Perfectwave Bridge, NAS and the DirectStream - questions

So I’m a newbie when it comes to music servers, but would love to set one up for the DirectStream.

When I say newbie, I mean it. I know virtually nothing. Yet I’m hoping to get some advice to get it right the first time.

I was thinking since I already have the DirectStream, it might be cost effective to just buy the Perfectwave Bridge, a NAS drive (Synology) with a few terabyte hard drives, some cables, and a UPS battery backup. I’ve got a desktop so I could configure the NAS drive from there.

Now some questions…

  • If I buy the Perfectwave Bridge… could I just plug a pre-configured NAS drive directly into the Bridge (thru RJ45 connection), and then control everything with an iPad and a remote control type app?

  • Which remote control app should I consider using on the iPad?

  • If I use Flac to store music on the NAS drive… will I need certain software to convert the Flac files on the fly, so the Bridge can play it?

  • Would I be better off using a different type of file other then Flac to store my music?

I’m sure there are more questions, but this is a good start.

DEA said So I'm a newbie when it comes to music servers, but would love to set one up for the DirectStream.

When I say newbie, I mean it. I know virtually nothing. Yet I’m hoping to get some advice to get it right the first time.

I was thinking since I already have the DirectStream, it might be cost effective to just buy the Perfectwave Bridge, a NAS drive (Synology) with a few terabyte hard drives, some cables, and a UPS battery backup. I’ve got a desktop so I could configure the NAS drive from there.

Now some questions…

  • If I buy the Perfectwave Bridge… could I just plug a pre-configured NAS drive directly into the Bridge (thru RJ45 connection), and then control everything with an iPad and a remote control type app?

  • Which remote control app should I consider using on the iPad?

  • If I use Flac to store music on the NAS drive… will I need certain software to convert the Flac files on the fly, so the Bridge can play it?

  • Would I be better off using a different type of file other then Flac to store my music?

I’m sure there are more questions, but this is a good start.


Good morning

first off the bridge stolid be plugged into a network switch or hub. This is also where the nas will go as well. Then you a need a CPU to run the music server program. Meaning let’s say j river . As the bridge now only does dsd 64 and a new bridge is being made but not ready as yet . A more simple way to achive your goal is with USB connected from a CPU weather it is Mac or win . J river would be running on the server and you cpuld use j remote on a iPhone or iPad . This works almost perfect . Almost any drives connected into the network can be used to store the music.

Inone of my rigs I have this setup . You can add the hardrives to the CPU or as a NAS .

Others can give you more details . In this method a CPU must be running at all times music is playing , but it is very stable .

enjoy the direct stream

al

DEA said So I'm a newbie when it comes to music servers, but would love to set one up for the DirectStream.

When I say newbie, I mean it. I know virtually nothing. Yet I’m hoping to get some advice to get it right the first time.

I was thinking since I already have the DirectStream, it might be cost effective to just buy the Perfectwave Bridge, a NAS drive (Synology) with a few terabyte hard drives, some cables, and a UPS battery backup. I’ve got a desktop so I could configure the NAS drive from there.

Now some questions…

  • If I buy the Perfectwave Bridge… could I just plug a pre-configured NAS drive directly into the Bridge (thru RJ45 connection), and then control everything with an iPad and a remote control type app?


Not directly, you would need a network switch or router between the 2 devices; the iPad would need wireless connection to the same network.

  • Which remote control app should I consider using on the iPad?

  • For the bridge control I use linn kinsky, but PlugPlayer works as well

    - If I use Flac to store music on the NAS drive... will I need certain software to convert the Flac files on the fly, so the Bridge can play it?
    No, the bridge can play Flac. But you could transcode the files to WAV on the NAS using Minimserver.
    - Would I be better off using a different type of file other then Flac to store my music?
    Lots of opinions about this, but no consensus. I suggest comparing a few tracks in flac, alac, wav. Stick with the one you like best. If they sound the same, flac is the most convenient.

    I’m sure there are more questions, but this is a good start.


    Don’t forget you are paying $800 for the bridge + $300 to $900 for the NAS. For that money you can get a very nice high end server, with USB connection to the DS and no network hassles. As a newbie, network issues will be your biggest problem. I can highly recommend Wyred4Sound and Sonore options. Also, the current bridge has a small flaw in that it cannot play an album that is gapless gap-lessly unless you can perform some small miracles of software network setup with foobar.

