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#1
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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Computer controlled preamp
Hi, I'm looking to control whole-house audio entirely with my laptop. So in my ideal world I have a computer in a particular location and I would like to control which speakers are on and which are off, from my computer. Does there exist a preamp that can be controled by a computer? Many thanks in advance, Aaron |
#2
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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Computer controlled preamp
"Aaron Fude" wrote...
I'm looking to control whole-house audio entirely with my laptop. So in my ideal world I have a computer in a particular location and I would like to control which speakers are on and which are off, from my computer. Does there exist a preamp that can be controled by a computer? Sure. Commercial sound systems have a variety of remotely-controlled components (including computer-controlled) available. However the prices may be outide your (undisclosed) budget. |
#3
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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Computer controlled preamp
On Oct 6, 9:36*pm, "Richard Crowley" wrote:
"Aaron Fude" *wrote... I'm looking to control whole-house audio entirely with my laptop. So in my ideal world I have a computer in a particular location and I would like to control which speakers are on and which are off, from my computer. Does there exist a preamp that can be controled by a computer? Sure. Commercial sound systems have a variety of remotely-controlled components (including computer-controlled) available. However the prices may be outide your (undisclosed) budget. $2k and be sized rougly like a normal preamplifier. |
#4
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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Computer controlled preamp
On Mon, 6 Oct 2008 18:09:02 -0700 (PDT), Aaron Fude
wrote: I'm looking to control whole-house audio entirely with my laptop. So in my ideal world I have a computer in a particular location and I would like to control which speakers are on and which are off, from my computer. Does there exist a preamp that can be controled by a computer? Which do you require, a remote-controlled speaker switch, or a remote-controlled preamp? Both exist. All good fortune, Chris Hornbeck |
#5
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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Computer controlled preamp
On Oct 6, 10:21*pm, Chris Hornbeck
wrote: On Mon, 6 Oct 2008 18:09:02 -0700 (PDT), Aaron Fude wrote: I'm looking to control whole-house audio entirely with my laptop. So in my ideal world I have a computer in a particular location and I would like to control which speakers are on and which are off, from my computer. Does there exist a preamp that can be controled by a computer? Which do you require, a remote-controlled speaker switch, or a remote-controlled preamp? Both exist. All good fortune, Chris Hornbeck I guess I don't know what I need. What I would like to do is have a computer in one of the rooms of the house with a collection of mp3's on it. and from that computer I want to control what plays and in what part of the house. What I imagined is a preamp with a USB port or wireless that you can drive from a computer. |
#6
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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Computer controlled preamp
Aaron Fude wrote: Hi, I'm looking to control whole-house audio entirely with my laptop. So in my ideal world I have a computer in a particular location and I would like to control which speakers are on and which are off, from my computer. Does there exist a preamp that can be controled by a computer? Probably but I find your entire concept flawed (especially when the laptop crashes). I was considering these ideas asa designer in the 70's but the technology wasn't up to it then and now I simply know better. Graham |
#7
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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Computer controlled preamp
Richard Crowley wrote: "Aaron Fude" wrote... I'm looking to control whole-house audio entirely with my laptop. So in my ideal world I have a computer in a particular location and I would like to control which speakers are on and which are off, from my computer. Does there exist a preamp that can be controled by a computer? Sure. Commercial sound systems have a variety of remotely-controlled components (including computer-controlled) available. However the prices may be outide your (undisclosed) budget. By about the price of a house roughly. Graham |
#8
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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Computer controlled preamp
Aaron Fude wrote: On Oct 6, 9:36 pm, "Richard Crowley" wrote: "Aaron Fude" wrote... I'm looking to control whole-house audio entirely with my laptop. So in my ideal world I have a computer in a particular location and I would like to control which speakers are on and which are off, from my computer. Does there exist a preamp that can be controled by a computer? Sure. Commercial sound systems have a variety of remotely-controlled components (including computer-controlled) available. However the prices may be outide your (undisclosed) budget. $2k and be sized rougly like a normal preamplifier. For one channel ? I could probably design that for you. The critical chip only costs about $5. Then there's there's the host controller and I/O etc etc plus it'll need drivers writing ( Windows I suppose ? ). Oh only $2k, £2k maybe. So call it $4k. Graham |
#9
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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Computer controlled preamp
Aaron Fude wrote: Chris Hornbeck wrote: Aaron Fude wrote: I'm looking to control whole-house audio entirely with my laptop. So in my ideal world I have a computer in a particular location and I would like to control which speakers are on and which are off, from my computer. Does there exist a preamp that can be controled by a computer? Which do you require, a remote-controlled speaker switch, or a remote-controlled preamp? Both exist. I guess I don't know what I need. What I would like to do is have a computer in one of the rooms of the house with a collection of mp3's on it. and from that computer I want to control what plays and in what part of the house. What I imagined is a preamp with a USB port or wireless that you can drive from a computer. Oh, when you said pre-amp, being an audio pro, I thought mic preamp. I have actually been working conceptually on such a design for some years (using a central music server accessible from any room suitably equipped in the home) but the software side and comms protocols (using ethernet probably - wired or wireless) are beyond me. My brother-in-law has expressed an interest in this project and he is a good coder too but he's always too busy ! To develop it on a strict commercial basis would be a multi tens of $k project. Using contractors it would go over $100k easily. Maybe we'll finally get round to doing it in our own time but in the meantime I also have a killer energy controller project. Graham |
#10
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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Computer controlled preamp
"Aaron Fude" wrote in message
... On Oct 6, 9:36 pm, "Richard Crowley" wrote: "Aaron Fude" wrote... I'm looking to control whole-house audio entirely with my laptop. So in my ideal world I have a computer in a particular location and I would like to control which speakers are on and which are off, from my computer. Does there exist a preamp that can be controled by a computer? Sure. Commercial sound systems have a variety of remotely-controlled components (including computer-controlled) available. However the prices may be outide your (undisclosed) budget. $2k and be sized rougly like a normal preamplifier. Squeezeboxes. They can be controlled remotely from a web link. I control mine from the computer when I want. And they will use a shared central store of mp3s. They have a volume control. Plus they have an optical remote so that you can control them from each room as well. So just get a squeezebox, 2 channel amp, and speakers for each room in question. You don't even need to run any wires. 2 grand would do a number of rooms of you don't go to crazy on the amp and speakers. Squeezeboxes are $299 each. http://www.slimdevices.com/pi_squeezebox.html I suggest ebay for used 2 channel amps. Amp technology has not changed all that much in 20 years. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=250303722012 I'd go new on the speakers though. |
#11
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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Computer controlled preamp
On Mon, 6 Oct 2008 22:25:40 -0700 (PDT), Aaron Fude
wrote: I guess I don't know what I need. What I would like to do is have a computer in one of the rooms of the house with a collection of mp3's on it. and from that computer I want to control what plays and in what part of the house. What I imagined is a preamp with a USB port or wireless that you can drive from a computer. OK, so you want a multi-zone system with a central server and local clients. May I suggest that you adopt a model of a Windows Media Player server and Ethernet connections to the local clients? Rooms with video might use PlayStation3's as clients, with or without Sony's cool little $150 wireless streaming video remote controls. Rooms without video can use a simpler client, but some display will *always* be needed. Navigation requires visual feedback to be even remotely enjoyable, for any system of any kind. All good fortune, Chris Hornbeck |
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