Need Mac Mini Server set up advice

Thanks Clio09. That helped a bunch. Although XLD was running, loading the CD and then selecting "open audio cd" got the GUI to show up. I had a cd in the machine from the start. That must've been the problem.
It did not take as long as I expected to rip the cd. I have EAC on my HP laptop and ripping takes a bit longer from what I recall (haven't used since I got the mini).
Now I have to decide whether or not I need to re-rip the 5000+ songs to make sure rips are accurate.

I had a similar issue with XLD as well. The way it works on my MacBook at this point is I moved the XLD icon to the dock. When I click on it you can the drop down menus on the top navigation bar next to the Apple icon. Then when you load a CD in the slot drive the GUI engages. You can also open the audio CD via the File drop down menu. It takes a little getting used to but I find it very useful.

Might start a new thread for this but I downloaded the XLD suggested above and damned if I can get anything to happen with it. XLD.app was moved to applications and seems to be running but I never see the general GUI. What am I missing?

+1 Try as many as you can.

Amarra is very good, but considerably more expensive than Pure Music. I would sample both before making your software purchase.

Just get Amarra for playback and XLD for ripping. Here are links and other tips:

http://www.empiricalaudio.com/computer-audio/

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

These are the recommendations from Eric at DB Audio Labs

2010 Mac Mini tweak list:

- Use USB port #2, second port from the center, counting from left to right looking at the back of the 2010 Mini
- Rip all CD's in AIFF format WITH the error correction box checkmarked !
- Turn off all mic and input sections on computer via Audio Midi
- Use 44.1 sampling rate via Audio Midi
- Have all external music via an EXTERNAL Firewire - best we've heard thus far - Oyen HD which uses the Oxford 943 controller web link:

http://oyendigital.com/firewire-800-usb-hard-drive.html

- A/B every Firewire cables you may have on hand, most open sounding with the most ambience is the best ( anything with a ferrites on the cable suck the life out of the sound)
- Use the "outside 800 port" on the Oyen FW HD it sound cleaner and more spacious than the other port.
- Determine direction of the FW cable you are using, one direction will sound cleaner.
- Determine polarity to orient Mini power plug on back (the direction that has the most space and the least grunge is the better)
- Do NOT NOT plug Mini into any power conditioning, power filtering as it actually sounds best plugged into the wall
- Use Amarra or Pure Music player ....download both free trials, compare both, also compare iTunes then after 15 days pick one that suit your system the best.
- Add SSD drive to internal of Mac Mini (the new $100 OWC 40 gig Mercury Extreme Pro is fairly amazing)
- Run the Mini via 64 bit force (hold down on the 6 and 4 keys while rebooting....until fully re-booted keep hold those keys down!
- Kill the memory resident programs running in the background (instructions below)

#1--------------Turn your journaling off -

1. Open "Disk Utility" (located in Applications/Utilities).
2. Highlight the name Macintosh HD on the left side of choices
3. To disable journaling, press Option key on keyboard, WHILE HOLDING ON TO the OPTION key - select disable journaling from the top of your screen on the file menu.

#2 ----------------Turn your Dashboard off:

Open the utility program called "Terminal" (in Applications)

Type EXACTLY as written below (all spaces included, EXACTLY as written caps, spaces, dots and dashes !!!)
defaults write com.apple.dashboard mcx-disabled -boolean YES
Hit your enter key

Now type in the next command EXACTLY as written "D" in the word dock is CAPITALIZED
killall Dock
Hit your enter -

Note: Your dashboard will now no longer open on your front desktop page.... and be constantly using your memory ;-)

#3 -----------Eliminate constant searching (memory usage) of your spotlight searching program

Click on the spotlight (the magnifying glass symbol at the top right of your computer screen)

At the bottom of the spotlight list, click on "spotlight preferences"

Now, uncheck EVERYTHING uncheck (nothing should be checked)

close out preferences

(Please note, your computer will not allow you to find ANYTHING with your spotlight search bar until you GO BACK to Spotlight preferences from your applications, open spotlight and then re-check the areas you want spotlight to search in your computer when you want it to search via that program).

#4 ...............Create quit turn off function for finder

Adds a Quit option to the Finder drop down menu

Open /Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app

type the following EXACTLY caps, spaces and all

defaults write com.apple.finder QuitMenuItem 1 - return key then

killall Finder

www.ultrafi.biz

Try this site:

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=51326.0

Try the Ultrafi website.

Aw118,

There is plenty of information out there. You can surf these sites.

Thewelltemperedcomputer

Thecomputeraudiophile

USBdacs

Audioasylum PC audio forum

plenty of information out there.