Need help with Multizone Audio

by **mooneyass** on Thu Sep 16, 2004 8:11 pm

Hi all,

I have the following setup:
Single PC with multiple soudcards
15" touchscreen mounted in wall
3 seperate zones each with 2 in ceiling speakers. I plan to run 3 of the Griffin Powerwave devices. I just ordered one today to give it a try (thanks hjackson!)

I would like to run all of these zones from the touchscreen primarily but also with the option of using my wifi PPC.

So, what I need are some directions on how to setup the multizone and also what skin to use or if anyone has a multizone skin setup. I'm currently using the awesome heavymetal skin and would love a mod of it.

Thanks in advance, and here's a shot of my touchscreen

Wes

by **hjackson** on Fri Sep 17, 2004 5:47 am

Hi mooneyass. You will first need to have the speaker wires from all 3 zones to originate by your server PC. So if your server PC is in the bonus room, the speaker wires from each of your zones will need to start from the bonus room, then run out to each of your zones. You would then attach all 3 of your PowerWaves to the server PC. I would recommend a powered USB hub like the one Griffin sells ( http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/usbaudio_hub/ ) to attach the PowerWaves to. BTW, you DON'T need a PC with multiple soundcards if you use the PowerWaves as the PowerWaves ARE soundcards (external soundcards that is!)
Attach a PowerWave to each pair of speaker wire so that you have one PowerWave per zone.
Next, open Winamp and go into preferences. Select "Multiple Instances" of Winamp and enter the plugin's Output section and configure that "instance" of Winamp with one of the PowerWaves (you will be given a choice of all the available soundcards on the PC). Close that instance of Winamp when you are done, then open and configure your next Winamp instance for your next zone. (Make sure you only have one instance of Winamp running at a time when you configure them for their respective soundcards, or else they will all be configured for the same soundcard/PowerWave!) In your case you will have 3 different WinAmps configured for each of your 3 zones.
To control your audio/mediserver with the touchscreen, you have 3 choices.
1) You can either use the touchscreen as a "thin client" and download the xlobby2sd files to the touchscreen. I find xlobby2sd a bit buggy right now and the ppc client setup seems to be more stable than the PC client setup.
2) You can use the touchscreen as a "fat client" and use Xnet to control the server's Xlobby audio cards
3) You can use a remote PC control software program like Remote Desktop or UltraVNC ( http://ultravnc.sourceforge.net/ ) to control the server. I like UltraVNC because it is relatively fast and free. As well, you can save the server/remote PC connection info as a simple icon on your desktop so that all you have to do is click the icon to get a nice screen of your server on the touchscreen.
Good luck!

hjackson

by **mooneyass** on Fri Sep 17, 2004 1:57 pm

I guess I should've been a little clearer. I currently have all three zones wired back to a central location in the basement where my rack of gear is. I have a PC there that had my delta 410 in it (I pulled it to use for 2 channel audio in another room) but will soon hold 3 Powerwaves (what I refered to as multiple SC's). So, my touchscreen is connected to that PC downstairs in my rack and runs as a fat client and also holds all of my music.

I've dug some more and am wondering if you need to rename the output dll's?

Does anyone have a 3 zone heavymetal skin?

Thanks a bunch,

Wes

by **mooneyass** on Fri Sep 17, 2004 3:54 pm

I'm going to try Jowaldo's beta 3 skin.

Wes

by **lynbark** on Fri Sep 17, 2004 4:58 pm

Money,
I have a 15" touchscreen as well and I'm getting ready to build a new home. I'll be doing multizone audio & video.. Hoping you could help with ideas on installing the screen.

(1) How is the monitor actually mounted in the wall? Did you make a box to attach to the studs and then insert the monitor into that box?

(2) Did you try to completely removed the plastic shell of the monitor?

(3) The pic appears to show wood around the edge as a border... How was this part done?

