Kazoo User Guide for Windows 8 onwards & iMac 10.11 onwards

Overview

Install locations:

Windows 10/11 (installed via Microsoft Store)

Windows 8 updates are no longer available after Kazoo V4.12.6 due to Microsoft restrictions

El Capitan (OSX 10.11), Sierra (OSX 10.12), High Sierra (OSX 10.13), Mojave (OSX 10.14) or Catalina (OSX 10.15) : (installed via Mac Apps Store)

Kazoo provides simple and intuitive way to play music all around your home.

You can view your Music sources content without stopping what you are listening to.

Kazoo has been designed to control Linn DS systems and Kazoo Server. Kazoo will also work with 3rd party UPnP/AV media servers, but for the best music experience, we recommend using Kazoo with Kazoo Server.

Release history

Windows Kazoo History shows changes in the Windows Store Kazoo software
MAC Kazoo History shows changes in the Mac OSX Kazoo software

Installation

System Requirements

Mac

• El Capitan-10.11 > onwards (including OSX Monterey 10.16)
• 64-bit hardware

Windows

• Windows 10/11
• 32 or 64-bit hardware

Installing

Mac

• Select "Linn Kazoo" from theApple App store

Windows

• Select "Linn Kazoo" from the Microsoft App Store

Operation

Kazoo has support for homes that have multiple DS systems. Each system in the home should be given a unique room name. A system's room name can be configured using Linn Konfig.

Press the Playback control bar or the Playlist contents button to exit this.

Settings

Click then
Note You may have to scroll through the sources

This will let you select the UPnP Media servers to display on the Sources list, Register your Linn Products and report any issues/improvements to Linn Products.

Note: Verbose Logging should be turned off, this is only for Linn diagnostic purposes

APP SETTINGS/Tidal Voucher

Browse Views

If your Media server will allow it, this will change the format that your Media is listed

Subnets

If you have more than one network available, e.g. Wifi,wired LAN, VPN..etc, this will allow you to select which network you want Kazoo to connect to.

Rescan Network

To refind any Linn DS/DSM products on your network. (In some networks the Wifi may go to sleep and stop Kazoo from finding Linn DS/DSM products. This will force a rescan to find out if they are there)

Report to Linn

This will allow you to report any issues or suggest any improvements to the Linn Kazoo app.

Feed Override

For Linn external testing only

Register your Linn Products/Tidal Voucher
If you register your Linn DS/DSM product and this Linn DS/DSM has not previously had a Tidal Radio trial you will be given a voucher code for Tidal radio.

MEDIA SERVERS

This will allow you to select which UPnP Media servers can be seen, or ignored, by the Linn Kazoo app.

DEVICE UPDATES

This will tell you if the Linn DS/DSM has a update available and if the update can be performed by the Kazoo App or the Konfig App

PRIVACY

To improve the quality of our software and products this App may send some anonymous information on how the Linn Kazoo app is configured and used. Plus give Linn Products any failure information of this Kazoo app.
These can be disabled at your request on this page.

LINN ACCOUNT

This is used to add/remove Linn DS/DSM products from your Linn Account
Note: You only need to access this to add or remove products from your account. You do NOT need to log in this account to use the Kazoo App, this is only for your account administration.

Navigation

The button will return you to the sources screen

Select Room

1. To show the room selection dialogue click at the top of the screen

2. Click on the desired room name

• The currently selected room is highlighted in white
• When moving between rooms the music will continue to play
• Rooms in standby will have their standby button greyed out

To turn all systems off click

The indicates that at least one room has permanent Grouping.

Playback controls

This provides the playback controls, play/pause/stop, skip forwards and skip backwards for the selected room.

Volume controls

To open the volume control dialogue:-

Provides volume controls for the selected room.

