MinimServer with Arcam Songbook

[macrotech]

Has anyone tried this?
I've trying out an AirDac as a streamer from my QNap NAS running MinimServer.
The Arcam Songbook software finds MinimServer and lists everything in the library, but when I try to play anything the app freezes and eventually closes.
I can use Linn Kinsky to play from MinimServer to the airDac with no problem, but it doesn't appear to support playlists and only plays one track at a time.
It looks more like a fault in the Arcam Songbook software, but just wondering whether anyone else has solved this, or is there a different app I could try which supports playing more than one song at once?

Thanks

Kevin

[simoncn]

(05-04-2014 11:29)macrotech Wrote:  Has anyone tried this?
I've trying out an AirDac as a streamer from my QNap NAS running MinimServer.
The Arcam Songbook software finds MinimServer and lists everything in the library, but when I try to play anything the app freezes and eventually closes.
I can use Linn Kinsky to play from MinimServer to the airDac with no problem, but it doesn't appear to support playlists and only plays one track at a time.
It looks more like a fault in the Arcam Songbook software, but just wondering whether anyone else has solved this, or is there a different app I could try which supports playing more than one song at once?

Thanks

Kevin

BubbleUPnP should do what you need. You will need an Android device to run it.

I will be releasing a new update for MinimServer shortly. This fixes some problems when playing files to a Cambridge Audio Stream Magic renderer. It would be worth trying Arcam Songbook again after you have installed this update (update 24).

[macrotech]

(05-04-2014 17:55)simoncn Wrote:  

(05-04-2014 11:29)macrotech Wrote:  Has anyone tried this?
I've trying out an AirDac as a streamer from my QNap NAS running MinimServer.
The Arcam Songbook software finds MinimServer and lists everything in the library, but when I try to play anything the app freezes and eventually closes.
I can use Linn Kinsky to play from MinimServer to the airDac with no problem, but it doesn't appear to support playlists and only plays one track at a time.
It looks more like a fault in the Arcam Songbook software, but just wondering whether anyone else has solved this, or is there a different app I could try which supports playing more than one song at once?

Thanks

Kevin

BubbleUPnP should do what you need. You will need an Android device to run it.

I will be releasing a new update for MinimServer shortly. This fixes some problems when playing files to a Cambridge Audio Stream Magic renderer. It would be worth trying Arcam Songbook again after you have installed this update (update 24).

Thanks Simon - quick service as ever. I was trying the airDac to replace a QED uPlay Stream. Their app did work fine with MinimServer, but crashes with large lists since iOS 7.1. Update promised for several weeks but has not materialised yet - not impressed. I can't justify buying another Linn streamer for occasional use at this location!

Anything you can suggest for an iDevice? - no Android devices here at all.

[simoncn]

(05-04-2014 18:03)macrotech Wrote:  Thanks Simon - quick service as ever. I was trying the airDac to replace a QED uPlay Stream. Their app did work fine with MinimServer, but crashes with large lists since iOS 7.1. Update promised for several weeks but has not materialised yet - not impressed. I can't justify buying another Linn streamer for occasional use at this location!

Anything you can suggest for an iDevice? - no Android devices here at all.

It is quite difficult to find a UPnP control point for iOS that will play multiple tracks to a UPnP renderer. I have been able to do this with SongBook Lite.

[simoncn]

(05-04-2014 17:55)simoncn Wrote:  I will be releasing a new update for MinimServer shortly. This fixes some problems when playing files to a Cambridge Audio Stream Magic renderer. It would be worth trying Arcam Songbook again after you have installed this update (update 24).

MinimServer update 24 is available now. Please try this with the Arcam Songbook app and let me know whether it fixes the problem. Many thanks!

[macrotech]

(07-04-2014 13:56)simoncn Wrote:  

(05-04-2014 17:55)simoncn Wrote:  I will be releasing a new update for MinimServer shortly. This fixes some problems when playing files to a Cambridge Audio Stream Magic renderer. It would be worth trying Arcam Songbook again after you have installed this update (update 24).

MinimServer update 24 is available now. Please try this with the Arcam Songbook app and let me know whether it fixes the problem. Many thanks!

OK, the app no longer hangs when selecting a track or album to play using my iPhone 4s with up to date OS. It still hangs on an iPad 1 running iOS 5.1.1

I'm not sure how much of this is due to the appalling Arcam app though, which obviously hasn't been through the most basic testing.

On the iPhone, I can play a single song, or a whole album from Minim Server. If I go back to Minim Server to add more tracks and select some, the app generally hangs when trying to add them to the queue.

Once I've gone to add more tracks, there is no way to get back to the "Playing" screen, even if I don't add anything. I can go through playlists to find the current playlist but if I click on anything in that, the app hangs, and eventually exits. Bit of a theme here.

I have the airDac on loan but I won't be buying it, precisely because I don't have any software to control it properly.

(Of course everything continues to work superbly in my Linn system)

[simoncn]

(07-04-2014 17:54)macrotech Wrote:  OK, the app no longer hangs when selecting a track or album to play using my iPhone 4s with up to date OS. It still hangs on an iPad 1 running iOS 5.1.1

I'm not sure how much of this is due to the appalling Arcam app though, which obviously hasn't been through the most basic testing.

On the iPhone, I can play a single song, or a whole album from Minim Server. If I go back to Minim Server to add more tracks and select some, the app generally hangs when trying to add them to the queue.

Once I've gone to add more tracks, there is no way to get back to the "Playing" screen, even if I don't add anything. I can go through playlists to find the current playlist but if I click on anything in that, the app hangs, and eventually exits. Bit of a theme here.

I have the airDac on loan but I won't be buying it, precisely because I don't have any software to control it properly.

(Of course everything continues to work superbly in my Linn system)

This is somewhat disappointing. Have you reported these problems to Arcam? If so, what was their reaction?

[macrotech]

(07-04-2014 21:43)simoncn Wrote:  

(07-04-2014 17:54)macrotech Wrote:  OK, the app no longer hangs when selecting a track or album to play using my iPhone 4s with up to date OS. It still hangs on an iPad 1 running iOS 5.1.1

I'm not sure how much of this is due to the appalling Arcam app though, which obviously hasn't been through the most basic testing.

On the iPhone, I can play a single song, or a whole album from Minim Server. If I go back to Minim Server to add more tracks and select some, the app generally hangs when trying to add them to the queue.

Once I've gone to add more tracks, there is no way to get back to the "Playing" screen, even if I don't add anything. I can go through playlists to find the current playlist but if I click on anything in that, the app hangs, and eventually exits. Bit of a theme here.

I have the airDac on loan but I won't be buying it, precisely because I don't have any software to control it properly.

(Of course everything continues to work superbly in my Linn system)

This is somewhat disappointing. Have you reported these problems to Arcam? If so, what was their reaction?

I have reported the problems, and waiting to see if I get a reply.

The loan AirDac is going back today. It was meant to replace a QED UPlay Stream (whose software does play ball with MinimServer). The AirDac sounds better and QED have also not impressed me with their software. They still haven't fixed a bug introduced in OS 7.1 where lists above a certain, not very big, length immediately crash their app. Nearly a month and still waiting, though their support reply quickly to e-mails and have promised an update in the next couple of days.

I'm beginning to wonder if there's any reasonably cheap UPnP streamer that works properly! I have been impressed with the Cambridge Audio app for a Minx Xi (which also works happily with MinimServer), so I suppose I could pick up an old NP30 to slot into the system.