Need computer audio advice.

Doggiehowser, thanks for your reply. It's a lot for me to digest, since I am not a computer geek. I will proceed carefully, first with a trip to the Apple store to check out external drives. I already have a 1TB drive used as back-up, using Time Machine. Maybe as an interim solution I could use the 1TB drive for music and purchase a 4TB drive as the new back-up ? Then I would have to set it up so it backs up both the iMacs internal drive and the external music drive ? Would this work as a first step? Thanks

I had used a MacBook for a bit and then a MacMini. In both cases I bought one of these to store my music and used the FireWire interface to connect to the computer. I mapped the music software (Audirvana, JRiver, Pure Music) to this external drive and you can do the same if you want to use iTunes. A simple and cheap solution.

I have moved on to a NAS set up but find the Oyen Digital HD is a nice backup storage solution. Two are affordable and a backup is worthwhile.

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=oyen+digital+minipro&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=23404253267&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12140434102838234616&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=t&ref=pd_sl_2xtdyqre5q_e

Firewire interface to an external disk is a better idea, particularly if you are planning to drive USB interface, either a USB converter or a DAC. You should minimize the other USB devices on the bus.

The computer should be dedicated to music playback and not your general purpose machine. I find the Oct 2009 Mac Mini to be a great choice because you can externally power it from a good linear power supply. Cannot do this on newer Minis unless they are modified. Laptops are not as good IME.

You can usually get a Oct 2009 Mini with Bluetooth keyboard, mouse and OS disk on ebay for around $375.00. Replace the HDD with SSD and upgrade to 8gigs memory. Put Amarra playback and XLD for ripping on it and you will have a world-class server. Also do the OS tweaks in iTunes iBooks "audio optimization guides"

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

Matt, when you use network you send data and not the music. The difference is that data has no timing - timing is recreated on the other side of network bridge. Your file format, amount of memory, type of HD, speed of computer, playback program etc. have no effect on the playback. It is remotely possible that mechanical HD will create more EMI than solid state drive but it is also possible that faster computer will do the same. I would just ignore it all. If you have choice on your Mac - get external Firewire drive (that's what I use on MacMini) - it is easier to daisy-chain them and they don't slow down main processor - minor and perhaps not important unless you use computer for other heavy tasks. External Firewire drive cost a little bit more (less common). Get two drives, as Doggiehowser suggested, and make backup. I have three drives and use "Carbon Copy". One drive is in use, one in storage and one at work. This protects me from theft/fire or computer/controller failure during backup (that could screw up both HD). I make new backup only to one drive at a time (alternate them) and only when I have more than 5-10 new CDs.

Moving all your audio files to an external drive as you propose will work fine, and will not sound any different than what you are doing now. You may as well get a 3 TB or larger drive, as they can be found for around $100 or so.