i have a simple query: if i use my imac as core and use an innuos server connected to my dac; because the main body of information regarding my account is on the core mac does the imac OS or hardware in any way interfere with the operation of the server which is connected to my dac. if the server uses an ipad to control it is the innuos server relying on the imac for data regarding my account either directly or via roon for playback and related functions.
i want to make sure if i purchase a dedicated server that it is completely independent of the imac core otherwise it defies the objective.
many thanks mohab (still relatively new to this)
if a server is connected to a high end end dac with core on an imac how do intensive features like dsp work? is this now dependent on the hardware in the server?
The core is where all the grunt work like DSP, search etc is done. In the scenario you describe this would be the imac. The imac running roon core would then read your music files wherever they are stored and send the stream to a roon bridge or player. In your case this would be the innuos. There would be very little load on the innuos.
if the innuos server has roon installed can i play direct from the server to the dac without logging into roon core on the imac?
if i do have to log in to the imac core to use the innuos is the imac communicating with the innuos and if so is there any degradation of the server’s performance in this case as you mention ‘light load on innuos’. i don’t want to buy a server and then realise its potential to perform optimally is being affected by the roon core.
Have a look at this Architecture page which describes the three components of a Roon system; Core, Output and Control.
Your music storage should be connected to your Core. The Signal always passes through the Core. In the Setup you describe if you were storing music on the Innuos Server then the Signal Path would go Server - Core - Server - DAC. This would probably be OK over Ethernet, but it would seem more efficient to have storage in or directly connected to the Core.
In the Setup you describe the Innuos is acting as Output. It’s a relatively large footprint device to do that. You could use a much smaller and less expensive device to do the same job. I use a microRendu.
The Core is necessary for Roon, you can’t just run a Control and Output.
The alternative scenario would seem to be to have the innous server hosting the Roon Core component as described here. Then the imac can be used as a Roon Control (and/or Endpoint).