Options for controlling LMS

[AlanB]

I was just going to say we need to look at the logs.

@AlanB http://localhost:9000/default then settings at bottom right. Then last tab - info - scroll to bottom and you will find links to logs. Try playing an ALAC and see what the log reports

Well that's odd. It is now playing ALAC files but the log starts at 16:30 on 02/11/23 and ends at 17:06 on 02/11/23.

Still it is working on the default skin, but not the material skin.

Got to take the grandkids to the local firework display tonight but so will continue trying to get it to work with material skin tomorrow.

Thanks again to everyone for their help. It really is much appreciated.

 

[d6jg]

@sim

I tested disabling/enabling and got the expected results every time, so for my install (8.3.2 - 1697090769) at least it works.

are you still seeing a difference between Default and Material? Have you completely cleared Material queue and selected something different ALAC to play?

 

[simbun]

When I first "tested" I wasn't actually listening, I assumed the track progress indiciated success but it didn't.

With apple lossless set to Native the track appears to progress (I can even seek) in the default interface but nothing plays. On material you just see the looping 0-1, although if I seek within the track it appears to progress, but still no sound.

With apple lossless set to Disabled both play, although it's not stable at all. If I try and advance tracks the sound stops but the progress bar continues and everything hangs. I'll just kill it again to see if it progresses if I leave a track to advance naturally.

Remember I'm on a daily so it could be that.

 

[simbun]

Ok, just to check general playback/setup I started a FLAC album.

FLAC playing on default interface, seeking and advancing ok
FLAC playing on material interface, seeking and advancing ok

ALAC playing on material interface advanced to the second track automatically, but when I attempted to seek within the track it caused the system to hang.

I'm just off out to dinner now, but could install a clean stable for further testing at some point.

 

[castalla]

Moral of the story?
Avoid ALAC?

 

[Balthazar B]

Moral of the story?
Avoid ALAC?

Looking that way, but it's not clear yet what combination(s) of factors trigger the failure condition.

But my hunch is that folks with ALAC content and using LMS will be best off bulk converting their tracks to FLAC for now. Fair to surmise that all the metadata will convert flawlessly?

 

[d6jg]

Ok, just to check general playback/setup I started a FLAC album.

FLAC playing on default interface, seeking and advancing ok
FLAC playing on material interface, seeking and advancing ok

ALAC playing on material interface advanced to the second track automatically, but when I attempted to seek within the track it caused the system to hang.

I'm just off out to dinner now, but could install a clean stable for further testing at some point.

I’m not sure that is a bug. I think inability to seek may be a bi-product of transcoding.
It’s worth grabbing some logs and passing it over the LMS guru’s for detailed checking though. Can you do that? Also does the seeking problem exist in Default?

 

[d6jg]

Looking that way, but it's not clear yet what combination(s) of factors trigger the failure condition.

But my hunch is that folks with ALAC content and using LMS will be best off bulk converting their tracks to FLAC for now. Fair to surmise that all the metadata will convert flawlessly?

If you use a good tool metadata is preserved. Best FOC tool is probably foobar2000.
There are guides which show you how to convert the whole of say c:\ALAC to c:\FLAC and copy all related files - folder.jpg etc - at the same time. Need enough disk space to do it in one hit though.

 

[simbun]

I’m not sure that is a bug. I think inability to seek may be a bi-product of transcoding.

That got me thinking as I do this all the time with MinimServer (to apply ReplayGain), and seeking is fine
If I set Apple Lossless, FLAC and MP3 to Disabled (in the Apple Lossless section) leaving just PCM everything works, as it should.
Why would the default be to FLAC?

EDIT: Does it offer both FLAC and PCM and let the player decide? I'm used to being able to see all this detail in the control point. I'm sure it's there somewhere I just don't know where to look.

 

[Balthazar B]

That got me thinking as I do this all the time with MinimServer (to apply ReplayGain), and seeking is fine
If I set Apple Lossless, FLAC and MP3 to Disabled (in the Apple Lossless section) leaving just PCM everything works, as it should.
Why would the default be to FLAC?

