Meridian Roon Extension

MotorCity · August 18, 2018, 12:53am

Hi Charlie – I feel your pain. I think it was harder the first time I did it, but just recently installed the extension on a Volumio RPi and I think it was easier on the Volumio.

I hope I can help.

The serialport will need to be compiled on your machine. Try the following commands:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install build-essential

That should allow you to get past the point where it’s failing on the serialport install.

Chazman · August 19, 2018, 7:42am

Thanks Joe.

I did already have build-essential installed via the DietPi software menus.

Tried the apt-get update (there was nothing to update). But still no luck.

I am doing the right thing by doing npm-install from within the roon-meridian-extension folder?

MotorCity · August 19, 2018, 2:22pm

That sounds like what I remember doing. Does the issue posted below look familiar? You might also want to search the serialport issues queue on Github.

Chazman · August 20, 2018, 5:04pm

So, making progress.

Managed to get the extension to install with:

sudo npm install --unsafe-perm --build-from-source

and then ran the software with

npm app.js

so no it appears within roon an extension. Configured it and set the serial device to my USB>>RS232 adaptor.

I’ve got control of the speakers via roon BUT there is something funny going on, the volume gauge within roon keeps resetting to “45”, but i can see in the ssh on the Rpi that the extension is getting the true volume response from the speakers, it just looks like the extension isn’t processing it properly. Also I don’t get the “standby button” even though I can see “standby-enabled” within the ssh trace.

Any ideas @danny @MotorCity?

Thanks

MotorCity · August 20, 2018, 7:18pm

Excellent. You’ll want to get the app running “forever.” These might be useful –

https://www.npmjs.com/package/forever-service
https://www.npmjs.com/package/forever

What model speakers are you attempting to control? DSP5000s? You might want to try different “Protocol Mode” under the extension “Settings”. I’m running TN51 with my DSP5000s.

Also, I’ve been playing around with the following file:

~/roon-extension-meridian/node_modules/node-meridian/lib.js

I changed line 145 to

} else if (/^Standby$/.test(data)) {

Also, I needed to change the baud rate to 2400 in lib.js, but I’m guessing you won’t need to do that.

Carlton_Spence · January 20, 2021, 7:21pm

I know this is very old post. Any users able to use this option effectively with DSP33. I have a pair of DSP33 in my office setup fed by Topping D10 digital output. Also have the itach ip2sl.

Hectorson · January 20, 2021, 7:23pm

Yes, I have recently revisited this and it works like a charm

Carlton_Spence · January 20, 2021, 7:41pm

Please provide details and skill level required to implement.

Hectorson · January 20, 2021, 7:49pm

Hi Carlton,

For me this started back in 2017 and I was running a Windows Roon core and was able to get things working with the support of @danny. At the time the requirement for me was to run an instance of Node.js on the core but this required some intervention to keep running for example power outage, pc updates etc. It is still possible to do this.

Since then @Jan_Koudijs has made the process more accessible using the extension manager.

The next steps do depend on the setup you are running now, what core do you run? Do you have a raspberry pi?

Carlton_Spence · January 20, 2021, 8:45pm

My current Core is on a late 2012 Mac mini. I do have what I think is a raspberry Pi.

it is used to integrate some non HomeKit devices into HomeKit.
In addition as mentioned earlier I have the Meridian DSP33 connected to ITACH IP2LS utilizing the MSRv app to control via iPad.

Hectorson · January 20, 2021, 9:08pm

I would suggest that the most user friendly and easily accessible route would be to invest in a Pi4 and add a case if you wish.

I’m not sure of the viability of using the product you have already, I guess it has proprietary software and whilst it may be possible to work something out I’d grab a Pi and a micro SD card.

If you choose to do this it really is quite a simple process to install a few bits which is quite well documented already. If you do choose this route I can point you in the right direction.

I haven’t seen a way of running this extension on a Windows PC or a Mac that offers a user friendly result. Others may have suggestions.

Carlton_Spence · December 27, 2021, 5:42pm

I have all of the pieces. Could some one please PM me to assist in setup.

Carlton_Spence · June 16, 2022, 1:15am

Thanks Jan Koudijs

Brad_Burnside · June 16, 2022, 2:50am

I also have all of the pieces, but not the functionality. Please share your solution.

Brad_Burnside · June 16, 2022, 2:56am

Me, too. It works just fine so I don’t have to make the extension operate, even though I remain curious.

Jacob_Warner · January 8, 2024, 9:46am

Hi Danny and Team,

I too am also curious as to how people have managed to get this working.

My setup currently consists of a Bluesound Node feeding SP/DIF directly into my DSP5200s and I use the MSR for volume control so easy workaround.

I have worked in HiFi and automation for years now and am just getting around to finally installing my own Roon setup and so far loving it, but seeing this makes me want to do away with the node and use a pi setup only. I have currently got a pi2 or 3 running dietpi, feeding into a meridian explorer DAC, but would like to move to a pi4 with a hifiberry digital hat.

My DSPs have RS232 port on the back which I can control with the PC, so know it CAN be done, just need to know how you guys managed to get it going with the pi ONLY. As I said, moving forward I would like to ditch the node and just use a pi, meaning I can integrate volume control with extension. Have so far managed to get extensions installed and already have USB-serial cable [same one I tested the 232 with so know it works].

Have tried every possibly combination of /dev/ttyUSBXX etc for serial port and TN49,51 and DS 6ii03 but no luck. Is it possible that I will have to wait for the new pi and hifi hat before I can get this working? I feel like its still trying to control the analog volume output on the Explorer DAC and not send the 232 commands.

Again I know that this is an old post, but any insight here would be awesome!

Thanks guys.

Jake

Jacob_Warner · January 15, 2024, 12:17pm

EDIT TO POST ABOVE:

Unfortunately it seems I now have this working and must say works incredibly well. Not sure exactly what I did, but I took the install step-by-step and made sure to check off all steps as mentioned above.

I made sure to use 32-bit diet-pi, fresh install on sd card. I also ensured that I enabled Serial UART in dit-pi config and installed node.js using diet-pi software when I installed Roon Bridge and Extension Manager.

Booted it up with the serial cable attached and installed the meridian extension and away it went. Interestingly enough, hopefully this doesn’t trip up others, i found that the serial USB cable was always /dev/ttyUSB0 as is suggested by the extension. I read so many forums to try and work out if I was using ttyUSB0 or ttyS0 or AMA0 etc. Turns out the pi was giving it the same COM port/path name every time.

Once installed all I had to do was go back into the explorer’s audio settings and change the volume control from its own internal to the new meridian extension, UNREAL!

New Hifi Berry hat en route, should be here any day now and super excited!

Thank you to all above who unfortunately struggled so that I could enjoy the fruits of your labour, hopefully something here maybe helps someone else?