I have separated the screen from the base and even opened the plastic shell. I was planning on building a wood frame of 1"x6" pieces to have the carpenter frame between the studs. The sheet rock guys would finish to the edge of that box which would be flush with the sheet rock edge.
I would then insert the monitor (with plastic casing) into the box from the rear and have the entire plastic case showing, but flush or close to flush to the wall.
1 reason I don't think I can cover everything except the screen is because the controls and power button are in the plastic casing on the right....

Thanks for ANY ADVICE!!!! :wink:

by **hjackson** on Fri Sep 17, 2004 5:00 pm

"I've dug some more and am wondering if you need to rename the output dll's"

That is what I meant when I said you have to configure the output plugin. Actually, your touchscreen is just that (not a PC) so it isn't a client at all. This makes life very easy!

And I use the HeavyMetal skin with multizone. Before Baddabing actually made a multizone feature, I added multizone quite easily to it.
BTW, nice set up!

hjackson

by **mooneyass** on Fri Sep 17, 2004 5:34 pm

hjackson,

This is what I needed to know, thanks! Any chance I can get that multizone skin from you or can you point me towards it? Thanks.

lynbark,

My monitor is removed from it's plastic case so that I can get a much better fit in the frame. The frame is built of birdseye maple, looks stunning! Essentially I routered it so that there is less than 1/8th" of wood along the edge of the screen so it doesnt interfere.

I actually have a description of it all, with pictures, over at my website http://www.hometheaterpc.ca

by **mooneyass** on Fri Sep 17, 2004 5:39 pm

more pics here http://www.mooneyass.com/gallery/touchscreen

by **hjackson** on Fri Sep 17, 2004 9:02 pm

Mooneyass, the latest HeavyMetal Skin download has a 3 zone multizone feature built in (as well as a graphic equalizer!).
Have fun!

hjackson

by **mooneyass** on Fri Sep 17, 2004 9:09 pm

Awesome, thanks!

by **lynbark** on Sun Sep 19, 2004 1:16 am

THANKS for your link to the touchscreen monitor install! I was stoked to have something to check out this weekend.... alas, your site is down!!!
I look forward to reading the details and checking out all your pics when it returns.

by **lynbark** on Sun Sep 19, 2004 11:32 pm

Sweet.. the touchscreen info is back... printed all the pics you had and now I have some ????'s

(1) Where is the power button for the monitor? Mine is about 1" to the right of where the screen edge ends and is screwed to the metal frame of the screen itself... (the plugs are on the back so no big deal as I will have the back open to the inside of my "media closet" with PC).
(2) How did you attach the monitor the Box you built between the studs?
(3) Is the monitor actually attached to the maple "picture frame?"

The wife loves the look & our cabinetry & entertainment center will be all maple, with a little darker stain (more like mahogany). I'll just get a stained board from the cabinet guy to work with.

by **mooneyass** on Mon Sep 20, 2004 2:00 pm

lynbark

1) I detatched the PCB that has all of the switches and oriented it downward. The srceen is about 1" out from the wall so you can reach under and turn it on easily. I leave it on always though, it shuts down when there's no signal input.

2)I'll have to upload some pics for that I think, although I'll try to explain. There are 2 pieces of plywood that stick out from the wall on each side of the opening. There are also 2 pieces of ply on the screen frame that slip over top of the pieces in the wall. I then simply screwed through one into the other. Becase you could see the screws from the side, I built a trim pieces that just slip over to hide the screws.

3) Yup, the monitor is attached to the wooden frame.

Another note: the frame is open on the top and bottom allowing the monitor to stay cool. Plus this made it easier to deal with the power switch.

Didnt realize the page was down.... likely DNS issues, mine tends to be less than perfect....

Wes

by **justchillinout** on Sat Jul 09, 2005 7:30 am

mooneyass
Did you just use an extended monitor cable? If so how long? I know that after 25' there is some signal loss. What about the connection to the touchscreen panel? Is that home run back to the computer as well? How?

by **jlcrawford** on Sun Jul 10, 2005 7:53 pm

I can help on this one. I am in the Uk and bought a device that converts USB to cat 5 network and then you can run it a long way before changing it back to USB this allows the touch screen to work.
There is also a similar device for VGA signals but this one requires a powered convertor at each end.