XXHighEnd

For various reasons I do not use a separate server for music or an RDC connection. My NOS1a-75b is plugged directly into a MB USB port. I also use a USB hub for keyboard and mouse (connected to USB3 MB port) which I disconnect, along with the monitor,  for best SQ once music begins to play.  My plan with the new Ram Boot Disc is to have the music stored  on an external drive plugged into the USB hub where the keyboard and mouse are currently connected. So assuming all is working after installing the Ram Boot Disc and OS/XXHE are running from Ram, I will unplug the RAM Boot Disc and the USB hub/monitor once playback begins. So, at that point nothing except the DAC will be connected to the PC. Will this work? Will it take too long for music to load if it is connected this way? Thanks in advance.

:)

I think it will work and I think it will be fast enough.
But convenient it is not. Depends a bit on what you do, though. So Alt-z to store something in your Demo (etc.) Gallery can't work. And, I think it can imply "errors" because you may not know in advance when the disk is needed.

But you can try it ...

Peter

I assume you mean here the disc in the music server. This should not be a problem because my usb hub is located next to my listening chair. Should I want to save something to a Demo gallery I have to connect it, and all --mouse, keyboard, music external drive-- will connect at the same time.

Maybe it is good to try all this prior to assuming it all will work and maybe anticipate too much.

Any Dutch around who know how to say "houtje touwtje" solution in English ? (make that American when you're at it anyway)
haha


Thinking of it ... no.
So connect a bunch of devices, and next pull the plug when you like ? that won't work. You must formally eject the USB disk because you plugged all (together) and when you pull all your mouse does not work any more - don't apply things in the wrong sequence, accept that stuff dies when you do it wrongly after all *and* you say you have some booze and other stuff in that listening room ? :nea: You have to find that small holes late at night to even lower the volume ? :no:

:careful:

Gave my plan a try (Music on disc connected to usb hub which is disconnected, along with mouse and keyboard, when music begins) and was fine until going from track one to track two of the playlist I made. Music stopped between tracks and a cover art  error message appeared. Thinking this was easy to solve, I went into XX settings and ticked "Do nothing with cover art." However, continued to have the same problem. Shouldn't ticking "Do Nothing With Cover Art" keep the program from searching for each track's cover art in a playlist from several cd's?

Houtje touwtje = band-aid solution

Hans

I do not understand is it possible or not to play music from Ram without a Nas/server. I hace my music trough usb in a docking station.

 :)

Hi Gerard,

Oh, that is possible all right, but it somewhat deminishes the purpose of eliminating all devices from the system. And assumed that is audible ...

Regards,
Peter

Interesting that putting the music on a usb hub with mouse and keyboard simply seems to work (unplugging and plugging back in) in all respects except when I use a playlist made up of many tracks from various cd's, which is how I have most of my music arranged.   I've never used galleries and doubt that I ever will. Only with a playlist, when the hub is unplugged, do I get the "can't find cover art error." While a track is playing all the functions I require just work when i plug in the usb hub again. So again, my question is when I'm using a playlist, shouldn't my cover art error go away by ticking "Do nothing with cover art " in XX settings? Is that a fixable bug?

As for band aide solutions, unplugging the usb hub from my listening position pales in comparison to getting out of the chair, crossing the room to the music pc and unplugging the HD from the music PC.  :) My "system," if it can be made to work, will leave nothing plugged into the PC which is the goal afterall. Lastly, though I've gotten RDC to work here, the impact on SQ has always been substantially negative.

Good news. After ticking "do nothing with cover art" I rebooted and now playlists work with the hub/music disk unplugged. Was a bit worried I might have purchased something I couldn't use. Am very much looking forward to hearing the difference with the OS playing from RAM and everything disconnected from the PC.

Thanx Peter,

Got my pc ready for de HDD today. I use a pci removable diskbay. Needed to dril a bit which i will post pics of later.

Pas it on  ;)

Hi Brian,

that's true, this RDC connection (with the 2nd PC via Ethernet) degenerates the SQ heavily, and since that finding the RDC is a NoGo for me and I have some training lessons to keep my weight  :)

Joachim

Joachim, glad I'm not the only one hearing the negative effect of RDC! Is it something in our respective systems or was the negative effect on SQ overlooked for the convenience of the RDC connection? I'll keep my opinion to myself.  :)

Anyway, i got everything working with the RAM OS, but we had company this weekend so I never was able to do any extended listening. However, with 10586 playing from RAM and all disconnected, including my usb music drive, Bassface Trio plays Gershwin sounded magical! I had a minor issue regarding shut down but will post about that in the support section. Still need to hear female vocals before making a SQ post. And this was without an Intona which will be here sometime next month.

