69 replies to this topic

[DC]

Hi everybody,

 

I've just fished a new skin for Foobar 2000 v1.2.8 or 1.2.9 (it must work with all 1.2 versions of Foobar2000) named Foobar4JPLAYmini.

I've just made an installation file which installs all files, component and scripts needed to work in combination with JPLAYmini.

 

Foobar and JPLAY must be installed first and then install file of Foobar4JPLAYmini V1 can be run.

 

Foobar must be installed in standard version, not in portable version.

 

This skin can work with Windows 7 or 8 (didn't try it on XP) and with Windows Server 2012. It can be used with windows remote desktop and it support large displays or small displays such as Microsoft Surface or ACER Iconia W510 10".

It is Touch screen ready too.

 

Here is a picture of this skin on Now Playing tab.



 

Note that Foobar is only used as GUI, during playback the sound is provided by JPLAY mini.

For example, selection of tracks and copy to clipboard can be made only with mouse clicking in Playlist tab (one for selection, two for copy)

If somebody is interested I could try to offer it for download. I will try to find a solution, perhaps with a tutorial.

Edited by DC, 28 August 2013 - 12:30 PM.

[JJS]

Hi DC,   Sounds excellent. Please, offer the new skin for download.

[DC]

Yes, this is what I want to do as soon as everything will be OK.

 

I've just finished a quick setup guide.

 

Now I'm thinking about a solution to put the file online to be downloaded by interested persons./wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-wink.gif

[DC]

Well I'm about to finish the mini website for foobar4JPlaymini.

 

Files will be available as soon as possible if you are interested, of course./wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-wink.gif

[ted_b]

Great!  Foobar is a very flexible piece of software that, unlike JRiver, often requires what feels like a boatload of plugins and extra dll's to make certain functions work.  Please spend a few sentences on what we need (and/or don't need) to run it in this GUI-only mode, while still being able to do DSD, etc.  I assume the SACD/DSD plugins are not required (since the engine is not Foobar)? This is an exciting development. 

[DC]

Concerning DSD/SACD plugins they are in the components pack as you will be still able to configure Foobar to run as a standalone player as usual, using whatever you want as Playback Output even JPlay as ASIO driver.   In fact this skin wasn't made for JPLAYmini at the beginning and you will see that there is many possibilities with it.   Concerning DSD file such as DSF I suppose that they can only be played if your DAC support DSD streaming.   When Foobar is used as GUI for JPLAYmini, the audio engine of foobar isn't used anymore and DSD to PCM converter from Super audio CD decoder, for example, cannot be used.

[ted_b]

Thanks.  Yes, I have a few DSD-capable DACs and a bunch of DSF files. I have no interest in using Foobar as a full-blown player; hence my question about what we need to install minimally.  My only interest was your GUI idea with JPlay Mini.  Without it, I am happy with JRiver/Jplay.

[DC]

I've received a couple of PM asking me how to get the skin and the scripts.

 

I've just finished a mini website where you can download the files. /wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-wink.gif

 

Feel free to ask your questions on this thread.

 

DC

Edited by DC, 31 August 2013 - 12:01 PM.

[ho5456]

thanks DC!  Will give it a go...

[danram62]

Hi DC,

 

thanks for your wonderful job!

Nevertheless I have a request (I don't know if it can interest others).

I love the Foobar 'Random' function, that allows to play a playlist in random "endless" (so, for example, Foobar can play a playlist of 3 tracks in this way: 2,3,1,2,1,3,1, etc...).  I tried to play my playlist in this way by F4JP, but I couldn't. Is there an instruction to do it? If not, it would be nice if you could add this function to your software.

 

Cheers,

Rocco 

[DC]

Hi Rocco,

Just for information, this is not a software in the literal sence. It's a skin for Foobar accompanied with scripts that permit to control JPLAY mini with foobar used as GUI.

 

First of all the principal purpose of this pack is to play your music to listen your favorite albums in the better audiophile conditions with JPLAY mini as player and Foobar as GUI to get infos about the track you are playing in norml conditions of playback.

Unfortunately as i explain in the quick setup guide, for the moment you cannot use shuffle (random function), loop or previous button. By design this is the limit of this configuration using foobar as GUI for JPLAY mini because in reality firstly Foobar and JPLAY mini are two independent programs and secondly JPLAY have a limited number of functions for playback with their own shortcut keyboards  Play/Next track ("space"), Stop/menu ("m"), Pause, Unpause ("p").

