Trying to start at zero on a a 2nd Mac Mini

Hi,

I’m installing a 2nd Mac Mini in my system, in a closet. As I understand the process, the one in the closet (for hard drive silence) has Roon on it, and the drives attached to it. The 1st Mini is connected to my DAC, and both are networked via CAT 6.

My question is, how do I start at zero on the 1st Mini? As it previously had Roon on it, Roon comes up sort of fully installed, as opposed to asking me how I want to use it - if it offered me the choice, I would pick “Use as a Remote”.

@support

Have you moved your core to the 2nd Mac Mini?

If you have… and you’re happy that your 2nd Mac is all set up as a Roon Core and has access to your Roon Library and everything’s hunky dory, you just go into Roon on your 1st Mac Mini, Go to Settings-General and click “Disconnect” Blue Button next to where it says Core.

Now if Mac Mini 1 & 2 are on the same network you should see “Choose your Roon Core” and you should be able to either select Mac Mini 2 across the network, or “Use This Mac” which is Mac Mini 1.

IT WORKS!!!

Thank you!

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If you’re just using the 1st Mac Mini to connect to a DAC and you’re not needing to use it for control of your Roon core (if, for example you’re using an iOS or Android device to control Roon), then it might be worth looking into using Roon Bridge, instead of Desktop Roon, on the Mac mini connected to your DAC.

Roon Bridge has less processor usage and may sound better.

See… https://kb.roonlabs.com/RoonBridge

Thanks, I’ll investigate.

Perhaps I don’t get Roon Bridge.

As I understand it, I have Roon open, and then open Roon Bridge. But when I click on Roon Bridge, nothing happens.

@support

You would just have Roon or Roon Server running on your core and only Roon Bridge running on your endpoint. The only way you will see Roon Bridge Running is in your Title bar of your end-point machine… I think… I don’t use Roon Bridge myself.

With Roon Bridge running on your Mac Mini that is connected to your DAC, your core, located on your Mac Mini in the closet should see it in “Settings” - “Audio”.

What are you using to control Roon? An iPad perhaps?

I use them all, interchangeably. On my iPhone and my iPad I use Roon Remote. On my Mini(s), Roon.

Ok, so… there’s no benefit to using Roon Bridge on your Mini that is connected to your endpoint if you are also using that machine to control roon.

I only suggested you use it if

Basically Roon Bridge is a cut down version of Roon that doesn’t have the Core or the control functions of Roon.

Sorry if I didn’t make sense earlier… :slight_smile:

Well, conceivably I could NOT use Roon to control the DAC, and use Roon Bridge instead.

Oh, but you’re saying that as long as I’m running Roon on my core, that won’t work - right? Just to be clear: there are two Mac Minis - one runs run Roon, the other controls the DAC.

So… you could have Roon Server on your core in the closet. Roon Bridge on your Mini connected to your DAC.

You would control the core from an iPad, iPhone, Android etc. The core would see your Mac Mini with Roon Bridge on it, because it’s on the same network.

You could set up Roon Core to send music to the Mini with Roon Bridge on it, and onto the DAC from the settings page in the Roon app on an iPad. (Or by temporarily running Desktop Roon on either of the Macs and connecting to the core.

Then… with just Roon Server (Core) running on the Mini in the Closet, and Roon Bridge Running on the Mini + DAC), you could control everything from iPad, iPhone, Android etc.

Sorry if I’ve made this whole thing needlessly complicated!

It’s hard to describe stuff via forums sometimes!! :smile:

It just means you don’t have to run the full-blown Roon on your Mini that is connected to your DAC. So there’s no user-interface running there, no retrieval of Library information and meta-data from the core (over the network from your mac mini in the closet), no retrieval of album covers and other graphical content etc. etc.

All that’s happening is Roon bridge is receiving music and passing it onto the DAC.

AHA! Got it! thank you, I’ll try it.

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