Is it possible to add one more zone near the main one only to control volume? I have a DAC (T+A) with fixed volume as a main zone for playing music. The integrated amplifier (Hegel) connected to that DAC has volume control through Roon, but I need to open the list of zones, then choose Amp, and only after that control the volume. I am looking for the option to have Amp volume control on the screen while DAC continues to be a chosen zone. Or stick Volume from one device to another. Is it possible?
You can group them but your playing to both at same time and you would need to switch the amps input after starting play as it will switch to the Hegels Roon Ready input due to it playing to that as well. Not sure how well it work though given ones fixed the other not. But you won’t know until you try. Does the amp not have a remote control ?
As soon as I group zones Hegel changes input from XLR to Network because it works this way:) And I lose sound from the DAC. I have a remote from Amp, just prefer to control everything from Roon as I am holding a notebook or tablet in my hands in front of my eyes while listening to music.
You will have to do it manually via remote then. You’re asking for something Roon was not designed to do. It controls the devices it’s playing to.
The only way around this is to find a harmony hub remote system, run the deep harmony Roon extension on a raspberry pi or Linux machine using Roons extension manager. This will the allow you to set up a macro including both t/a dac and Hegel amp then in Roon you assign volume control to the extension and it can control the volume of the amp via Roon remote instead of it being the DACs only.
This is how I manage to get Roon to control volume n two of my systems where there is an amp in the chain and I have a fixed volume streamer.
I guessed that Roon did not have such functionality, but needed to be sure. Do you think the second icon of the device that controls volume near the icon of the device that plays music would be convenient? Because, when I switch to control volume, then all the tracks that were played on it come to the interface. So you should go back to main zone every time.
I think a way to do this would be to create an extension that replaces the default volume control with a custom control - if the Hegel has an interface that can be accessed by tcp or an api.
Is this something others would find helpful? I’m thinking of doing this for my heos player connected to a Devialet expert - I’d like to control the volume at the amp rather than the player and need to write a little code. I could make it more customizable if others had need.
Looking at the Hegel control protocol this should be relatively straightforwad (hopefully).
What I would create is a custom volume control - named something like “Hegel xyz” which you add to the T&A amp as the main volume controller (instreat of the fixed volume control that is a standard option and you are using at present). This would then send a TCP control code to set the volume on the Hegel whenever you adjusted volume by on the ROON T&A volume display (it wouldn’t change th T&A volume - which would remain fixed). This is just the sort of application I think Danny was thinking of when he wrote the original a ROON api,
Does the Hegel turn on and off when you power the T&A DAC on and does it automatically select the input etc on the Hegel?
In order to do this you will need to be able to set up and run a ROON extension - and for testing we wont be able to use the extension manager.It will likely require you installing node.js on a local linux machine (could be a raspberry pi) or other linux box where you can run a node and pulling a git clone from my repository. In addition it will be necessary for you to test the tcp interface using a terminal emulator and logging to the devices ip at the post specified. If that makes sense to you (and preferably you have experience in such things) Id be happy to give it a go (no promises of success, and it could require some testing of early code versions that always carry risk).
My eventual goal would be to create an extension in the extension manager allowing simple creation of these type of volume and source controls without requiring this degree of computer literacy (which is beyond typical users who don’t spent their time in the tinkering" section).
Let me know of you are interested - and I suggest asking the mods to move the topic to ‘tinkering’ where we may get additional input or someone may already have the solution.
Otherwise not many options are available - I’ll probably build on the idea over the next months as RHEOS enters post Beta testing, if others are interested in this idea. I can play with some options on my own systems but will need volunteers to test more broadly in alpha testing.
I do have two Pi4, one with homeassistant and the other one as NAA for HQPlayer. But I have Orange Pi. May we use it fro the testing? I am a noob in comps, but can follow an instruction:)
You are suggesting to make virtual device that will be TA or HQP with volume from Hegel?
Hegel can’t be turn on and off by TA and can’t automatically choose the input (XLR). It is possible to control it by third app. Automaticly turn on only by Network signal (Ethernet input: Spotify, Roon, etc.)
