music in the shed
- Thread starter Gerald
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Davo
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Sony wireless speaker bluetooth to the smartphone. So my music from the phone or from the interweb thingy.
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Davo
Guest
drikko said:
So that's where I went wrong. I put all my vinyl onto the computer.
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Grant
Guest
Vinyl sales overtook digital downloads last month in the UK.
helicopterjim
Hero member
- Location
- near Lone Butte, BC, Canada
Still have all my Hawkwind and early Motorhead vinyl ....... just need a belt and new needle for my 70's turntable.
harpmeister
Full member
- Location
- UK
Have had a record deck for the last 20+ years, cd's I buy occasionally but all my Blues music is on vinyl.
I find I tend to listen to them differently, vinyl I put on and sit and LISTEN to whereas I throw on cd's when I am doing other things.
I find I tend to listen to them differently, vinyl I put on and sit and LISTEN to whereas I throw on cd's when I am doing other things.
Dellortoman
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- Tasmania, Australia
cbertozz said:
??? It's like a foreign language to me. I have a CD player and a turntable for vinyl records.
I'd like to upgrade to some kind of computer memory system that I can access from house or workshop (about 20m from the house). A friend of mine suggested Sonos, but I have no idea how it works or what hardware I need. I tried googling it but the Sonos website just seems to show lots of pictures of speakers. Nothing to explain how it works.
WTF is Sonos?
Sonos is a speaker system that connects to your wireless network, you have an app on your phone and or PC from which you can stream music to the Sonos speaker over your network. This means whatever you have access to, Spotify, Youtube or your own digitally stored music you can play on any or all of the Sonos units you may have on your network. You need a wireless network. Sonos isn't the only brand but they are stealing the market at the moment.
Dellortoman
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- Location
- Tasmania, Australia
Thanks Drikko. I have a wireless router for my computer system. Several computers, printer and scanner all communicate through it. Would I need a separate wireless system for Sonos or can it all hang off the same one?
PS: I'd rather ask you guys dumb questions and make a fool of myself here (among friends) than look like a complete idiot when I go into a shop talk to some spotty-faced teenage salesman.
PS: I'd rather ask you guys dumb questions and make a fool of myself here (among friends) than look like a complete idiot when I go into a shop talk to some spotty-faced teenage salesman.
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Davo
Guest
It all hangs together
Dellortoman said:Thanks Drikko. I have a wireless router for my computer system. Several computers, printer and scanner all communicate through it. Would I need a separate wireless system for Sonos or can it all hang off the same one?
PS: I'd rather ask you guys dumb questions and make a fool of myself here (among friends) than look like a complete idiot when I go into a shop talk to some spotty-faced teenage salesman.
Sonos used to operate as its own network, and can still do that (there a base unit that hooks up to your router) or it can also use your wifi network.
Whilst it's great for playing your existing music if you have digitised it, it really comes into its own because you can access streaming music services like Spotify, Pandora or radio services like TuneIn which means you can play just about any music you like for the cost of a monthly subscription.
They make an amp that can power speakers directly or you can have a unit that plugs into your existing hi-fi giving it streaming music capabilities.
They also have a number of different standalone solutions, which are essentially powered speakers with wifi capability in a single stereo speaker unit (they have three sizes). These are great because you can take and play them anywhere where there is wifi and power in your home. You can 'join' them up as stereo pairs. The sound even from the smallest is really fantastic.
They even had a soundbar for your TV which sounds amazing, and they even sell a subwoofer which you can pair with the TV or pretty much any of the speakers. You can also use the smaller ones as surround sound speakers with the soundbar.
When I started using streaming music around 10 years ago it was a real palaver to create.a system like this, it required network and wifi knowledge. Now you just plug them in and off you go.
As the others above have mentioned it can be controlled by an app on pretty much any device, mobile or PC.
