Core Machine (Operating system/System info/Roon build number)
Macbook pro transitioning to Nucleus. Roon 1.6
Network Details (Including networking gear model/manufacturer and if on WiFi/Ethernet)
Fritzbox via Netgear WIFi extender
Audio Devices (Specify what device you’re using and its connection type - USB/HDMI/etc.)
Audioengine powered speakers via Dragonfly DAC, Onkyo amp via Chromecast audio and Audioengine DAC
Description Of Issue
I’m transitioning Roon from my Mac to Nucleus+, I tried using network share to copy my music files
to the SSD in the Nucleus but it was taking a massively long time (20 days for 400,000 tracks) and it stopped copying due to an error with a music track. So I tried copying the music files and a Roon database backup to an external USB drive. This was successful and only took less than a day. I now have the drive connected to a Nucleus via one of the USBs. My questions are, how do I transfer the music files to the SSD in the Nucleus this way, do I also transfer the Roon backup to the SSD and what are final instructions to transition from my Mac to the nucleus? Many thanks for your help.
You will have to use your Mac to copy files to the internal SSD of the Nucleus. Having the music files on a USB drive plugged directly into the Nucleus doesn’t really help, because the Nucleus doesn’t have a file copy function built into it. See the KB article here.
Personally, I wouldn’t try copying 400,000 files across in one go. Do it in smaller chunks. Then if anything goes wrong during a copy, you won’t have to start all over again. I would also stop the Roon Server on the Nucleus during the time you are copying across these files. See this KB article.
Of course, you could also just use the USB drive plugged into the Nucleus straightaway, to get you up and running and listening to music. If you want to have the physically neater solution of just having the Nucleus with your music collection on the internal SSD, then one way of doing this over time, whilst continuing to enjoy listening to music, might be the following (@dylan - will this work? Please check my suggestions!) :
Prepare (initialize/format) the internal SSD as described in the KB article.
Make sure the Music Folder on the SSD is disabled (use the “3 dots” menu to do this).
Add the folder containing the music files on the USB drive as a “Watched Folder” to the Nucleus.
Now you can listen to your music.
Over a period, you can gradually copy chunks of your collection to the SSD using your Mac to copy from the USB drive to the internal SSD.
Once everything has been copied across, you can remove the Watched Folder of the USB drive from your Nucleus, and enable the Music Folder of the SSD.
Oh, and DO NOT put the Roon Database backup on to the SSD. That is only asking for trouble. You can have that on the USB drive plugged into the Nucleus; sitting in its own folder separate from folders containing music files…
Can you enlighten me please about the where the backup is / goes after I finish copying the music files to the SSD. Is there a new Roon backup file created from the roon core on the SSD?
Paul, I assume that you mean the backup of the Roon database? This is not the same thing as a backup of your music files (which personally I would also take backups of).
And are you referring to a backup of the Roon database that you had previously created when you had the Roon Core running on your Mac?
If you can answer these questions, then I’ll be clear as to what to reply in return. Thanks.
OK, then for the most part, you just follow the Nucleus Migration Guide. This does assume that you will be restoring the backup that you made on your MacBook as part of the very first time you log into the new Roon installation on your Nucleus. I suspect that you’ve already logged into Roon, so for this step you’ll first need to logout of your Roon account.
Go to Settings/Account and click Logout. You should then see the Login screen of your Nucleus, with the “Restore a backup” link at the bottom of the screen. Carry on from there using the migration guide.
If your MacBook still has a Roon Core running, then instead of seeing the Nucleus Login screen, you’ll probably get a screen where you are asked to choose between the two machines running a Roon Core - choose the Nucleus…
As Geoff mentioned above, the Nucleus Migration Guide will walk you through all of the steps for moving everything to Nucleus. If you have any questions about this guide please let us know!