One problem with my configuration: I had to plug the USB music drive directly into the MB; it would get "lost" when it was plugged into the hub with the mouse and keyboard. Thus I just hit the power switch on the music drive once the music starts and all is well!

Hi Brian and Joachim,

I thought that the impact of using RDC would be far less than having to connect a keyboard, a mouse and a monitor to the music PC... To be honest, I never was really capable of hearing differences with them or not, so I guess that my lack of sensitivity may explain a few things...

But I thought that RDC would have far less impact on SQ ?

Finally, I have to admit that I prefer RDC over having other hardware on the music PC, since it would require on my part that I do exercise getting up to the music PC ;)

How do you define the differences you hear with RDC on or off, as opposed to a connected keyboard, mouse and a monitor ?

Regards,

Alain

Morning Alain. the way I have things configured here, the keyboard, mouse, monitor and usb music drive are all disconnected when music plays. The difference in sound between and RDC connection and my current configuration is significant. The RDC connection is noisy, much like having an optical drive plugged into the server. Highs are no longer sweet sounding; rather they have a glare that make me want to turn down the volume. Hope that makes sense.

Hello you strangers ...

I'm afraid that you both start to deviate too much to be "judgable" from my side. But these are your own choices of course.

If anything, the RDC sounds BETTER and this is so since the Bluetooth means of doing that (but I certainly don't use that any more).

I have said it before : the sequence of things is of vast importance and Brian, your means of (dis)connecting things is encouraging for the best pile of sh*t imaginable.
Why ?
uhm ... because I tell you ?

Each time you connect something or disconnect something, you provoke a ground loop change. So, those loops are everywhere (all invisible, all inaudible if the further act is okay) but changes are implied for sure.

If this comes across as hard or sudden or strange ... yes, there was a time that I myself wondered what actually happened in between the pulling of a power cord and putting it back for whatever (non-)maintenance. Today I seriously don't wonder at all because I now know how ground"loops" MUST find there way. Always. So your "net" regarding this is an always balanced "something" (say with a net potential of zero) and cutting out a piece of that (like your USB drive) may change it all over. "May" but better is to state it "will".

Maybe it is good to point out our endeavours about the "switching power supplies removed from the system" (still in my Sig) ? It is similar.

Only the other day (two weeks or so ago ?) I mentioned in this forum the importance of the boot up sequence of really all. So, I *know* this is crucial. It is only that I don't know yet what THE sequence is. Think like having in the monitor, keyboard and mouse cable when the PC is completely Off, boot it and only then pull those cables. Not before.
Hey, 10 to 1 that when you unplug your monitor from the power that you will see a huge DC change somewhere. Monitors are baaaaad (and the same for everyone).

---

Ok, what was I saying ?
Well, that you should have a stable system. Stable-wrong or stable-right. But not at the will of God etc. and that things always change - and as in your case even a few times per hour.

I know, you weren't even complaining ... :)
Sleep over this somewhat, ok ?
Make it decent, please.

Peter

Hi Brian,

Thanks. I tend to rely on different perceptions from others, so I will try to make comparisons.

Alain

Ha ha :) Strangers from America :) We have 120V here, maybe it triggers different things ;) Would it ?

:)

Alain

Sit tight Alain ...

YES.
When 20 or so DACs were out with the USB version, all to the 'hood over here, a first 110V did not want to work for DC Offset (issues).
We were working for a month in a row to get that right ...

This was all before your time, but people may recall posts about the quite many mains set ups (in "your" town) with phases and grounds and stuff which all influences.
It seems that the UK is the most various with that, but except for one with the same behavior as the 110V they are all harmless (I recall 5 different set ups in the UK).

Peter

When I see the advantages of the shucko plugs (they do not get half the way out of the wall when the cable is heavy, they can also be inverted with ground still in contact), I wish we would have the same format here...

Or maybe have AC cables in wi-fi mode ;) :grin:

Alain