2 Jan
2005
2 Jan
'05
1:44 p.m.
--- Steve Vanechanos <stevev(a)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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