In fact, the scripts that permit me to control JPLAYmini with Foobar are using this keyboard shortcuts.

Random function (shuffle) is effectively available both in JPLAY mini and Foobar but how synchronize both programs?

There is no keyboard shortcut indicating what's the track number actually playing in Foobar or in JPLAYmini so I can implement a random function but there is no chance that JPLAY and Foobar play the same track as they are independent from each other.

 

Maybe I see a solution but playback would not be gapless.

I will try as soon as possible.

 

By the way, you can still use Foobar normally when you want to listen you music randomly during non hard audiophile sessions .

In Foobar2000, Preference -> Playback -> Output choose "ASIO: JPLAY Driver"



 

Then go to Preference -> Scheduler  and in Status control uncheck "Scheduler enabled".



 

In fact you can do that faster in File menu go to Scheduler -> Preference and for the playback Output in Playback menu go to Device and choose ASIO JPLAY driver. It's easier. /wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-embarassed.gif

 

I must confess that I' m quite new to Foobar (I really use it since 4 or 5 months only).

Edited by DC, 31 August 2013 - 05:48 PM.

[danram62]

@ DC: I thank you so much for your clear explanations. Please forgive me for my misunderstanding: I was so glad to have a GUI for JPLAYmini that I read both your website and setup guide too quickly, mistaking your Foobar 2000 v 1.2.* skin for a software. I wish you to improve your fine skin (if necessary) with as little effort as possible!   Cheers, Rocco 

[DC]

Many thanks for your encouragements Rocco.

So, I've a good news for you, with the next version of my skin (1.2) it will be possible to get random playback but, in this case, no gapless playback. It's simply impossible by design.

 

I'm completing the quick setup guide and I have some more tests to do but stay tuned./wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-wink.gif

[danram62]

Thank you, DC.

[DC]

/wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-wink.gif

 

For my part I must thank Réal (RHE on this forum) who let me know  we can assign keyboard shortcuts to item in contextual menu in Foobar. As I told you I'm really new to foobar./wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-embarassed.gif

Edited by DC, 01 September 2013 - 03:24 PM.

[DC]

Hi,

 

version 1.2 is online.

 

Now it's possible to get random Playback.

 

This option need Foobar4JPLAYmini to be configured especially to get it to work (not so easy than foobar alone), read carefully the new implemented quick setup guide.

I will try to make it all easier in future versions but please allow me time to see if I can do it./wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-wink.gif

During random playback, gapless is impossible by design. 

 

For info, I'm working on an option that allows to convert FLAC files or other types of audio files to Wav files and put in a temporary folder before they are played by JPlaymini.

You will get the choice to keep or to delete this temporary folder at the end of the album or playlist playing.

Edited by DC, 02 September 2013 - 07:19 PM.

[ted_b]

DC, Thanks!  Regarding conversion to WAV, Josef says Mini does this already: "mini 'pre-decodes' flac/alac to wav as always – any other combination of 'player+jplay' depends on player…"

Edited by ted_b, 02 September 2013 - 08:15 PM.

[danram62]

@ DC: 

GREAT!!! /wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-surprised.gif

I want suggest you to see this topic http://jplay.eu/foru........jplaymini/.

If there are people interested, Josef and Marcin will add the 'foobar' random playback feature to JPLAYmini: if it would happen, you could improve your work (for example, maybe random playback would become gapless and easier to choose).

 

Regards,

Rocco   

[beessy]

hi dc would it be possible to copy a playlist to c: and send tracks with no name ('c:.wav') to jplaymini ?

[DC]

danram62 said:

@ DC: 

GREAT!!! /wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-surprised.gif

I want suggest you to see this topic http://jplay.eu/foru.......jplaymini/.

If there are people interested, Josef and Marcin will add the 'foobar' random playback feature to JPLAYmini: if it would happen, you could improve your work (for example, maybe random playback would become gapless and easier to choose).

 

Regards,

Rocco   

No, this feature can't help me because JPLAYmini is controlled by Foobar and not the contrary. JPLAYmini isn't able to control Foobar. It's not so simple that it seems to be. I think Josef will be agree with me, if he adds features as GUI or commands permitting to control another software this may cause a SQ degradation.