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[marcusturle]

I use two instances of MC21.  One is loaded onto a MacBook Pro, the other onto a Mac Mini.  Both pull music from the same source (a Synology Diskstation).

I generally use the version of MC21 on the MacBook to play music on the MacBook.  I use the version on the Mini to push music to a Denon Piccolo in our kitchen.  All connections are over ethernet Cat6 and all works fine.

However, I recently tried to use the version of MC21 on the Mini to play music on the MacBook Pro, but when I do so no audio comes out of the MacBook.  The music is playing (according to the Mini display) and indeed music plays fine when I go back to the version of MC21 installed on the MacBook itself.  As far as I can see the playback and volume settings on both versions of MC21 are the same.  I'm using 21.0.24 in both cases.

My question therefore is why is there no audio from my MacBook when I use the version of MC21 on the Mini?

[marcusturle]

Any insight on this from JRiver?

[JimH]

If you're using MC on one machine to connect to another, then you can play either "here" or "there", or even both at the same time.  It depends on which zone is active.

I think this is explained in the Media Network topic.

Playing Now has two sections if you open it.

    Destinations

        Sources

[marcusturle]

Yes, but my issue is that when I select my MacBook Pro under Playing Now on MC21 on the Mini, there is no audio from the MacBook Pro.  Audio works fine from the Mini to the Denon in our kitchen, and also when I select the MacBook Pro under Playing Now on MC21 installed on the MBP.

[JimH]

I can't follow your description.  For clarity,

A client connects to a server to load MC's library.

If you're on that client, you can then play in two locations -- here (the client) and there (the server).  You may also see the name of the server instead of "there".

Click around a little.  Try things. 

[marcusturle]

Ok, let me try to be clearer.

Content is stored on a Synology Diskstation.
Library is loaded onto MC21 on both a Mini and also a MBP.
Play locations are either a Denon or the MBP.

When I use MC on the MBP to pull music from the Synology to play on the MBP, everything works fine.
When I use MC on the Mini to pull music from the Synology to play on the Denon, everything works fine.
When I use MC on the Mini to pull music from the Synology to play on the MBP, there is no audio produced on the MBP (although the display on MC indicates that the music is playing fine).

What am I doing wrong?

[JimH]

Are you using the Synology as a DLNA Server or as an ordinary NAS?  If it's a NAS, you've asked MC to import its files and you could do the same on the other Mac.

I understand that this may be a little confusing, even frustrating, but there are a lot of ways to skin the cat, and the wiki is the best guide for learning.

If you have no audio, double check your audio settings.

[marcusturle]

Just using the Synology as a NAS.

Both MC on the Mini and on the MBP have the same library loaded.

As far as I can tell, the play and volume settings are the same on MC on both the Mini and the MBP.  Likewise, the audio settings on the MBP are the same regardless of whether I use the version of MC on the Mini or the MBP.

Is there a way of 'reseting' the MBP zone under Playing Now?  When I right-click on it, there is an option to 'Rename' but the 'Delete' option is greyed out.

[marcusturle]

I've looked at the Volume section on the Wiki and tried playing around with settings, but still no audio on my MBP when I push music to it from MC21 on my Mini.

Would really appreciate some support on this issue JRiver.

[Arindelle]

Its still confusing, so its hard to help as its hard to determine if you have a "normal" config or not ... as Jim said a lot of different ways to set up. As you are throwing in a Denon device ... I don't know if its a DLNA renderer or if its configured to be one. For instance does 2 "instances" mean two installs set up like below? or does it mean you are actually loading a local library from each machine, both libraries point to the same media files?

So .... normally .... this is how I'd imagine you would set up a system like that

=>the NAS just stores your media files (like an external drive), its is not acting as a media server. Only on certain QNAP Nas should you be installing JRiver on a NAS (or if you do, its up to you to get it to work as it is not supported)

One of your Macs will be running media server (MAC1) the other Mac will not be running media server, and will be setup as a client (MAC2), MAC2 loads (virtually) MAC1's library (the master or server library). MAC2 can then control playback of MAC2 and MAC1. MAC1 only controls its "zones" (which may include the Denon depending).

IF however you are using 2 independent libraries, which IMO you shouldn't be, you can't control a different library on the network in the way I understand that you want to by your description.

I'm guessing but either your have 2 separate local libraries, or you have to change which Mac runs as media server (your choice probably depends on which MAC will be able to control what .. sounds like the Mini should be the client and the Pro should be the server, but there can be other personal reasons for not doing so - like taking it to work )

So you see its sort of hard to provide support ... reading and understanding the WIKI on networking and zones, this would help in the communication too.

So could you confirm how you are configured and then someone can help find out whats going wrong.

[blgentry]

One word:  Screenshots . 

Take screen shots of MBP playing correctly, and the mini, playing to MBP with no audio.  Make sure we can clearly see the Playing now dropdown on the far left.

