JB7 480GB SSD - No moveable parts to wear out?

[Iain]

No! - no worries - with any of my 3 players,  Dont be alarmed!

Does this include wear to the the CD player, or am I getting this phrase wrong after believing I have read it about the upgraded Brennans with SSD fitted?

Asking because I may have to resort to feeding the JB7 with CDs.

The reason being I cannot get the lists of my B2 FLAC files clean enough or error free enough to do a restore with them on a usb drive, despite, help on here from people, in particular Peter and John.

Have spent too many hours backing up and editing album lists.

Regards

iain

[Daniel Taylor]

The SSD refers to the disk upon which the music is stored.  The SSD is a replacement for the HDD.

The CD drive is different.  The CD drive does have moving parts.

[Peter Lowham]

Hi Iain,

What sort of problems are you having with the data cleaning and conversion?  You have over 1000 CDs and there will be a great deal of work to rip these. 

Can you provide some examples of some of the errors/ problems, so that we might be able to help?

Ripping 1000 CDs on a CD drive that is now probably 12 years old would put it under pressure, so to me the data transfer via USB is the better plan.

Regards,

Peter.

[Iain]

Peter,

There were so many problems I felt I had to surrender.

The conversion software, its options, its overwrite or ignore, options, I could not understand and I often appeared to opt for the wrong choices.  Then when you have to wait many hours for the output/result, only to be confounded by it - so

disheartening.  Hell! - I only want to hear my favourite music, not indulge in 12-hour days trying to fathom out how to feed a beast of a player.   When I installed the new SSD drive in the JB7, I thought I was doing well.  Forget it.

So many of my albums have tracks only known as "Track 1, track 2, etc.", probably hundreds.   I used the formula you used for the layout with the 3 spaces, etc. but other stuff like trying to use Windows Explorer to search for things like discog, artwork,

etc. were confusing and I could not work out how to select and delete easily, despite googling my questions - to which I got few satisfactory answers from Dr G.   No - it was a waste of many hours over a couple of weeks, though I did learn some 

useful things in the process from you and Daniel in particular.

At work, we had an IT guy, so we were never expected to know more than the basic stuff, so that we could proceed efficiently with our own specialisms.

Ideally, for loyal Brennan customers, there should be a guide book and how to do - step by step - everything the user might need to know, either when owning, say, a B2, or wishing to keep running a JB7.

The new CDDB I just bought this week for the JB7 is very poor, I have to say.  The classic 1981 album "As Wichita Falls....." by Pat Metheny is not even included, nor are more recent popular albums.  Curiously, an album I have, but which I guess many

people have never even heard of "Culloden Moor Suite" by Bobby Wellins and the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra, IS included!  Unbelievable.  What kind of person compiles this list.  I know there could be millions, but, hey.

So, I will happily be loading a few Cds per day to the JB7 from now on instead.  If the CD motor grinds to a halt, I will just have to purchase another CD player to plug into the Brennan.

Not your fault, guys.  This group is a nice attempt by Brennan to try and salvage something for the name, but not enough in some of our cases.  I do, however, love the two B2s, and the loyal JB7 will find favour again, I'm sure.

Was looking forward to concluding this topic with a positive result, but not to be.

Anyway, warm regards and thanks for your help,

iain 

[Iain]

Hi,

Just a small point I need clarified for my attempt to understand things, please, guys.

My second B2 is a 480GB with SSD.

In the text to do with the B2 and its menu, etc, is the term "HDD" correct for those machines with SSD?

I mean to talk concerning, say, "music on the SD (small OS component?)" should be on the HDD.......", for example.

iain

[Daniel Taylor]

Yes, unfortunately the B2 software probably still says HDD even if an SSD has been installed.  Remember not to confuse the SD card (upon which is stored the operating software) with the SSD.  In the B2, the SD card does one job, the SSD/HDD does the other job.

If you have music that has been stored on the SD card (not the SSD), here is one way to get it copied onto your data disk (HDD or SSD):

1) Run the command Use SD, and wait for reboot.

2) With a legitimate, FAT32 formatted disk plugged into a USB port, run the Export command.

3) Run the command Use HDD (even though you have an SSD installed).

4) Run the Import command.

Even though I have abbreviated those instructions somewhat, if you need clarification, just ask.

[Iain]

Daniel,

Thanks for your prompt reply.  I did suspect what you say, and I had figured out for myself, from the info display, that the SD was a smaller item than any HDD/SDD.

This type of error is extremely confusing for the customer who has to delve into the intricacies of the electronic/IT aspects of their product intended to provide, hopefully trouble-free, musical entertainment in their hard-earned times of leisure .

I worked as a scientist for 50 years, mostly in a highly regarded organisation well into state-of-the-art computing technology.

Hence, my mention of having IT experts to support the rest of us and not having to spend or waste time sorting it out for ourselves.

In my view, this type of small error in the Brennan product would have been regarded as nothing less than sloppy, and the perpetrator may even have been posted out!

