RPI 3B+ As a Bath Audio Streamer

[threni]

There are more options like Volumio (subscription model for some features), piCorePlayer and many others. I personally chose MoOde as it offers what I want (good audio quality, stable, Parametric EQ, Spotify Connect, Airplay) but if you search the forum you will find some insights into the experience of others.

If you go with a "regular" OS like Raspberry Pi OS then you're leaving the door open to (additionally) install the very good music player mpd and control it from an Android (etc) device running M.A.L.P.

 

[somebodyelse]

If you go with a "regular" OS like Raspberry Pi OS then you're leaving the door open to (additionally) install the very good music player mpd and control it from an Android (etc) device running M.A.L.P.

Both Moode and Volumio use mpd anyway, so that's already an option isn't it?. With piCorePlayer you'd use an app like iPeng or Squeezer if you didn't want to use the web interface (which can be much like an app if you use the Material Skin)

 

[threni]

Both Moode and Volumio use mpd anyway, so that's already an option isn't it?. With piCorePlayer you'd use an app like iPeng or Squeezer if you didn't want to use the web interface (which can be much like an app if you use the Material Skin)

It's worth a try but the M.A.L.P. docs say if you use their app and have a problem with Volumio to contact Volumio for help so I guess Volumio have modified their version of mpd or there's some history there...

 

[lirsch]

Hi All, I've just installed Volumio and it's a nice audio player os and app, tried it for all of its free options.
Now, as for MoOde Audio - I tried to flash the image file on 32GB uSD, few times and I couldn't see the user interface once it's fully loaded.
I also tried to flash raspbian and use a script to install it onto the uSD, still, didn't worked.
Volumio worked just fine on the same RPI, uSD and network connection (wired).
Has anyone had the same problem? or knows a good guide for the installation (step by step)?

 

[somebodyelse]

I followed the instructions linked at Moode's download page for the new 7.1.0 release and didn't have any issues. It's possible I take some things for granted as I've been messing around with similar things for years though. If you have a display (monitor connected to hdmi, or the pi touchscreen) you should see info about how the boot process is going, like whether it's getting an IP address etc. This may give you some idea of what's going wrong - or if it can't find anything to boot because there was a problem writing the image to the uSD.

 

[lirsch]

I'll send a screenshot tomorrow of the failed lines, there were few there ...

 

[m_g_s_g]

Unlike Volumio, moode starts only in headless mode, even if you have a HDMI or DSI external display connected. You need to go to the web page that is exposed after installing it (look for the IP address of the raspberry in the router, or just enter http://moode). Then you have to push on the “m” (moode/menu), configuration and then enable the local screen.

Maybe what you are seeing (“the failed lines”) is just the text mode console with the usual linux startup messages?

 

[lirsch]

Well, I tried again today, performed a SD FORMAT, a full one, not a quick format and then Flashed the rom again - it worked ...
Still, have few questions about it:
1. How do I add my Spotify account to it?
2. I have a portable Ext. HDD attached to the USB but I don't see it as SAMBA device, I'd like to add a folder of it as a source, how can I do it?
3. Part of the radio stations have a hiccups and I'm not sure if it's a connection issue or something else, how can I debug it?

 

[Iglo]

1. If you go to the menu "Audio Config" and scroll down you have the option to turn on "Spotify rendering". If you active this you can use your RPI as a Spotify Connect end point (control the music from any Spotify device). Also click "Edit" near Spotify config if you want to set the highest quality bitrate (320k).

For 2. and 3. I would recommend checking some of the content over at the MoOde audio forum. I personally do not have any hands-on experience (I use MoOde for Spotify streaming and have my music on a separate NAS).

 

[CuteStudio]

I'm just going to add an observation here as it took a little searching for me to finally get the USB-C Apple headphone adapter DAC working with the Raspberry Pi. For this usage I have a Pi3b running kernel 5.10.27-v7+

So I plugged the USB-C device into a USB-A socket, with a little £2 adapter. The Pi recognised it, but didn't really care about it, and it didn't appear in the 'aplay -l' list of audio devices.

What i was missing was that the Apple only actually becomes a DAC / headphone adapter when you plug something (fully) into the 3.5mm jack. Then it was instantly recognised, appeared in the aplay list: and I'm now playing some excellent sounding 24bit music through it.

