Playing With Beolink PC2/Beoport and old Mac…

76 replies

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matador

BronzeModerator

2424 posts

Posted January 17, 2023 at 12:28 GMT ? Edited January 17, 2023 at 12:28 GMT

#687122

Hi Guys, In the wake of our experiments with the Beolink Converter 1611, I felt like it could be funny to play also wit the Beoport/PC2 since it apparently can act as a computer drove Audiomaster. Few things first: - I'm not a Masterlink user and quit ignorant about it. - I'm a Mac guy - There is a lot of things I believe I know but I don't so please excuse some mistakes and fell free to correct them. Ok, so I could have wait to have interesting things to tell, meaning starting to experiment, before posting, but going back in time makes you understand how fast things move in technologie and how slow technology was before. Then I start to post while the computer os is updating to the last sub-version it's version. The computer will be a Mac mini 2.1 (Core 2 Duo, 2 Go of RAM, spinning drive) under Snow Leopard (10.6.8). I've now BM-link and Linkplayer (Thank you E). I plan to add a Beoport as soon as I'll be sure it will not be useless. So far, just starting the computer and lauching Link player for the first time, without any setting-up make it scan the iTunes library allows to play music by selecting N.MUSIC and browsing (a little bit in the blind…) through album, playlist or artists. Selscting N.RADIO, makes to my great surprise play radios. Actually the radios I usually listen to. I think this can be related to the Webradios that were setup in iTunes (this computer was my old home mediacenter). But here is the weird thing: iTunes is no more present on the computer. Actually it is but it is crossed out like a corrupted app. I'm unable to play CDs or control LinkPlayer with the Apple remote even after selecting it in the preference. Last thing, the sound (output from the computer speaker) is chopped. And the full screen interface of LinkPlayer is Beautiful. For anyone wondering, the goal is to have that old Mac mini driving a Beolab 3500 though the PC2 with Beo4 remote control, if possible without screen. To be continued.

Location: Paris France

Guy

GoldModerator

4508 posts

Posted January 17, 2023 at 12:34 GMT

#697962

I am looking forward to this thread! (I'd also much prefer for you to buy a Beoport than for me to buy a mac! ?)

Location: Warwickshire, UK

My B&O Icons:

matador

BronzeModerator

2424 posts

Posted January 17, 2023 at 12:36 GMT

#697963

Location: Paris France

Madskp

Gold

1759 posts

Posted January 17, 2023 at 13:09 GMT

#697970

I also have A Beoport and an old Mac, so I might have to dust these of to join this thread too

Location: Denmark

matador

BronzeModerator

2424 posts

Posted January 17, 2023 at 14:16 GMT

#697975

Ok further experiments still with no Beoport. Got the remote to work: the fact it was used by Kodi must have interfered. Cancelled it in Kodi and now it works with Linkplayer. I updated Snow Leopard to 1.6.8. This did made the iTunes app come back to life and as expected, the N.RADIO I had were from web radio Playlists. I need to understand why N.RADIO, list Playlists and not actual web radios from iTunes. Maybe preference settings on LinkPlayer. By inserting a CD in the computer and linking CD from Linkplayer to iTunes CD in the preferences, I get the CD and full CD track list showing up in Linkplayer. Navigation between tracks, playlists, etc… Navigation in general is not really obvious. Between delays (computer is slow and so may be the software) and doubts leading to multiple hectic clics, sometimes it get a little confused. I must calm down. Whats amazed me is that when something plays, I find the display, neat, clear, very B&O and with a lot of data showing. Really, in Masterlink times, this thing must have been a really ground breaking and magical piece of equipment. Lucky you all who did enjoy this. I had the hope to be able to control the iTune library with the iTunes remote app, thrust the PC input of Linkplayer, to be able to browse easily the music collection but Apple, drop the support for home sharing on old systems, so now it must be the Mac mini by itself, with the Beo4 only, hopefully. Here I am.

Location: Paris France

matador

BronzeModerator

2424 posts

Posted January 17, 2023 at 16:08 GMT ? Edited January 17, 2023 at 16:08 GMT

#697982

Moving On. I'm starting to see the "fuzzy" logic behind remote control of LinkPlayer. I don't blame the software, I'l still using it in a very degraded mode: Apple remote and no Beoport. What I can get and I would like to is to map A.AUX on LinkPlayer with the AUDIO IN from the Mac. Looks like possible from the menu but don't actually work.

Location: Paris France

Madskp

Gold

1759 posts

Posted January 17, 2023 at 19:16 GMT

#697996

Location: Denmark

Madskp

Gold

1759 posts

Posted January 17, 2023 at 19:39 GMT

#697997

I now have the BM link software (v1.5) up and running with the Beoport connected and a pair of headphones in the Beoport. I can control Itunes music play/pause/skip/next album and volume with a BEO4, so guess my hardware part of the setup is working. I just realized that the Built in speakers in the Imac is redundant in this setup when the sound output is connected to the Beoport, but then again a pair of Beolabs can do better than the built ins anyday

Location: Denmark

matador

BronzeModerator

2424 posts

Posted January 17, 2023 at 20:07 GMT ? Edited January 17, 2023 at 20:21 GMT

#697999

A little bit of philosophy… Fiddling with old stuff… If it works you're so happy. I was amazed that it worked straight on. Installed, launched, ear music even if not through Beoport, not to mention this so cool and familiar dot matrix font… Then you start to have "needs": I need to listen to the AUX.IN, I need to be able to choose that album I didn't listen for years but I want to listen to now… Even more, I want to understand how it works. Because it works but not as I expect (capital I is an emphasis that English speaking people will miss). And now here you are: why doesn't it work? Because I'm using hardware from the previous century? Because your network is not 2.4 or 5.0 or a/b/c/d/g/n compliant? Or maybe it is but you have too much "things" on it (how that?). Because even if that hardware still seems to works, it is so slow it looks like it don't? Like parsing the megagigabyte library you built when terabytes became cheap. Because I lack the logic behind using Masterlink and all its subtleties? Because I'm just trying to grim a… Citroen into a Mercedes (just don't have left studies in third class…). Well, in fact it "does not work" enough for me to drop it. It works enough for me to continue even if in the end it will be useless. God, I'd like to have MLGWLNL problems and SPDIFIAA mysteries, But I can't so here I am, wondering if it's all stuck just because Mac mini's USB is only 1.5 and not Terapotatoes kind… I now remember a quote from a valuable member here, in a topic about "whatever-online-hirez-music-provider" who said: "I just stand up my chair, flip the record, and have all the electronic bits I can hear". Please take this as a joke and nothing more, because… … "This is Beoworld"

Location: Paris France

Madskp

Gold

1759 posts

Posted January 17, 2023 at 20:31 GMT

#698001

I see your frustration when things are not working as you think it should, and then even on an old and slow computer. my earlier experience with the Beoport was with the Windows software from B&O which I found frustrating to use. At the time I didnt have any other Masterlink products, and was used to Winamp for listening to music on the PC, so I might not have seen the benefits. My first impression with this BM link is much better, and from your pictures Linkplayer seems to have much more functionality (not that more is always better). So im optimistic. One advantage in my system might be that I re installed the Imac a couple of years ago for some other experiment, so its almost a new installation

Location: Denmark

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