I'll get the important part out of the way immediately. The "Dummies" in the thread title refers mainly to me.
So, here we go.
It was a dark and stormy night. Bathed in the glow of the LEDs that adorn my audio equipment, I sat, then rose, then sat, then rose...... changing CDs during a listening session. At first, I thought it was the sign of a small stroke. Then, I realized that iIwas OK.... That strange tingling in my head wasn't harmful. I had just gotten an IDEA! I'd read and heard about this "new" way of playing all this digital music. All you needed was a computer and a way to hook it up to your audio system. Now, it all sounds so simple........
For someone who had easily configured an analog system with 4 Krell monoblocks, active crossovers, and full-range big Apogees, for someone who had assembled an oil-less compressor system that fed a regulator to operate his air-bearing tonearm located one floor away, surely this computer audio thing can't be too hard. As Bill Cosby (as Noah) so famously said, RIGHT!
After reading about J River Music, Drobo (is that a new superhero?), and more acronyms than the US Army (USB, SPDIF, ASIO...... ad infinatum), I began to think I'd better ask some questions.
Well, I asked those questions. "What do I need to set up one of these computer-based music servers?" or How do I get the music from the computer to the audio system with the highest fidelity?" and other similar queries. I asked lots of folks, several of them quite well-known in audio/computer audio circles.
After receiving virtually the same answer several times, Just get a computer, a DAC, an external drive, and you're good to go!", I got very frustrated. I first blamed all these individuals for being vague with their answers and not really getting down to details that I would need in order to actually get this think working. I later realized the error of this line of thinking.
CHAPTER 1: THE COMPUTER
Since I was familiar with MacIntosh computers from over a decade of exclusive use, it seemed a natural choice to stick with Mac for my music server foundation. Of course, I was actually functional on a Mac computer at a pre-school level, barely able to navigate through iTunes or able to rip a CD and produce a copy. Reading about all the setup details and deleterious background processes that degrade sound quality, I got even more confused and intimidated.
I then looked at all-in-one devices like the Olive HD. Although attractive from an "idiot-proof" aspect, I soon learned the limitations of these dedicated music server devices. So, it was back to figuring out how to get a MacIntosh computer to do all this correctly for me.
Then, I ran across Mach2 Music. They offered a Mac Mini computer that had all the setup details already performed for you. They had pre-loaded ripping software, and several music player software choices already on the machine for you to sample, then choose what you preferred. They wrote scripts that optimized the performance of each of these music players, and also installed scripts that would accomplish desirable configuration options such as turning off "Spotlight" on your Mac. These special setup scripts reduced the load on the computer, so that it ran "quieter" while playing music. They eliminated some of the other programs on the computer, so that it really was primarily intended for music playback.
As fate would have it, Mach2 Music is located in my hometown. I got in contact with them, and their President of Sales, Kevin Burke, offered to bring one of their Mac Mini computer servers over for an audition. My goals had been realized. (I already posted a short review of the Mach2 Music Mac Mini in the Computer Music Server forum here.) This pre-configured computer solved many of the start-up dilemmas I faced, real or imaginary. Plus, it sounded great. Kevin Burke and his business partner, Darrell McCombs, are class acts. After talking with Kevin, I finally began to understand the details about computer audio that had eluded me.
Not only did I purchase the Mach2 Music Mac Mini from them, I also got a 2TB hard drive and a special FireWire cable that had the power lead disconnected. Since the hard drive used a wall plug, it was unnecessary to have power running through the FireWire cable; a process that is thought to add noise to the signal.
So, I had the computer, the storage, and the means to connect them. Now, how the heck do I get any music out of this thing into my system?
So, here we go.
It was a dark and stormy night. Bathed in the glow of the LEDs that adorn my audio equipment, I sat, then rose, then sat, then rose...... changing CDs during a listening session. At first, I thought it was the sign of a small stroke. Then, I realized that iIwas OK.... That strange tingling in my head wasn't harmful. I had just gotten an IDEA! I'd read and heard about this "new" way of playing all this digital music. All you needed was a computer and a way to hook it up to your audio system. Now, it all sounds so simple........
For someone who had easily configured an analog system with 4 Krell monoblocks, active crossovers, and full-range big Apogees, for someone who had assembled an oil-less compressor system that fed a regulator to operate his air-bearing tonearm located one floor away, surely this computer audio thing can't be too hard. As Bill Cosby (as Noah) so famously said, RIGHT!
After reading about J River Music, Drobo (is that a new superhero?), and more acronyms than the US Army (USB, SPDIF, ASIO...... ad infinatum), I began to think I'd better ask some questions.
Well, I asked those questions. "What do I need to set up one of these computer-based music servers?" or How do I get the music from the computer to the audio system with the highest fidelity?" and other similar queries. I asked lots of folks, several of them quite well-known in audio/computer audio circles.
After receiving virtually the same answer several times, Just get a computer, a DAC, an external drive, and you're good to go!", I got very frustrated. I first blamed all these individuals for being vague with their answers and not really getting down to details that I would need in order to actually get this think working. I later realized the error of this line of thinking.
CHAPTER 1: THE COMPUTER
Since I was familiar with MacIntosh computers from over a decade of exclusive use, it seemed a natural choice to stick with Mac for my music server foundation. Of course, I was actually functional on a Mac computer at a pre-school level, barely able to navigate through iTunes or able to rip a CD and produce a copy. Reading about all the setup details and deleterious background processes that degrade sound quality, I got even more confused and intimidated.
I then looked at all-in-one devices like the Olive HD. Although attractive from an "idiot-proof" aspect, I soon learned the limitations of these dedicated music server devices. So, it was back to figuring out how to get a MacIntosh computer to do all this correctly for me.
Then, I ran across Mach2 Music. They offered a Mac Mini computer that had all the setup details already performed for you. They had pre-loaded ripping software, and several music player software choices already on the machine for you to sample, then choose what you preferred. They wrote scripts that optimized the performance of each of these music players, and also installed scripts that would accomplish desirable configuration options such as turning off "Spotlight" on your Mac. These special setup scripts reduced the load on the computer, so that it ran "quieter" while playing music. They eliminated some of the other programs on the computer, so that it really was primarily intended for music playback.
As fate would have it, Mach2 Music is located in my hometown. I got in contact with them, and their President of Sales, Kevin Burke, offered to bring one of their Mac Mini computer servers over for an audition. My goals had been realized. (I already posted a short review of the Mach2 Music Mac Mini in the Computer Music Server forum here.) This pre-configured computer solved many of the start-up dilemmas I faced, real or imaginary. Plus, it sounded great. Kevin Burke and his business partner, Darrell McCombs, are class acts. After talking with Kevin, I finally began to understand the details about computer audio that had eluded me.
Not only did I purchase the Mach2 Music Mac Mini from them, I also got a 2TB hard drive and a special FireWire cable that had the power lead disconnected. Since the hard drive used a wall plug, it was unnecessary to have power running through the FireWire cable; a process that is thought to add noise to the signal.
So, I had the computer, the storage, and the means to connect them. Now, how the heck do I get any music out of this thing into my system?