ROCK Hardware Primer

Sure, I may as well wait then.

Thanks for the help.

.sjb

ROCK will not use the internal non-usb drive unless we format them.

ROCK will support exFAT on external drives.

ROCK formats the OS disk using the installer, but to format internal drive you will have to hit a button in the web UI and then confirm. As for the OS disk, it will double check with you before it does that.

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Since i have issues with my ubuntu desktop with Roon server only, i will try/hope that Rock will run on my Alienware X51, if not i will install ubuntu server. And then buy a device for Rock:)

Hi Danny. Iā€™ve read the ROCK Knowledge Base.

So I know external USB music storage is supported and USB DACs. I assume both are supported at the same time?

Even if I use all 4 USB ports ? i.e. use 3 ports for music storage and 1 port of the USB Dac?

Cheers!

yes, all ports are supported, even hubs are supported, and you can plug in drives and DACs until you run out of USB bandwidth

Danny, I assume if the NUC supports USB3.1 gen 2 we will be able to daisy chain the external disks?

Russ

I donā€™t think that thunderbolt is supportedā€¦ yet. At least that is what was stated in the can I use Skull Canyon NUC thread.

Thanks, I missed that.

LOL nice, thanks Danny

Hey Danny @danny

Have you guys tested it with a PS Audio LANRover? Direct connection to the USB Dac

i.e. NUC USB Audio out > LANRover sender unit > shortest possible ethernet > LANRover receiver unit > USB DAC

If not yet tested, could you ask your Roon Ready hardware partner, PS Audio, for a unit for a quick test ?

The LANRover doesnā€™t work with my sonicTransporter (Linux based also) in that direct connection, to a Chord Mojo. But a direct USB cable from sonicT to Mojo does work.

Would be greatly appreciated

Cheers

AMP, thanks for the excellent thread.

I have one question regarding the storage of music files: I want to use the ROCK-NUC-Combo solely for TIDAL as I donā€™t have any music files besides a few apple music purchases. Will I still need an external had drive or is the internal M.2 SATA card sufficient? Or does Roon save the favorited Tidal albums locally?

Thanks.

All of the information will be stored on the M2. You will not needs any more storage other than the place you choose to put database backups.

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Thanks, Henry.

Exactly the answer I was hoping for :wink:

I think that is incorrect.
The ROCK OS will be on the M.2 SATA and if your NUC has a second internal HD you can store music on this.
But if your music collection is small you cound probably just use a usb key.

Just to avoid any confusionā€¦

@Henry_McLeodā€™s response was correct as with a Tidal-only library there is no requirement for local music file storage so @Florian_Ripperger could get by with a NUC running ROCK using the internal M.2 storage only (which will contain RoonOS, RoonServer, and the Roon database).

If thereā€™s a desire to access local (downloaded / ripped) content in the future then some sort of storage will need to be added. That can either be a second internal drive on the NUC (if supported), an external USB drive, or a network share from a NAS / computer.

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Any hint as to what brand of USB ethernet adapters are supported with ROCK? I have a NUC6i5SYK that I will run with Windows meantime while waiting for ROCK. I might as well purchase the supported hardware now.

Why would you want a USB Ethernet adaptor when the NUC has gigabit ethernet on board?

One port going to the DAC and the other going to the file server. This is to access the music files in the file server and provides galvanic isolation of the mechanical hard drives and to shorten the ethernet cable from the NUC to the DAC.

Donā€™t take this the wrong way but are you confusing ethernet and USB? DACs arenā€™t normally ethernet connected. Even so you would normally use an ethernet switch in the case you describe. Shortening an ethernet cable, provided you are in spec and for cat 5 that is about 100 metres, wonā€™t make any difference at all.

Which DAC are you using, that has ethernet input? This sounds interesting.

If it has ethernet input I can understand wanting to bridge 2 ethernet ports, so you can by-pass going from router to Dac.