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[khodges]

I have JRiver Media Ceter installed on a computer running Windows 7. The computer is connected via a USB cable to a Synology DS213 music server.  I want to import files, using the computer disk drive, to the Synology DS213, where the files will be stored.  I don't care about networking or serving anything at this point.  I just want to use the computer to play the files that are stored on the external drive.

When I click on Drives and Devices within JRiver, though, the Synology is not showing up.  What am I doing wrong?  Is it because the cable is USB 3.0 and the ports are USB 2.0?

Any help is much appreciated. 

[InflatableMouse]

Hi and welcome.

Does your external drive show up as a driveletter in Windows Explorer?

If that is so (and I expect it does), you can import the files that are on this drive by adding this drive letter to the Auto-Import configuration in JRiver Media Center.

Open MC, go to Tools/Options/Library & Folders, click on Configure Auto-Import. Add the drive there and select the correct media type (file types) and click OK. From the Media Import screen you can also select additional Tasks to run when importing, like analyze audio (replay gain for leveling the volume of random playlists), downloading cover art, etc.

[JimH]

Welcome to the forum.

Do you see the drive in Windows Explorer?

There were some firmware problems in the last few months with Synology.  Make sure your firmware is up to date.

[csimon]

Synology NAS's are not external hard disks, they won't work via a USB cable. They have to sit on the network. The USB port on the Synology unit is used for attaching additional hard disks to it or a DAC or a USB stick.

[InflatableMouse]

A DSxx is a disk station .. so you're right. Well spotted.

You need to map a network drive to it.

[csimon]

Yes - you need to following the instructions with the Synology to share its disks across the network and allow you to map a drive letter to it and create folders on it, e.g. S:\Music (or you can access it via its network path e.g. \\DS213\Music).  I assume you want to move your music files from the PC where they are stored at the moment to the DS213? There are two ways you can do this - probably the easiest is to set up the DS213 and then simply move the files to it. Then set JRiver's import configuration to import from S:\Music, or \\DS213\Music or whatever. Then all should be fine!

You refer to the DS213 as a music server. It does indeed have a built-in music server and you don't need JRiver specifically. But JRiver is a much, much better server than the ones built-into NAS units. If you follow the steps as above, you will be using it as a simple file server.

Then again, you could use the DS213 as a music server and simply allow JRiver to connect to it and play music from it. In that case you wouldn't need to import your files into JRiver - just enable the music server on the DS213 and move your files into the designated folder.  The possiblities are endless!  Give us some more information about what you would like to do or achieve and we'll try to help.

[kstuart]

And since Neanderthals died out about thousands of years ago, we can't say we know them well enough to slander them...

[PatrickC]

csimon,
Would everything said about the Synology NAS apply to a Vortexbox Appliance NAS?

[khodges]

Thanks for all the responses.  No, Synology is not showing up as a drive letter.  It is showing up in the network and I have been able to add files that way.  I'm hoping it allows me to connect it to my McIntosh C-50 preamp through the USB port, because that's what I bought it for.

[csimon]

csimon,
Would everything said about the Synology NAS apply to a Vortexbox Appliance NAS?

I'm sure it would, but look in the Vortexbox manual to make sure. "External drives" come in two flavours - USB or NAS.  A USB device attaches directly to a PC and is only accessible from that PC, unless you share the drive in Windows.  A NAS device connects to the router and is accessible from any PC or other network device.

[csimon]

I'm hoping it allows me to connect it to my McIntosh C-50 preamp through the USB port, because that's what I bought it for.

In this case, the preamp would be acting as a DAC, i.e. receiving audio digitally via USB?  I think that would be possible as you can certainly plug a DAC into a Synology and send music to it from its built-in music server and the applications Audio Station or DS Audio. However, JRiver is then redundant - Audio Station is doing the job of JRiver. What exactly is it you are trying to achieve?

[csimon]

I think you're going to have to learn a little about servers and networking in order to work out what you want to do and how to achieve it!  First, a few definitions...

• External disk: disk drive(s) in an enclosure that attaches to a device (e.g. a PC, TV, set top box...) via USB, that the device can use as though it were its own internal disk.
• File Server (aka NAS): disk drives(s) in an enclosure that connects to your network router/switch via an ethernet cable so that any other device on the network can use as though it were is own internal disk.
• Media Server: indexes and catalogues your media files, which can be stored on an internal disk, and external disk or a NAS, and makes them available in an organised menu structure for other devices to use.
• Media Player: connects to a Media Server and allows you to browse your collection and play any item on the device you are using.
• Media Controller: connects to a Media Server and allows you to browse your collection and sends instructions to another device to play an item.
• Media Renderer: receives instructions from other devices to play an item.