EDIT: Does it offer both FLAC and PCM and let the player decide? I'm used to being able to see all this detail in the control point. I'm sure it's there somewhere I just don't know where to look.

Perhaps you've seen this thread already? Although it's not clear whether the root cause of the original issue was ever identified and fixed, some of the observations are interesting. And might suggest a couple of things to try.

https://forums.slimdevices.com/forum/user-forums/3rd-party-software/106702-squeezelite-picoreplayer-not-playing-a-lot-of-alac-files?110011-Squeezelite-Picoreplayer-not-playing-a-lot-of-ALAC-files=

 

[d6jg]

Perhaps you've seen this thread already? Although it's not clear whether the root cause of the original issue was ever identified and fixed, some of the observations are interesting. And might suggest a couple of things to try.

https://forums.slimdevices.com/forum/user-forums/3rd-party-software/106702-squeezelite-picoreplayer-not-playing-a-lot-of-alac-files?110011-Squeezelite-Picoreplayer-not-playing-a-lot-of-ALAC-files=

That’s interesting reading. It seems that there are ALACs and a different sort of ALACs where one can be made to work with Squeezelite generally and the other can’t.
I don’t have any in my library but if I did I would definitely be converting them to FLAC based on this.

@AlanB what is the current situation with your system? Can you get any ALACs to play from Material?

 

[AlanB]

That’s interesting reading. It seems that there are ALACs and a different sort of ALACs where one can be made to work with Squeezelite generally and the other can’t.
I don’t have any in my library but if I did I would definitely be converting them to FLAC based on this.

@AlanB what is the current situation with your system? Can you get any ALACs to play from Material?

Sadly not, although ALACs play through the default setting on my laptop.

I am considering converting them to FLAC, starting with the 20 odd albums that are not available on Amazon Music.

 

[d6jg]

Sadly not, although ALACs play through the default setting on my laptop.

I am considering converting them to FLAC, starting with the 20 odd albums that are not available on Amazon Music.

Have you tried converting just one album to make sure it plays ok both via Material and Default?

 

[AlanB]

Have you tried converting just one album to make sure it plays ok both via Material and Default?

Not yet. I'll do that tomorrow.

 

[simbun]

So is this a bug, and should a ticket be raised?

I know FLAC is the standard, but I've got to assume that most of the apple users out there do as they're told and use ALAC, so it's not an insignificant number of people.

I've got a RoPieee install so I guess I could try that.

 

[AlanB]

So is this a bug, and should a ticket be raised?

I know FLAC is the standard, but I've got to assume that most of the apple users out there do as they're told and use ALAC, so it's not an insignificant number of people.

I've got a RoPieee install so I guess I could try that.

I raised a ticket yesterday, however it was before I found out that ALACs work provided you don't use Material Skin.

 

[simbun]

I raised a ticket yesterday, however it was before I found out that ALACs work provided you don't use Material Skin.

Is this after you'd disabled native playback, as they weren't working on the default interface for me. The track progress moved but I wasn't getting any sound.

 

[d6jg]

So is this a bug, and should a ticket be raised?

I know FLAC is the standard, but I've got to assume that most of the apple users out there do as they're told and use ALAC, so it's not an insignificant number of people.

I've got a RoPieee install so I guess I could try that.

You need to read the post on slimdevices. It seems that different rippers make ALAC files in two different ways. One puts the index info at the beginning of the file and these will be playable others stick it at the end meaning the whole file needs to be loaded before the player knows what to do with it. Id say that’s a flaw in ALAC format that can’t be fixed.

 

[d6jg]

PS I don’t understand why default works but material doesn’t. It shouldn’t make any difference

 

[simbun]

You need to read the post on slimdevices. It seems that different rippers make ALAC files in two different ways. One puts the index info at the beginning of the file and these will be playable others stick it at the end meaning the whole file needs to be loaded before the player knows what to do with it. Id say that’s a flaw in ALAC format that can’t be fixed.

I read it briefly but it didn't sound very conclusive.
I created mine with dBpoweramp but I'll have a look as I know there was mention of a way to convert them.