Using a Macbook as an endpoint

Hi Martin, thanks for your help on this.
I deinstalled Roon from my 2010 MBP because I was not sure if that was “Server” or not and I reinstalled “Roon” so this time I am sure it is not the Server version.
This did not fix the issue, I am still seeing “this mac” in the audio setup from MBP 2010 but that will control the output on the Mac Mini again.
On the Mac Mini, the output is set as “Internal Speakers”
Here is the latest screenshot from my 2010 MBP.

Now, here is another screenshot from the 2010 MBP.
This time, my girlfriend Macbook was on and running Roon, infant i can see that as a network device…so why not my 2010 MBP?
I am getting mad with this…

This does look different. Connected to this Mac no longer has the HDMI. So enable either System or Built-in Out of and you should be okay to go.

When you name it gives it something unique first. You can change this later.

Sorry Alessandro my bad on the indicated MAC you had in your screen shots…Never noticed the Core name in the Settings area header before…I feel like a goose.

Just wondering if you are perhaps using any other music or video application in the background that might demand exclusive use of the hardware that might be causing it not to be seen.

Hi, nope that is not fixing the issue…
Mac Mini output is set to “internal Speakers”
Still, when I manage audio settings from 2010 MBP in the “connected to this mac” I am not controlling the 2010 MBP but the Mac Mini (core)
I also tried the audio settings on the Mac Mini (core) but again, the 2010 MBP does not show up in the networked devices. The newer MB does as per the screenshot in my previous message.

Just to be sure you dont have any firewall turned on on the MacBook pro right? I had this turned on when I was travelling and I could not even see my USB DAC on the same MBP as my remote was running IIRC

This includes any other firewalling apps like little snitch or others

Correct, Firewall is off.
I guess it has something to do with the processor, but I’d love to hear from @dylan

Hey there @alessandro_niola — Sorry to hear you’re still having troubles here.

The section in Settings > Audio called Connected to this Mac should be for the MacBook device that you are using as a remote. You mentioned that “System Output” plays to the Core Mac Mini, which should not be the case, so I’d like to propose a test here.

In the first screenshot I see that HDMI appears under Connected to this Mac. Any devices that are connected to the Mac that Roon can play to should appear here. Attach a device to the MacBook and see if it appears here. Also try attaching a device to the Mac Mini Core and see where that appears.

On your Macbook, what do you have your default system output set to?

Regards,
Dylan

Hi Dylan, thanks for the reply.
i think the HDMI was shown because that Mac Mini is connected to a TV screen which was turned on when I took the screenshot.

When I access Roon from a more recent Macbook, I can see a distinction between “Connected to Core” and Connected to this Mac".
I guess this is how it should appear from my MBP too.

My MBP is set to internal speakers. I also tried connecting a few external dacs like the Dragonfly Red and the Meridian Explorer 2. Situation did not change.
When I connected these DACs to the Mac Mini/core I can set them as an output.

Ale… another shoot in the dark: what Mac OS version is the 2010 MBP running?

Hi Paolo
It’s High Sierra, latest release

told you I was just shooting in the dark :frowning:

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Thanks for the update, @alessandro_niola!

I know above you mentioned that you uninstalled/reinstalled, but I’d like to try that again, making sure that we start 100% fresh with the new installation. Please follow these steps and give this another try:

  1. Locate your Roon database according to these instructions.
  2. Rename the entire Roon (or RoonServer) folder to roon_old and the RAATServer folder to RAATServer_old.
  3. Uninstall any Roon applications you have installed (Roon, RoonServer, RoonBridge).
  4. Reinstall Roon only.

Once you’ve done the above, connect to the Core on the Mac Mini and try again. Let me know if this works for you!

Regards,
Dylan

Done…no changes
I still control the Mac Mini only from my MBP2010
I also connected external DACs to both 2010MBP and Mac Mini, but I only see the one on the Mini

Thanks for giving that a try, @alessandro_niola.

If you take the other MacBook that does work offline, is there any change in behavior here?

I have enabled diagnostics on your account so our technical staff can get some more insight into what’s going on here. The next time your Core is active a diagnostics report will automatically be generated and uploaded directly to our servers

Once that’s been received, I’ll be sure to update this thread and pass the diagnostics over to the team for further analysis.

Regards,
Dylan

Hi Dylan,
The other Macbook works right, when I access settings from there I can see “connected to this mac” and “Connected to Core”
From my 2010 MBP I can see the other MacBook as a networked device
Still I don’t see the “Connected to Core” from 2010 MBP, just “this Mac” which is not working as explained…
In a nutshell, no changes after reinstalling.

The only thing I did not mention is that I have a 2nd core installed on a Synology Diskstation but none of the devices are set to use that, they are all connected to the Mac Mini

Thanks, @alessandro_niola!

I’ve passed the diagnostics report over to the technical team for analysis.

While they’re investigating, can you please try to connect the MacBook to your other Core on the Diskstation? Does the same thing happen with that Core?

-Dylan

Hi Dylan,
I connected my 2010 MBP to the Core on the DS.
The only difference is that now I see the section “Connected to Core”. Nothing is connected to the DS so it’s empty.
Still, “connected to this mac” is showing audio options for the Mac Mini…

So I turned off Roon on the Mac Mini and kept the 2010 MBP connected to the Core on Synology DS.
Now it works , I can use the 2010 MBP as an endpoint.
Audio Settings look like this :

However…I don’t want to use the Core on the DS as the performance is much slower than the Mac Mini.
So I found a workaround, but it is not ideal solution…

Just to confirm… I relaunched Roon on the Mac Mini and changed the Core connection for my MBP 2010 from the DS back to the Mac Mini.
The problem is here again…I can’t use the 2010 as an endpoint anymore

Thank you for the update, @alessandro_niola!

To clarify a bit further, is the Core on the Synology Diskstation the same as the Core on the Mac Mini? Did you migrate the Core used on the diskstation to the Mac Mini? If so, can you detail how you migrated the Core to the Mac Mini?

We also have a great KB article about migrating your Core that would be good to review.

If you disable the Core on the Diskstation and connect to the Mac Mini are you able to use the Macbook as an endpoint?

Regards,
Dylan