Gapless playback with a Linux DLNA server, was: "software to create cue files" Options

[Richard Kimber]

Virtually all the music I buy now comes in the form of downloaded flac files. These have no cue sheets with them.

Some of the music needs to be played gaplessly, and I'm under the impression that flac files + cue sheets is a solution to this. If this is so, can anyone recommend a linux program that would enable me to generate cue sheets from the flac files on my hard disk? I have seen software that creates cue files from music on a CD, but I can't find anything that does it from a folder of flac files on the hard disk.

[Wombat]

Ops, you responded while i was editing my last answer, please read above.
Seems like Pioneer had to give up gapless to make its device Airplay compatible.

[Richard Kimber]

Ops, you responded while i was editing my last answer, please read above.
Seems like Pioneer had to give up gapless to make its device Airplay compatible.

Sorry.

But earlier posts here have suggested that it's not the hardware that is necessarily the determining factor. It's the software that provideds the music to it that can control the gaps.

Indeed, I can play gaplessly on the Pioneer using certain music players. The problem with these is that they are not independent of the PC's sound card, and I want to find a streamer that will do it gaplessly. So long as the Pioneer can see it that's all that matters to me. I'm happy to ignore the Airplay potential.

[JimH]

Ops, you responded while i was editing my last answer, please read above.
Seems like Pioneer had to give up gapless to make its device Airplay compatible.

Sorry.

But earlier posts here have suggested that it's not the hardware that is necessarily the determining factor. It's the software that provideds the music to it that can control the gaps.

There's some confusion. Gapless playback in your case is probably limited by the DLNA Renderer (software) on your N-50. At least, that's my guess.

[Richard Kimber]

There's some confusion. Gapless playback in your case is probably limited by the DLNA Renderer (software) on your N-50. At least, that's my guess.

Yes, I admit to being somewhat confused.

What I don't understand is: if a single flac file can be played continuously by a DLNA renderer, why can't the software at the PC end be made to organise things such that a series of files looks like a single file when served to the DLNA renderer?

It seems to a naive user like me that if a music player (e.g. Sonata + mpd) can play gaplessly, then it's not rocket science to devise a system whereby files can be served gaplessly. In other words maybe the DLNA server could have a stage (perhaps a gapless plugin) which collects the files together in the right manner - i.e. it conforms to the DLNA standards but has this extra facility. But maybe there are hidden complexities of which I'm not aware.

[soulsearchingsun]

What I don't understand is: if a single flac file can be played continuously by a DLNA renderer, why can't the software at the PC end be made to organise things such that a series of files looks like a single file when served to the DLNA renderer?

Because usually DLNA software is just a control point. It tells the renderer which file to render by giving a path (the file resides on the server). So DLNA is by default not streaming, but client-server. There are applications that can output a stream via DLNA. Foobar2000 with foo_upnp is able to stream the ouput (AFAIK everything that would be sent to your speakers - not just foobar audio) to a DLNA renderer. This would, obviously, be gapless.
edit: of course, this doesn't help you on linux. But it's possible.

This post has been edited by soulsearchingsun: Apr 12 2012, 14:28