1. Click and rotate clockwise on the dial to turn the volume up; alternatively click on the + button

2. Click and rotate anti-clockwise on the dial to turn the volume down; alternatively click on the - button

3. Click on the centre of the dial to toggle mute

• If rooms are Grouped the Master volume will affect all rooms
• The inner number shows the absolute volume value
• The outer dial shows the percentage that the current volume is of the volume limited volume

Now Playing and Full screen view

At the bottom of the screen is the Now Playing screen:

Press the Now Playing area to get the full screen:

Press the V in the top , to exit back to previous layout

Sources-Home screen page

To see the Music feeds/inputs available

Local music library - "My Music"

Linn DS systems can play music from computers and network attached storage (NAS) units on your home network through an additional piece of software, a UPnP Media server, This can be Kazoo Server, MinimServer, Asset UPnP, Twonky... etc

• Organisation of music depends on the quality of the information contained in the music tracks
• To view music stored in a different library on your home network go to settings and select your new Media Server/library
  
  
• You will can have many of these icons, each icon showing you the each UPnP Media server, (music source), you have on your computer network.

My Playlists

You can save and recall Playlists with Kazoo.

This will show you the Playlists you have saved on the PC/iMac. You can select the whole Playlist of tracks within each Playlist.

Radio

Linn DS systems come with a variety of preselected regional stations which can be configured using Linn Konfig for the TuneIn region. Or Kloud Konfig to configure for Tunein or airable presets

Tunein presets:

You can also use your Tunein account name for your own preset list. This can be performed using Kazoo TuneIn icon or via the Tunein website

presets:

Use you Linn Account to access your Airable - Linn Account saved presets. (See next section below on how to add stations)

• Linn DS systems can play internet radio through radio preset's.
• Click of this button to view the radio preset available.
• Press the Radio station that you want to listen to.

airable

This allows you to browse through all of the stations available from airable.

You can navigate and select your station and add the Radio Preset list for easier selection in the future.

• Click of this button to view the Local stations, HIgh quality.....
• Press the Radio station that you want to listen to.

To add a Radio station to your Favourites / DS Radio listing then do a Search:

 and on the desire Radio station click the 

and select "Favourite" from the options:

These "Favourite" station are now shown in the and also be selected using your IR handset and Linn DS/DSM front panel controls.

TuneIn

This allows you to browse through all of the stations available from TuneIn.

You can navigate and select your station and add the Radio Preset list for easier selection in the future.

• Click of this button to view the regions and station available.
• Press the Radio station that you want to listen to.

The TuneIn account that is used is setup in Konfig

To add a Radio station to your Favourites / DS Radio listing then do a Search:

 and on the desire Radio station click the 

and select "Favourite" from the options:

Tidal

If a Tidal streaming account has not been assigned to Kazoo or your Linn DS, you will get the Login screen to enter your Username and Password for your Tidal account.

• You can select any New tracks, list Music by Genre, Playlists or check out your own account favourites in "My Tidal"

Qobuz

If a Qobuz streaming account has not been assigned to Kazoo or your Linn DS, you will get the Login screen to enter your Username and Password for your Qobuz account.

• You can Discover new Music, select you purchased Music (If you have a Qobuz HiFi Sublime account this can be played in Studio Master quality) or check out your own account favourites in "My Qobuz"

Spotify

This select this input on the Linn DS/DSM and direct you to use the Spotify app.

Click here for instructions on how to connect the Linn DS/DSM to Spotify.

Calm Radio

For Calm Radio sounds. Select from 'Categories' a genre of Music followed by a 'Style'

Click the to select "Play Now", "Pin", "Favourite" or "Info"

External inputs

&

Linn DSM systems can play audio from external sources. To listen to an external source select the tile with the source's name from the homepage.

Source names can be configured using Linn Konfig

• Visible sources that are still using the factory default name
• If a source is not being used, we recommend removing it from the Kazoo by setting its Visibility to false in Konfig

Pins

• This allows you to quickly select "Pins". These Pin activities can be: Radio stations, Linn DS/DSM inputs, Playlists on Tidal/Qobuz/Calm Radio, etc...
• The Pins are created by selecting the PIN on the source icon , playlist icon . icon etc.

e.g

• This will then open a pop-up screen to ask which Pin you want to assign this to. (Icon without the PIN symbol cannot be assigned a pin.)

• Once you have assigned an action for a PIN number, this can then be selected by:

• the PIN section in Kazoo or
• via an Linn IR handset. Press and HOLD the PIN number on the IR handset numeric key, the Linn DS/DSM will do the assigned action for that Pin number.
• If you have a Linn Selekt DSM you can select the PINS from the front panel buttons.

