Songcast

What is Songcast?

Songcast is the method of transport for streaming STEREO audio data between a Songcast sender, (Linn DS/DSM, Songcast App), and Songcast receivers, (other Linn DS/DSM players listening to that sender DS - multiroom operation.)

The Songcast stream contains the raw unprocessed music stream, the metadata information for the Music playing and timing information.

• The raw music data is the same data as received by the sending Linn DS. This maintains the same music stream is processed by ALL Linn DS players, (sender and receivers).
  
  • As this Songcast music stream is untouched this leaves the receiving Linn DS/DSM to do its own volume control.
  • Volume, Space Optimisation and Exakt processing, if used, are all performed as a final process to minimise any digital processing.

• The timing information is used to ensure that the Linn DS/DSM players are in sync with the music sender.
  

How to Songcast

Initial Setup

• Your DS must be running Davaar 1 firmware or higher.
• You will require a Davaar compatible Linn Konfig to update and configure your DS
• You will require Davaar compatible control software to control your DS

Using Kinsky

• Insure you have installed Kinsky Davaar
• Select the Songcast source on a DS (similar to Playlist or Radio)
• Select the Songcast sender from the list that you wish to listen to

Using Kazoo

• Open Kazoo
• Select the room you wish to share:
  • Click on the Room selection box and press the + button
  • Now select the rooms that you want to Songcast to/Group to

An example of Windows10 Kazoo adding rooms is shown HERE

Using the handset

From Davaar 50>

• Go into Konfig and under Device and put "Auto Play" - ON
• Use the Kazoo App to group the relevant rooms together.
• Now you have grouped this room. Subsequent presses of the the REM020 IR handset Songcast button will reconnect that that previously grouped Linn DS/DSM

SONGCAST Soundcard on a PC/MAC

You can broadcast the audio that is playing on your PC/MAC to your Linn DS by using the software listed Here

• Songcast App setup

This audio is broadcast from your PC/MAC as dictated by your computers audio sub-system. For Windows7 this is typically 44.1k/16bit and for a OSX Lion 44.1k/16bit.(On a Mac check the "About this Mac" to find out the details)

Songcast FAQ's

I can only see one room to Songcast to..

If you have two or more DS's in the same system make sure that each DS has it own Room name. E.g. if you have 2 DS's with the name Main, then Songcast doesn't know which one to send it to. So check the Room names first'

When I watch a movie I cannot Songcast to another room

Songcast is a stereo only playback option. If you have your Linn DSM playing a Surround sound source (with the Linn Surround Module showing the Surround mode on the front panel display), this audio will NOT be shared with other rooms.

Songcast App issues

Linn DS/DSM recently updated to Davaar50 and I cannot see my Linn DS on my PC/MAC in Songcast App

Check you are using the latest version of Songcast software on your PC/MAC. Songcast V4.4, and earlier, will not work with Linn DS/DSM with Davaar50 and (onwards) firmware

Jumbo packet/frames networking

This is not an official standard and is not supported by the Linn DS/DSM.

WINDOWS 8 or 10 - Songcast not working after first installation

In the first installation of Songcast the installation software will state that DOT-NET 3.5 requires to be installed. Do NOT stop this from installing otherwise Songcast will not work.

If Dot-Net 3.5 has already been installed this message will not appear.

The device driver may also be invalid. to fix this

Go to Start - Then Command Prompt

Enter command "shutdown /r /o /f /t 00"

Click the "OK" button

System will restart to a "Choose an option" screen

Then select "Troubleshoot" from "Choose an option" screen

Then select "Advanced options" from "Troubleshoot" screen

Then select "Windows Startup Settings" from "Advanced options" screen

Click "Restart" button

System will restart to "Advanced Boot Options" screen

Select "Disable Driver Signature Enforcement"

Restart & install drivers...

macOS Mojave (OSX 10.14)

If you don't get any audio when you enable Songcast then click on your MAC Volume icon. Check that Linn Songcast has been selected:

You may have to go into System Preference > Sound and ENABLE - "Show volume in menu bar"

You may have to do a MUTE then UNMUTE on the Linn DS/DSM to the MAC audio to Playback.

There have also been cases where Songcast does not appear as an option on the Sound Output List.

This requires some work with the command line to resolve: (The alternative is to use Airplay from your Mac)

After opening the terminal, first check if the Linn Songcast driver is loaded using the following command:

kextstat | grep –i ‘uk.co.linn’

If this command returns anything then the driver is loaded and running.

