Playing music off a RAM disk, what are your impressions?

[agent_kith]

Blind Testing U7 introduces RAM play for activated users.

My initial impressions with RAM play (this is in comparison to loading off files off my NAS) - there's not a lot of difference..

When playing off RAM, I seem to think

1. More depth
   
2. Perhaps a bit more pin point precision
   
3. More clarity
   
4. more speed?
   
5. Not very warm.
   

Still have more tests to do, but the difference isn't much. I'm struggling to think of any music tracks that will highlight the above. Perhaps it's because I'm already streaming music off the network anyway, so everything is alrady on RAM. To be perfectly honest, I'll be perfectly content just to continue and stream music off my NAS...

For me the audio benefiits doesn't give me the wow moment, the same way CPUset do.

What are your thoughts? If you have any tracks that seems to show an improvement, can you share it?

[shaitan667]

I just not long became a patreon member, so once I have the activation code, I'll give it a go.

[Buttars]

Needs all kinds of improvements, but I bet you'll get there.

[XavierP56]

Hi Ak,

If you want to hear what ramdisk brings, use genuine Daphile and click on the ramdisk button.
Huge change, at least on my system !

- More depth
- More natural
- Much improved trebbles : Less harsh, more hairy
- Everything is much more fluid.

If you don't hear that with Daphile, probably your system (DAC mostly) isn't subtile enough or it has some internal reclocking that discards Ramdisk effect.
I'm using a DAC based on Amanero board. If you do, you should hear what RamDisk brings.

Beware: Ramdisk in daphile is using sox to upscale to 32 bits / 384 kHZ too. Upscaling brings a lot in sonic qualities.

Ramdisk + Upscaling is the right combo.

[Snoopy8]

Am impressed with Ram Disk.  Gave a significant SQ improvement with mpd 21.4 on Intel NUC compared with accessing music from a NAS.  With an audiophile switch in the chain (Uptone EtherRegen), mpd came across smoother running on Ram Disk compared with accessing the NAS. The edge that some people do not like in mpd was smoothened.

Some comments, suggestions for improvement:

1. Add copy and move files to Browse tab, file manager tool
   
2. Or add a web based file manager that can be added/removed by user in SnakeOil tab?
   
3. Ability to read a playlist (m3u) and add those tracks to Ram Disk
   
4. Am using space on SSD in NUC as interim storage to enable faster loading to Ram Disk
   
5. With 3 & 4, opens up option of using an autoload playlist to populate Ram Disk when starting SnakeOil
   
6. In Music Library tab, Mounted Partitions, wrong unit of measure. eg. showing 2000G instead of 2G or 2000M. 
   
7. Is it possible to show the files in Ram Disk and show actual % used in Ram Disk?
   

Please keep up the good work...

[agent_kith]

Am impressed with Ram Disk.  Gave a significant SQ improvement with mpd 21.4 on Intel NUC compared with accessing music from a NAS.  With an audiophile switch in the chain (Uptone EtherRegen), mpd came across smoother running on Ram Disk compared with accessing the NAS. The edge that some people do not like in mpd was smoothened.

Interesting device, that ether-regen. That grounding terminal, to me it really does seem to suggest they are on the right track.

Do you have any tracks to suggest? I am looking for something that I can easily A/B.

Some comments, suggestions for improvement:

1. Add copy and move files to Browse tab, file manager tool
   
2. Or add a web based file manager that can be added/removed by user in SnakeOil tab?
   
3. Ability to read a playlist (m3u) and add those tracks to Ram Disk
   
4. Am using space on SSD in NUC as interim storage to enable faster loading to Ram Disk
   
5. With 3 & 4, opens up option of using an autoload playlist to populate Ram Disk when starting SnakeOil
   
6. In Music Library tab, Mounted Partitions, wrong unit of measure. eg. showing 2000G instead of 2G or 2000M. 
   
7. Is it possible to show the files in Ram Disk and show actual % used in Ram Disk?
   

Please keep up the good work...

Truth be told ever since COVID-19, I think I have spent less than 40 hours on Snakeoil? That's horrible given it's been nearly 4 months (if not 6). On one hand I'm revamping my network (decided to go full Unifi now), and on the other, work is really draining all the energy I have. Given the circumstances, I guess I shouldn't complain as lots of people have lost their jobs. But year 2020 is a horrible year. It's almost certainly a write off year.