Dellortoman
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- Location
- Tasmania, Australia
Hmm ... OK, thanks guys. As you can tell, I'm an utter dunce as far as this sort of thing is concerned. My brain is still boggled that a USB stick has more memory capacity than I do.
I guess the control device has to be portable, so it's useable from anywhere in the house or shed. I have an iPhone so hopefully that will do.
From what you guys are telling me, the control device doesn't need to store any digital music files. I have a couple of old (few years) laptops that are a bit past their use-by date for general purpose use. Maybe I could use one of those as a home for the software, storage, web access, etc.
Digitising existing music - there's another issue I know nothing about. I have a bunch of CDs which are already in some kind of digital format. I presume it's no more complicated than simply shoving them into the disk slot on a PC and copying them to a data folder.
Digitising vinyl records would be a different matter entirely, but I can live without that old music. I haven't actually played a record for years. Might nail 'em on the shed wall as decoration
Hey Carlo, if we weren't at opposite ends of the country, I'd offer to sort the wiring on your bike in exchange for you setting up a Sonos system for me.
Cheers,
Cam
I guess the control device has to be portable, so it's useable from anywhere in the house or shed. I have an iPhone so hopefully that will do.
From what you guys are telling me, the control device doesn't need to store any digital music files. I have a couple of old (few years) laptops that are a bit past their use-by date for general purpose use. Maybe I could use one of those as a home for the software, storage, web access, etc.
Digitising existing music - there's another issue I know nothing about. I have a bunch of CDs which are already in some kind of digital format. I presume it's no more complicated than simply shoving them into the disk slot on a PC and copying them to a data folder.
Digitising vinyl records would be a different matter entirely, but I can live without that old music. I haven't actually played a record for years. Might nail 'em on the shed wall as decoration
Hey Carlo, if we weren't at opposite ends of the country, I'd offer to sort the wiring on your bike in exchange for you setting up a Sonos system for me.
Cheers,
Cam
Yes that's absolutely right the control device doesn't have to carry any music. (Although you can, and can play it through the system)
As long as the software is reasonably up to date it can run on a Mac or Windows laptop as well as a smartphone.
Looks.like.theyve dumped the original base station and now use your wifi directly which makes things even easier. They've added a 'boost' unit just in case your wifi isn't strong enough to reach a shed for example.
There's another cool.Feature, the units also have an Ethernet port in the back so you can connect a non-wireless device if you want. So for example we have a second Foxtel box (which is not wifi) in the house but no internet connection in that room (which is required to download catch-up programming) we just shift one of the Play 5s in there whenever we need internet.
Yes digitising music is almost that simple, you need to 'rip' the music using a piece of software but there are a ton and they are free, windows has one built in I'm pretty sure (I use Mac now mostly).
You should invest a few bucks in a piece of software that is designed to catalogue and find the album artwork for the tracks as it goes, then you end up with a properly digitised collection. I used a variety but Media Monkey has been around a while but there are others. DONT USE ITUNES.
http://gizmodo.com/5363273/how-to-rip-your-music-like-a-pro
A music subscription (e.g. Spotify) would save you a ton of hassle and you'd have pretty much all the music unless your taste is particularly obscure (there are very few artists not on these streaming services, and it's a great way to explore and find new music)
These systems are really very simple, and rock solid, you'd have no problem setting it up. Cost is the only issue really but cheap compared to Laverda and motorbikes in general.
http://www.sonos.com/en-au/shop
I have a few Play 1 for places that I listed to music occasionally, a play 5 in Kitchen and one for moving around where I need better/louder sound.
The TV soundbar and sub together are amazing. The sub is so good. My favourite installation is the Sonos Amp that I have rigged up to a pair of semi-buried BOSE outdoor speaker by the pool where the accoustics are great.
Haven't ever looked at the competition as these have been rock solid with a great upgrade path for the software over time.
As long as the software is reasonably up to date it can run on a Mac or Windows laptop as well as a smartphone.
