[linux-audio-user] Feasibility of Crestron like Linux Based Whole House Audio System - Multisource / Multizone Capable????

[R Parker]

--- Steve Vanechanos <stevev at comcast.net> wrote:

> Randy
> 
> Thanks for the input.  To offer more insight to my
> VISION:
> 
> Each destination is equiped with speakers only.  At
> this time, the 
> speakers are wired to a central location

A distribution amp.

 and a very
> dumb volume 
> control.

Software mixer accessed at the destination via dumb
terminal. Right?

  The
> central location is a single zone amplifier (Sonance
> SonAMP 260).

I don't think that does you any good.

  My 
> sources are hooked to a DENON AVR3300.  I use the
> AVR3300's
> multizone capability to enjoy 5.1 surround sound in
> my family room while 
> also listening, through the AVR3300's connection to
> the SonAMP 260,
> to a different/same source throughout the house.

I know nothing about surround capabilities but
whatever.

> I want to replace the SonAMP 260 with a multizone
> amplifier

Exactly!

 or a bank of 
> amplifiers.  I want to be able to hook my sources up
> to a linux box.

Multiple analog sources. Right now; pick the audio
card that will fulfill all your requirements. This
card will define and restrict considerations. I
suspect you're looking at the M-Audio stuff.

If you have trouble solving the surround and i/o
requirements with an audio card, you'll have to
consider a mixer with surround capabilities. Probably
serious overkill but a great ego trip.

  I want
> the linux box to also be a source so I could load
> CD's and have it act 
> as a jukebox.

Multiple jack servers, jack mixer. Learn about that
stuff.

  Then all outputs will go from the
> linux box into the  bank of
> amplifiers which in turn is hooked to the speaker
> pairs throughout the 
> house.

If multiple jack servers, then qjackctl for routing,
and you can control routing via dumb terminals.
Otherwise a traditional distribution amp which isn't
as flexible. Of course there are audio and video
distribution amps.

> I want to control zone / source  and volume through
> a web browser 
> application.

There are audio tools that handle this already. No
need to recreate the wheel. If you've got two Linux
boxes; 'ssh -X' and you'll begin to get a vision.

  That way, technically I could control
> everything from one 
> console
> - not very practicle though.  But then I'd like to
> distribute - at 
> geographically convenient locations throughout the
> house - small, wall 
> mounted touch screen
> browser "appliances" (for lack of a better
> description) - which would be 
> used to run the web app and control the system
> anywhere I choose to 
> place one.
> 
> The app would work something like this:
> 
> A touch screen displays up to eight icons,
> generically zones 1 - 8, but 
> the label should easily change to say kitchen,
> master bedroom, etc.

I guess touch screen capabilities don't exist in any
of the Linux Audio UIs.

Replace all touch screens with PDAs. :)

Gotta run. My responses are real terse but there's a
couple hints in there that might give you some ideas.
I would not suggest designing this system on paper and
then buying all the components. Break it into a couple
of phases; source and distribution can be seperated.
You've got a computer, select the audio hardware and
experiement with what exists. Then you can work
towards audio/video distribution. Towards the end of
your research and experiments a user interface for
controling everything will become clear.

The other thing I'd do is fire up Dia and produce a
technical drawing. It's easy enough to adhoc converse
about a great HiFi solutions but I suspect it's time
to become more deliberate.

Anyway, there's a few more quick thoughts.

RON

> THE USER THEN SELECTS A ZONE.
> 
> The touch screen displays up to eight icons, sources
> 1 - 8.  The app 
> will need some "knowledge" of the source though. 
> For tuners like directv,
> digital cable, XM radio, etc - the user will want to
> select "channel" 
> after source.  If however the source is a "jukebox"
> like device, it 
> needs to run more
> sophisticated jukebox software.
> 
> THE USER SELECTS A SOURCE.
> 
> The touch screen then displays what it can - from
> and about the source - 
> with a volume UP & DOWN icon included.
> 
> THE USER ADJUSTS THE VOLUME
> 
> Depending on the outcome of this project - I'm
> thinking there may be a 
> real business opportunity here.  Throughout the
> history of the PC - and 
> I've seen
> it all - my first "PC" was an 8 bit 4Mhz Z80 running
> CPM - as it has 
> grown in power and sophistication, the PC has
> continuously absorbed 
> applications
>  (and trampled on business models in the process)
> that were previously 
> done by low volume, expensive and proprietary
> solutions.  I'm thinking 
> this might
> be one of those times and whole house audio maybe
> one of those 
> applications ripe for a revolution.
> 



		
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