Simplify my HQP NAA + Mac mini + Pi4 RoPieeeXL + Pi2AES runs?

Audio Gear Talk HQ Player
1

I have four audio systems running HQPlayer on four separate mac minis to four separate Raspberry Pi’s running RoPieeeXL.

Not all at once, obviously, but all the mac mini’s run all the time. (They were decommissioned from my business, so I had them sitting idle and available.)

I know it’s possible to go run HQP on just one Mini, and select the output device in the HQP dropdown each time. But if I move from zone to zone, I’d like to do that without opening Remote Desktop, connecting to the mini, opening HQP prefs. (And I guess, to be honest, there is occasion where if two people in the house are listening, two systems might run at the same time. It’s rare, but could happen.)

If i were to just use the RoPieeeXL endpoints without HQP NAA, I wouldn’t need each mini, obviously. But it’s one of those crazy things where I can actually tell an audible difference with HQPlayer, so I keep it in play.

So, is it possible to run embedded on the Pi4’s and eliminate all the Mac Mini involvement? I’ve seen the “HQP embedded” and “NAA” threads, but they’re often about lots of different things, and I can’t seem to find just this answer. I’m not upsampling to DSD, as the Pi2AES HAT can only handle 24/192. And this is fine.

Is there a step-by-step? Is the Pi2AES supported? (I’m only running that HAT on two of the systems, but I don’t see that HAT in the list on the page below.)

Now, if that page is actually the step-by-step instructions for using/installing/configuring HQP Embedded on a RPi4, then I’m probably in over my head, and I’ll just live with the Mac Minis! :crazy_face:

2

From the link above read the “ Downloading and configuring bootable image “ paragraph, you just need to burn the rpi image on microsd card and you are done … no headache at all.
You will just need to change the name of each instance.

3

ok, so if i burn the rpi image to a micro sd card, that card already would have the RopieeeXL OS flashed on it. No problem? Take it out of a RoPieeeXL RPi, put in a reader on my laptop, and then copy that image to the card?

(I told you I’d need a step-by-step!)

what’s the difference between

hqplayer-embedded-4.29.0-raspberrypi4.7z

and

hqplayer-embedded-4.29.0-raspberrypi4.7z.asc

4

Just burn the HQPlayer OS rpi image, that’s all. You don’t need RoPieeeXL at all, and it should be impossible tu burn two images on the same sd card.
The .asc file is just to check, if needed, that the download of the .7z file is not broken … you don’t need to do this step.
… and not “copy the image” but “burn the image” with Balena Etcher.
If you were able to burn the RoPieee img it’s exactly the same process

5

Sidestepping the HQP Embedded discussion – you can export HQP Desktop settings to an XML file. I have done this for all my NAAs and set up a few Shortcuts automations that:

  • Close HQP
  • Run a shell script copying the settings for a specific NAA to the HQP main settings file (f.i. ‘cp ~/Documents/Scripts/PiDigiOne.xml ~/.hqplayer/settings.xml’)
  • Start HQP

That way, you can set HQPlayer Desktop to any NAA you like with one click of a button. Works like a charm.

6

Not tested much, but theoretically you should be able to provide different setting files as command line arguments to HQPlayer executable. This way you should be able to have shortcuts for different settings. Possibly same effect if you drop setting file on the shortcut icon.

7

I could be wrong so you’ll have to verify, but I believe if you switch to embedded (or any other version from mac in your case) I believe you’ll have to re-purchase HQP.

8

I guess this is relevant, also. Not that purchasing more copies of HQP is necessarily a deal-breaker, but to run NAA as I’m doing it, I only needed to purchase one license of HQP.

(At least this is how I understood it works. Please correct me if I’m wrong!)

9

So, does HQP NAA work with PI2AES please?

+++Edit: seems to work with Hifiberry overlay?… HQPlayer Upsampling Runs on a Pi4 - Invigorate your digital audio! | Super Best Audio Friends

10

Yep, works great!

1 Like
11

Great thank you so much for fast reply! :slight_smile:

(PS This Baby sounds promising too :slight_smile: Coming Soon - Pi2 Design )