Core Configuration

I apologize in advance for what is undoubtedly a very basic question. That is, I have the Atom all set up and am enjoying streaming radio immensely. HOWEVER, I cannot find very clear directions - i.e. step by step with at least a modicum of clarification along the way - of configuring the ‘music room’ (?) and how to configure Core alongside the Atom. Not sure why NAIM uses music ‘rooms’ and ‘stores,’ but I don’t get it. They are clearly on the same ‘network’ so what difference does it make “where” they are? Shouldn’t one just be able to ‘click’ on Atom/Streaming or Core/CDs and off you go?
I am sure there are basic introductions somewhere but I can’t find them, either online or elsewhere in the NAIM package. In short, how do I basically set up the Core so I can start ripping?
Thank you in Advance.

If you go to www.naimaudio.com, then navigate to products-Uniti-Core and then scroll all the way down to the bottom of the Core page and tap the Support tab, you will get a pop-up online resource which will answer all your questions, with videos, step by step instructions and FAQs.

Best

David

Hi David,
Thank you for your response, but I was afraid you would suggest that specific source because that is what I HAVE been using it is WHAT is so confusing. Again, is there a definition of ‘room’ for the ‘Core’ and how about my favorite, ‘Store?’ Using the old computer language of my day, why not simply say ‘drive?’ And, as with ‘Rooms’, what is THAT all about, especially when both the Atom and the Core are in the SAME…well…‘room?’ I have set it up the best I can and I think I sort of did it correctly…according to these mini videos but I can’t seem to be able to ‘move’ between the rooms or the, well, ‘stores’. Interestingly, when I bought it the dealer had the exact same difficulties setting the Core up as well and we spent an hour online with a tech rep trying to figure it out. Unfortunately, my dealer was on the call and I never learned so I am struggling as he was. So, if this seems like I am an idiot (which is possible) or if you think I really need more basic help, can you please refer me to non-NAIM source, i.e. not these mini videos, that might be a little more clear for numb nuts like me? And, finally and similarly is there ANY source (other than a Chinese YouTube video) that actually takes the new user through ripping, organizing the CD’s, moving them around, etc, etc, Again, if NAIM did this too, please direct me to these directions as well. And, if not, another source, please. Sorry to be such a pain. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

Hi Walker,
are you over thinking this? The “Room” is simply a description, you can name it whatever you like. But if you have 3 Atoms in 3 rooms, it may be nice to name them “Living Room” Kitchen and “Bedroom” The CORE you might just name “My Core” it’s only a server so does not matter where you locate it, same room or not. On the computer your core is acting as a drive / server, and you can access it via app or via the PC if you want. Also, if your ripping CD’s via the Core then all of this organisation (in most cases) is done for you. There are other threads you can search if you are copying pre ripped albums etc to the core.
Tapping on the room name at the top of the Naim app directs you to the list of available rooms or sources that you have, the Core will show up but you can’t play anything from there, just set up and ripping parameters. I hope that helps, I know it can be frustrating, but you are now in very helpful hands on the forum and there is a ton information on here, you just need to navigate to it.

A fellow “numb nuts” :grinning:

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@Walker OK I will send you a longer reply in a couple of hours, adding to what AlecR has said. Don’t worry. We will sort this out for you.
Best
David

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Hi @Walker . As @AlecR points out, the “room” name is purely descriptive. It probably doesn’t make a difference in a home with a single Naim system, but it’s useful in mine (as I’ve got an NDX 2, a Super Uniti, a Core and a Muso QB.

The room names are mostly useful for when you want to go in “party mode”, and have the music playing synchronised from all of your systems at once (the NDX 2 and Muso, in my example).

The difference between shares and stores is a subtle one - (I’ve got my Core set up with no local storage, and all of my music being delivered from a network attached storage (NAS). In this configuration, I’ve got a share (which has all the music I’ve purchased digitally), and a store (which is where the Core stores CDs I’ve ripped). The key concept here is that a share can hold music, but only a store can be written to by the Core. I prefer it this way, as it allows me to update the metadata on the share at my leisure, but it might be simpler for some to just let the Core manage all of the music in a single store.

The other thing that you should note is that if you want the Core to apply the metadata to stuff it’s ripped, and to edit the metadata through the Naim app, your music will be managed by the Core and its store. If you want to manage the metadata yourself through your favourite app (I use metadatics on my Mac to add metadata to digital music I purchase, for example), and you want to change the metadata after it’s visible to the Core (if you get updated album art, for example), then a share can be useful.

