Links for building your own Media or Audio Server

EchiDna · « **on:** 30 Dec 2003, 02:03 am »

Please feel free to add your links into this thread.

I'll start off with a few of the more common ones..

EAC - Exact Audio Copy - http://www.exactaudiocopy.de/
The most reliable extraction software - it's 'postcardware'

Foobar music player - http://www.foobar2000.org/
with kernel streaming support - bypass windows built in 'kmixer' which is considered to be detrimental to sound quality

M-Audio - makers of the 'Revolution' soundcard

Lazy man's solutions - off the shelf media server systems from the UK

http://www.vrsaudiosystems.com/ - future home of the system that caused such a stir at VSAC

typically MP3 server (but applicable to all systems) info - http://www.audio-jukebox.com/

Hantra · « **Reply #1 on:** 30 Dec 2003, 03:14 am »

Lynx Studio

Tascam PDF on optimizing Windows 2000/XP for audio (very good article)

EchiDna · « **Reply #2 on:** 5 Jan 2004, 01:51 am »

ASIO electronic crossover for soundcards: http://www2.gol.com/users/pcazeles/asioxo.htm

new project and very interesting if you intend to bi-amp your PC based audio server.

Update: now with digital room correction and new features!
http://pcazeles.perso.cegetel.net/acxo.htm

Phat Phreddy · « **Reply #3 on:** 13 Jan 2004, 04:05 am »

J Rivers Media Center for ASIO output, digital secure (as good as EAC) ripping, auto tagging and Online DB lookups, cover art, Multizone output, etc etc etc etc
http://www.musicex.com/mediacenter/

Music Lobby For GUI control of above (also works on a PDA for wireless remote)
http://www.cinemaronline.com/musiclobby.html

Other front ends to look out for

MyHTPC
http://myhtpc.net/

xLobby (can run mutlizone)
http://www.xlobby.com/

ApeJukebox
http://www.apejukebox.com/

4AM Music Console
http://www.overnighttech.com/products/4amMusic_overview.html

Control Solutions

Girder (the defacto control application)
www.Girder.nl

Cheap mouse remote with IR / RF and (soon maybe) X10
http://www.hometheatercomputer.net/remote_purchase.html
http://htpcnews.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1029&st=0

cjr888 · « **Reply #4 on:** 20 Jan 2004, 04:35 am »

Just stumbled on these drives, and would certainly be a nice setup for those doing HD based sources. They can be connected via Firewire 400/800, iLink/DB, USB 2.0, daisy chained to existing setups, and be setup stackable or rackmount. 1 terrabute in a 5.25" form factor. Available in February.

$1199.

http://www.lacie.com/products/product.htm?id=10118

If this fits better in a different existing thread, please feel free to move.

EchiDna · « **Reply #5 on:** 6 Apr 2004, 06:05 am »

asio for all:

http://michael.tippach.bei.t-online.de/asio4all/

EchiDna · « **Reply #6 on:** 11 May 2004, 01:46 am »

database of sound cards listing DACs, IC's, codecs etc... VERY good resource!

http://members.cox.net/alexhardware/IC_database1.htm

davehg · « **Reply #7 on:** 8 Nov 2005, 09:04 pm »

See my blog at:
http://musicserver.blogspot.com

I will document start to finish my experience building a ground up, dedicated audiophile music server system, starting with hardware, then software, then file formats.

Based around a MAC Mini, with brief discussion of Linux and Windows alternatives.

Geared for the audiophile without time or in-depth tech skills, and who is migrating from a standard audiophile system to a computer based system.

numa · « **Reply #8 on:** 15 Dec 2005, 10:17 pm »

http://www.musicpd.org/

http://www.jinzora.org/

Jinzora is slick it uses mysql (or can) and can act as jukebox or as streaming server. Need horsepower though for the fancy dynamic pages, as a 600mhz epia won't run it well.

Musicpd is super slick, and good for low resource computers.