So (for the benefit of search engines) to use a Apple USB-C headphone adapter with a Raspberry Pi: a USB-A to C adapter works perfectly, you just need to remember to plug in the 3.5mm jack, or it will behave like a useless USB human interface adapter.

The 3.5mm plug actually switches the audio part of it on. This behaviour makes sense for the intended use, but is useful to know! .
It's a little quieter than my Burr Brown 16bit adapter, but the sound is impeccable.

 

[lirsch]

Thanks for the update @CuteSturdio.
I've just connected all the modules together, the SUB-A to C, the Aiyima A07, the speaker, HoneyWell power supply and of course RPI 4 and trying to hear something but can't really hear.
The Moode Audio GUI is working on my android phone as expected, volume is on 50% ...
What Am I missing?

 

[kami]

Thanks for the update @CuteSturdio.
I've just connected all the modules together, the SUB-A to C, the Aiyima A07, the speaker, HoneyWell power supply and of course RPI 4 and trying to hear something but can't really hear.
The Moode Audio GUI is working on my android phone as expected, volume is on 50% ...
What Am I missing?

Remove items from the chain to troubleshoot, if I were you I’d start by disconnecting the apple dongle from the Aiyima and plugging headphones to the dongle. Do you get sound?

Have you tried feeding the Aiyima through the 3.5mm input or RCA with any other source?

KM

 

[CuteStudio]

Thanks for the update @CuteSturdio.
I've just connected all the modules together, the SUB-A to C, the Aiyima A07, the speaker, HoneyWell power supply and of course RPI 4 and trying to hear something but can't really hear.
The Moode Audio GUI is working on my android phone as expected, volume is on 50% ...
What Am I missing?

I'm running this on a Pi3B in a Flirc box and the latest 5 series Raspbian kernel, but I would expect the Pi4 to behave the same (but at a slight warmer temperature ).
I'm also feeding it with 'aplay', the ALSA player (controlled via SeeDeClip4, but essentially I'm playing this:
aplay -q --disable-resample --disable-format --device=hw:1,0 mysupermusic.wav

The wav file can be 16 or 24 bit, 44 or 48kHz.
But first we should see if your system recognises the Apple is there. Type lsusb

{wpi:~ 7} lsusb
Bus 001 Device 014: ID 05ac:110a Apple, Inc.
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0424:ec00 Standard Microsystems Corp. SMSC9512/9514 Fast Ethernet Adapter
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 0424:9514 Standard Microsystems Corp.
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub

Then try aplay -l (l for list):
{wpi:~ 8} aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: Headphones [bcm2835 Headphones], device 0: bcm2835 Headphones [bcm2835 Headphones]
Subdevices: 8/8
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
Subdevice #1: subdevice #1
Subdevice #2: subdevice #2
Subdevice #3: subdevice #3
Subdevice #4: subdevice #4
Subdevice #5: subdevice #5
Subdevice #6: subdevice #6
Subdevice #7: subdevice #7
card 1: A [USB-C to 3.5mm Headphone Jack A], device 0: USB Audio [USB Audio]
Subdevices: 0/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

If 'lsusb' works, your adapter and Apple dongle work.
If 'aplay -l' works, everything should work (test with aplay above).

If 'aplay -l' fails to find the card:

Make certain that the 3.5mm stereo headphone jack is plugged in properly
Consider upgrading your Pi to the latest kernel (5).
Use uname -a to see what type it is.

{wpi:~ 9} uname -a
Linux wpi.home 5.10.27-v7+ #1409 SMP Tue Apr 6 18:23:37 BST 2021 armv7l GNU/Linux
{wpi:~ 10}

If necessary, use the following 3 commands
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade
sudo rpi-update

to get the latest kernel.

As always, after the upgrade and rpi-update, it's possibly worth restarting
sync
reboot

Let us know how you get on!

 

[CuteStudio]

Oh - and also turn the volume up: you can use this command

{wpi:~ 9} amixer -c 1 -q cset numid=3 100%

(Note, the {wpi:~ XX} bit is just my command prompt: Don't type in that bit!

 

[lirsch]

Well, it works now ... I just had to configure the audio device as "none", for some reason I picked something else
Now, I'd like to play using my spotify account from my phone.
I see the "Moode Spotify" source greyed out while the rest are white/enabled.
Next to it I see "not available for listening", what should I configure in order to enable it?
Also, are there any way I can stream music from youtube playlists?

 

[lirsch]

Anyone experienced such a problem with spotify?