    Good luck.

    I’m with stereophilus here. The bridge was a pioneering device which frankly hasn’t met with expectations. I would either go with the W4S option or…wait…for Bridge II…due out…sometime…4_gif In the meantime you could use one of the other inputs, like USB, straight from your computer.

    As a newbie, rather than jumping in whole hog at once you may wish to consider starting with recording your cds into iTunes lossless, then streaming through an airport express to your DS via toslink.

    Control everything via Apple’s remote app on your phone or tablet.

    You will learn all the fundamentals, spend little cash, get your wireless network up to snuff and avoid much frustration.

    This will give you cd quality throughout.

    Then, when ready, move to hi-res.

    Just my 2 cents!

    Thank you all for your informative answers! I’m gonna take a few days to explore all these options, and then go from there. Before knowing some of that helpful information, I was really scratching my head about what to do… so thanks again, a lot of great ideas there for me to consider.

    Wait for the Bridge v.2 or look at the coming out next month Auralic Aries Streamer…

    I’m late to the game in this thread but will throw my opinion in with several others. Wait for the Bridge II, unless you can get a current Bridge dirt cheap, like $300 or less, maybe as much as $400 but no more. PS Audio has a strong trade-in program and when the Bridge II comes out current owners will probably get a good trade in on the old Bridge. If you get the old one cheap you will likely get most of your cost back in the trade-in. In the meantime you will gain experience with network setup and playback.

    If you happen to have or can get cheap an old Windoze computer you could set it up to play directly to the DAC via USB using my favorite software - Foobar2000. Foobar is powerful and FREE. It can be set up to be controlled with almost any UPnP controller but my favorite controller for Foobar is MonkeyMote which costs $3.

    Think about the advice offered in this thread and elsewhere on this site and come back with more questions before doing anything. We are happy to help and to evaluate any planned setups or changes to ease the process.

    J.P.

    What J.P. said. Also, the foobar2000 streaming plug-in does not require “small miracles of software network setup” if you do end up getting a Bridge. I managed it and I am the farthest thing from a foobar miracle worker you will find. As discussed above, there are a lot of options. There is also JRiver Media Center for Mac and PC. Most of these programs, other than minim server, cannot be installed directly on a NAS and need a PC or Mac to act as a server.

    stevem2 said What J.P. said. Also, the foobar2000 streaming plug-in does not require "small miracles of software network setup" if you do end up getting a Bridge. I managed it and I am the farthest thing from a foobar miracle worker you will find. As discussed above, there are a lot of options. There is also JRiver Media Center for Mac and PC. Most of these programs, other than minim server, cannot be installed directly on a NAS and need a PC or Mac to act as a server.
    No real criticism of Foobar2000 plugin here Steve. I was criticising the bridge in that using foobar2000 is the only functional way for a newbie to get gapless albums playing from their bridge (yes, other ways are possible). The "miracles of network setup" I refer to are in relation to static ip addresses, managing the NAS with or without Minimserver and knowing how to problem solve these equations when the bridge has a "grumpy day". Ask Gordon if he would advise any newbie to buy a bridge in its current form...

    I don’t really disagree, although I am not as negative on the current Bridge as you are. I was a Bridge beta tester and have lived through all the trials and tribulations, using Macs, PCs and a really cheap NAS (I gave up on that early on–that does not mean that good results can’t be had from a better NAS). I am one of the lucky ones who has never needed to bother with static IP addresses and I’ve never tried installing minimserver or the like on a NAS. My PC-based foobar2000-Bridge system is very stable and reliable right now so I would not rule out a Bridge 1 based system with foobar2000, particularly if a used Bridge could be found cheap. (As much as it pains me to say it, IMHO there are no Mac OS-based solutions currently that work with the Bridge and provide gapless play.) The Auralic also looks very promising but until it is released and people have a chance to see how it works it is also an unknown. The problem with waiting for Bridge 2 is no one knows how long that will be. If a computer (Mac or PC, including a purpose-built server PC, as you suggest) can be place within USB cable distance of the DS, that is probably the way I would go for now if just starting out.