preference -> Accounts -> Login Items panel and set iTunes to load automatically when that user logs in. Then set System Preference -> Accounts -> Login Options so that user is automatically logged in when the system boots. I just create a user called "Music Server", add iTunes to the login items list and set "Music Server" to log in automatically. I wish Apple would realize that people are using iTunes as a server and provide the option to run it as a proper OSX service. This business of using a foreground application as a server is awkward.

 

Keep the questions coming. Happy to help...

 

[wgb113]

You've got two sweet setups! Love the McIntosh gear!

 

Bill

 

[autoformer]

I sure do enjoy them!

 

[csd455]

Thanks again for the world of information and Bill is right, you have two killer setups! So, I fussed all day about getting this going and how so I just dove in, went down to the Mac store and bought a Mini with hopes of picking up an iPad as well, but my local Phoenix store was sold out of them for the day. I'll have to head back tomorrow after they restock. I'll tackle and navigate the iPad tomorrow.

 

So I have the Mini basically up and running and for now and have an HDMI into my HDTV. I'll just stream into apple TV via my home theater receiver so I have a chance to play around with things until all the new audio gear arrives and I run a USB into the C48. (I'm actually not sure what an SPDIF is, or how that connects from Mini to C48 as you posted earlier). My hope is to get the hardware and libraries setup so the computer/source end of things is ready to go when the REALLY cool gear gets here.

 

As I'd mentioned before, I have an iMac, which is where my current iTunes library is. I'm assuming I should rebuild/copy the library in the new Mini, which will now be the server, rather than share/stream from iTunes in the iMac Is there any words of wisdom on performing this task? Should I access the iMac iTunes library via file sharing and copy into the Mini's library?

 

Sorry for all the questions...despite lots of reading and research, I'm still a beginner.

 

 

 

[mwheelerk]

This might help.

 

 

http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/moving-your-itunes-library-to-a-new-hard-drive/

 

[autoformer]

Sounds like you're making good progress! I stream into my home theater rig via an Apple TV as well and it works perfectly.

 

S/PDIF is an acronym for the Sony/Philips Digital Interconnect Format. The optical and coax digital inputs on the back of your C48 are S/PDIF input ports.

 

As to the location of the library files, I decided to have a central music server that is running iTunes at all times. That makes it easy for devices all around the house to share the music. Each person's personal machine has their own personal music. We have Home Sharing set up, so family members can import tracks from the server. It works the other way too. From the server, you can stream or import tracks from family members who are sharing their libraries.

 

I played around with having the actual files on a network share, but I could not live with the latency. When I'm standing at the rack and I press play, I want the music to start as quickly as possible. That means a quiet local hard drive. I use an external Seagate portable Firewire 800 drive (1.5TB capacity).

 

Let me explain this a bit more. My "server" (again, the MacBook Pro sitting ont he C50/MC452 rack) houses our main music library. The Mac Mini in the C22/MC275 "near field" rack has only a little music of its own locally. I use iTunes sharing to stream music from the server. Apple TVs stream music from the server. Same with every family member's personal computers. They stream music from the server in addition to listening to their own private collections on their local machines.

 

Now let's say you want to manage your main music library from your computer in your office. You can use screen sharing. But what if you're in your office and you want to rip a CD onto your music server or add some tracks that you've just purchased from HD Tracks without physically going into your theater room and touching your server? Note the presence of this directory:

 

userMusiciTunesiTunes MediaAutomatically Add to iTunes

 

From any computer on your network, simply drop music files in any format that iTunes recognizes into that directory and iTunes will import them!

 

Depending on the size of your library, you could use network file sharing. But if it's a lot of data, try these options:

 

1) If you're using an external drive for your new music library, then just copy your iTunes library onto it, connect the drive to your new Mac Mini, and start iTunes while holding down the option key. iTunes will prompt you to select the library. Make sure to copy the entire iTunes directory structure.

 

2) If you are using the internal drive on your Mini, you can use an external drive as an intermediary (i.e., copy from your iMac to the external drive, then from the external drive to your Mini).

 

3) If you have a Firewire cable, you can start your Mini in Target Firewire Mode. Power up your Mini while pressing the F key and it will start and display a large Firewire logo on the screen. Connect your iMac and the Mini via their respective Firewire ports and the Mini's hard drive will now mount on your iMac's desktop just like any other external drive. Then, copy your iTunes library to the Mini and when that's done, restart the Mini and start iTunes while pressing the option key as above.

 

This can get a little confusing, but don't get overwhelmed. It sounds like you are diving right in, so you will naturally discover all this as you go along. In the meantime, I'm happy to help.

 

Good Luck!

 

[Audio_ELF]

"I'm not sure why people talk about restarting iTunes after using the MIDI Setup app to change bit depth/sample rate. I don't do that and I can clearly hear the difference and the C50 does indeed report the change on its display."

 

You really do need to restart iTunes, otherwise you have the situation where iTunes resamples to rate A (the rate set in Audio Midi when iTunes starts) before core audio resamples to rate B (the currently set sample rate).

 

Eg iTunes is started while Audio Midi shows 44.1. After playing (correctly) some CD tracks, you decide to play a 96kHz download. Audio Midi is changed to 96. Now what happens is your HD track is downsamples by iTunes to 44.1; then the track is upsampled to 96kHz. You think everything is good because your DAC shows 96k: but there's been two sample rate conversion processors happening.

 

Eloise

 

[csd455]

Can somebody point out to me where you find "audio midi" output settings or display in itunes? Or where it "shows" in itunes that something is playing at a particular sample rate?

 

I'm experimenting/comparing Pure Music, Audrivana, Amarra and Decibel. Decibel does not show an output rate that I can find (but I find it the easiest interface to work with). Pure Music shows "native sample" rate in the progress bar, but doesn't necessarily mean that's what it's playing at. When you choose new tracks with higher rates, there is a quick flash (barely enough time to read) showing the change in sample rate. There is a reset button, that restarts Pure Music, and it announces a sample rate, which I believe is the last rate it was set to. Ammara shows a rate, but who knows...this one I find impossible to understand how it is queueing music, let alone what it's playing at.

 

With Audirvana, it shows bit and sample rate, and those rates change as you switch files with different rates. I like that with Audrivana, I am playing the file from the file source, rather than through the iTunes interface. I guess it gives me the most reassurance nothing's changed/upsampled/downsampled. You just don't get the nifty cover art, etc with iTunes in the background.

 

With any of the above, I just want to make sure I am playing a track in native sample rates at all times. Drives me nuts thinking I'm listening to a 24/96 track, but oh wait, maybe I'm not because I'm not sure what these players are really doing!

 

[mwheelerk]

In Finder under Applications>Utilities is the set up for Audio Midi

 

[iamimdoc]

Is this not possibly an example of how easy it is to "hear things" in high end audio?

 

Perhaps downsampling and then upsampling is a "good thing" vs listening to the native data - I don't know for sure but I would generally think not, however.

 

If the sound is just as good as true, original high res, there is really no real reason to buy high res music is there? Just get an upsampling device process in the sytem and call it a day.

 

My general point is that one wonders (in the high end world we are inhabiting)if some of the things "heard" are not more imagined than real.

 

Or more specifically, perhaps things may actually sound different but not necessarily better.

 

Just a thought.

 

 

 

[wgscott]

There are double-blind tests that suggest similar things to your observation.

 

[autoformer]

@Audio_ELF

Thanks very much for the explanation. I assume that the various player apps being discussed here can change sample rate without having to restart. For example, Decibel in exclusive access mode.