Linn Kazoo

[Streamer]

(09-05-2014 21:36)Streamer Wrote:  

(09-05-2014 21:21)Streamer Wrote:  

(09-05-2014 20:47)simoncn Wrote:  [quote='Peter@57m' pid='8965' dateline='1399664466']
Yes !!!

The latest beta nightly build of Kazoo has the matrix album display available when using MinimServer. Previously this was only available with KazooServer.

I can see my favourites now being MinimServer for server and Kazoo for control point.

Looking forward to other features and enhancements to come

Thanks, that's excellent

Unfortunately, no playlist shows, and in Artist view no Album art only treble clefts!

Streamer

Streamer

Solved, nightly build is causing this problem even with Kazoo server.

Work in progress to good to be true!

Streamer

Update, good news Simon MinumServer works with latest Beta even transcodes to 24bit.

Streamer

[Peter@57m]

The latest nightly build of Kazoo works OK with MinimServer on OSX and Windows. You can toggle between matrix view and list view.
The list problem seems to only be on IOS. I am sure they will get this fixed in short order

[DavidHB]

(10-05-2014 18:00)Peter@57m Wrote:  The latest nightly build of Kazoo works OK with MinimServer on OSX and Windows. You can toggle between matrix view and list view.

How does this toggle work? I can't find any way, on the Windows version (Beta 4.1.439), working with MinimServer.

More generally, progress on Kazoo seems to be moving in the right direction, compared with reports earlier in this thread. It is particularly good news that the MinimServer browse tree is handled without apparent interference. The user interface is tidier and makes better use of space than Kinsky, but, until an Android version is released (if, indeed, that is the intention), I shall not be able to make a full comparison with the Bubble control points. These still, I think, have the edge in terms of consistency of user interface, the amount of metadata displayed and the range of options available. And, of course, the ability do do a UPnP search.

That said, Kazoo is still in beta. If development continues as it has done, it will soon replace Kinsky as my default control point on Windows. There is still a fair way to go, but I'm beginning to hope that my earlier pessimism about Kazoo may prove to be unfounded.

David

[DavidHB]

(09-05-2014 21:56)Streamer Wrote:  MinimServer works with latest Beta even transcodes to 24bit.

Amusingly, tracks transcoded to WAV24 are flagged as 'HD' by Kazoo.

David

[Peter@57m]

(11-05-2014 22:47)DavidHB Wrote:  

(10-05-2014 18:00)Peter@57m Wrote:  The latest nightly build of Kazoo works OK with MinimServer on OSX and Windows. You can toggle between matrix view and list view.

How does this toggle work? I can't find any way, on the Windows version (Beta 4.1.439), working with MinimServer.

The matrix came in with the latest NIGHTLY build, these have 4.0.xxx version numbers which you can only see in settings once you have installed it.

[bbrip]

(07-04-2014 15:14)DavidHB Wrote:  . But I do feel sorry for iOS users, who do not at present seem to have a fully satisfactory control point to use.

David

Not quite true. LUMIN App works perfectly with Linn DS's and MinimServer on the iPad and has most of the features you could wish for. I'm using it 95% of the time since it came out.

I certainly find KAZOO in its current shape and form severely disappointing and not worthy of a high end audio system in the price league of Linn. It's just Kinsky with slightly better looks.

But this is Linn-strategy inherent: A "one-size-fits-all" multi-platform approach will never be fully satisfactory on any of the platforms its trying to serve.

bbrip

[DavidHB]

(12-05-2014 06:31)Peter@57m Wrote:  The matrix came in with the latest NIGHTLY build, these have 4.0.xxx version numbers which you can only see in settings once you have installed it.

Ah. Thank you. I'll try that.

David

[bbrip]

(12-05-2014 10:35)DavidHB Wrote:  

(12-05-2014 06:31)Peter@57m Wrote:  The matrix came in with the latest NIGHTLY build, these have 4.0.xxx version numbers which you can only see in settings once you have installed it.

Ah. Thank you. I'll try that.

David

Yes, the matrix shows up but there are no tracks showing when using MinimServer. Its been reported, so there should be a fix in one of the upcoming nightly's.

[DavidHB]

(12-05-2014 10:14)bbrip Wrote:  Not quite true. LUMIN App works perfectly with Linn DS's and MinimServer on the iPad and has most of the features you could wish for. I'm using it 95% of the time since it came out.

Point taken. As you gather from the context, I am not an iOS user and, sadly, there is no Android version of the Lumin app. One thing that can be said in favour of Linn is that they have made significant efforts to make their control software multi-platform. I hope that the fact that there is no far no Android version of Kazoo is not a bad sign.

What features does Lumin have that, say, Kinsky lacks? In previous posts, I have identified a number of features which, for me, make the Bubble control points preferable to both Kinsky and Kazoo. Are the preferences similar in the case of Lumin?

(12-05-2014 10:14)bbrip Wrote:  I certainly find KAZOO in its current shape and form severely disappointing and not worthy of a high end audio system in the price league of Linn. It's just Kinsky with slightly better looks.

In my book, Kazoo (at least on Windows) is somewhat better than this implies. Everything works, and the interface is clean and reasonably intuitive. Better use is made of available space than in Kinsky, and this is an important usability point. Overall, I'm not a fan, but I'd say that the beta has some promise.

(12-05-2014 10:14)bbrip Wrote:  But this is Linn-strategy inherent: A "one-size-fits-all" multi-platform approach will never be fully satisfactory on any of the platforms its trying to serve.

As you gather, my view on the multi-platform issue is diametrically opposed to yours; I think that the multi-platform approach and maximum consistency are helpful to users. Kinsky on Android is actually weakest in those areas where it is different from the iOS and Windows versions. By contrast, I think that the Bubble apps have been improved by Bubbleguuum's efforts to maintain maximum commonality between the two versions. Consistency in the code base is usually good programming practice in any case.

Also, I doubt that any device manufacturer will ever wish to maintain more than one in-house control point at any one time. Kazoo will presumably replace Kinsky as the supported application in due course. I do however worry about the amount of effort that Linn must be putting into Kazoo Server, which seems to me to be a wholly unnecessary piece of software.

David

[bbrip]

(12-05-2014 11:04)DavidHB Wrote:  I do however worry about the amount of effort that Linn must be putting into Kazoo Server, which seems to me to be a wholly unnecessary piece of software.

David

Hi David,
I certainly agree on that one. In the days of Twonky 4.0 as the only real option this would have been an endeavor well worth pursuing. But now, a couple years down the road, there are sufficient better alternatives around.

I do not doubt that in terms of corporate efficiency the OSFA approach is desirable. But IMHO truly great software always takes full advantage of the specific platform its supposed to run on. A touch based device is something totally different from a PC. Ported software is always only second best, particulary where the user experience is of such vital importance as with a control point.

MS Office for iPad is a great example (and I'm normally no fan of Microsoft). But this is just completely intuitive while specific to the capabilities of the iPad and quite different from the Windows or Mac versions. You will immediately find your way round if you are used to their PC/Mac siblings.