Music server with CD storage - advice on storage/backup

[Bonefish Blues]

What I'd like to happen:
remove a HDD from the device (Novafidelity X12) and put it in an external caddy to access & play the c1000 albums on there (FLAC files) using my Mac. OR backup all the CDs onto an SSD and do same.

The problem:
I removed the HDD, put it in the caddy, connected it up, went to play via VLC app, (which successfully plays files backed up onto a SSD from the server/HDD) Nope, can't see the CDs

Why don't I:
Just back it all up to a SSD? Because when I do, not all the files backup, only a third or so - but these ones are visible and do play via VLC as I said.

Any thoughts on how to solve the conundrum?

Doomsday scenario is to erase the HDD and re-rip all the CDs, but that's not a guaranteed solution, given only 1/3 or so backup at the moment, for a reason I don't understand.

 

[the green vanper]

Hello,

Had to think about it.

I understand you're trying to play the albums from the HDD connected to your Mac.

Are the 'missing' backed up CDs visible and playable when the disk is in the Novafidelity?

Do all of the backed up CDs have the same file extension?

If both answers are 'yes', I assume the HDD can have several partitions on it. And perhaps your Mac can't access one of them. You could compare the size on the sticker and on Mac. Perhaps an information on the disk size can be also seen in the Novafidelity menu. Don't know it, so hard to tell.

I assume it has a linux based system, same as Mac Which could be a good direction.

Why do you want to get rid of the Novafidelity? Is its system on the HDD, or it has another system disk/flash memory?

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Hello,

Had to think about it.

I understand you're trying to play the albums from the HDD connected to your Mac.

My original plan was to backup to SSD but since the albums won't all download, I thought I'd just pull the HDD and play from that.

Are the 'missing' backed up CDs visible and playable when the disk is in the Novafidelity?

Yes, they're all there.

Do all of the backed up CDs have the same file extension?

Yes they do.

If both answers are 'yes', I assume the HDD can have several partitions on it. And perhaps your Mac can't access one of them. You could compare the size on the sticker and on Mac. Perhaps an information on the disk size can be also seen in the Novafidelity menu. Don't know it, so hard to tell.

The HDD is a 2tb Hitachi that the dealer inserted when I bought the Novafidelity.

I assume it has a linux based system, same as Mac Which could be a good direction.

Yes I believe so.

Why do you want to get rid of the Novafidelity? Is its system on the HDD, or it has another system disk/flash memory?

The HDD is solely for storage of ripped files. I simply ripped my collection over the course of a few weeks. And was using it as to play via a high quality DAC via a power amp and into passive speakers - and very good the FLAC files sounded.

I've now sold all my conventional hifi and moved to a desk based studio monitor setup so it'd be most elegant to play from an SSD or HDD as a second noisier option. I can stream using the Mac, so the Novafidelity is pretty much redundant too.

What was a seemingly very simple solution has proved very frustrating! Whilst it doesn't really matter in the land of streaming, I've got an attachment to my collection, so I'd like to keep it as just that.

Really appreciate your interest and any advice you can offer - I'm stumped!

 

[AnthonyH]

You should try different music players. Sometimes VLC wants an exact baud rate, if you unintentionally encoded even slightly over or under that, it might not play. Other players are more forgiving. VLC isn't a specific music player, its best for video.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

I'll give that a go.

Just thinking that I can see if and how the HDD is partitioned and if it is, unpartition it, at which point I should be able to save to SSD, all being well, and assuming that is what's preventing all files from being backed up.

 

[rmjbn1]

I had a similar problem, fixed by putting all albums in a new folder called 'music'.

Devices could then see the folder and all the albums inside it. Otherwise nothing. I don't claim to understand why.

 

[the green vanper]

Yes, trying another player seems like a good option.

The question is are the files visible from Mac. If so, I'd definitely opt with a new player. On a windows based PC I like to use Foobar. No idea if there is a Mac OS version though.

If the files are not visible, then the problem should be more likely caused by partitionning or formatting. Or a crap caddy Can you post the exact model / link of the caddy? I'd say it just cannot support a 2 TB HDD.

HDDs are more reliable as long term storage medias, but are noisy and vibrating, which can be frustrating when listening to the music. SSDs are better for quick access purposes. I'd put the HDD in a good quality housing and keep it on a separate piece of furniture, so the vibrations won't affect the desk.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Yes, trying another player seems like a good option.

The question is are the files visible from Mac. If so, I'd definitely opt with a new player. On a windows based PC I like to use Foobar. No idea if there is a Mac OS version though.

If the files are not visible, then the problem should be more likely caused by partitionning or formatting. Or a crap caddy Can you post the exact model / link of the caddy? I'd say it just cannot support a 2 TB HDD.

HDDs are more reliable as long term storage medias, but are noisy and vibrating, which can be frustrating when listening to the music. SSDs are better for quick access purposes. I'd put the HDD in a good quality housing and keep it on a separate piece of furniture, so the vibrations won't affect the desk.

About 6 or so files were visible - ones that the dealer obviously put on to test the disk (they were a different type of file but I can't remember exactly what they were). None of mine were visible.

This is the caddy - chosen because it has the necessary capacity and gets great reviews:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B087WQN725?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

I'm in that there London Village today, so no time for fiddling, so I'll return to this tomorrow, but further thoughts welcomed in the interim (such as which alternative player(s) to try - free best, obvs., whilst we're trying to solve this!)

 

[the green vanper]

Looking at the description the caddy should support the 2 TB drive.

As none of your files are visible on the Mac, I'd rather concentrate on the file type, not the partitionning. If you put back the HDD into the Novafidelity and put a mac formatted pendrive in the USB port, can you transfer one of the albums onto the pendrive? If not, can you backup one of the CDs directly onto the pendrive?

Then, check if the files on the pendrive are visible / playable on Mac.

Another possible cause can be the filesystem type of the HDD. I don't know much about Macs, but remember that it was always problematic to use the same device on Mac / Windows / Android. The fact that the files that were put there by the dealer are visible should be a confirmation that's not the case, but the size of the file could also matter.