RichE · « **Reply #9 on:** 26 Feb 2006, 04:47 pm »

nice inexpensive combo I've used for several years now:

Realmagic xcard:
http://www.sigmadesigns.com/products/xcard.htm

together with 3rd party software TVedia :
http://www.8dim.com/products/

kfr01 · « **Reply #10 on:** 5 Apr 2006, 11:47 pm »

Great tool for creating a SB alternative w/o having the PC right next to the entertainment rack!

http://www.cablestogo.com/product.asp?cat%5Fid=1501&sku=29341

I wonder what kind of noise, if any, this introduces....

Anyone?

Porter · « **Reply #11 on:** 31 Jan 2007, 08:21 pm »

MythTV http://www.mythtv.org

Very powerful universal media server with a polished user interface, designed as an open source approach to the commercial "PVR" concept, a la Tivo. Depending on configuration, supports HDTV, NTSC cable, video capturing, hardware video encoding and decoding, DVD playback, DVD ripping and transcoding, DVD authoring, CD ripping, and media playback in any format. Also supports streaming of media to web, integrated ROM-based game emulation, and remote management. Supports a huge range of hardware media devices, including external DACs. Based on a Linux back end, will run under a number of current Linux distributions including Ubuntu, Knoppix, and Fedora Core. The Knoppix preconfigured variant is available from www.mysettopbox.tv.

Freevo http://freevo.sourceforge.net

Similar to MythTV but much simpler, without as comprehensive a feature set. Highly effective as a lightweight interface-oriented Linux media server application. See site for details.

Hoots · « **Reply #12 on:** 31 Jul 2008, 10:05 pm »

MeediOS - an open source alternative to MS Media Center
http://www.meedios.com/features.php

I bought the closed source MEEDIO because I like the customizable Home Theater Music browser, display and player (sort by tag and display by tag along with multiple genre tagging and display of comments tag.). There are also lot's of plug-ins for display formating.

I use a Revo card, bypass Kmixer, play FLAC, external DAC, control with Media Center remote, and display on my Big Screen. The PC runs in a closet behind the display so it's silent to the listener.

samplesj · « **Reply #13 on:** 31 Jul 2008, 11:23 pm »

While a lot of opensource pvr software has been mentioned, MS does have a VERY big trump card no one else can touch.

Only Vista Media Center supports cablecards. Without cablecards you aren't going to get anything other than locals in HD.

dthoms · « **Reply #14 on:** 30 Dec 2008, 03:26 am »

Any ideas about upgrading the sound card on a laptop. External maybe? My DAC takes a usb (Bryston BDA-1) connection. Trying to get higher quality files playable.

gainphile2 · « **Reply #15 on:** 22 Jan 2009, 11:00 am »

My linux-based media center:

http://gainphile.blogspot.com/2008/12/audiophile-media-center.html

- Ubuntu Linux
- MMS software

Able to play 24/96kHz FLAC files aa

agillis · « **Reply #16 on:** 29 Apr 2009, 10:38 pm »

VortexBox vortexbox.org

VortexBox is a free Linux distro that will turn an old PC into a dedicated media server. Once installed VortexBox can also rip CDs directly to your hard disk.

JRace · « **Reply #17 on:** 30 Apr 2009, 02:33 am »

Quote from: dthoms on 30 Dec 2008, 03:26 am

Any ideas about upgrading the sound card on a laptop. External maybe? My DAC takes a usb (Bryston BDA-1) connection. Trying to get higher quality files playable.

External is the only way.

If your DAC takes USB just use that.
In essence your DAC is an external soundcard.

jqp · « **Reply #18 on:** 13 Nov 2009, 03:07 am »

Myounger · « **Reply #19 on:** 22 Nov 2010, 11:49 pm »

Looking for a good sound card recommendation to use as a output from my shuttle PC to the MiniMax DAC - gettting away from the USB input which is not fully suppport from this unit.

Currently using a Peachtree audio DAC/AMP to a a Dynaco SCA -35 and WOO-WA2 headphone amp