trying to build a ir based music server..

[forgets]

hi, i'm trying to build a music server, but i'm having some difficulty, seeing as i can't gulp down the price of a russound sms3, and i've been reading they can have some disk problems, and that not many other manufacturers audio servers can handle more than 1 stream at once, i've decided that i'll try and build my own audio server..

so here's the thing, i'd like to hook it up to a russound cav or cam, (which i don't have yet, but who knows, maybe soon, until then i can figure this out..) so that means it ideally should have 3 or more outputs for multiple streams.. that i can do, m-audio delta card, throw that in with a mini-itx board with a pci riser, and a hard drive or two and you could probably fit that all in a 1u or 2u box.. but to control it hmm... that's a little more complicated... i read you can push the info from the computer to the keypads through a j-rivers plugin for the cav or cam, but does it also handle what song to route to which zone as well ? i'm unable to know since i have neither software nor the cav, but i'd like to know, so i know what to get later.. if it can't, then i'm left having to control the multpile audio streams via ir... so to have a computer recognize multiple audio streams, what could do that.. ? i've researched and i've seen it could be done with a Nirvis slink-e .. but they went out of production a while ago, and finding one could be spotty.. (there was also the ability to just have a hdd hooked up to a mp3elf, but same problem, impossible to find/buy ..) so.. is an ocelot able to handle multiple ir commands both to and from a computer? i've been trying to read up on it, but if someone here owns one they could probably tell me a lot quicker than reading a whole manual.. and is anything else needed as an add-on to get it done, since the ocelot looks like it only has 1 ir and 1 ir out.. ? let me know if there's any other ways to make an audio server.. thanks.. and oh, a pic of my setup in progress

 

[TCassio]

You might want to take a look at the Sonos system.

 

[royalj7]

That pantry wiring closet has to be one the of the coolest things i've seen...

--Jamie

 

[forgets]

i had looked at the sonos, and while it seems cool, honestly, it's a bit too pricey from what i believe i can build a music server for (about 400-500).. plus, honestly i've never been a fan of anything wireless, i've just been burned too many times by lag/ and or communication failures.. (and i've already run all the wire for the russound system i don't own yet, so might as well use it..) honestly for what i can afford, i really like the look of the uno keypads, and i can't afford the nuvo grand concerto.. not even ebay prices ... but thanks for the suggestion.

and i'm glad you think my setup is cool, my girlfriend however does not, she wants back the top half of the pantry a.s.a.p. which i told her i was just going to ahem, remodel.. which she didn't know included sticking 3 cans in there, and now a mini maybe 12u rack (actually double 6u's).. oh, if she only new, i've also been researching how to motorize it.. heh heh but i'm really proud, this is actually my first shot at automation/structured wiring/whole house audio/everything..

one of these days when i've got those can's a little more filled i'll post my own thread on here to show it all off, from start to finish.. hopefully i can inspire some people the way i get inspired by all of the installs on here... it's mind boggling to me, i drool over some people on here who have seperate rooms just for a/v wriring and all that, i had to put it up in the pantry, since i'm nuts about having everything hidden..

 

[bfisher]

Does your Elk M1 recieve IR? Can it do a "send keys" with a PC?

That's how I control mine (I use HVPro, not Elk so I don't know if it works for you).

I have a MAudio Delta410 serving 3 zones. IR is handled/interpreted by HVPro, and then issues the appropriate sendkeys to JRiver. Works very reliably and very quick.