• Within the Pins page you will find and button.

• This is to:

1. Enable/disable any Shuffle function on playlists,
2. Deleting any Pins or
3. Moving swapping pin numbers with other pin numbers

PIN FAQs:

• We currently support pinning from Kazoo Server (V4.9.8 onwards) , Tidal, Qobuz, TuneIn, CalmRadio, DS radio presets, and Linn DSM external inputs

• This is only applicable with Linn DS/DSM players with Davaar 64 or higher firmware

• This currently does NOT support Pins to external pre-amplifier inputs, such as Akurate Kontrol, Kisto etc.

• PINs use discrete IR codes and are not used with any other Linn Product control.

• PINS for Radio stations are wrongly created with Kazoo V4.13.21, this has been fixed with next version 4.13.22. If you have created a Radio station PIN and it doesn't work, check you have a later version of Kazoo and re-assign this PIN to the correct radio station.

Searching

Search can be used to look for music within when using KazooServer or UPnP compliant Media server with this search facility.

: To search and enter the desired, partial or full, search term

As you enter the search term, matching results will being to appear.

• Search results are grouped into categories, Albums, Artists, Classical and Tracks
• There is a number of results for each category are shown in brackets after the category label
• Albums shows albums whose title contains the search term
• Artists shows artists whose name contains the search term
• Classical shows composers whose name contains the search term
• Tracks show tracks where any piece of track 'information' contains the search term

Managing the playlist

Adding to the Playlist

Within the Music Source when you select some Music you will see the Play Now, Play Later and More buttons.

Press on the Album listing you will see the Play Now, Play Later and More buttons. This will add all of the Album tracks onto the Playlist

Press the More and you get more options of Play next, Play later, Add to.. and Album info / Track info

PLAY NOW play the first track, (or first track in Album or saved Playlist), immediately

PLAY LATER will add the track,(or Album or saved Playlist) to the END of the current Playlist.

PLAY NEXT will add the track,(or Album or saved Playlist), to be the next track to Play (as long as you are not in Shuffle mode)

Add to.. add the track,(or Album), to the selected saved Playlist.

If available, reports the Album information provided by the Music source

If available, reports the track information provided by the Music source

To select multiple tracks, press on the right side of MORE button and selection multiple tracks. Then use the Play now, Play next, Play later at the bottom of the page

Playlist editing

A typical user will not need to manipulate the playlist as queue music will take care of itself, playing in the order selected by the user.

Click to view the playlist

Clearing the playlist

To delete to whole Playlist:

All tracks will be removed from the currently selected room's playlist.

To delete individual tracks:

and delete each track using followed by the button

Shuffle and Repeat

Shuffle and Repeat controls can be found in the playlist dialogue

To play tracks in the playlist in a random order -Shuffle turns blue when enabled

To repeat the playlist after the last track has played click - Repeat turns blue when enabled

Saving a Playlist

You can Save playlists using the Save button located on the Playlist dialogue

The saved playlists can be found in the My Playlists section on the Source page

Dynamic grouping of rooms

Linn DS systems provides the ability to play different music in every room in the house, play the same music in all rooms or play the same music in a subset of rooms.

All rooms grouped together play the same music in perfect synchronisation.

1. Press the [Room Name] at the top of the screen

2. On the Room you wish to share to Music from press the button (If this button is not listed then there are no rooms to group or are already setup for Permanent Grouping)

e.g.

In this case share the Morning room

3. Check the rooms you want to add to the group

• You can choose to either:
  • select and play the music you want and then group additional rooms
  • or group rooms then select and play music
• Rooms added to a group will immediately start playing music in perfect synchronisation

Note:

If this does not work, use the Linn Konfig software and check that all of the Linn DS/DSM products have:

"Songcast Sender" > "Enabled" - YES

"Sources" > "- Songcast" > "Visible" = YES

Permanent grouping of rooms

A permanent room is a room that plays the same music as another room but does not appear as a selectable room. An example of this behaviour is an open plan area with the Kitchen connected to a Lounge. In most situations a listener would want both rooms to play the same music but be able to control the volume in each room independently.