Check that the driver file has been installed at the correct location. It can be placed in a couple of places so at least one of these commands should return “LinnSongcast.kext”

ls /System/Library/Extensions | grep –i ‘Songcast’

ls /Library/Extensions | grep –i ‘Songcast’

If none of these locations have that file then you will need to uninstall and reinstall Songcast and repeat the above steps.

Should one of those locations have that file then they will need to tell their mac to load it using the following:

sudo kextload <path>/LinnSongcast.kext

Where <path> is either /System/Library/Extensions or /Library/Extensions. You might have to reboot the Mac after this.

Windows 7,8,& 10

• • Some firewalls will block any Songcast broadcast is you are on a Public network. on Windows 7/8/10, click on your Control panel "Network and Internet" - "View network status and tasks" and make sure that you active network is either Domain, Private or work and NOT PUBLIC (Instructions on how to change Network type)

• • Check that you have the streaming option enabled on you Windows7

Control panel

"Network sharing center" -

"Change advanced sharing settings"

Select your network type "Home or Work", "Public" or "Domain"

Media Streaming - Choose Media Streaming options and select "Allow All"

and OK exit out of these options

• Audio muting when playing from the PC/MAC songcast

if you are connecting the PC using a Wireless connection this may be intermittently loosing connection. This may be causing the muting as the DS is waiting for the Music stream.

Check

1. That your Wireless connection, try one of these Network apps to find out what is interfering with your Wifi*
2. In the PC/MAC Songcast app, go into Advanced settings and increase the Audio Latency, this is typically 300mS, try increasing this to 1000 (maximum 2000) to see if this improves things (This will allow the network to catch up on any lost information if the Songcast is setup for Unicast broadcasts)
3. In Windows, go into Device Manager, Network adaptors, both Wifi and Lan check:

a. Power Management - Allow the Computer to turn off this device to save power is DISABLES

b. Advanced - Priority and VLAN - both disabled

Known Issues with Songcast V4.10

• If you have a PC name with non-ASCII characters (accented characters etc), the Songcast PC/MAC could not connect to and keeps on attemping to connect. Try to rename your PC/MAC using a,b,c,.. 1,2,3... etc, this should now allow your PC to connect to the DS

Known issue with Songcast V4.3.3.

• If you have 2 or more DS's make sure that they have different ROOM names
• It has been noted on some PC's/MAC, that selecting the DS within Songcast causes the indicator to keep spinning and not connect to the Linn DS.

As a first check:

• • Select the Songcast options:
  • Select Advanced tab, and check that the Network settings - connection is correct
  • Select the General Tab and Refresh the Songcast Receiver section
    • Then reselect your Linn DS
  • Close this and retry your DS connection

If this has the same result download V4.3.2 and install from this site

Known issue with Songcast 4.4.177 and Windows 10

When you reselect the My Computer icon the music does not return to you PC. The Songcast V4.4.177 and below does not recognise that there is a software update available. Go to [[1]] and to the Full Menu and Software. Download and install the latest version of Songcast and reboot your Windows 10 PC.

Songcast will not work after Windows 10 upgrade

This is because there are too many device drivers for Songcast within windows. The solutions

1. First uninstall Songcast
2. Go into the device manager (right click windows icon) and delete All Songcast devices listed under Sound, video....
3. Reboot your PC and double check that no sound Songcast drivers exist
4. Reinstall Songcast, this should now work if this does not work please contat Linn Helpline

MAC connecting with Songcast on wake-up

If the Songbox is set to Wireless connection and using a Lion OSX MAC, it has been reported that waking the MAC up will have the MAC automatically connecting with Songcast to the default DS. The solution is always make the Songcast connection on a wired LAN.

Kinsky crashes on PC/MAC/iPad/Android

If you are running Songcast on a PC/MAC then we suspect that Computer name is blank. (The Songcast app uses the name of your computer when constructing some metadata that it publishes onto your local network. The name of your computer is coming through as "<unknown>" which is exposing a bug in Songcast (present 4.3.4))
You should be able to see your computer's name from

MAC "System Preferences -> Sharing"

PC "Control panel -> System and Security -> System.

If it is a case that this name is simply blank, setting it to something like "Alex's Mac" might then resolve your issue.