HQPlayer 4 Desktop consists of two parts. Server which is the actual HQPlayer 4 Desktop application, and HQPlayer Client which is library browser and control application. These two components can reside on a different computer if needed.
Desktop can be used without the Client if some other control application is used, like for example Roon or HQPDcontrol. Or when drag-and-drop is sufficient way to manage the playback queue. Also for cases where realtime inputs are used, the Desktop can be used standalone.
When HQPlayer 4 Desktop is started, main window presents source
control and playback queue / playlist, plus playback controls.
The "Content source URI" entry field operates like web browser
address bar.
For playing CD from configured drive, or for realtime input from
configured source device, source can be selected from the drop-list.
Browse-button can be used to select a music folder or storage for
playback. Pressing enter after the URI will load content on the
playlist below. Then pressing play will start playback.
Content can be drag and dropped from a file system browser or from
other applications such as library managers on Desktop window to add
it on the playlist.
HQPlayer 4 Desktop contains built-in library database that can be
accessed remotely with various client applications. To add content to
the library, open Library management dialog from the File menu.
Content can be scanned for at any time using Scan button. This opens
a directory selection dialog asking to select a music library root
directory to begin scan from, all subfolders will be scanned. Any
metadata edits made in the Library dialog will be preserved. Missing
metadata is added. For shorter update scan time for newly added
content, some suitable sub-folder can be selected.
To edit any metadata item, without modifying the source files, a cell
in the table can be double-clicked and modified.
HQPlayer Client allows various control operations on HQPlayer 4 Desktop and HQPlayer 4 Embedded servers. This includes playback from input sources and library.
In order to connect to a HQPlayer 4 server (Desktop or Embedded),
there's a server address selection in top-left corner of the client
main/playback view. If the server is running on the same computer,
select "localhost". Note that to access a remote server instance,
the server side needs to have "Allow control from network" toolbar
button pressed.
Once the library has been setup in the server, it can be accessed
using HQPlayer Client or any of the other control applications
that support HQPlayer library. There are two other views, one on the
left and one on the right, views can be switched by clicking the side
bar or with a swipe operation (using touch screen, or hold-and-drag
with left mouse button).
On the left there's an album view, search terms can be entered on
search entry on top and hitting enter key performs the search.
Clicking an album selects it for playback, alternatively a long press
on the album pops up album dialog for more information and track
specific operations.
Once the content has been selected, playback can be controlled from
the main/middle playback view.
On the right side is transport view that can be used to edit current
playlist. However, note that there's a difference between album
mode and playlist mode. In album mode, the track list cannot be
edited as album mode expects all tracks to belong to together in
certain order that forms an always continuous gapless entity.
On HQPlayer Client, from left side transport view (cover flow) you can find service selection in top left corner. You can logout from a service using "Clear login" button in control panel on play view (button with three horizontal lines).
If you select
HRA Streaming service, you are presented with login
dialog asking for your username and password.
If you select Qobuz service,
you are presented with login page, asking you to login to your
Qobuz account.
Once you have logged in, you are presented with completion page,
click the "Back" button to close the page and complete login!
Copyright (C) 2011-2021 Jussi Laako, Signalyst. All rights reserved.