To make a room a permanently part of a group you need to configure your Linn system using Konfig. To add a room to as a permanent member of a group you must configure the name of the room's Receiver source, (it's default name is Songcast), to be that of the group.

1. Go into Konfig and select the Room that will always be the source of the Music, we will call this the "sender" room
2. Select the Device tab and copy the "Room" name
3. Now in Konfig go into the Room that you always want listening to the "Sender" Room
4. Select the *Sources* tab in this "listening" room and select the Songcast input
5. Paste the Name of the "sender" (from point 1.) into the Songcast name
6. On this Songcast input make sure that "Visible" is set to Yes

In our example of a Morning Room, called "Morning room", with open plan Kitchen, called "Kitchen", you would configure the name of the Kitchen's Songcast source name "Morning Room". Rooms:

• If a permanently grouped room is not playing the same as the group click and ensure the room is "ticked"

• The permanent grouped icon will only be visible if there is a permanently grouped room associated with the currently selected room
• Rooms that are permanently grouped do not appear as a selectable room.

FAQ

Kazoo states "Waiting for Room...."

First basic points to check:

1. Click on the Kazoo "Waiting for Room..." Rooms selection and see if any other room are listed. (Your Room name may have changed but Kazoo is looking for the old room name).
   
2. Is the Linn DS/DSM power on? (that is, is there mains power to the Linn DS/DSM and is it switched on. (Do not dismiss this as this is a very common issue)).
   
3. check is the Settings of the Kazoo App: (this may be setup to connect to a different LAN/Network than your Linn DS/DSM is connected to)

• Windows 7 and upto MAC OSX 10.10
• Windows 8/10/11 and MAC OSX 10.11 onwards
• Android devices
• Apple iPhone/iPad

(If your device running Kazoo also has a VPN, make sure that the VPN IP address is not selected)

If you are still having issues, try the following:

1. Power cycle (Mains OFF, wait 30seconds, Mains ON), the Linn DS/DSM and then quit/exit the Kazoo App and re-open the Kazoo App.

2. If your PC/MAC has multiple network connections, (wired and wireless/Wifi). Disable one of them so you are ONLY using wired Ethernet or wireless Ethernet. Restart the control point (PC/MAC/iPhone/Android etc) and check operation.

2.1. Some device may have VPN software installed. Make sure that you do NOT use this connection. (A sample of some VPN packages available are: Nord VPN, Tunnel bear, Hide.me......)

3. Some Network DHCP servers/switches can block UPnP communication or get confuased with their state. This may have been due to an hidden software update on your Router or has enhanced security enabled to block the communications used by the Linn DS/DSM to the Kazoo App.

If possible try the Linn DS/DSM on a different LAN/Network and see if this allows for connection.

Also if the Router/DHCP Server has the scheduled reboot option then set this to Reboot every 7days.

4. On more advanced network setup check the IGMP snooping. This should be set to OFF. (IGMP snooping has different interpretations in some network kit manufacturers. This causes Unicast/multicast broadcasts to be lost over time).

5. You may have different Anti-Virus & firewall packages from the Windows default, (such as Norton, McAfee, etc) ensure that these have the above files with exceptions as per their Manual, plus check the UPnP port. [1]

6. Try another control point, to check the operation of your PC that is WIRED to the LAN/network. That is, NOT using Wifi/Wireless.

a) If you can use Wired LAN connections with no issue then check for any power saving configuration, such as Green settings, DISABLE these to keep the Wifi alive all of the time. (If the Wifi is a sleep, the Kazoo/Linn App will only wake up the Wifi and any discovery broadcast is lost)>

In Kazoo you can go into Settings and "Rescan Network", this will force a rediscover and suspect that is Wifi sleep issue.

7. SKY-Q has been known to saturate your ethernet network and cause discovery problems. Check | Discussion topic: SkyQ interferes with Internet causing slowdown and latency

8. If the App is still available for your control device try the KINSKY app to see if this works.

For further assistance, try our customer support pages. Detailing to our Customer Helpine team what you have tried from the above list and the results in each case.

I cannot see the Tidal, Qobuz or Tunein icon, how do I get them back?

You can make some of the icons invisible using the Konfig app.

