rooPlay - From LP, CD and iPhone to Roon

DrCWO · January 26, 2023, 4:14am

Please see my videos on rooPlay:

Henry_Svendblad · January 26, 2023, 4:51am

Thanks @DrCWO - what Zone does the Nuimo need to control to make these gestures work? I’ll give it a shot early tomorrow. Thanks.

DrCWO · January 26, 2023, 5:22am

You select the zone of your playback device.

Bogdan_Simaciu · January 26, 2023, 6:16pm

Nuimo looks to be discontinued. What other options are to control the CD when using rooPlay?

DrCWO · January 27, 2023, 5:29am

It also works with the press and double press gestures with the Microsoft Surface Dial (rooDial) or clicking the right or left button on the space Mouse (roo6D).

Best DrCWO
From Africa Sansibar

Bradley_Rank · January 28, 2023, 8:46pm

I’m considering trying rooplay for vinyl. 2 questions:

does anyone know if the Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi HD will work?
this is a basic networking question but I’ll admit I don’t know the answer: I have one Ethernet connection to my stereo where the turntable, Roon streamer etc all are. As the rooplay rpi4 will need an Ethernet connection, can I split my Ethernet so that one goes to the rpi4 and the other goes to my Roon streamer? I think the answer is probably no, but I’d like to be listen while I stream/record through rooplay.

PixelPopper · January 29, 2023, 4:24am

Sorry, I’ve no idea about Question 1.
Question 2 = Yes
You need a simple unmanaged ethernet switch and a couple of additional cables.

A switch like the following:-

DrCWO · January 29, 2023, 5:52am

Please check if it supports USB Audio Class 2.
If yes it will work.

Henry_Svendblad · January 30, 2023, 1:29am

Thanks Carl. I moved my Roo6D to this new RPI I just setup and CD controls are working PERFECTLY. No need for GUI controls — less convenient anyway. Thank you! @DrCWO

Henry_Svendblad · January 30, 2023, 1:31am

I have a Soundblaster X3 and my RPI running RooExtend recognizes it and as a bonus I can control the volume digitally. I think it has to do with support the build in for game consoles. I know you posted about the X-Fi, so YMMV, but I would see this as a good sign.

DrCWO · January 30, 2023, 2:41pm

With device- or DSP volume?

Henry_Svendblad · January 30, 2023, 5:52pm

It’s the device volume! Which is superior to using Roon DSP volume

Bradley_Rank · January 30, 2023, 5:52pm

I’ll give it a shot but per an ASR review the X-Fi HD is not UAC2 compliant. Looking at the Zoom U22 as an alternative.

DrCWO · January 30, 2023, 6:06pm

I am happy for you, but I don’t believe it is superior. Look here:
The final truth about DSP Volume Control in Roon | Audio Science Review (ASR) Forum

DrCWO · January 30, 2023, 6:12pm

SINAD 90dB, even if USB Audio 2.0 just forget about it for serious listening…

Henry_Svendblad · January 30, 2023, 6:51pm

Thanks for sharing that @DrCWO – It makes me feel much better about using DSP volume in Roon. I had no idea it was that good. So I assume for your setup you use your RME DAC with roon DSP attenuating the volume? I’ve just always heard DSP volume < Device volume. This gives us options…

EDIT: So what I get from reading your whitepaper and all of the posts related to this is that if you’re gonna use Digital Volume (device or roon DSP) use Roon DSP as it is as good as it can get. However, using analog attenuation is still “better” than digital attenuation. I was thrown off by the roon signal path icons…

Per Danny at Roon:

So: Analog volume > Roon DSP Volume > Digital Device Volume

DrCWO · January 30, 2023, 7:22pm

This is exactly how I do it
The volume control of the ADI-2/4 is set to 0dB and I control my volume via DSP.

Many people still think that a potentiometer between the pre-amplifier and power-amplifier ist the better choice. They believe this because if they turn up their potentiometer to max they hear noise in the speaker. So the potentiometer seems to decrease noise.

With modern power-amplifiers with SINAD bigger hat 100dB and DACs with SINAD up to 120dB this makes no sense any more. The power-amplifier is so quiet you could not hear noise any more and the DAC directly connected to the power-amplifier includes less noise as the power-amplifier delivers. This means without a potentiometer you still hear no noise at all.

Important in such a configuration is, that at 0db full scale of the DAC the power-amplifier delivers a volume that is really loud but can be listened to with not too much pain. If it delivers a volume that kills your ears and your speakers you should insert a voltage divider between DAC and power-amplifier to decrease volume to a degree that makes sense. This can be done with some resistors in the plug of the cable or for example with the JTS MA-123.

With the ADI-2/4, a voltage divider is not needed as the reference volume of the output can be selected in a big range to adapt max. volume.

Hope this helps.
Best DrCWO

Henry_Svendblad · January 30, 2023, 7:48pm

Thanks for sharing all this knowledge Carl! This is going to mean some changes to my current setup AND future plans – all for the good. Now maybe I won’t need as many volume knobs Now I just need to train myself to care less (nothing) about the green signal path dot in roon.

@Bradley_Rank I found this regarding driver in linux for the X-Fi – hope you can get it to work, please advise if you. X-Fi - Debian Wiki

DrCWO · January 30, 2023, 9:00pm

Correct, green is fine if caused by DSP volume only

GregD · January 30, 2023, 11:42pm

Roon should really stop DSP volume adjustment turning the path green. They don’t do that with volume levelling - which is basically the same process for a different reason.