Raspberry Pi troubleshooting and configuration instructions for complete f'ing morons

Discussion in 'Computer Audiophile: Software, Configs, Tools' started by rhythmdevils, Dec 7, 2021.

  1. lehmanhill

    lehmanhill Almost "Made"

    Contributor
    Joined:
    May 3, 2018
    Likes Received:
    545
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Home of Jiffy Mix
    I've been using PiCoreplayer for quite a few years. I like it, but I get curious and peak over the fence to see what else is out there. I must be in the complete moron group because reading about these different alternatives, I am just not finding enough information to figure it out.

    To my current understanding;

    Ropiee is basically a Roon bridge and XL extends that to use DNLA, Spotify, or Airplay, none of which I use so it has no value to me.

    I can't figure out Gentoo at all. It appears to be a full Linux distro with some audio streaming through ALSA.

    Volumio I kind of get. It's a RPi software that should work with Pi2AES and most of it's outputs. It's clear that they have their own app for controlling it from your phone. Does it works with multiple players? And can one of those RPi's be set up as a server?

    Rune appears to allow headless control by a webpage or unamed third party apps. Who knows, I might be able to use my ipeng app. Not clear if it works with Pi2AES. Once again, can it use multiple players and can it have one as a server?

    MoOde sounds interesting. It appears to be LMS based, so would be somewhat familiar. It also sounds like it will support RPi hats like Pi2AES. Does it supports multiple player or RPi server? How it is controlled as a headless device?

    Please feel free to point me in the right direction or answer my questions based on your experience. And thanks.
     
  2. scblock

    scblock Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Nov 11, 2019
    Likes Received:
    1,419
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Denver
    Moode is actually very similar to Volumio. It's an MPD based player setup controlled with a web interface. It has plugins for a lot of additional things like Bluetooth, Airplay, or Roon bridge, but primarily it scans a music library (hosted locally or on network storage) and plays to an attached output (USB by default, or a similar list of Audio HATs as Volumio). Since it's all running on a system based on Raspbian you can install other software as well.
     
    • Agreed, ditto, +1 Agreed, ditto, +1 x 2
    • List
  3. LetMeBeFrank

    LetMeBeFrank Won't tell anyone my name is actually Francis

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Aug 4, 2017
    Likes Received:
    3,758
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Jackson, Mi
    I'll also add that moode can be setup as a dlna server and share it's library with other upnp/dlna devices, and they recently added multi-room support which I'm using to play music upstairs and in my basement when we have people over.
     
  4. AukePauke

    AukePauke Acquaintance

    Joined:
    Jul 23, 2017
    Likes Received:
    33
    Trophy Points:
    18
    Location:
    Netherlands
    Its Gentooplayer. Its a musicplayer based on gentoo. I am using it for a few months now. I am coming from PiCoreplayer.

    Its a overwhelming piece of software at first glance. A lot of options and players to choose from. But the most important thing is. I think Its sounds better than PiCorePlayer.

    I use two rpi. One with PiCorePlayer and lms and one with gentooplayer and squeezelite-r2. There is a other forum where the author is very active. He has helped me a vew times personally. You can get a free demo which works a week or so. Just follow the procedure and mail the author.

    https://sites.google.com/view/gentooplayer-documentation/register-gentooplayer

    https://audiophilestyle.com/forums/topic/55235-gentooplayer/
     
  5. lehmanhill

    lehmanhill Almost "Made"

    Contributor
    Joined:
    May 3, 2018
    Likes Received:
    545
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Home of Jiffy Mix
    Thanks guys. Things are much clearer now. Time to dip my toe in and try some picore alternatives.
     
  6. Gazny

    Gazny MOT: ETA Audio

    Pyrate Contributor
    Joined:
    May 11, 2020
    Likes Received:
    2,209
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    open sky
    Anyone been able to add a Fliric IR receiver with volumio or any other pi OS?
     
  7. Ksaurav402

    Ksaurav402 Friend

    Pyrate Contributor
    Joined:
    May 7, 2019
    Likes Received:
    2,062
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    NY
    I think RopieeXL has a drop down to enable Fliric. I don’t have Pi with me otherwise would have confirmed but based on my memory I guess we have it in RopieeXL
     
  8. LetMeBeFrank

    LetMeBeFrank Won't tell anyone my name is actually Francis

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Aug 4, 2017
    Likes Received:
    3,758
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Jackson, Mi
    • Like Like x 1
    • Epic Epic x 1
    • List
  9. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Apr 15, 2020
    Likes Received:
    12,238
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Bay Area, CA
    Home Page:
    I've got my eye on a "Digital Bridge" which would take USB audio out of my Pi2AES and then do the conversation to AES and then out to my Yggdrasil A2. It sounds crazy to me to use the Pi2AES which avoids USB, and use USB to convert to AES but someone I trust says this particular system sounds really good and I'm curious to try it.

    But I can't figure out how to get USB audio out of the Pi2AES using MOode. Can anyone help with what setting to change? Or if it's possible? I know it's possible with Ropiee, but my Pi2AES has been really stable lately with the version of MOode I'm currently using and I don't want to switch software.

    I'm really stupid about computer audio stuff and would love any help with this. thank you!
     