Anyway, clearly, this cannot be directed at you guys trying to slop out the bilge, with great expertise and charm, so you do not have to take it personally.

Maybe others at a higher level can take note, though.

Best regards

iain  

[Mark Fishman]

"SD", as in "SD card", stands for "Secure Digital".

"SSD" stands for "Solid-State Drive" or "Solid-State Disk" (even though there are no spinning platters) because it serves the same function and often has the same form-factor and electrical connectors as a (real) hard-disk drive.

I agree about the IT "experts" -- my job (before retirement) was to support people doing what I fondly called "real work" so that they didn't have to become computer experts just to do what they were hired for. But it always helps to acquire some basic understanding of terminology and hardware, since it makes using one's tools much easier. And it certainly helps when telling the IT guy why you think it's broken... :)

[Iain]

Mark,

Thanks for your sympathetic reply.  Appreciated.

Cheers

iain

[Daniel Taylor]

Hi Iain,

Thanks for the chuckle.  I will add "slopping out the bilge" to my CV.  ;o)

[PMB]

Hi Iain,

You comments have been noted.

Any suggestions for what we call it - rather than HDD, Hard Disk or SSD - the BB1 refers to 'internal' storage?

Paul

Brennan Support.

[Mark Fishman]

>  the BB1 refers to 'internal' storage

Does a BB1 have any other kind of storage? I mean, it can't use a USB-attached storage device for all its music functions, can it? A B2 can't use "external" storage as if it were a replacement for its internal storage... and a BB1 has ONLY the SD card.

So the question, on a B2, is how to distinguish between the (smallish) SD card -- whose primary function is to hold the operating software, and secondarily to act as an intermediate location for audio recordings made from AUX in -- and the (largish) "disk" device, which is the main location for stored music.

One can buy SD cards as alarge as small SSDs these days, so size is not the undeniable distinguishing factor any more. Why not just call it "main storage" or "music storage", as distinct from "OS storage" or "software storage"? (I'm hoping that the BB1 and B2 have different messages in their respective versions of the Brennan software.)

[Iain]

Hi, Paul,

Thanks for joining in.

My 3rd Brennan, a new B2 is one with the 480GB SSD.

Menu

Terms in Settings/Maintenance/

"Use SD for music storage - music on HDD will be ignored"

sow the seeds of confusion when one reads this on an SSD version.

As does

"Use HDD - Use hard disc for music storage"

Also confusing, and erroneous on this B2 is in JB7 Functions:

  Backup to C: This function creates a backup that is compatible with the JB7..........     a most serious falsehood for myself.  No mention of there being no point in backing up for the JB7 if the B2 donor's files are in FLAC.  (Which mine were - over 11000 of them.)  I wasted countless hours of time because of this, even purchasing conversion software which gave more confusion.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Turning to what I have read on here today, by techs/engineers/specialists more informed and up to date than this 76yo customer are the following:

"music is stored separately on either an SSD (Solid-State Drive) - 240GB and 480GB models - or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive)

 The B2 has an SD Card - typically 8GB or 16GB - which holds the operating software. The B2 loads this each time you power it on - the red and green LEDs flash alternatively to indicate this is happening. The only time music is stored on the SD Card is when Aux In mode is used to record  (personally, I have never done this intentionally, but I have seen a small number of GB used on it with none of the 480GB on the SSD used.  Probably when I was in confusion.)

 Currently we refer to, and the menus show HDD or Hard Disk but this really means HDD or SSD.

 All B2s have a SD card, the main purpose of which is to hold the operating system. For the main music storage, they also have either a HDD (hard disk) or SSD (solid state) drive. Some newer B2s do have SSDs, but I seem to remember that the larger capacity new ones still use HDDs. No matter, there is always one card and one drive."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finally,  after trying to carefully figure out all of the information I thought was relevant to my initial project

i.e.  A desire to copy to my restored 2010 JB7, in WAV, all the music files held on my B2 SSD (as FLAC).

I thought that , in theory, at least, would be to:

on the B2, in Settings/Compression/ Select FLAC, FLAC + MP3...............or none (WAV)

selected "none (WAV).  To change all the FLAC files on the B2 to WAV.  (I hold all the FLAC files on a backup Seagate drive to let the B2 get them back.)

However, I have already hit a snag.   According to info no compression has happened yet.  

Will have to check out what is going on again.

Regards

iain

PS  Had a bit of the brain fog since the 2 vaccines (which will be nameless) so forgive any nonsense.

[Iain]

OK, tried this on both the B2 480GB SSD and the B2  500GB HDD.

Settings/Compression (select none (WAV))/Compress now (enters Standby and starts compression) - "He would say that wouldn't he?" 

Nothing....................................(both of them).

iain

[Mark Fishman]

Iain:

Files that have already been compressed (i.e., they are currently FLAC or MP3) will not be UNcompressed when you select WAV (no compression). The settings of FLAC, MP3, and WAV refer only to uncompressed files added (or still present) after you make the change to the setting.

