Question Streaming System from scratch. Need some help...

Vancity66

Novice Member
Joined
Jun 1, 2020
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Age
41
Location
Vancouver
Hi,

I have a Micromega WM-10 WiFi streamer which works with Airdream/Airplay.

My music is on an External HD, files are mostly lossless and some of them are in High-Res.

I want to be able to play the music on my HD via WiFI to the WM-10. For this I'm thinking about getting a Raspberry PI 4.

From there I would like to be able to control/play music from my iPad.

How do I do this? I guess I would have to get an app on the iPad to control the PI but I just don't know which app to get... The videos I found on youtube all use a DAC, while I'm going wireless from the PI to the WM-10...

I know I have to install an OS on the PI which I can link to my iPad, but I'm getting confused about which OS to choose and how to make it work with an app.

I'm sorry, I'm new to this technology...
 
Edit: I misread your post and thought you were asking about replacing the Micromega with a Raspberry Pi. I'll leave someone else to answer your question as I am not familiar with the Micromega.

--
Volumio or PiCorePlayer (which is Logitech Media Server under the bonnet) just burn the image to a Micro SD card and follow the instructions.

You can either use an external USB DAC or get a DAC 'Hat' from someone like HiFiBerry, JustBoom or Allo which you just plug onto the top of a RPi, most also come with a case to take the Pi and a 'Hat'. You can also get Digi hats which come with a digital output rather than RCA outputs if your amp has an optical input.
 
Last edited:
@jamieu , I'm almost certain the OP implies that the RPi4 (with the external HD attached) is just to be used as a (wireless) AirPlay supporting media server like a NAS, as opposed to using the RPi4 as a streamer with DAC (internal or external) - given that the OP mentions already having a Micromega WM-10 streamer to be used wirelessly.
 
Last edited:
@jamieu , I'm almost certain the OP implies that the RPi4 (with the external HD attached) is just to be used as a (wireless) AirPlay supporting media server like a NAS, as opposed to using the RPi4 as a streamer with DAC (internal or external) - given that the OP mentions already having a Micromega WM-10 streamer to be used wirelessly.

Ah yes, thanks, need to put my glasses on before replying :)

Have edited my post!
 
I have a Micromega WM-10 WiFi streamer which works with Airdream/Airplay.

My music is on an External HD, files are mostly lossless and some of them are in High-Res.

I want to be able to play the music on my HD via WiFI to the WM-10. For this I'm thinking about getting a Raspberry PI 4.
It's very unusual for a full hi-fi stack sized network streamer to only support WiFi & AirPlay these days, though not surprising given that the Micromega WM-10 is at least 10 years old!

What you mention should be achievable, apart from the playing of your hi-res files by the WM-10 streamer - AirPlay does not support hi-res audio. The WM-10 will still play something, but the hi-res audio will be downsampled to the standard CD audio resolution of 16bit/44.1kHz by the RPi4 before being sent via AirPlay to the WM-10.

Are you ok with the compromise of the hi-res tracks being downsampled to CD-res when using the WM10 streamer?


Also, exactly what settings have you got the WM-10's internal Airport Express configured for Wifi (using Apple's Airport Utility application) and how are you currently using WM-10 to play your music?
 
Last edited:
Thanks Guys.

I had my PC in the same room as my HiFi system. I was using my PC to send the music via WiFI to the WM-10 via my network (modem). WM-10 into Micromega PA-20 into PW-400. I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure the Hi-Res file are not being down sampled (AirPlay can play Hi Res files from a PC as long as it's not Itunes as a player). I used AirFoil too. I've always liked the sound I've been getting from this set up. The WM-10 is old but sounds good to me. I put my PC in another room and I just would like to be able to control what I play via an app from my iPad with the files stored on my HD.
 
You appear to be under some sort of misapprehension - both AirPlay & the latest AirPlay 2 can only stream audio fixed at CD-res, ie, 16bit/44.1kHz. That hasn't changed since the very beginning, when Apple's AirPlay was only used for audio streaming & was known as AirTunes.

Your music file player software may well have been outputting hi-res audio, but AirFoil as the go between had no choice but to downsample any hi-res it received from the player to CD-res before it sending it out over the network using AirPlay.

So it looks like you've answered my first question in an indirect way, given that you already like the sound you're getting from the output of your hi-res files albeit downsampled by AirFoil to CD-res and AirPlay streamed by the WM-10. :)

In which case my recommendation would be to run the Logitech Media Server on the RPi4 under one of the standard headless distros such as Raspbian Lite or DietPi, rather than one of the specialised audio player distros which have LMS built-in. This will give you full control over LMS, allowing you to install the latest version with updates as soon as they are released.