That's a simplistic overview but I think it works!  Any device can take on one or more of these roles. Let's have a look at the devices you have got and explain what roles they can play.

• DS213: At it's most basic, this is a File Server. It also has a built-in package called Media Server which, if you enable, will create default folders for you to store your media in and it will index them.  It also has a web application called Audio Station which is a Media Player and Controller. You can use any web browser to browse your collection and either play it in the browser you are using or send it to a DLNA device on the network or a USB device connected directly to its USB socket.  There is also an iOS & Android app called DS Audio so you can use a phone or a tablet to browse your collection and either play on that mobile device or send to any other device that the DS213 can see.
• JRiver: This can act as Server, Player, Controller and Renderer (in any combination!).
  
• Preamp: This is effectively only a Renderer.

I assume that what you want to do as to have a browsing mechanism for your media files that are currently stored on your PC and play them on the preamp. If that's the case then there are several ways of doing this.

1. Leave the files where they are on the PC, import them into JRiver's library and use JRiver to browse them and send them to the preamp which will be connected directly to the PC via USB. In this case the DS213 is redundant.

2. Move the files to the DS213 File Server, import them into JRiver's library and use JRiver to browse them and send them to the preamp which will be connected directly to the PC via USB.

3 Move the files to the DS213 File Server, enable Media Server, and use JRiver to connect to the DS213 to browse your files and send them to the preamp which will be connected directly to the PC via USB.

4. Move the files to the DS213 File Server, enable Media Server, and use Audio Station and/or DS Audio to browse your files and send them to the preamp which will be connected directly to the DS213 via USB. (It will show up on the DS213 as "USB Speakers" I believe). In this case, JRiver is redundant.

Advantages/disadvantages of these approaches?

If you choose JRiver as the Media Server (1 & 2), you are using probably the best media server there is. It is more flexible and powerful than any other, you will be able to catalogue your collection as you wish (as opposed to the DS213 which can only index by album, artist and genre) and you will have more options in expanding the way you listen to music around the house, including video. As a company, JRiver is less "faceless" than Synology and you will get better help and support and faster bug fixes here. However, it does need a Windows PC to be on and running all the time and the DS213 as a Media Server (3 & 4) is far less power hungry and quieter than a PC.

With 2, 3 and 4, you will have no backup of your media files in case of a "disaster", unless you already have other options in place. With option 1, you could use the DS213 as a File Server to take regular backups of your PC.

Everyone here will have different approaches. For what it's worth, I have JRiver on a PC upstairs in the "computer room" and my media files are on a Synology DS209. I use JRiver to play media locally on speakers attached to that PC, and I use the iPad JRemote app downstairs and elsewhere in the house to control JRiver and send media to other devices, such as my TV for video or my hi-fi amp (via a WDTV Live Renderer) for music. In other words, this is option 2.

[mschneid]

Thank you!... much appreciated summary.

I just looked up the specs for WD Live TV box....   Are you connected through a wireless N router to your network?
I assume you go to your AV reciever and its DACS /Audio Processor with HDMI and then to your TV....  and it is fast enough for audio certainly but also video?


It sounds like the OP has no choice... He bought the Mac c 50 to use the asynch USB DAC input.  He had planned to put the DS213 near the mac pre amp and use their built in media software. ... If he finds that software limiting... he will have to rethink his strategy and add a small  quiet PC to the system  to run JRiver which will  go USB  directly to the MAC and then he can put his DS server elsewhere in the network for the PC to grab the ripped audio files..

Alternatively,
Any thoughts as to a high quality audio streamer with wifi  and USB and Spdif  out that the OP (and me) could use?
 
The OP could set up JRiver to go to the audio streamer and be his media controller when he wants and input the digital signal from the streamer through one of the other digital SPDIF inputs to the Mac pre.  The other times, the OP would just use the synology media controller to go to his Mac USB dac as he planned.


(Noting that the PC and Ds213 would be running 24/7)

[csimon]

I just looked up the specs for WD Live TV box....   Are you connected through a wireless N router to your network?