The only setting that will act on existing files is the FLAC+MP3 setting: that will create a "shadow" folder structure that contains MP3 files (at 128kbps) of existing FLAC files. That setting is intended for creating additional copies of your music in a format that is more likely to fit on, say, a portable music player, or work better in an automobile, than the FLAC files (which can be large, and/or incompatible with car sound systems).

As to uncompressing your FLAC files back to their original WAV form: I haven't used Switch, but I do use a free Windows program called foobar2000. It is a music player program wit built-in conversion capability. It can convert whole directories of music from one format ("source") to another ("destination"), preserving the file structure and names. I wouldn't try it on all 11000 files at once -- maybe work in smaller bites? at least until I was sure I had things set up correctly. I could send some screen images with how I would do what you need, if you are still interested in making the effort.

Keep in mind, though, that Peter Lowham (on this forum) has found the JB7 to be very picky about what machine created the top level directories if it is to accept that you have given it a "backup" disk. I don't have a JB7, so I take his word that even if two USB sticks look alike to the human eye, they might not both be accepted, depending on whether the JB7 created the top-level directories or not.

All best wishes - m.

[fred.w....@gmail.com]

Just to keep things simple - perhaps we should stop referring to the underlying technology (SD Card and HDD/SSD) and use the terms

----------------------------------

Internally the Brennan B2 has two, separate, physical, data storage devices,

A small "System Disk" - where the operating software is located

and

a larger "Music Disk"  - where the Music files are located.
--------------------------------------

Fred

[Mark Fishman]

Other people here use a program called dbpoweramp; I think the paid version has similar capabilities to foobar2000, and might have an added feature that wuld be more convenient (apparently it can delete the original file after converting from one format to another). Maybe someone else can confirm this? -- m.

[Daniel Taylor]

I agree with Fred about the need to clarify what disk we're referring to.  The current documentation on the Brennan website has been shown to be very confusing to those who are not already in the know.  If one does not already know what SD and SSD stand for, then confusing the two is no surprise, especially when SSD is still referred to as HDD.

Brennan must make the changes, then we can easily follow.

[Iain]

Ok, guys, thanks for your input again, am most grateful.

I, personally, am now OK with the term SSD in any Brennan menu, guidance, etc.  

Mark,

Many thanks for your post and I was particularly taken by the following points (in bold):

Files that have already been compressed (i.e., they are currently FLAC or MP3) will not be UNcompressed when you select WAV (no compression).............. 

You know, in all the turmoil, I had actually forgotten that my FLAC files were already compressed??  However, I think some of you will understand why I thought I might get WAVs back by using the following process: 

Settings/Compression (select none (WAV))

As to uncompressing your FLAC files back to their original WAV form: I haven't used Switch, but I do use a free Windows program called foobar2000. 

I found Switch a nightmare, but I suspect many of my music files, though they play well in FLAC mode on both B2s, or with Windows Media Player iirc, are polluted (for the JB7, at least) with terms like diskart, toc, some album, some artist, etc. etc.

So I may have a look at foobar2000 - thanks for pointing it out.

Cheers for now, all.

iain

[JFBUK]

Hi Mark,

to answer your question on deletion of the original file by dBpoweramp after conversion.

It will do this but the option is somewhat esoterically buried in one of the Digital Signal Processing (DSP)  options

https://www.dbpoweramp.com/Help/dMC/dsp.htm

I know Iain does not like dBpoweramp though (cf earlier in this thread)

John

[Iain]

John,

Just refreshed myself on meaning of esoteric......

Indispensable term  "esoterically buried" for the uninitiated using a new and unfamiliar software - many thanks!

By the way, I do HATE Options - am I the only one who repeatedly picks a wrong un'?

regards

iain

[Mark Fishman]

Iain, you are not alone in any of your difficulties. I think now is a good time to introduce what ought to be a joke, but actually is an accurate description: Unix documentation has long been described by the acronym (really an abbreciation, but we geeks try to pronounce it; but I digress) COIAK, which stands for "Clear Only If Already Known".

Unfortunately COIAK also describes menus, options, and prompts in systems with scanty or completely lacking documentation.

From long experience, personal preference, and a bit of OCD, when I encounter an option that I have doubts about in any program, these days I do an Internet search and read at least three articles about it. Some programs have decent on-line help, and need less background reading than others. But as much software nowadays is documented (if at all) by the program author, there's an unavoidable human tendency to assume that much of what the author already knows is also known by other people.

Those of us who have been "in the business", even peripherally, know (a) that's never true, and (b) fortunately one doesn't remain a "newbie" for very long.

Screenshots and handholding from someone who's been there before can help get over hurdles. Don't be afraid to ask; exact text of error messages helps us help you.

Oh, and the command line can be your friend -- an annoying friend sometimes.

[Iain]

Hey, Mark,

Nice frank reply.  Very open of you and helpful.  COIAK, love it.

I will bear in mind your kind offer about assistance.

Warm regards,

iain