Prime4 sharing internal SDD/HDD over WIFI connection (Workaround)

Engine DJ Hardware Standalone Controllers
, ,
1

Hi Buddies,

First of all, sorry for mistakes, English is not my mother tongue.

After a month and a half with my Prime4 and trying to get the most of it, and although I am quite happy, I found myself so many times limited by the lack of basic functionality and some strange usability decisions made by someone at Denon. Really I think the product designer doesn’t use so much the product on a day-by-day basis or use it in a very basic way.

One of the things that bothers me is the need of physicaly connect Prime 4 to a computer to manage internal HDD/SDD. On a WIFI capable unit I find very annoying not to have a wireless solution to access to the internal HDD files. Sure, some of yours can say “Connnect to Prime trought USB is better because u get so much file transfer speed over USB than WIFI” or “Bla…Bla…Bla … Put here your reasons”, but IMO I prefer a WIFI sharing connection and not to move my computer or prime4 every time I have to update my music folders. Other option is to have all my music library on an SDCARD or USB and don’t use internal SDD/HDD, but 1TB SDCARD are so expensive at this time.

So, I finally thought about how to connect my drive wirelessly to the Mac (also Windows) and this is what I do using a Raspberry PI Zero W.

How get it work:

  1. Get a Raspberry Pi Zero W and small case (can be attached to Prime4 back plate or leave beside) (around 20€)

  2. Install Raspbian and configure to connect to your WIFI router/hotspot.

  3. Install Samba Server

  4. Install USB Automount

  5. Configure SAMBA to share USB Automount folder ( /media/usb ) when PRIME4 is connected as “Computer Mode”. Also configure Samba share point to use “root” as user to get Read/write access to folder.

  6. Connect to Prime4 USB using an standard microUSB to USB cable.

  7. Optional: Install Netatalk on Raspbian to access Prime4 using native AFP Mac network protocol. Configure to share the same folder as on Samba (media/usb) Also create a local user account on Raspbian to get access to shared folder. Use it as user/password when connect to AFP.

Raspberry Pi Zero W can be powered trought USB, that means every time you power on Prime 4, the raspberry is powered on too. After around 30 seconds the system is booted up. When your put your Prime4 in Computer Mode, Raspbian auto mount Primer4 HDD on media/usb folder and content appears on your Mac or Window as a Network Shared folder over Wifi connection. When you finish to work on your library, close connection on your MAC/Windows and exit Computer Mode on Prime 4. That’s all.

Finally I can manage my Prime4 HDD folders everywhere at home or taking a sun bath at garden. Happy if someone find this useful to improve his/her workflow.

I think this can be applied to SC Players, I don’t know how HDD works on it, but I’m pretty sure should work too.

Happy sharing :slight_smile:

PD. Still waiting Denon add SMB/Network/NAS and native basic file/tags management functionality to Prime ecosystem, hope this happening soon.

13 Likes
2

Well done and good work! :+1:t2:

3

So where is your library computer for this? In the next room? Or 100 miles away ?

4

My library is on Prime4 Internal SSD also in a Synolgy NAS automated weekly backup

3 Likes
5

This is a good workaround!! but I wish Denon would implement “Samba share” over Wi-Fi to update the internal drive over local network instead of USB only.

3 Likes
6

Yes. Guys who are interested in this feature, all go and vote on this request:

https://community.enginedj.com/t/console-internal-hdd-sharing-in-the-local-network-lan-or-wifi-engine-dj-os/36949?u=djaj

1 Like
7

The internal SSD is a nice idea but (for me) it was an inconvenience. I removed the SSD from my Prime 4 and placed it in an external case. Now I’m able to do updates to my SSD library straight from my laptop and then plug the drive into one of the Prime 4’s USB ports, or use it with my SC’s, or use it on another DJ’s set up, or use it with Serato (library is formatted for both Engine DJ & Serato).

It was useless for me to dedicate a drive solely to the Prime 4.

1 Like
8

I know how u feel about internal HDD. i’m also thinking to remove it and use only a 512Gb SDCard.

So much more useful and easy to backup until Denon implements samba share on network :crossed_fingers:t2:

9

In fact this is what I did after a week of installing the internal HDD. Now I use high capacity SDXC or USB sticks, I can remove them for safety (during firmware upgrades for example) or copy them for backup, or connect them to my Desktop PC which is in a different room than the one where Prime 4 is located.

When it will be possible to see the HD inside the console on the local network (with this feature request) I will probably consider mounting a Prime 4 internal SDD.

10

Same here. I removed the installed SSD less than a day after I installed it.

On paper it indeed looks like an amazing feature to have, but in reality it’s kinda difficult to keep the drive updated.

I just bought a Samsung T7 2TB for the players and I also have a 256gb sd card in the unit.

1 Like
11

Ladies and gentlemen … vote, vote, vote to share your HD inside the console on the local network: https://community.enginedj.com/t/console-internal-hdd-sharing-in-the-local-network-lan-or-wifi-engine-dj-os/36949

:joy: :joy: :joy:

2 Likes
12

This statement must be in a frame on Denon’s product manager desktop and screamed three times to dev team every workday after breakfast :sunglasses:

2 Likes