1. Select you Linn DS/DSM using the Konfig CHANGE button
2. Go into Sources and select "+ Playlist"
3. Change the Visible to Yes
4. Click on another box after the Yes selection and now check your Kazoo App for Tidal, Qobuz etc

Volume control

VOLUME control greyed out

If you have recently upgraded your Kazoo to version 4.11.252, or later, and the Volume control option is greyed out then you will need to update the Firmware on your Linn DS/DSM players to Davaar60 or later using Linn Konfig

Pressing and holding Volume UP/DOWN on the IR handset will only change volume by 1 step

The batteries on the Remote handset are weak. Change the batteries and retry this operation

Pins not selecting the correct Radio station or sources etc

Using the Kazoo app if your Pins are not selecting the originally setup action then delete this Pin and re-assign its action.

The original Pin setting may be been setup in a beta/development, (Davaar 63) version of Linn DS firmware and may be incompatible with the current version of Davaar.

Also check the batteries on your IR handset are OK. (You need to Press and HOLD the PIN number on the older handsets and these may have weak batteries and stop sending for the 2 seconds required to select the PIN)

Information on how to setup a PIN is shown HERE

Twonky Media music greyed out or will not play

If you are looking at the Music and the Music cannot be added to the Playlist or is greyed out. But you may if you go to a PC/Mac and this does allow the same Music (or vice-versa) you will probably also using Twonkymedia.

The solution is to go in the Twonky Settings > Advanced > Media receivers and RESET LIST. Now retry the iPad Kazoo and it will probably now work.

Can I download Kazoo directly without going to the Microsoft or Apple Store?

The Kazoo app is a "signed" piece of software that is authorised to use the operating system system libraries. This signed software is only available from the applicable Apps stores.

The only unsigned Kazoo software is early versions of Kazoo, with limited features, is available from

Windows7

OSX 10.10

When I open up Kazoo I cannot see any Rooms/DS's

• Check the Kazoo Settings > Subnet are set to the same network as your Linn DS. (typically these are 192.168.***.***).
• Also on your Windows PC

• • Go into "Settings" > "Network & Internet" > "Change Connection properties"
  • Check that “Make this PC discoverable” is turned ON

Kazoo freezing/hanging on Windows PC

There have been reports that Kazoo keeps freezing/hanging and to get control back you have to quit Kazoo and restart it. This is because Windows is putting the network connection into sleep mode without telling Kazoo and causing poor communication.

• One way to stop this is to go into Device Manager (right click the Windows icon),
• Click on the “Network Adaptors”,
• then the “Power Management” tab and DISABLE the “Allow computer to turn off this device to save power”

Kazoo on MAC OSX keeps crashing

This maybe a setting conflict or another App within the MAC causing this to crash, First clear the setting within the MAC:

1. On MAC go into FINDER

2. Go > Go to Folder > ~/Library/Containers/uk.co.linn.KazooMac/Data/Library/Application Support/Linn Products Ltd

3. Delete the Kazoo folder.

4. Now try and run Kazoo

Is this doesn't work then contact the Linn Customer Support and so the following actions to get information to help debug the issues

1. On MAC go into FINDER

2. Go > Go to Folder > ~/Library/Containers/uk.co.linn.KazooMac/Data/Library/Application Support/Linn Products Ltd/Kazoo

3. Get copies, if they exist, of the files below and forward them to the Customer Helpline

Kazoo.crash

Settings.json

userLog.txt

4. Forward these file to Linn Customer Support

I keep getting Chinese characters in the room names etc on my MAC

Check the Language and Region settings on Mac Settings

Linn Customer Support

If you are still having issues trying to find your Linn DS/DSM using Kazoo then you can request Linn Customer Helpline assistance. (Please make sure that you try using the Kazoo app to find and control the Linn DS/DSM first, this action will send a usage log to help us trace what has gone wrong before we contact you.)

1. Go into Kazoo Settings
2. Select "Report to Linn" button
3. Select "Report a problem"
4. Give a summary of what is not working together with your name and contact details
5. Finally, press "Report to Linn"

You will then be given a "ticket" number for your issue. If you do not get a ticket number please do NOT repeat this action. There is a good probability that your ticket has been received but somewhere along the process Kazoo has not received the ticket number.