Got my first DAC/Squeezebox

eclein · « **on:** 6 Mar 2010, 01:38 pm »

I found a Squeezebox Duet receiver last night on ebay and picked it up for a great price! Already shipped it today...I feel like a kid again, its my first foray into audiophiledom. Gonna control it with my Android phone, run it into my "budget crisis" setup and get a small taste of what you guys passionately talk about. I've learned so much here from all of you guys, I'm fighting cancer and music is my way to fight, to keep some spirit, move in a positive direction.
If anyone wants to give me tips on setting up a Squeezebox receiver, seems pretty straightforward, I'd greatly appreciate it.
Thanks
Ed L.

Charles Calkins · « **Reply #1 on:** 6 Mar 2010, 02:19 pm »

Ed:
Just don't be in a rush to set it up. Read the directions a couple of times before you start.

Cheers
Charlie

bpape · « **Reply #2 on:** 6 Mar 2010, 03:13 pm »

Also, take some time and figure out how you want your music organized. This will help you set up any parameters for whatever program you use to rip (EAC, etc.). Watch "THE" in artist titles or you'll have a ton of stuff under T

Some people have all songs for an artist in a single folder, regardless of album. Personally, I prefer to set it up so it's a tree:

- Artist
--- Album Name
----- Track Number, Song Title
----- Track Number, Song Title
----- Track Number, Song Title
--- Album Name
----- Track Number, Song Title
----- Track Number, Song Title
----- Track Number, Song Title

Makes it much easier for me to find things. You can still search by song though if you prefer. This is just an easy way to find things both via your interface and on the server itself in the file structure.

Good luck on the fight.

Bryan

John151 · « **Reply #3 on:** 6 Mar 2010, 03:14 pm »

Quote from: Charles Calkins on 6 Mar 2010, 02:19 pm

Ed:
Just don't be in a rush to set it up. Read the directions a couple of times before you start.

Cheers
Charlie

What are these "directions" you speak of?

Charles Calkins · « **Reply #4 on:** 6 Mar 2010, 03:18 pm »

The ones that come with the unit so you can set it up to your computer. Or maybe I should have said instructions.

Cheers
Charlie

bpape · « **Reply #5 on:** 6 Mar 2010, 03:20 pm »

Duet User Guide - http://www.slimdevices.com/documentation/Squeezebox-Duet-UG-ENG.pdf

SqueezeCenter help and other good links - http://wiki.slimdevices.com/index.php/SqueezeCenter

Bryan

eclein · « **Reply #6 on:** 6 Mar 2010, 03:36 pm »

First thing I thought when I read Charlie's post was "damn I have to read the instructions-bummer"---LOL!!!!

Thanks Bryan all the way around

eclein · « **Reply #7 on:** 7 Mar 2010, 12:41 pm »

Started getting tracking number info, should arrive Tues or Wed I'm guessing-very pumped!!
It was truly devine intervention the way I got this, I have been looking at buying for awhile but never had enough cash on hand so I was gonna get a Streamer or Nuforce Icon then out of the blue I see this Duet Receiver on Ebay new in box for exactly the amount of cash I had to lay out this month. I've been dredging online and ebay for weeks looking for some sort of DAC for around a hundred dollars with the hopes of maybe finding a used old squeezebox, even thought about X-Fi for a moment. Then when I had all but given up-POOF!- there it is-"BUY IT NOW" on ebay, hadn't seen any close to that price before or since Friday night at that exact moment in time when I thought I was outta luck. Just thought I'd share that!! LOL!!

Ed L.

"No Matter Where You Go, There You Are"- Buckaroo Banzai

mfsoa · « **Reply #8 on:** 7 Mar 2010, 01:08 pm »

Bryan,
In the file naming scheme you have listed, is this the regular Windows folder structure or is this for the tags?

I just preordered a Touch and need to really start learning about the ins and outs of hard drive storage.

My preference is to store WAV and not FLAC, but I'm not sure if the FLAC tagging offers a significant benefit that would outweigh my desire to WAV?

(New to this so use small words)

OP- are you ripping WAV, FLAC etc?

Thanks

-Mike

Thump553 · « **Reply #9 on:** 7 Mar 2010, 01:45 pm »

My personal preference is to use FLAC not WAV-tagging is pretty important. Those that use WAV can tell you better, but offhand I'm not sure how the squeezebox software would read it. I suspect your display would show a bunch of meaningless TRACK01, TRACK02, etc.

In tagging the most important thing is to be consistent. Before you start sit down with a sheet of paper and wirte down what attributes you want tagged and how. Reevaluate your choices shortly after you start to decide if there is anything you want to change.

Also, keep your naming conventions consistent, like all "The Rolling Stones" or "Rolling Stones" or "Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers" or "Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers." It will save a lot of confusion later. I keep a paper list (and a word processor file) of the common naming conventions I use.

