old fogey

Hi Steve, and many thanks for your offer - I have emailed you, and don't be alarmed by my strange email address, and don't ask why or how I got it !! I'm currently downloading EAC, and will be trying it shortly ! Steve

Steve N. What is a ramdisk or flashdrive ? I have 2x 1tb hard drives to store my music on - is that not good enough ? Why EAC - I am using dBpoweramp to rip my cd's in WAV format, with secure mode, so errors ought to be checked. How do I unmap Kmixer, or use Kernel streaming ? Many thanks, and by the way, I am almost on the 'D's now - only another 15 'C's to go !

Olive - sadly, no kisses and love this time, but I'll survive.... OK, I am using XP. My pc is a new build, full of power and now, thanks to your help, ASIO4ALL. I have winamp, but will look at J River etc too. I was a Naimee - however, my gear is now modified Naim - does the name Avondale mean anything - it is modified Naim gear, meaning I have gone from a top of the range Naim to a low range-with-modifications that sounds better than the old stuff.. Anyway, I digress. Having gone past ripping the Bay City Rollers - now on the Carpenters, I'll have you know, I may need to look at DACS - However, I have no money, having been off work for a year now due to illness (too many drugs as a youth, and too many motorbike accidents, meaning too many bad bones and being in the building trade, thats not a good thing !) Where do I start looking at DACS ? I'll take another look at Larry's post about configuring windows - I am so new to computers it is scary - I built this one, but have no idea other than fitting the bits together that I really need my hand held, as so much of the language is way above me.. My fans are silent, my cpu can be undervolted without problem, but I need t get it all set up and working first - one of my main problems is that I don't understand the jargon.. As before, many thanks for so much help - It is much appreciated ! Steve

Olive, Firstly, anyone who replies to me for the first time and signs off with love and kisses is bound sure to be listened to, and clearly has taste (good or otherwise)... I like you lots ! Yes, sound quality is important (why else would I have spent 3 months income on a new cartridge for the turntable.. ? ) I am ripping using dBpoweramp, in 'secure' mode, so correcting errors (I hope..) I have now downloaded some ASIO software, and am trying to get it sorted, while also setting up winamp as a media player. So far, much of what you have said (changing settings in windows leaves me quaking) but I have no idea what settings to change, or how (see, a true product of the geek speak fear factor - and I call myself a man...!) What difference will these ASIO changes make ? I think I have followed the instructions, but am rather out of my depth here ! Many thanks for your help, and love, kisses and a big hug too ! Steve

Firstly, many thanks for all the replies so far ! Now, a couple more questions - why go wireless ? Does the apple airport express connect to the pre-amp ? My pre-amp does not have a headphone socket ! Are wireless connections good enough (I don't yet have a network, partly as my house has 400mm thick walls, but I do have a router waiting for me to try soon) The pc will be kept near the pre-amp, so connecting it is not a problem. Why use itunes ? I am continueing to rip in WAV format - I have 2tb of storage on the pc, and a further 1tb in a NAS (which I have yet to collect, plus a 750gb external hard drive. I plan to add a further 1 or maybe 2x 1tb hard drives if needed (I want to keep a copy of everything for safety) as I spent enough on the stereo to warrant keeping everything as good as it can be. I wondered about using a slimserver, as from what I can see, it is the interface between my pc (ie music) and my stereo, meaning no monitor need be used. My soundcard was regarded as prety good a few years ago, so is a new soundcard necessary, or will the line level output be good enough to use direct into my pre ? Sorry there are so many questions, but again, many thanks for all the replies !

Phew - Thanks for putting my worried mind at rest Tim...! I'll see what Chris has to say before doing too many more though...

You don't trust windows - does that mean I ought to be saving my music in another format ?? I have spent 2 days and am still on the 'b's - don't tell me I need to start again...??

Hello, It seems that so many of the topics I have read have started with "I am new to all this" - Well, I am too ! So, is there a beginners guide, in simple non-techno language, that can answer all those silly questions that I am likely to ask over the next few weeks ? I am currently ripping my cd's to the pc (using dBpoweramp cd ripper) in WAV format, and hope to play some back via my M-Audio 24/79 (?) soundcard into my modified Naim Audio stereo. Am I doing anything wrong so far, and any thoughts as to tips or hints..? In case there is already a guide that I have missed, apologies - my internet access is slow and limited (I am in southern Spain, where we have no phone land line, limited mobile phone access, and internet comes via a microwave system that fails as soon as the wind blows, sun shines, or rain falls..!) Thanks The old fogey