iOS Client to play music from the source MinimServer

[tarnkappe]

Hello Henning,

I think you should check out Roon. I am not using it, but I guess this is what you are looking for.

It reads the music from your upnp server and combines it with other sources like qobuz, etc. The presentation is said to be great, the artists, albums, etc are linked and I think some background information is added (but I am not sure).

[steamfan]

Hello,

you could try 8Player which is available for iOS and AppleTV.

I'm using it since some years to play music (stored on a NAS) on iOS devices and also to stream it to different uPNP renderers.

I can also access music from outside home (e.g. the office) and play my music on the iOS device.

[lyapounov]

(02-07-2020 20:19)tarnkappe Wrote:  Hello Henning,

I think you should check out Roon. I am not using it, but I guess this is what you are looking for.

It reads the music from your upnp server and combines it with other sources like qobuz, etc. The presentation is said to be great, the artists, albums, etc are linked and I think some background information is added (but I am not sure).

I have been testing Roon.

It is highly expensive, and does even not allow browsing by folder structure. Besides, the ceo of Roon is kind of person "listen to me, because I am the expert, and if you say something different, then you are not interesting".

A system to avoid, IMHO.

[henning65]

Hello

@Stefano_mbp: "You can use them only if you have an upnp/openhome renderer. They don’t work with AirPlay. It’s not a nas matter, the problem is that both B&W A5 and Monitor Audio S300 are not upnp/dlna compliant and they work with AirPlay."

It took a while to understand your advice! Actually I believe somehow I mixed up two ways of playing my music and you answered on one option ....


So to be more specific:
Playing music with my old fashioned boxes at home. Source: music on NAS / MinimServer to provide files.
I - now - understand: I need a different hardware: a music renderer to replace my old fashioned Pioneer VSX-D1011. I do have an AppleTV box which delivers via optical line music to the Pioneer VSX-D1011. But I guess, there is no app to be install on the AppleTV box (1.Generation) (which would then use the MinimServer-Music and would work with a control point (iOS app)??
The second best option is than to buy a new device with network connection and which could take advantage of the MinimServer-Features.

Here I would like to ask for some advice: I'm looking for a simple and low-cost solution with the following features:
--must have--
full integration with MinimServer
LAN-input
stereo output analog for old fashioned speakers
good control-point iOS app / or a suggestion which GOOD control-point iOS app to use
good sound
max 700€

--nice to have--
device & control-point iOS app can stream to Airplay
multi room


-----
The second way to play music is by using my iPhone / iPad / appleWatch and to play the music on the device or - let's say via headset. Same replies addressed this question already. I guess even after buying a music renderer there is no way to simply use the renderer and listen to my music by headset. So the problem remains...
I tested so far....
MConnect Player: works but doesn't look nice // takes ages to get to a specific track...
[Edit: I can confirm: The iOS app MConnect Player takes ages to find the minimserver. This problem occurs every time the app starts]
Glider Music Player: looks nice but 11€ just to give it a try - that's a lot -- so I didn't tested this app
8Playerlite: much better connect ability with minimserver! User interface sort of similar to MConnect Player

What I'm looking for?
>> Suggestion for a good hardware renderer ....
>> a good workflow to enjoy my music remotely (not in the home-wifi-network) on iPhone / iPad / appleWatch

thanks for your help

[henning65]

@Stefano_mbp
@Alandbush

I do believe I have to start over thinking about how to stream music (and audiobooks) in the future.

I might have to invest into hardware and I might use my NAS only as source for my music (not as renderer / server).

This question might sound simple - but I might have overlooked it all the time:
a) Is there an option to uses minimserver and to give back user-feedback on a track: adding a tack (like Partymusik) or a star-track-rating (like 4 star)?
In Roon you may use tags to personalize your music library. Plex uses stars. Emby offers ("hearts"). JRiver uses stars. DS Audio (Synology) uses stars. ... But I might have overlooked that minimserver is not designed to give information back from the User to the server (into the audio file or into a server-regulated music library)?

b) Is there an unpd/dlna / openhome solutions that handles user feedback on tracks?

c) Do you have a suggestion for a set-up? I would very much appreciate if you could explain which of my goals I could / couldn't answer with your suggestion.