Hopefully I will get the balance right again.. Need to get the new 1.2.0 ISO out, need to get a new IMG for the 8GB model of RPi (64 bit OS finally!)... The website also needs a software update. The TODO list is growing...

[Snoopy8]

Interesting device, that ether-regen. That grounding terminal, to me it really does seem to suggest they are on the right track.

Do you have any tracks to suggest? I am looking for something that I can easily A/B.

Yes, EtherRegen is interesting and caused lots of controversy e.g. huge fight on Audiophile style, smaller fight on SNA.  Many people still say a switch is a switch...

I use Gjeilo: North Country II which you can download from
http://www.2l.no/hires/
This track is quiet at the beginning (need to up volume). My favourite test track because the piano is very hard to get right, especially with the timbre and decay of the piano notes.
The other track that you can use is Arnesen, Magnificat (one of my favourite albums, and excellent multi channel reproduction)
2 other tracks that I use are on Tidal.  Diana Krall: My Love, finger snap at beginning, double bass.  Chesky Ultimate Demo Disc Vol 2: Angel of Harlem to test presence, sound stage, voice   Please ignore, cannot use Ram Disk with Tidal!!

Truth be told ever since COVID-19, I think I have spent less than 40 hours on Snakeoil? That's horrible given it's been nearly 4 months (if not 6). On one hand I'm revamping my network (decided to go full Unifi now), and on the other, work is really draining all the energy I have. Given the circumstances, I guess I shouldn't complain as lots of people have lost their jobs. But year 2020 is a horrible year. It's almost certainly a write off year.

Hopefully I will get the balance right again.. Need to get the new 1.2.0 ISO out, need to get a new IMG for the 8GB model of RPi (64 bit OS finally!)... The website also needs a software update. The TODO list is growing...

Don't be too hard on your self. The Covid-19 has thrown many people off kilter and there are many people who have not done much in that time period other than watch with horror what has enfolded.  At least you guys in Perth can start leading more normal lives.  We in VIC are the leper colony!  

Looking forward to getting 1.2.0.  I am still stuck on 16.04, my Ubuntu upgrade never worked; I could manually upgrade but saw no compelling need.

[agent_kith]

Yes, EtherRegen is interesting and caused lots of controversy e.g. huge fight on Audiophile style, smaller fight on SNA.  Many people still say a switch is a switch...

It's all relative I guess... E.g. in this thread, I reckon RAM is an improvement, albeit only a slight one, whereas you say it's a significant improvement. For all I know when I try your track, I will get that significant difference. It's all about finding the baseline and our references against each other.

Once we establish the baseline, and know what the reference (Think of this as minimal requirements) is, then a switch is definitely not just a switch. To me anyway. The problem with the Internet is it's very hard to establish baselines. A computer is just a computer, things should sound the same. But it's not, try Snakeoil OS, try other OS, there is a clear difference...

Knowing there is a difference is just the beginning, identifying whether this difference is "better" or "worse" is hard.... This is why I am never into audio measurements, this is despite the fact my previous job of 10 years is all about measurements (meteorology and oceanography). All the measurements we can do are physical. Music is on a higher level than that. Quantifying music with physical units is always going to be a stretch, it's not going to work.
 

I use Gjeilo: North Country II which you can download from
http://www.2l.no/hires/
This track is quiet at the beginning (need to up volume). My favourite test track because the piano is very hard to get right, especially with the timbre and decay of the piano notes.

Coool. Hopefully I can try this track later this weekend.

Don't be too hard on your self. The Covid-19 has thrown many people off kilter and there are many people who have not done much in that time period other than watch with horror what has enfolded.  At least you guys in Perth can start leading more normal lives.  We in VIC are the leper colony!  

Looking forward to getting 1.2.0.  I am still stuck on 16.04, my Ubuntu upgrade never worked; I could manually upgrade but saw no compelling need.

True that. Victoria is flaring up, hope you guys can get through it unscathed... It's always going to be good in WA, because frankly we simply do not have a big population, and only a small percentage uses the public transport.

[Snoopy8]

mpd 0.21.4 can see and play from Ram Disk. mpd 0.21.22 cannot see Ram Disk.

Using MpDroid 1.07.2 SnakeOil OS 1.1.9

[agent_kith]

mpd 0.21.4 can see and play from Ram Disk. mpd 0.21.22 cannot see Ram Disk.

Using MpDroid 1.07.2 SnakeOil OS 1.1.9

With 0.21.22, can you manually scan the database and see what happens? Does the tracks show up?