If you've never taken a screen shot with a Mac before, it's simple:  <shift><Command>3 takes a shot of the whole screen and saves it to your Desktop.  <shift><Command>4 brings up a crosshair and you can outline a box on screen that then takes a shot and saves it to your desktop.

Brian.

[marcusturle]

Every time I try to attach a screen shot it tells me the file is too big.  Is there a way of compressing it?

[marcusturle]

So could you confirm how you are configured and then someone can help find out whats going wrong.

Let me try to simplify:
I'm using MC21 on two devices (the MBP and Mini) under the same license.
All music is stored on a Synology Diskstation which does nothing other than function as a NAS.
There are two zones: one is the Denon in our kitchen (called 'Kitchen' under Playing Now); the other is the MBP, called 'Laptop' under Playing Now.  
The Denon does nothing other than play music pushed to it by MC.  All connections are wired.

As noted, audio from 'Laptop' only plays when using MC loaded on the MBP.  Audio plays from 'Kitchen' when using MC loaded on the Mini, but not when using MC on the Mini to play to Laptop.

I do have two libraries - and agreed it would be better to have one only - but is this the reason I'm having playback issues?

[Arindelle]

As noted, audio from 'Laptop' only plays when using MC loaded on the MBP.  Audio plays from 'Kitchen' when using MC loaded on the Mini, but not when using MC on the Mini to play to Laptop.

yes I read that. Thats not how you are configured in JRiver. WHich machine is running media server, which is running as a client etc. What did you set in Options=>Media Network for both machines? There are a lot of ways to configure this software, as Jim already pointed out to you.

I do have two libraries - and agreed it would be better to have one only - but is this the reason I'm having playback issues?

Probably, yes. Not sure yet. It is probable that you don't have playback issues per se, but rather that one machine can't control playback of another's zone ... you can run two separate libraries, but I don't think you want to as you describe your system at least

here's screenshots of a typical set-up in a network, like Brian recommended you post






PS - have you read this https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Media_Network and especially this and the links mentioned on the page here? https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Getting_Started

[marcusturle]

Thanks that's very helpful.

Here is a screenshot showing the Mini configuration

[Arindelle]

ok thats good, now if you could do the same for your powerbook too?

Your screenshot indicates that you cannot, as set-up, control playback of the powerbook from the mini at least.  You would see at least one other zone -- probably There - Player

[marcusturle]

Screenshot for the MBP

[marcusturle]

ok thats good, now if you could do the same for your powerbook too?

Your screenshot indicates that you cannot, as set-up, control playback of the powerbook from the mini at least.  You would see at least one other zone -- probably There - Player

Interesting.  I thought that 'Laptop' and 'CEOL Piccolo' were both zones.  What is 'Laptop' here then if not a zone?

[Arindelle]

EDIT: you just posted as I was going to

Interesting.  I thought that 'Laptop' and 'CEOL Piccolo' were both zones.  What is 'Laptop' here then if not a zone?

the Piccolo I believe is your DLNA device, the Denon right??  The reason the laptop was showing up was because you have BOTH machines running as servers. This might be "practical", but it is not good practice ... there is no master library and the system gets confused for remote playback as you have run into ...


OK sort of thought this what was going on.


Now you need to choose which is going to be the "server" machine.

Lets say its your Mac PB. On the mini, go back to my client screen shot, and make sure the options are client options are checked. Then UNCHECK the "Use Media Network ..." Just to check go to Options=>Start up and make sure "Media server" is not being launched on.

Now, I think you have to close down JRiver, frankly I forget, won't hurt

Go to the Powerbook, nothing to do except note the access key from the option panel. Optional: check that the MPB can be woken up on your LAN and that in the Startup options at least Media Server is set. Keep this on

Reboot the Mini. There are a couple ways of doing this, but one is from the tree Playing From =>Add Library. Now enter password and Access Key (you only have to do this once). The Library from the Power Book should appear. So should its playback zones. Now you can control its playback. As you have connected via Authentication method (with access key). You can now tag the MPBs library which has become the master library from the mini. Remember there are a few things you must do server side ... moving/renaming files; importing; covert art management. So either you do this from the MPB directly, or you install on both machines a remote desktop software (like TeamViewer ...  Ithink it works for MAC). The back up of the server JRiver library file is the important one.

You can of course invert this and use the Mini as the server and the MPB as the client. You might want to rename on the client machine the "server" library in case you ever want to reload the Local library.

Hope this gets you sorted 

[marcusturle]

Thanks Arindelle.

I was with you until the paragraph which starts:Reboot the Mini.

I want to use the Mini as the server machine so have followed the first part of your instructions.

I've done what I think you've explained, to reboot MC on the MBP.  But still no audio.  Have I done it correctly?  Here's another screen shot of the MBP.