Roon

Alan

Anyone using Roon on 'Chews? How is it for you?

I'm more convinced than ever I'd like Roon to administer my music library, this being an easier solution than trying to undo the damage caused by my fumbling mis-use of bliss the other year. It'll also manage internet radio, I think. Plus a lovely, shiny interface/user experience!

I'd plan to install it on my QNAP 251 NAS which is marginal hardware-wise, but I understand the addition of an external SSD by USB3 to host the Roon database should make for a usable networked system, especially with just a single playback point, no oversampling, no DSP/EQ etc.

A more involved option is an Intel NUC somewhere on the network to function as a more powerful Roon hub. Unless pi are now available with very beefy processors and large RAM capacities now?

uglymusic

I don't use Roon, unfortunately. I don't like subscriptions and aren't convinced that it's the best way to spend £500!

However, it seems that the feeling is that very few NAS drives have the grunt to run Roon with anything like the features you'd want to be enabled. The NUC or something else with an i3 or i5 processor would seem to be the realistic way to run it. The RPi 4, even with 4GB RAM won't be enough.

How much space do you think you need for a Roon database?

Sorry to hear you messed up your music with Bliss. It is easy to do that, but it's just as easy to put it right. Otherwise, something like Jaikoz is really good for setting right things when Bliss isn't a fine enough tool. Can I help you put your library right?

phorize

uglymusic said:

I don't use Roon, unfortunately. I don't like subscriptions and aren't convinced that it's the best way to spend £500!

However, it seems that the feeling is that very few NAS drives have the grunt to run Roon with anything like the features you'd want to be enabled. The NUC or something else with an i3 or i5 processor would seem to be the realistic way to run it. The RPi 4, even with 4GB RAM won't be enough.

How much space do you think you need for a Roon database?

Sorry to hear you messed up your music with Bliss. It is easy to do that, but it's just as easy to put it right. Otherwise, something like Jaikoz is really good for setting right things when Bliss isn't a fine enough tool. Can I help you put your loo library right?

Glad it’s not just me that struggled with bliss. It’s definitely a work in progress. Room looked attractive to me until I realised the sort of hardware required. I haven’t investigated it’s programming origins but the system resources required seems out of all proportion with its capabilities and don’t speak to the sort of coding parsimony that well designed applications us usually have. 

Alan

Doesn't Roon do an awful lot of work though? I thought that was why it is resource heavy.

My understanding is that it brings up meta data, artwork, history, lyrics, and incorporates features usually seen in streaming services such as related artists, suggested playlists based on learned behaviours etc? And, that in addition to doing this for your personal music library it seamlessly performs the same functions when listening to internet radio, streaming services etc? On top of this it incorporates DSP capability including the ability to perform room correction prior to the DAC, IIUC.

I admit to not looking into this in too much depth but I can kind of see why it's such a heavy program.

uglymusic

phorize said:

uglymusic said:

I don't use Roon, unfortunately. I don't like subscriptions and aren't convinced that it's the best way to spend £500!

However, it seems that the feeling is that very few NAS drives have the grunt to run Roon with anything like the features you'd want to be enabled. The NUC or something else with an i3 or i5 processor would seem to be the realistic way to run it. The RPi 4, even with 4GB RAM won't be enough.

How much space do you think you need for a Roon database?

Sorry to hear you messed up your music with Bliss. It is easy to do that, but it's just as easy to put it right. Otherwise, something like Jaikoz is really good for setting right things when Bliss isn't a fine enough tool. Can I help you put your loo library right?

Glad it’s not just me that struggled with bliss. It’s definitely a work in progress. Room looked attractive to me until I realised the sort of hardware required. I haven’t investigated it’s programming origins but the system resources required seems out of all proportion with its capabilities and don’t speak to the sort of coding parsimony that well designed applications us usually have. 

Loo library??

The best approach to Bliss, I think, is to start with the easy stuff, like putting the covers right, then put your toe into tagging.

Tagging digital libraries is a bit of a labour of love, especially if you have any significant amount of Classical music or are a real Classical enthusiast. Thankfully, I'm not.

uglymusic

Alan said:

Doesn't Roon do an awful lot of work though? I thought that was why it is resource heavy.

My understanding is that it brings up meta data, artwork, history, lyrics, and incorporates features usually seen in streaming services such as related artists, suggested playlists based on learned behaviours etc? And, that in addition to doing this for your personal music library it seamlessly performs the same functions when listening to internet radio, streaming services etc? On top of this it incorporates DSP capability including the ability to perform room correction prior to the DAC, IIUC.

I admit to not looking into this in too much depth but I can kind of see why it's such a heavy program.

I thought I wanted Roon because it offers to integrate my own library, streaming services like Tidal and whatnot. Now, I'm not so sure. Tidal never sounded as good as my local files, so I tend to play my own files when I get to play the big rig. Otherwise, it's mainly Spotify through the Sonos speakers while I'm working or cooking.

The bedroom system falls somewhere in between, sq-wise, but I'm not getting Roon for my second system!

Maybe I'm just trying to rationalise my meanness! But I do wonder if Roon solves problems I don't have.