My goals
I will distinguish between Rock/Pop // classic // audiobooks.
a) Player / Controller with the function to give gack User-feedback on tracks (star-rating and / or tag):
must have // nice to have // nice to have

b) Function to change the metadata stored within the audio-files
nice to have // nice to have // nice

c) Ability to distinguish between different users (with different User-feedback on tracks)
nice // nice // nice

d) Function to get "deep information" on artists / performers, like next concerts, bios
nice to have // nice to have // nice

e) Function to being available outside LAN / remote access
must have // must have // must have

f) Function to handle multiple artists & performers
nice // nice to have // nice to have

g) supporting Airplay
nice to have // nice to have // nice to have

e) Availability of an iOS app to play and / or control
must have // must have // must have

Thanks for your help!

[stefano_mbp]

Hello,
on my experience the only one player that can satisfy most of your needs is JRiver Media Center with its iOS remote app JRemote.
Once you have learned how to configure it every goal except c) and d) can be achieved, the learning curve is a bit steep.
c) cannot be achieved as the rating tag is one tag (as the ID3 standard tells us), therefore its impossible to distinguish between different users
d) can be partially only achieved, if you add in the same album folder a pdf file with the desired informations you’ll be able to access them from JRemote, but they are static of course.
Tagging changes are possible through JRemote
You’ll be able to play to different “zones”, your smartphone and/or tablet included (the main one on which JRemote is running) therefore AirPlay will be available too.
Remote playing (when you are not covered by your home network) is possible, but you need a specific plan from your internet provider (external fixed ip).
The setup needed is a computer (Windows, macOS, Unix, NUC8i3 or Mac mini i3 can do the job) a dac and whatever you want connected to the dac, a Wi-Fi network, Internet access (see the above recomendation), iPad/iPhone.
If you have some hardware on hand you can try JRiver, it offer 30 days free trial.
Hope this can help

[henning65]

@stefano_mbp
Thanks - your advice is very helpful!

Actually I do own an old Macmini (not sure if i3 or i5). In the past I used a setup where I connected my Mac mini to the router. In addition an (old) AppleTV to the router and I connected the AppleTV with Toslink to my old Pioneer VSX-D1011. The Pioneer than delivers to my speakers.

I'm not sure I truly understand why I need another hardware - a DAC.
I guess in my Szenario the AppleTV functions as DAC and I simply have to decide if/if not I spend some money on a new DAC / AppleTV?!

Thanks for helping

[stefano_mbp]

You are right, no need of a dac in this scenario (.... now it is very clear)

[henning65]

Thanks again!

[lyapounov]

@henning a little bit of explaination, if you allow me.

There are three basic components when you want to play digital music:

- a DAC (also called renderer) ,whose role is to receive music in a digital format, and to convert it to a analogic signal which is then sent to an amplifier.
- a server, which not only stores your music, but streams it to your DAC.
- a controller, whose role is on one side to display all your albums, and to let you decide which music you are sending from your server to your renderer.

Now, all those elements can be combined in the same place. A computer has a DAC, can store music, and tell you which music to play. AppleTV does not store, but has a DAC in it.

After, all is a matter of quality and usage. If you are a top level audiophile, then buy a top level renderer. There are even people who disconnect the network player function (which reads the music on the network) from the DAC, but it is becoming crazy at that level. I personnaly own a top level renderer which does both network and DAC, and very happy about it.

Now, comes the crazy question about protocols: how do those elements communicate between them.

Well, there is a standard which is open, UPnP (Universal Plug & Play). UPnP has a great advantage: most devices are compliant. It has a great disadvantage: it is very poor when about transfering information. Simon can tell you about the nightmare of making the Booklet available.

Therefore, some people came with closed, but richer standard. Roon is an example of this: you have a lot of information, but is it secret sauce, and very expensive (besides the roon founder is an autistic which does listen only to himself, but that is another problem). So to answer your question: giving back a feedback on a track is not standard UPnP. DS-Audio offers it, Roon offers it, but not Minimserver as it is (thanksfully) based on UPnP and not on propriatary protocol.

To finish this: comes the problem of the structure of your digital library. Well, there are tags inside the tracks. Howeverl, it is not easy as the model of classical music is totally different from Rock, as an example. Myself having 7300+ albums, I don't have time to properly tag everything. Fortunatly, thanks to Simon beautiful design, minimserver allows to browse by folders. If your tagging is well done, that may not be useful. For people with logical mind, well that is the savior !