Newbie start-up essential tips

[simon_pepper]

Just use dBPoweramp to rip your CDs, then mp3tag to check the embedded metadata etc.
Then import them to Roon and let Roon identify them.

[ged_hickman1]

One thing in your summary you mention Spotify, remember you can’t use that through Roon directly.

[Geoff_Coupe]

@Simon_Camsell

Can I rip using Roon to my ssd or NAS or do I still need to use 3rd party ripping software ? If so any freeware for lossless FLAC?

ROCK has CD ripping built-in, and it rips to music storage on your NUC (internal or USB-connected), but it won’t rip to a NAS

[simon_pepper]

@Geoff_Coupe

There’s more than one way to skin a cat.

There is, yes.But I still don’t see the advantage of DAS over networked storage, if you are going to route the playback stream over a network.
Maybe different if you are connecting your Roon Core directly to the DAC, and then the library directly to the Roon Core.
But when on a networked solution, having everything on the network, for me, makes better sense. I just then optimize my network.

[Geoff_Coupe]

From the man:

Steps to Upgrade Internal Storage Drive in Nucleus

Using a NAS as networked storage, compared to an SSD inside Nucleus: it’s another device to manage and set up it’s another failure point in the system, far more likely to require repair or maintenance than a non-moving SSD network storage doesn’t auto-scan in all situations, and network storage is notoriously dependant on great networking NAS tend to be noisy (fans and spinning drives) and power hungry solutions (another cpu, etc…) While they do work, it is my opinion that a NAS is an inferi…

[simon_pepper]

ok, but my library is presently 7TB on a RAID1 volume using 10TB WD Red disks.
Not suited to SSD yet!

There is no fan noise, 1. Replaced the Fans in the NAS enclosures with silent ones, 2. It is away upstairs in the Home Office/Study, along with the NUC running ROCK
Both main NAS and NUC running ROCK are on LPS PSUs, as do the switches in my ‘backend’ configuration.
The workload on the NAS during playback is miminal, not even 1% of CPU processing (dual core CPU with 2GB RAM)

The ‘frontend’ with the network player, etc. has a EtherREGEN switch, with an isolating network port just for the final networked component.

[Geoff_Coupe]

You’re clearly happy with the NAS approach, and that’s fine. I’m equally happy with storage on the ROCK/NUC, and see no need for NAS/RAID. My non-music media resides on a simple Windows 10 PC acting as a NAS with 28TB of storage - no RAID. Backups held off-site (and in the Cloud for documents/photos).

[mikeb]

It’s a personal choice, but considering SSD capacity is up to 8TB these days, and ROCK presents it as network storage anyway, an additional external NAS with all the admin that entails wouldn’t be my first choice. Especially when an internal drive can be “watched” for changes. Backup policy and procedures is something else, but I’ve got that covered with rsync… and still no need for a NAS

[mikeb]

@Simon_Camsell

All my library backed up on an external ssd so I could plug this into the nuc I guess for faster access?

If fitted internally, you will unfortunately have to format it from within the Rock web interface, and copy your music back to it over your network. But this makes for a great server if you have a BEH NUC.

[Mike_Site]

I built my Roon Server using an HP EliteDesk 800 G2 DM with an i7 which I bought used off of eBay. The DM is a very small footprint, <> 7"x7" and very quiet. The motherboard can use the m.2 drive which are very fast. It came with 500G drive.

I added an M.2 250G drive and used the hard drive for backups of Roon. 8G RAM is enough. I have an 8 G external USB drive which stores my music. Works great.

Documentation and drivers are available from HP, so no worry about HP support.

Cost: $300 for the computer and the M.2 drive. I used Windows Server 2019 which cost $10. I would suggest looking at the G3 or G4 versions now. I have the Roon Lifetime license. All hardware and software was under $1000. I took my time to get the best price. Today with the increase of the Roon lifetime license, you price will be $1000 - $1200.

I have over 30,000 albums, and it just works, never an issue. I use RDP to manage the server.

Vibration pads under both components.

[Simon_Camsell]

Impressive stuff Mike

Can anyone help me on moving my library from my NAS to the local 1tb SSD inside my tall NUC?

Will roon copy this over or do I need to use Windows to do this?

[Simon_Camsell]

Hi Mike, got a 1tb SSD installed in my NUC …how do I copy my NAS library over to the internal SSD ? The roon setup is not very clear on this. Thanks simon

[David_Gibson]

Sorry to jump in, but Roon can’t do this. You need to use Windows. Just copy over the network to your SSD. It will take a while.

[Simon_Camsell]

Thanks David, where exactly do I copy it to?

[mikeb]

First, initialize the drive from the web interface:

http://<ip-address>

Then mount it as a smb share on a pc/mac and copy your music to it…

smb://<ip-address>/Data/Storage/InternalStorage

[Simon_Camsell]

Thanks Mike, for the first initialisation bit do I do this within Roon settings or from say explorer on a pc?

[Simon_Camsell]

I assume the ip address is the roon rock or should it be the nas…?sorry for the rather basic questions!

[mikeb]

Do this from within the web interface, the ip address is that of your roon core/NUC:

[David_Gibson]

Hopefully you’ve perused the KB. The section on music storage is here https://kb.roonlabs.com/FAQ:_Importing_Music