I am confused as to how to properly set-up a NAS . What unit should I buy ? Size ? How to set-it up with a streamer. How to best rip cds, etc.
Do you know roughly the size that will be required for all of your media? Synology makes a really great NAS. They have a number of video tutorials that will help explain a bit more on how to setup. As far as ripping CDs goes, you could take the easy route and use a computer, or you could get a dedicated server that has its own ripper inside.
WD MyCloud Mirror is the simplest NAS. It can be managed from your PC and accessed from your mobile devices. It has a mirror drive to save your data in case of crash. Ripping can be done using your PC whether you have an internal drive or a USB connected CD / DVD drive. WD Mirror won’t serve as a Roon core though, but your Roon core will discover and use it.
CD ripping can be done with a variety of apps, here are some:
NCH.com
dBpoweramp CD Ripper
Free RIP
Exact Audio Copy
Audio Grabber
Foobar2000
FairStars CD ripper
There are multi function devices that rip, store, serve and even stream, Novafidelity and Aurender are among a long list of names.
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Size is strictly up to you to determine depending on the volume of the media you want to store on the NAS. My personal rule of thumb: storage is relatively cheap so whatever I estimate my need is I pump by a factor of 2X to ensure I’ve got margin in the future. I second WD MyCloud for ease of setup. I have limited time and tolerance for wading through setup videos and on-line tutorials, so my vote for WD MyCloud is based on experience that the drive out of the box is pre-configured nicely to be close to plug and play for all but the most unusual setups. Be aware that the ‘what unit should I buy’ question should be tempered by what is known about reliability of various brands and models of NAS drives. I’ve had two WD NAS drives fail on me in the past. You pay your money and roll the dice.
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Thanks everyone for the help ! This is a good start and ease of use , quality and ample storage is very important to me.
I have at least 1,000cds that I will rip so I will need a lot of storage. Originally I had ripped them to ITunes and set-up a dedicated Mac Mini to use as a server. I am finished with the Mini way. Now I want to graduate to a true dedicated server/streamer unit and want to include a NAS. Currently working on narrowing down what server/streamer I want to buy. The server streamer will also be used to play stored NAS music. I am looking at Aurender, Auralic, etc.
Any inkling on when PS Audio will release their version ?
1,000 CD? Dang, that’s going to take a good while.
Our streamer is set for release later this year. Our server is set for release in 2022.
Thanks!
Reliability is important.
Yes, it’s going to be work !
Thanks!
Anyway I can avoid using a pc/desktop to rip/store/ playback and purchase a server/streamer that will avoid me using such devices ?
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Definitely. Aurender, Innuos, Melco, Nova fidelity provide various solutions at various price points and functionalities. Some even provide Roon core within.
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Whether you use a specialized music server, you need to have a backup strategy for your files. I would recommend a NAS for any sizeable collection and copy the files from their to your specialized server, or just have them served straight from the NAS.The size and complexity of the NAS depends on your needs and your abilities to manage it. Often, you need to make choices about RAID, which determines your redundancy and failure mode. If you are not particularly computer savy, find someone who is who can work with you to make this choice. This is too much to do via messages like this. You should have a discussion with someone.
Are any of these NAS solid state?
The high capacity hard drives that you plug into the NAS are not solid state, but most NAS comes with what you call a SSD cashe drive which stores your most frequently used file for instant access so very little waiting for your music. This SSD drive is solid state and you choose the amount of storage for this drive. Usually around 200gb is enough for music.
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