Program Sources for Whole House Audio

[upstatemike]

Based on the input from another thread I have concluded that iPods probably won't suffice as the backbone of a whole house audio system and are really just meant for hippie slacker kids who can't seem to stay in synch with their own shadows (based on the Apple commercials).

Most people commenting on this topic recommended some sort of traditional zoned music system like Russound or Xantech but in thinking about this approach I'm a little stuck on picturing how it would work. Specifically what do you use for the music sources on your 6 inputs?

I figure the first two inputs would be used for a tuner and some sort of hard drive music repository like CQC, but after that I am stumped. I don't see any value in connecting video components to a whole house audio system ("Girls Gone Wild In Las Vegas" loses something as an audio only program). I use my turntable sometimes but I don't see any way to operate it from a remote keypad... especially when it comes to flipping the record over. Like most people I have already retired my minidisc, cassette, 8-track, cd changer, and reel-to-reel components so I'm having a hard time picturing what I would connect to the other 4 source inputs on a 6 source, 6 zone amp. What is everybody else using for music sources on these systems?

 

[bfisher]

My music sources:
- tuner (although I use seperate receiver/amps for each zone so these are built in)
- PC music (jriver with multiple zones). This also includes streaming music (MusicMatch, and Pandora)
- Satellite - DirecTV has relationship with XM

For my PC music, each tuner/amp is connected to the same zones - this makes it easy to sync music or play unique music. Zone 1 is input 1, zone 2 is input 2. My HVPro keeps track of which zone is being used (so if no music is playing, Zone 1 is used first. If somebody else wants music, it goes to zone 2 unless they want the same playlist as zone 1 in which case it uses input 1). I can have more zones if needed, but so far 2 has been enough. As kids get older, I'll add more zones.

 

[upstatemike]

For PC music I would probably use MediaNet since that is the only music server I know of that will pause the music, insert a TTS message from my home automation system, and then resume the music from the point where it was paused. (I am surprised there aren't other music servers that support this!)

But even with a tuner and say 2 channels from MediNet, I still have 3 unused sources... does that really make sense?

 

[IVB]

I will be using my ZPR68 to distribute whole house audio and video:
1) CD Stream 1
2) CD Stream 2
3) XM
4) SDTV a/v output from HTPC [I have an SDTV in zones 2 & 3]
5) FM
6) (internet radio? doubtful)


But you're right - once I hit the lottery and have multiple and only HDTV's, i'll stop using the ZPR68 for the video source and use an Autopatch/Neothings HDTV distributor for that.

 

[electron]

Add di.fm/sky.fm to your list, they have some really decent channels, and there are plenty of other online radio stations as well.

 

[jwilson56]

My system is based on JRMC and I have it pause when the phone rings.

John

 

[upstatemike]

I think all the Internet radio stuff would use the same streams from the music server as the mp3s do, so no additional inputs would be used on the multi-zone amp.

Just spent a few hours on the John Deere and I have to say I'm giving some serious thought to Pete C.'s idea of using FM transmitters instead of a multizone amp. If I only need 3 sources I only need to get 3 transmitters and I can expand the system as large as I want just by adding FM receivers. It will even work with clock radios, boom boxes, and most important- a headphone radio when I am on the Tractor.

 

[pete]

you could use multiple turners so listeners in different zones can tune different stations . . . same goes for the PC jukebox, use a multi output sound card and different zones can have their own playlist . . .

Pete C

 

[upstatemike]

My system is based on JRMC and I have it pause when the phone rings.

John

I suppose if you pause, switch to your HA system so it can deliver a TTS message, and then return to the music source and unpause, then that would accomplish the same thing as inserting a TTS message right into the music stream the way MediaNet does.

 

[bfisher]

I suppose if you pause, switch to your HA system so it can deliver a TTS message, and then return to the music source and unpause, then that would accomplish the same thing as inserting a TTS message right into the music stream the way MediaNet does.

This is how I handle it for zones that need to use the audio system's speakers...

 

[upstatemike]

you could use multiple turners so listeners in different zones can tune different stations . . . same goes for the PC jukebox, use a multi output sound card and different zones can have their own playlist . . .

Pete C

Well I wouldn't use an FM transmitter to retransmit a central tuner, they can just tune stations directly on the local receiver. I would use something with push button presets so my internal stations could be selected just like any other preset station.

Problem is, if tuned to a regular station instead of an internal one, I can't deliver HA messages.... I'll have to think about that. Maybe I should use a multi-zone amp with one output zone feeding the FM transmitter while the other ouput zones feed actual rooms that are hardwired in.

 

[IVB]

I think all the Internet radio stuff would use the same streams from the music server as the mp3s do, so no additional inputs would be used on the multi-zone amp.

Use of inputs is a personal decision based on how you want to setup your system, and your needs for concurrency (aka how many people in the house).

My personal desire was to design for concurrent usage by me/wife/kids (ie those with different tastes), with no need to check with each other about what they're using a given input source for. Hence, I made each CD stream, internet radio, etc. coming off the music server it's own input.

That way on my screen when I press the "CD" button in the Living Room, I know to switch the matrix'er to input 1 for zone 3. I have confidence that I won't turn off the rap music my wife is probably listening to in the back room.

 

[pete]

Well I wouldn't use an FM transmitter to retransmit a central tuner, they can just tune stations directly on the local receiver.

. . . maybe I'm missing something . . .

. . . I thought these 'tuners' were centrally located with the pre/main amp . . . I'm just suggesting using, say, source 1 for one tuner, source 2 for a second . . . this would allow kids to listen to their pop station and let me listen to my classic station at the same time in different zones . . . same with soundcard out of the media server . . .

. . . any FM transmitter (as I see it) only needs to be tied into the media server, (could even be on the same soundcard output as one of the multizone amps inputs) . . . to allow a boombox/walkman to listen to media server stuff from the deck/patio/yard . . .

. . . for HA announcements, you could use the soundcard source w/ fm-xmitter. . . switching outputs to it as needed . . . one caveat being that if any boombox/walkman is listening to a FM station and not the FM-xmitter, they won't get the HA announcements . . .

Pete C