How to get the best out of Computer: A Easy guide to Computer Audio
A few days ago a friend reminded me that a lot of people still find using computer audio a complete mystery. So i decided to write this
I am not a computer expert but can make my way around a computer so I hope this helps
A computer can be a useful transport or even player in obtaining decent sounds, but for some it still remains a mystery, This is a simple guide in how to get up and running with a computer.
Most of what I am writing is based on a windows based systems but a lot of the principles remain the same no matter what system you using.
1) First of all you need a computer I would recommend a system with good memory 500gb would be suitable for a lot of people and good ram if you using JPLAY so you can use it in extreme version. I quite like using notebooks due to the quiet fan but most towers made are pretty quiet these days. So the choice is wide.
2) The next step is having a place to store music on your computer. You can use players like Itunes, Jriver and media monkey for this or you can just store them on a file. This players can be downloaded on the internet and some you will have to pay for.
3) Once we have a place to store music we then need to put some music on your computer. A) By downloading from a music site such as Itunes or HDTracks or Amazon, a lot of bands will now allow you to download from their site also B) By ripping a CD using something like perfect rip http://perfectrip.cdfreaks.com/ or EAC http://www.ehow.com/how_8351904_rip-wav-eac.html I use WAV as my choice of recording format but you could use FLAC, the main bit is not to use compression I personally choose not to use lossless it means less storage space on my computer.
We now have music stored on our computer so now we need a way to play it back. This will depend on your soundcard; some come with RCA outs but most come with optical out. Another means to play music is via a USB output. Once you decide what output to use you will generally need a DAC to convert the music into analogue and then sending this signal to your amplifier.
Another method is to stream your music. This allows you to put your music on a external hard drive and then send the music to a transporter/server like the logictech touch and them use a DAC as above.
Getting the best out of the player you choose
JPLAY: I use Jplay as my preferred choice and here is a quick guide to getting the best out of it. Use it in Jplay mini, to play music right click and copy and when in Jplay mini press the space bar to play the music.
To alter the controls for the best sound I use the following parameters. This is done by pressing the letters to change the parameters
a to set audio interface Kennel
b to set Buffer size Direct Link
e to set engine Extreme
h to set Hibernate mode Fullscale
o to set memory 500gb
s to set blitscreen Native
To get the best sound out of Itunes
Convert files to WAV to do this right hand click track and then press Create WAV file. If recording CDs Go into edit then press preferences, then click import settings use wav encoder and then go to custom settings and set to 44 100khz for general CD recording. I leave the equalizer on off if just using Itunes for playback but these days I would rarely use Itunes as I prefer the playback of Jplay mini.
I hope others can add advice about how to get the best out of other players
Also remember to back up your files
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Originally Posted by John
If using a computer is a less than relaxing, then why would you want to allow that to creep into your enjoyment of music? For some, it might be better to stick to plugging a tablet directly into your hifi via an audio out or using a media player with a docking station or, dare I say, stick to traditional means. Perhaps, if you're feeling wealthy, there are fancy ready made streaming devices out there that need no real technical knowledge..