No, my WDTV Live has a wired connection. I prefer wired wherever possible.

I assume you go to your AV reciever and its DACS /Audio Processor with HDMI and then to your TV....  and it is fast enough for audio certainly but also video?

My amp isn't modern enough to accept HDMI!  I take optical out from the WDTV into the amp.  Up to now, I've also been using the WDTV to play video to the TV from JRiver, but I've just bought a new TV which is a DLNA Renderer and I've found it will play directly, so I'm just using the WDTV for audio now.

I'm sure that if an AV amp has HDMI In then it will certainly be fast enough to process the video.

It sounds like the OP has no choice... He bought the Mac c 50 to use the asynch USB DAC input.  He had planned to put the DS213 near the mac pre amp and use their built in media software. ... If he finds that software limiting... he will have to rethink his strategy and add a small  quiet PC to the system  which will  go USB  directly to the MAC and then he can put his DS server elsewhere in the network for the PC to grab the ripped audio files..

Yep - that's my option 2, but buying a small PC to be near the audio/video equipment to host JRiver insetad of the computer he is using at the moment.

Any thoughts as to a high quality audio streamer with wifi  and USB out that the OP (and me) could use?

I've no experience of any others! Maybe others could help. There are plenty of DACs out there with USB in and line out, that could then be feed into a preamp, and there are plenty of media player boxes like the WDTV live although I don't think they have USB out, you'd have to connect to an amp via optical, and I'm not sure how manyof them are DLNA renderers so can be pushed to from JRiver.  There are also devices like the Cambridge Audio NP-30 and Denon DNP-720AE & DNP-F109 hich can act as DLNA Renderers, also mini hi-fi systems with network receivers.

[down4jazz]

an NAS is not really and external hard drive. They are meant as a network device. There should be instructions for this.

[mschneid]

Thanks

I guess I will believe the marketing that the N wifi is fast enough.

The problem for us audio nuts is that the DNLA interface and all of the computer circuits to make that work are noisy and don't address jitter well from what I understand..  Isolating your audio gear from your computer gear seems to be important at this point in time as well ... So... you want a USB cable to your asynch DAC (ie the OP mac pre amp) or a digital spdif cable between the two. ... Minimizing jitter to the dac is a major goal...so that your final analog signal is as good as it gets... given the dacs and amplifier stages.

I am looking for a wifi streamer with a very low jitter spdif output for my tube 10 year old DAC...  This would replace the usb to USB spdif converter... and allow me to get the  noisy PC out of the room.   There are plenty of USB converters that meet the specs... but then you also need the quiet PC.... I haven't spotted the wifi streamer box that I want yet.  
What I have read about are people with Sonus streamers and then putting in a reclocker to their dacs and the rest of the audio pathway.....

For Video... the WD TV sounds like it would be good enough for my needs.
Thanks

(For the OP... this only matters if you want more control of your music collection than  possilbe with the Synology software)

[kstuart]

Clearly I don't know which 10-year old DAC you are talking about...

... but a current DAC that reclocks or is fed by a USB asynchronous feed, is going to be a better investment than spending more money on something to feed the old DAC.   If the old DAC is particularly high end, then you could also get a significant amount by ebaying it, perhaps.

Some possibilities:

https://schiit.com/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=0&products_id=11

http://hirestech.com/music-streamer-hd

Both designers used to work for companies selling gear for 10 to 20 times as much $$, and are very talented at a) removing jitter, b) designing excellent analog portions of their DACs.

In terms of computer noise, you can now get little boxes (for less than the price of those DACs) with no fans at all that will run JRiver MC.

[mschneid]

Oh this is so hard to figure out.

I have a Sonic fronteirs Mk II Dac... (now out of buisness).   It has a tube output stage and uses the popular at its time HDCD filtering chips.

I value the very nice output stage as much as the digital front end...... What is the best value move... dump the SFronteirs DAC for a new usb asynch dac and a quiet PC box... or spend on network streamer and a reclocker (at worst).... or spend on on a USB low jitter interface.

What bugs me is that I don't know how good the Sonic Fronteirs would sound with a low jitter source... Compared to what I have now... Levinson 35 transport  (or the cheap Hag USb converter).   versus one of the new dacs...  I really like using JRiver and the PC to serve up music.

[kstuart]

There are some other forums, where you might find people familiar with your DAC and with the other products, and could give a good assessment.

Perhaps AudioKarma ?