LMS normally provides Squeezebox type network players with the audio files over the network as well as provide access to several online streaming services and internet radio. The AirPlay bridge LMS plugin allows AirPlay devices to be used as a Squeezebox player. LMS has a built-in controller accessible from any web browser on the network and there are also Squeezebox controller apps available for iOS & Android.


Have you got the WM-10's Airport Express providing the WiFi network (its default own 'AIRDREAM' network setting) or have you configured it using with Apple's Airport Utility software to use an existing WiFi network in your home (with internet access), BTW?

It'll likely determine whether the RPi4 can have online access - if not it'll be tricky if not impossible to configure it properly and keep it updated.


Also, was that a Windows PC or a Mac you used with the WM-10?
 
Hi Res is not an issue, I only have a few files like that so no biggie.

The WM10 is currently set up via my home network. Better than AIRDREAM (no interruptions). Windows PC (now mp3 from my iPad. Meh...)

I'm confused by the rest however... So, Rpi4 should have DietPi has an "OS" and then install LMS on the RPi4 and as an app on my Ipad? the RPi4 seems to have a good WiFi capability.

Also what does LMS do? Will it act like a remote for the music file on the HD connected to the RPi4?
 
Last edited:
The WM10 is currently set up via my home network. Better than AIRDREAM (no interruptions).
Excellent, I was hoping you had.

Odd that Micromega chose to have the default setting for the WM-10 as AIRDREAM, considering the extra processing stress that would place on the WM-10 functioning as a wireless access point and especially as its main purpose is supposed to be to stream & play high quality audio with the least fuss as possible. Small wonder you were getting audio interruptions typical of wireless network dropouts, doubtless caused by the WM-10 overcome by having to do doing both jobs. Can't help thinking that Micromega have only added to the eccentric French technology stereotype. :)


I'm confused by the rest however... So, Rpi4 should have DietPi has an "OS" and then install LMS on the RPi4 and as an app on my Ipad?
Yes sorry for the confusion - distro is IT speak for the Linux OS, which typically comes as a tailored software distribution (ie, bundle) to suit the hardware it's installed on. So DietPi, being a (Linux) distro, is one of the operating systems for the Raspberry Pi.

DietPi is actually based on the popular Raspbian distro, which in turn is based on the Debian distro.

LMS is available for Debian Linux devices, which is why it can be installed on the RPi4 with DietPi as its OS.

and then install LMS on the RPi4 and as an app on my Ipad?

Also what does LMS do? Will it act like a remote for the music file on the HD connected to the RPi4?
LMS stands for the Logitech Media Server - so is an application that serves/provides media, such as audio files, to streamers over the network. As a typical media server, LMS also has a music library catalogue function, so will be able to index your audio files according to the usual music categories, eg, album, artist, genre, etc - assuming your music files contains the category data.

Like I said, you can use any web browser on the network, such as the Safari app on your iPad, to control the playback of a (Squeezebox) streamer connected to LMS. If you prefer not to use a web browser for control, there are also dedicated Squeezebox player controller apps available, such as the iPeng iPad/iPhone app (not free).


Don't forget only Squeezebox type streamers can actually be connected to LMS and be controlled by it. The AirPlay Bridge LMS plugin component is what acts as the bridging go between - it's what the WM-10, as an AirPlay device, will really be connected to over the network.

The AirPlay Bridge automatically creates an internal private (Squeezebox) Squeezelite player application for the WM-10. So, LMS controls the playback of the internal Squeezelite player streaming the audio files from LMS and the AirPlay Bridge captures & sends the Squeezelite player's resulting audio output to the WM-10 via AirPlay.

If the audio file track being played by the internal Squeezelite player is CD-res, then the capture of its audio output is bit perfect; if the track is hi-res then the captured audio output is downsampled to CD-res for AirPlay by the AirPlay Bridge.


BTW, LMS is also available for Windows, as well as Mac and Linux devices - so my advice would be to test it out first installed on your Windows PC, if you can. It's very straight forward to install (& remove afterwards, should you wish to do so after you've finished testing). That way you'll see exactly what you are getting with LMS, before dealing with the extra complication required to get LMS working on the RPi4.

The latest LMS version 8.0 is available here, for all platforms:
Some Software Beta Downloads - Version 8.0

Once you've got LMS installed and running, you have to access its main configuration settings pages via a web browser in order to install & configure the AirPlay Bridge plugin for the WM-10.
I'd also advise installing Material Skin plugin, which provides a very decent user interface for LMS's web browser Squeezebox controller, so you don't have to use LMS's workmanlike stock Web Control controller webpage.
 
Last edited:

The latest video from AVForums

Is 4K Blu-ray Worth It?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Back
Top Bottom