Raspberry Pi For A Numpty

[Suffolk Tony]

Thought I'd drag my old Pi 2 out of the cupboard & use it in a second system to provide music to my A/V processor. I currently use a Macbook with music stored on an external hard drive, then via USB to spdif convertor to processor, but I thought it would be jolly to dispense with the Macbook; just hard drive into Pi, USB out into convertor…

So I experimented by plugging a hard drive containing music into the Pi. The latter's got Volumio installed so popped its app. onto a tablet. This found the Pi on the network, but doesn't recognise the hard drive, nor my Melco on the network.

Yes, naive of me to think it was going to be that simple. So what's the easiest way to bring this about please?

 

[hc25036]

Someone who has used Volumio more recently than me will be along, but from memory you have to tell Volumio where the disc is. It’s a setting in there somewhere.

Does this help? https://volumio.github.io/docs/FAQs/Audio_Sources.html

 

[miktec]

Don't use Volumio but I know in Moode you have to regenerate the Music Library in the Library menu to bring tracks from a new drive into the database (or when you add new tracks to an existing drive), I imagine Volumio has a similar menu item?

Should recognise a drive automatically when you plug it in or reboot, just needs the updating thing for it to show

 

[Del monaco]

You could try PiCoreplayer.

 

[Felix]

I use moode not Volumio, but perhaps similar.

with moode you need to select ‘update library’ after connecting your drive. It then does just that - builds a library from the music it finds.

 

[car973]

Volumio user here. Suggest you reboot the Pi with the drive plugged in and then, as suggested above, go to Sources...Add new drive at which point it will scan and build the library.

As for the second part (not seeing the Melco on the network) I assume this is another library? Adding a new network drive in the same menu above should should prompt Volumio to scan the network. If it cannot see it, you can add the IP address and folder path manually. You also need to add in the Options box the following: vers=1.0

Good luck

 

[Fergus]

This might help.

 

[legacylenslover]

Raspberry Pi user here. Have put together 4 now.
Have used Volumio, currently Moode. Both good.
Agree with the comments above about regenerating the music library.
Should play without issue.
Although I’ve used a portable HDD, I currently have my music (all FLAC files) on a small USB stick.
Good luck. It’s well worth the effort

 

[Suffolk Tony]

Thanks for all the help folks. Just for clarity - will the Pi automatically output the music through its USB port?

 

[legacylenslover]

Is the Melco a DAC? I’m not familiar with the brand.

 

[legacylenslover]

Thanks for all the help folks. Just for clarity - will the Pi automatically output the music through its USB port?

When using Moode, no. (Obviously, there’s a follow up to this!)
I can’t remember what the score is with Volumio.
Happy to help further, assuming I have the knowledge to help rather than confuse!!

 

[legacylenslover]

In Moode, I’m fairly sure that the default audio out is either HDMI or the Pi’s on board 3.5mm audio out.
If you plug in a USB DAC, then I seem to recall that USB/name of the DAC are added to the other two output options.
I’m sorry that I can’t be 100% certain because my output is now via co-ax/SPDIF (I’ve added another circuit board to my Pi - called a HAT). So, I can’t go into my menus and mimic/try the USB option because it’s not present in my audio setup.
The thing I have no idea about, though, is because you’re connecting a USB cable into a USB/SPDIF converter (and then into your Melco???), I don’t know what the Pi will be ‘seeing’ in the audio setup options.
I realise that this may sound complicated and even possibly not worth the effort, but in my opinion, nothing could be further from the truth.
Using a Pi as a music streamer has added a new dimension to my music listening.

 

[Suffolk Tony]

Is the Melco a DAC? I’m not familiar with the brand.

Sorry, bit confusing - I've been trying to set up the Pi at home for use in our holiday home's system. The Melco's my networked digital storage here.

 

[legacylenslover]

Sorry, bit confusing - I've been trying to set up the Pi at home for use in our holiday home's system. The Melco's my networked digital storage here.

Right, understood.
So what is the DAC that the Pi is being connected to, or is it a built in DAC in an integrated amp?

 

[Operajulian]

Like LegacyLens suggests- It's a bit more pffaf but I would add a HAT to the RaspPi - given you have the DAC - one with a SPDIF output. Some have both SPDIF and Coax outputs.
eg Hi Fi Berry https://www.hifiberry.com/digis/ for $35.

I use a couple hats DAC built in with phono outputs.
The bees knees for me.

 

[Suffolk Tony]

Right, understood.
So what is the DAC that the Pi is being connected to, or is it a built in DAC in an integrated amp?

Here at home, I'll try with my DAVE/Mscaler, but this morning I've connected to my DIY digital preamp, which uses a WaveIO USB input to a Buffalo DAC inside. The Pi/Volumio recognises this straight away, so no problem playing back, but it still doesn't recognise the hard drive or the music it contains. I formatted the drive as EXFAT; it's a SSD, powered by the USB bus. Maybe that's the issue? Also, I've been using wired ethernet, but the Pi's got a PiHut wireless dongle. The Volumio setup gives the option to use wireless, but when I try to use this, inputting the correct password, it doesn't work for some reason.

Mmm. There was a reason I gave up on the Pi a few years ago & stuffed it in a drawer...

 

[Suffolk Tony]

Ah. Just popped some music on a USB stick & the Pi sees this no problem. Formatted FAT32. I shall press on...

I suspect if I used a powered USB HD it'll work fine.

 

[legacylenslover]

Ah. Just popped some music on a USB stick & the Pi sees this no problem. Formatted FAT32. I shall press on...

I suspect if I used a powered USB HD it'll work fine.

Delighted to hear that it’s working, albeit not quite as you’d like.
Funnily enough my next question was whether the external HDD was receiving enough power from the Pi’s USB port.
Good luck.

 

[Darth Vader]

I would use an SSD as they are cheap now.

DV

 

[miktec]

Ah. Just popped some music on a USB stick & the Pi sees this no problem. Formatted FAT32. I shall press on...

I suspect if I used a powered USB HD it'll work fine.

I guess that is the prob - haven't used HDD with a Pi for a good while but do recall they needed more power than the Pi could supply via USB. Moved to SSD sometime back.

The format shouldn't be a problem - I use ExFAT drives all the time as default (and AIFF sound files). Also think Pi supports Mac format (from memory)