Yes. Plug your drive into your Roon Core (NUC) - which sends the data to your endpoint using Roons RAAT protocol over Ethernet. This is why you have a core!
The Zen is not a file server, it’s a streamer. It accepts the RAAT data from the core via Ethernet. The usb ports connect to a DAC. Any other Zen usb port functionality is not relevant in a Roon/RAAT environment.
Looking forward to your update when the unit arrives.
Allow me to restate what (I think) I’ve been told here:
An audio file is “just a file” until it reaches the Roon core. So regardless of CODEC (wav, flac, etc.) it’s essentially no different to the hardware than would be a Microsoft Word file or a Photoshop file.
Once the file reaches the Roon core, it becomes an audio stream (still the same digits, but now with clocking from the source (the Roon Core). This bit stream is then transferred to the endpoint (via either some anonymous UPNP protocol or by RAAT).
At the endpoint, either the bitstream is sent directly out to the DAC without reclocking (synchronous transmission through the endpoint) or is buffered and re-clocked before being sent out to the DAC (asynchronous transmission through the endpoint).
Then, at the DAC, a synchronous or asynchronous reception is achieved and the signal is then converted by the DAC chip to the analog output buffers of the DAC.
Is this correct?
No, it remains “data” until it comes out of your DAC. One of RAATs design goals is that “Audio devices must own the audio clock” - therefore, with RAAT, your DAC will provide the clock to the entire chain.
If you haven’t already, check out How Roon Works, and What is RAAT? which should make things a little clearer.
thanks, I’ll have a look as I do not know things
I have allways imagined RAAT as a pdf printer job file. It is not the jpg but it is not the pdf. The jpg is a file with compression etc… than you take acrobat pro and transform the file in to a acrobat printer job… you move to another computer and you need an acrobat reader to render the job and send that to a printer or save that as a pdf.
If you are ethernet and usb I know that the clock it is the dac.
Zen Stream owner here, longtime Roon user with multiple Roon systems on different locations. The Zen Stream, like quite a few other streamers, supports multiple ways of streaming to your DAC. Those ways depend on how the Stream is configured. The Stream can take Roon RAAT streams (Roon Bridge), serving as a Roon endpoint, but it call also take input from DLNA servers, network drives, and its local USB drive. However, the only thing you can control via Roon is its Roon RAAT input, from whatever music storage your Roon core has access to. That does not include the local USB drive on the Stream.
I learned nothing new from “How Roon Works,” but I did from “What is RAAT.” In a RAAT network, all upstream devices become synchronous with the DAC’s clock.
Non-RAAT networks work differently - The source has its own clock and when the bitstream arrives at the DAC, it is buffered and then re-clocked again prior to being converted by the DAC chip.
Apparently, RAAT allows all upstream clocks to be synchronized to the DAC’s clock. I’m not sure how it does this, but that is what the RAAT description implies. Presumably, upstream clocks that get “out of synch” with the DAC’s clock can still be re-timed when they hit the DAC’s buffer? Either that, or RAAT converts the DAC to a non-buffered synchronous input and forces upstream equipment to keep up - I’m not sure which.
It would seem to me, though, that a buffer MUST exist somewhere in the system. Otherwise, device clocks separated by long-delay wiring couldn’t synchronize without errors. So does RAAT require an asynchronous DAC input?
Within a single LAN, wiring delay is totally inconsequential at audio rates. RAAT endpoint library has to rely on the fact that any decent Roon server and LAN can push stream data much faster than the DAC needs it. If that’s the case, it’s then all pretty standard packet buffer management and device driver interaction in the RAAT endpoint to sense the rate at which the DAC is consuming data and send back stream management messages. All pretty standard stuff, I was writing code like this for Unix back in the late 80s. What’s subtle and proprietary about RAAT is how it manages this across multiple grouped Roon endpoints so that they can play in sync. But that’s not the use case you are wondering about.
Your music drive should definitely be plugged directly into your NUC. Roon core needs to see it and apply any DSP, etc. then send it to your end-points wherever they may be. You can also plug another HDD into the NUC for doing your automatic Roon backups.
So, I can connect from computer to the ZS USB, ZS being in roon only mode. So I guess roon can connect to that. Just use the IP of the ZS and Guest user without pass.
Just if you want to play around… I still think that it is better to have the files close to the core
Everything goes through Core everything.
Source → Core – RAAT–> Endpoint
Don’t plug your files into the Zen. That makes no sense. You’d be moving data between Zen and Core twice.
Thanks
I thought the same.
The wisdom of the Zen USB connection not withstanding, did you try going to Settings==>Storage, entering the IP and seeing some music stored there appear in Roon’s library?
Not to beat a dead horse, but I’m surprised that Roon can access the Zen’s USB drive.
No I did not try… I have to download a file as I am only streamlining 
But I will now try a backup to see if it works
I looked at the Zen manual, such as it is. As far as I can see, that USB connection is for music one wants to play using Volumio.
Doesn’t really matter since the OP decided not to attach his drive that way. Just a curiosity now.
Looks like it is working
transferring is slowish
Well, I’m surprised about that.
From a Zen stream user -
Live and learn, I guess. Thanks for humoring me.
did get out the stick from ZS, but I do not see the backup folder on OSX, I do not have a win or linux around to see
Roon Ready devices aren’t using Roon Bridge - the integration is tighter than that:
Yes thank you for this. For sure it looks like this with the ZS
When in roon only mode the ZS has only a link opening a browser with the Roon Bridge settings. Does that mean that the volumio software it is not working anymore? There is roon bridge SDK with something added? Or I just have no access to the volumio software? But it is strange to be able to shut down all services except roon from the software and using the selection knob in the back of the device to be the same.
