In article , RJH
wrote:
On 12/07/2015 09:25, Jim Lesurf wrote:
In article , John R Leddy
wrote:


I wouldn't base a system on a laptop, either. But found it easy enough
to use a desktop box. Works fine. Like yourself, I adopted using flac.
A computer plus a decent USB DAC works nicely. No need for a 'network
player'. And no need to find that I eventually hit a problem with a
new filetype because a commercial 'network player' can't handle it.



I'd accept that you don't 'need' a network player, but I find it
convenient for 3 main reasons - no need for a monitor and mouse/kb
clutter, no fan etc noise, and no boot up/shut down regimes.

FWIW I have 4 different Linux boxes and 2 RO boxes. They all use solid
state 'discs'. The 'HiFi' and 'AV' Linux boxes have no working fans. So no
noise. Provided you keep the setup in a decent state the boot/shutdown only
takes a few seconds. Less time than something like the LCD Tv takes to
switch on from standby.


The problem is that it does require some savvy and some willingness to
experiment at first. MicroSoft and Apple profit from infantalising
users. And, alas, until recently UK schools have been lousy at
teaching computing. For decades 'IT' (under different names) at school
has been 'training how to use the current Windows (or Mac) main
software for an office job'.

That is, to say the least, disappointing. I have mate who teaches IT in
schools - I'll ask him and see if it's moved on.

Its something I experienced from teaching in Uni. Inceasingly, even physics
undergrads had little or no experience of any form of programming. And
often had only the most clumsy ideas of how to use even things like
Wordprocessors (in reality Word only in most cases) or a spreadsheet.

The BBC B/Spectrum/etc generation moved up the age range. Leaving younger
cohorts to the mercy of schools which fell for "we must teach what they use
in offices".

We're very locked down at the university where I work. We're looking at
open source for say GIS and stats, but I'm not sure of the motivation.

I'm now 'retired'. My old Uni had a Solaris main backbone setup, with
villages of Windows boxes and Macs for the students. I used to connect up
whatever I preferred. Usually RISC OS for 'office work' and simple computer
programming. Then also Linux for the greater range of what's available.

On one occasion I had one of the IT support people come to visit me. He
opened the door of my office intending to tell me that "It probably wasn't
possible to connect a RISC OS box to the Uni system". But paused as saw I'd
done it anyway. 8-] That's the advantage of open protocols, etc.

More recently, the newer Uni halls were built with plumbed in ethernet. So
the students can plug in whatever they choose.


Hopefully the Raspberry Pi has changed that and we'll get the first
new generation since the 1980s who will know how to code and happy to
DIY.


Indeed - tempted to take a look myself. For example:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Rasp...udio/?ALLSTEPS

(Runeaudio)

Interesting. The key for me for good audio from Linux involves two basic
steps as the start.

1) Use a good USB DAC as the onboard 'cards' are usually rubbish. Looks
covered already by the URL you gave.

2) Kill Pulse Audio. Dead. Finito. Beat it with a stick until its gone.
Otherwise it often changes things and fouls up the results. Go direct to
ALSA. Although with luck a straight-from-debian distro won't have something
as mad as Pulse.

I don't have an RPi as I'm busy enough with other things. But I'd be
interested in tests on one. If you try the above, choose a DAC with an
spdif output and have a way to capture that. That lets you spot problems
like Pulse Audio's habits of converting everything to 48k/16bit regardless
of what the input rate/depth might be. No point playing a 96k/24bit file if
what's squirted across USB to a good DAC is being changed to 48k/16 without
you being told.

FWIW If I had an RPi I'd probably see if I could get ROX running on it,
then try the ROX/Linux programs I wrote for audio. Been doing one for
symultaenous play/capture for probe-response measurements on audio items as
someone wants this for simple speaker measurements. Other audio programs
already available, with sources, from

http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/software/index.html

Jim

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