Feel free to ask for further clarity if this doesn’t make sense.

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@Walker I think you have all the information you need from the other responders, but in summary:

A “room” is just Naim’s name for a Naim product you can see in the Naim app, in general the assumption being that there will only be one in any room. The Core is counted as a room for convenience. You only need to use the Core room in the app for setting up the Core unless you use the Core as a hard disc player rather than a network player, then you control the playback via the Core room rather than the Atom room. But you can ignore that for now.

A “music store” is the location where Core saves its own rips. This is normally the internal hard disc that you have installed yourself, but it doesn’t have to be. When you set the store, you are just saying where you want it to save it’s CD rips. You only do this once, unless you change your mind about where new rips should be stored.

A “music share” is another storage location, for example a USB hard disc, a Network store (NAS) or a PC where there is already music stored that you want the Core to index and present to you in the Naim app. If you don’t have any such other store, you can ignore this.

You can have many music shares but only one active music store.

So having installed the hard disc or SSD in the Core, you connect it to the network and then in the Naim app, go to the Core page and set the music store. Then you can rip a CD by feeding it into the slot on the Core and waiting while it does the rip. When it had finished it will eject the CD and save the rip to its store (the location you set a few moments before). You can watch progress of the rip if you want using the ripping monitor which you will find in the Core page in the app. The ripping monitor only shows up when there is ripping happening but you can always get to it via the settings menu, which is the gearwheel icon in the Core page.

Once you have ripped a CD, you go to the Atom page in the app and select UPNP. You get a list of servers, which will probably just be your Core, select that and then you can find your music, for example in “Albums”, select it and it will play.

Hope this helps.

Best

David

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David,

Sorry, it is me again. I have done everything you suggested and still no luck. And, to repeat, unless I am blind, going to all the ‘Support’ materials and mini videos does not reveal any such ripping ‘tape’ that has steps such as these: 1) Turn on (both) Core & Atom (whatever the answer is), 2) Turn on Core, 3) Be sure the Core display shows…4) If, for whatever reason, you don’t get a response when you put in disk to be ripped then…5) If a CD is currently playing when you want to rip, then…6) If none of these steps worked, then check… On and on…
I am currently following the one & ONLY ‘step-by-step’ You Tube Tutorial on ripping but it is in Chinese! Moreover, my screen does not show what his screen shows so after that, I can no longer follow it.
So, back to your paragraph above…, I have: connected Core to network; I have set the music store. I then try to ‘rip’ per your next sentence and, well, nothing happens. Er, I should say, I can hear it ripping but there is no indication on my app what is happening. Clearly, something must not be configured or, to repeat, there is no step-by-step process for ripping that applies to this numb nut.
I am truly sorry to have to bug you again BUT if there was just someplace I can go (and to repeat, NOT to any NAIM support page with sufficient specificity) such as some other video or support thread that can walk me through the required set-up and THEN the actual ripping process, I would appreciate it. And, similarly, is there someplace to go that will tell me how to ‘move around’ CD’s or individual disks and headings, etc. How about backing my Core up then? Where?
Again. Sorry. Walker

You are using the Naim app on a phone or tablet? Which one?

You can’t play a CD in the Core. It just rips CDs and saves to the music store.

When a CD rips, look at the Core page in the app, tap the gearwheel, then tap “manage music“, then near the bottom of the list is “ripping monitor” tap that. The ripping monitor will open and you will be able to see whether it found metadata, how many tracks and where it has got to in the ripping. Once it has finished ripping it will tell you whether there are any ripping errors and you can clear results to be ready for the next rip. The Core will automatically eject the CD when it’s finished ripping.

You can get to the ripping monitor directly from the home page for the Core. In an iPhone or iPad, it’s in the top left hand corner and pops into view when the ripping is taking place. But you can always go to the ripping monitor as I said above.

Now you have ripped a CD, you play it like this. I am assuming that you have both your Atom and Core connected to your router with ethernet cable. Go to the Atom room in the app and tap “upnp”. You will get a screen and it will say Servers at the top. Click on the Core icon. Now you get a whole page of options. Tap on Albums and you should see a cover art icon for each CD you have ripped. Tap one of them and then you will see all the tracks. If you tap the play arrow, it will play the CD.

Does all of that work?

We can talk about editing metadata and so on once you have got the above working.

Best

David

Just to add that it will usually take several minutes to rip a cd so give it time to complete.