  10. Ksaurav402

    Ksaurav402 Friend

    Pyrate Contributor
    Joined:
    May 7, 2019
    Likes Received:
    2,062
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    NY
    Pi2AES is just HAT for Pi. I don’t think the HAT has USB out but is just from the Pi.If you want USB out then I would use Pi4 and take USB out from it.
     
    • Agreed, ditto, +1 Agreed, ditto, +1 x 2
    • Like Like x 1
    • List
  11. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Apr 15, 2020
    Likes Received:
    12,238
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Bay Area, CA
    Home Page:
    Oh no I opened a world of pain here. I don't know enough to be dong what I'm trying to do at all ha
     
  12. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Apr 15, 2020
    Likes Received:
    12,238
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Bay Area, CA
    Home Page:
    Is it possible to get USB audio out of the Pi2AES with MOode so I can minimize the new gear I get and have to figure out? Even if it means I'm not using the Pi hat?
     
  13. Metro

    Metro Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Dec 27, 2016
    Likes Received:
    1,590
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    San Francisco
    Raspberry Pi music player software (Volumio, RoPieee, MoOde, etc) have configuration settings that tell it where to send audio output (to USB, or attached card like Pi2AES). I haven't used MoOde myself, but you should be able to go into its audio settings and tell it to use USB instead of Pi2AES.

    The whole point about Pi2AES is that it has very high quality outputs. The RPi is known to have an electrically noisy USB, so the Digital Bridge will have to be very, very good to isolate it and surpass the Pi2AES.
     
    • Like Like x 2
    • Agreed, ditto, +1 Agreed, ditto, +1 x 2
    • List
  14. LetMeBeFrank

    LetMeBeFrank Won't tell anyone my name is actually Francis

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Aug 4, 2017
    Likes Received:
    3,758
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Jackson, Mi
    Under Configuration Settings > Audio the first drop-down should be for output device. With the USB device plugged in you should see it in there. If not, try restarting the Pi with the device plugged in.

    I agree with what others have said, I doubt anything running off the Pi USB could be better than the I2S signal the Pi2AES is getting from the Pi.
     
  15. earnmyturns

    earnmyturns Smartest friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2016
    Likes Received:
    3,218
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Palo Alto
    Home Page:
    Let me try to explain the options. What you have currently is #2 below. The simplest option is #1, which may not be that bad, given that the Y. A2 has decent isolation. What your source is proposing is #3, where DDC is some box that takes in USB and outputs AES (and possibly other formats). There are such boxes at different price points and different quality claims, but like @Metro and @LetMeBeFrank I'd be wary of claims of superiority to Pi2AES. Not impossible, of course, but measurements by the likes of @GoldenOne suggest it's not easy to get there. Option #4 uses something like Intona isolator to supposedly "clean" Pi USB on its way to the DAC. To be very clear, I have no idea which of these would sound best to you, it would need careful comparison with your gear. The good news is that moOde can be easily configured to output either via the Pi's built-in USB, or via the HAT, as @LetMeBeFrank explained.

    [​IMG]
     
  16. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Apr 15, 2020
    Likes Received:
    12,238
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Bay Area, CA
    Home Page:
    Yeah it makes no sense but I trust the guy recommending it and I got a good deal so I can resell it easy if it does sound better. The digital bridge device is the Hydra Z. So it will be Pi2AES-> Usb -> Hydra Z -> AES -> Yggdrasil.

    and I may try to get an Allo Usbridge down the line to replace the Pi2AES.

    but I’d like to try it with the Pi2AES because it’s still supposed to sound better.
     
  17. earnmyturns

    earnmyturns Smartest friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2016
    Likes Received:
    3,218
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Palo Alto
    Home Page:
    To be clear, the Pi2AES HAT does nothing if you are using USB from the attached Pi2AES, it's just as if you had a bare Pi 4 (well, there are subtleties depending on whether you are powering the two separately or not, but basically). USBridge is the same kind of assembly as Pi 4+Pi2AES, but with a different SBC (single-board computer) and with a second board with a less noisy USB out than the SBC. I've owned one of the older USBridges, it was definitely better than the older SBC (CuBox) I had used with Schiit DACs (all of this pre-Unison, though).
     
    • Like Like x 1
    • Agreed, ditto, +1 Agreed, ditto, +1 x 1
    • List
  18. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Apr 15, 2020
    Likes Received:
    12,238
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Bay Area, CA
    Home Page:
    Yeah I know it’s just all setup for streaming already so a convenient source of USB.
     
  19. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Apr 15, 2020
    Likes Received:
    12,238
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Bay Area, CA
    Home Page:
    I just had the idea to clone my Pi2AES SD card so that if it ever gets corrupted, I can just put in the new one and be good to go. The version of MOode I'm currently running seems to be very stable and I have all the settings so it is working.

    But I'm not sure how to clone an SD card for use in the pi4. I had to "fast" it I think was the word using BelenaEtcher to install MOode, so I assume a hard drive cloning app won't work.

    SD cards are so cheap though, I might as well have some backups.

    I'm also wondering if I cloned the SD card, if all the settings would be saved on the new card too, so I could just insert it and it would work.

    Thanks fellas!
     
  20. Gazny

    Gazny MOT: ETA Audio

    Pyrate Contributor
    Joined:
    May 11, 2020
    Likes Received:
    2,209
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    open sky
    It should work very simple. I believe on Mac Os you can go to drive settins and clone the image of your sd card and save it there and later burn the image to a new sd card
     

Share This Page