Thump553 · « **Reply #10 on:** 7 Mar 2010, 01:53 pm »

Also the sqeezebox software by default ignores certain articles (The El La Los Las Le Les) when sorting-look under advanced/advanced settings/my music about half way down. (But still be consistent, otherwise you'll end up with duplicate rips).

Final word of advice-BACK UP YOUR FILES. Been there, done that. Now I do the belt and suspenders method. I have a set of burned DVDs with all my flacs on them. My music library is stored on an external hard drive, which I periodically duplicate to another external hard drive that I keep in a different part of the house (fortunately externals are cheap and getting cheaper).

jaywills · « **Reply #11 on:** 7 Mar 2010, 03:02 pm »

From ease of listening to your music, you're gonna love it. Very hard to go back to switching out CD's after you've experienced the ease of the Squeezebox. Good luck. Cordially,

kgturner · « **Reply #12 on:** 7 Mar 2010, 03:43 pm »

Quote from: Thump553 on 7 Mar 2010, 01:45 pm

Those that use WAV can tell you better, but offhand I'm not sure how the squeezebox software would read it. I suspect your display would show a bunch of meaningless TRACK01, TRACK02, etc.

you can use a program called tag&rename to add file tags to wav files. it works and displays the same as flac files. i've used wav files in the past and had no issues with tagging. there may be other programs that work just as well, but that is the one i use.

kevin t

JEaton · « **Reply #13 on:** 7 Mar 2010, 07:20 pm »

With Squeezebox (the hardware) and Squeezebox Server (the software) there's very little reason to use WAV files. You can easily change a simple setting on the server so that FLAC files are decoded on the server and streamed as PCM. This gives you the same net results - you're streaming and playing back PCM on the Squeezebox itself.

I would reiterate some of the advice given above. It's very important to sit down beforehand and figure out how you want to rip, tag, encode and organize your music collection. The file and folder structure shown by Bryan is most common and works well.

Another great tagging program is Mp3tag: http://www.mp3tag.de/en/ . You'll probably find yourself changing, correcting and adding tags to your music files long after you first rip them.

Backups are absolutely critical. It won't take you long to realize that your single largest investment in this whole business is the time that you put into ripping, tagging, and retagging your music collection. Get one hard drive (internal or external) on which to store your music, and then get another of similar size in an external enclosure and religiously back up your library. When starting out you may be ripping many CDs per day. Do daily backups. Then later, as you rip only the new CDs you buy, monthly or twice-monthly backups should be sufficient.

bpape · « **Reply #14 on:** 7 Mar 2010, 08:26 pm »

Quote from: mfsoa on 7 Mar 2010, 01:08 pm

Bryan,
In the file naming scheme you have listed, is this the regular Windows folder structure or is this for the tags?

I just preordered a Touch and need to really start learning about the ins and outs of hard drive storage.

My preference is to store WAV and not FLAC, but I'm not sure if the FLAC tagging offers a significant benefit that would outweigh my desire to WAV?

(New to this so use small words)

OP- are you ripping WAV, FLAC etc?

Thanks

-Mike

It's actually both. It makes it very simple to find things whether you're using a remote or sitting at a laptop running from SqueezeCenter itself. It also makes it easier IMO to create party playlists from complete albums instead of having to hunt through and find things. The last thing it does is keep track numbers in place.

Bryan

eclein · « **Reply #15 on:** 7 Mar 2010, 08:36 pm »

I have Squeeze server set up on my laptop and Squeeze Control on my Android phone..all I need now is the receiver which has passed through Phila. post office and is on its way here to Allentown. I just turned 52 and I feel like its Christmas eve. when I was a kid...or maybe I'm still a kid...my kids think so!!

I will read the instructions Charlie!!-maybe..

bpape · « **Reply #16 on:** 7 Mar 2010, 08:42 pm »

We're ALL kids in a candy store when it comes to music and audio. Just ask any of our wives

Bryan

Wayne1 · « **Reply #17 on:** 7 Mar 2010, 10:09 pm »

eclein,

Did you purchase a DUET system or just the receiver?

The DUET is a two piece system, the receiver and the controller. The receiver normally needs the controller for initial set up. I believe it can be done without the controller if you are hardwired into your computer.

You may want to peruse the Logitech forums for advice on this.

Nick77 · « **Reply #18 on:** 7 Mar 2010, 10:22 pm »

Quote

With Squeezebox (the hardware) and Squeezebox Server (the software) there's very little reason to use WAV files. You can easily change a simple setting on the server so that FLAC files are decoded on the server and streamed as PCM. This gives you the same net results - you're streaming and playing back PCM on the Squeezebox itself.

Does anyone remember where these step by step instructions reside?

eclein · « **Reply #19 on:** 7 Mar 2010, 10:58 pm »

Got a Duet receiver coming and its gonna be hard wired. Hopefully it'll work..if not I'll cope. The app I have on my phone(Droid-ERIS) is like ipeng for iphone/itouch, I have an itouch also so some way somehow I'll get this puppy working when it comes.