Looks.like.theyve dumped the original base station and now use your wifi directly which makes things even easier. They've added a 'boost' unit just in case your wifi isn't strong enough to reach a shed for example.
There's another cool.Feature, the units also have an Ethernet port in the back so you can connect a non-wireless device if you want. So for example we have a second Foxtel box (which is not wifi) in the house but no internet connection in that room (which is required to download catch-up programming) we just shift one of the Play 5s in there whenever we need internet.
Yes digitising music is almost that simple, you need to 'rip' the music using a piece of software but there are a ton and they are free, windows has one built in I'm pretty sure (I use Mac now mostly).
You should invest a few bucks in a piece of software that is designed to catalogue and find the album artwork for the tracks as it goes, then you end up with a properly digitised collection. I used a variety but Media Monkey has been around a while but there are others. DONT USE ITUNES.
http://gizmodo.com/5363273/how-to-rip-your-music-like-a-pro
A music subscription (e.g. Spotify) would save you a ton of hassle and you'd have pretty much all the music unless your taste is particularly obscure (there are very few artists not on these streaming services, and it's a great way to explore and find new music)
These systems are really very simple, and rock solid, you'd have no problem setting it up. Cost is the only issue really but cheap compared to Laverda and motorbikes in general.
http://www.sonos.com/en-au/shop
I have a few Play 1 for places that I listed to music occasionally, a play 5 in Kitchen and one for moving around where I need better/louder sound.
The TV soundbar and sub together are amazing. The sub is so good. My favourite installation is the Sonos Amp that I have rigged up to a pair of semi-buried BOSE outdoor speaker by the pool where the accoustics are great.
Haven't ever looked at the competition as these have been rock solid with a great upgrade path for the software over time.
Simonr501
Hero member
- Location
- Lympne, Kent. UK
Vinyl is very much back in vogue, but not necessarily for the reasons I thought.
Apparently millennium children think it 'cool' to buy their music in vinyl, which then sits on the shelf for bragging rights, but never played.
There are of course Hi-Fi purists who spend an enormous amount of money on turntables/vinyl to get a sound that digital struggles to emulate. No doubt about it for me, vinyl is punchier and pure.
However I won't be going that way, I spent hundreds of hours setting up my direct drive Technics SL 150 (get thee behind me satan) SME Arm, Shure V15 cartridge. Only trouble is that one speck of dust sounds like a bloody hand grenade going off - infuriating!
So I will finally be embracing super high quality streaming from the likes of Tidal'.
Better than CD quality, but subscription based.
Apparently millennium children think it 'cool' to buy their music in vinyl, which then sits on the shelf for bragging rights, but never played.
There are of course Hi-Fi purists who spend an enormous amount of money on turntables/vinyl to get a sound that digital struggles to emulate. No doubt about it for me, vinyl is punchier and pure.
However I won't be going that way, I spent hundreds of hours setting up my direct drive Technics SL 150 (get thee behind me satan) SME Arm, Shure V15 cartridge. Only trouble is that one speck of dust sounds like a bloody hand grenade going off - infuriating!
So I will finally be embracing super high quality streaming from the likes of Tidal'.
Better than CD quality, but subscription based.
D
Davo
Guest
High fidelity in the shed. You have to be kidding me. It is just fine with me if I can hear the music above the sound of the drill, grinder, or my swearing. 
Simonr501
Hero member
- Location
- Lympne, Kent. UK
Yes, it would have to be a posh shed.
AndyW
Hero member
SimonR501 said:
Better than CD? ReallY?? Interesting to hear that as my experience with downloaded music (iTunes) is that the compression flattens the sound horribly..
Am with you on the Vinyl: Once you've heard a direct cut master Copy of Dark Side of the Moon played on an LP12 with Decca London (Gold) cartridge etc etc.. it's hard to play an ordinary pressing... made me realise that an earlier cartridge had wrecked all my other records..
:-X