I have ripped well over 100 CDs…easily per your directions. HOWEVER, when I go to Play them, it is not as easy as you describe (or again, I am a complete numb nuts…obviously!). So, I go the the ‘Core’ choice vs. the ‘Radio’ choice on the Atom ‘homepage’ (for lack of a better term) and I ‘click’ on ‘Core’, get the list of albums (all simple enough), push on my album of choice of choice to listen to…all per your directions…and, guess what???..no album comes up to play. Instead, what DOES come up is the ‘radio’ channel I have been listening to earlier. In short, how does the system ‘turn’ OFF the radio so I can listen to ripped CD’s on the CORE? The general issue continues to be, I guess, is moving between the ‘Core’ and ‘Atom’ seamlessly. The directions of simply hitting ‘radio’ or ‘albums’ makes no differences.
Despite having a Masters degree (not that that makes me smart), I have NEVER in my life had such trouble figuring out the basics of this system (which I love, by the way). What the hell? I have spent hours and days on the most basic ‘playing’ issues. Am I as dumb as I appear to be? Please refer me to a video somewhere- anywhere - that walks one through this. And, by the way, thanks to David and Jono for all the help. I am SOOOOOOO close; but not there yet.
THANK YOU.
Walker

I only have the Core, so of course launch on the ‘Core’ devise from the Naim app. Perhaps you could not launch from ‘Atom’ on the app?

No that’s not right!

If you initiate playback from the Core page in the app then this plays from the Core via the s/pdif digital cable to your DAC which is presumably how you use it. But to send it over the ethernet or WiFi network, the have to use the Core as a server and you can only initiate playback from the page in the app that belongs to the streamer, in this case the Atom.

I will reply to your post @Walker in a while.

Best

David

At the risk of pre-empting David, the process should be:

Launch Naim app
Select Atom
Select Servers (or UpnP)
Select Core
You should then have a list of “Albums”, “Artists”, etc.
Try selecting “Album”
You should be presented with a list of all the ripped CDs
Choose the one you want to play
The album cover should appear with the tracks listed at the bottom of the page; between the two should be a “Play” (arrow pointing right" symbol) as well as some other symbols.
There are other options but, to get you started, press the “Play” arrow. The album should start playing. It will automatically switch over from the radio if that is already on.

Does that work?

(These were using my Nova but I imagine the Atom is the same).

Yes I agree with all of this. You must go via the servers option on the Atom home page, not via the list of favourites that might be presented on the home page. Favourites can come later.
Best
David

David,

Not wishing to thread hijack but it is slightly relevant. When looking at the 3 icons mentioned above, there is the Play icon, the Favourites icon but what is the Tick in a circle icon for? It doesn’t seem to do anything.

Regards.

Paul

I had never looked at that icon, but it opens a screen that tells you whether there were any ripping errors on that Core rip, see below.

Best

David

Many thanks David. That set me on track. It appears that an Android device behaves slightly differently as no new screen opens. It turns out that, if there is a tick in the circle, it means there are no errors. If there are errors, it has an exclamation mark and tapping it tells you how many errors there are.

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Ah yes. This is the only rip I have (of 700 or so) that I know has errors and the errors screen is as below.

Not sure this is terribly helpful. Why I wonder didn’t Naim developers think it worth saying which track has errors as that info was there in the ripping monitor at the time of the ripping. (The track with the error is actually the last I vaguely recall, whereas this suggests it was the first, or alternatively that there was one track with an error).

I’m still happily using an NS01, which, like the UnitiServe, uses the Naim DTC and n-serve application. The DTC does show in real time, and retains a record of, those tracks with ripping errors. It lists the track number and title. Such tracks are omitted from the ripped file. I wonder why this feature hasn’t been retained for the Core in the Naim App?

I started out in 2013 with a UnitiServe and as I went through ripping discs, by the time I’d done about 250 I had 30 or so discs which failed to rip all tracks, despite these being clean, unmarked and pretty much in ‘as new’ condition. Eventually the issue was investigated by Trevor Wilson and team who investigated the problem with my discs, confirmed the ripping errors and concluded that I had just been very unlucky in my CD purchases! Anyway since then I’ve had virtually no problems ripping on the NS01 - until last month when a disc I’d bought secondhand failed to rip eight of eleven tracks. I’d read somewhere that ChrisSU overcomes the issue by ripping with iTunes. I tried it with Windows Media Player set to WAV 16/44.1 and it ripped all tracks with ease. Maybe you could do likewise with your problematic disc, David?