[linux-audio-user] How can PC + external amps become whole house audio system ?

[carmen]

On Sat Apr 29, 2006 at 05:58:40 +0200, Robert Rozman wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I'm designing integrated home automation/entertainment system based on Linux
> and other open source apps. I have several possible sound sources (like
> Festival as speech synthesis, music players, VOIP or
> ordinary telephony applications, intercom) and several sound destinations
> (rooms in my house - can be either remote desktop running some network audio
> client or separate output on multichannel local audio card). Now I'd like to
> implement
> 'virtual' audio router/mixer in software that can be dynamically controlled
> from other program language (Perl is preffered in my case). I'd need to
> combine several audio sources to each sound destination (like big software
> switching/mixing/routing black box), dynamically change volumes, add/remove
> chains etc...

you might want to check out NMM. it sounds more or like what you are talking about. http://www.networkmultimedia.org 
another option would be dynamically patching NetJack via OSC, combined with service discovery

in either case, youre proably going to have to do various /dev/dsp hijack tricks etc until/unless all the apps you use support NMM or JACK natively..

> 
> Some possible scenarions:
> - when internet voice call comes in, then I connect to certain channel on
> audio card for
> certain room (route two way audio stream that comes from Internet to certain
> audio destination/source)
> - when watching TV (sound going to some audio card output), speech synthesis
> would like to announce something (I'd like to volume down TV audio and mix
> speech, and then go with TV volume to normal level)
> - from one room I'd like to talk to another...
> 
> If I think ideally - best would be to have range of "virtual" sound
> destinations, that could be dinamically routed,mixed to physical devices. As
> far as my novice knowledge goes I was thinking of using Alsaplayers as
> music/wav players (they have software volume control) , Festival as speech
> synthesis, some softphone for IP telephony (that could output to ecasound or
> Jack) and every other valuable suggestion for software package I get. I
> don't know much of Jack, maybe its also part of solution....
> 
> Any other advice in apps to use, more info or any other opinion would be
> more than grateful. Also if anyone made some effort or thinking in this
> direction - it'll be of great help...
> 
> Thanks in advance,
> 
> regards,
> 
> Rob.