Multiple zone touchscreen jukebox

You've got a very capable touchscreen with the iPhone running the remote app....IF....you use iTunes. I have seven zones of audio and video using an iPhone, an iPad2 and an iTouch as remote interfaces. For media, I built a basic PC with 4TB of storage running just iTunes and a few other apps as well as ripping and encoding software. For two of the zones, I use Audiosource amps with signal sensin

My amps are connected to Airport Expresses. When I start the remote app on my iPad/phone/touch, the AirPlay Icon appears and when tapped, a pop box opens showing all the available zones which are named.....yard front/yard back/ media room/bedroom/home theater/living room. What's also on the screen is my entire iTunes library of music,movies, etc. All titles have complete cover art and everything is searchable by title, artist, genre,etc. when I select a zone connected to the Audiosource amps, the amps remote turn on senses the I put signal and...turns on. After no music for about 5 mins or so...they simply turn off.

Now there's a few things this system can't do, and that's choose multiple sources for playback in select zones. Some examples
Let's say you want to listen to Pink Floyd in the back yard. You simply select the zone and the album, set the volume and enjoy. Now if I want to go to the front yard as a separate zone, I can turn that zone on and listen to the same source in both zones or turn off the back yard and listen only in the front. What I can't do is listen to pink Floyd in the front and Led Zeppelin in the back. Inside the house, things are a bit more flexible as most of those zones use Apple TV's. Those zones CAN be used just like the Airport zones using the iDevice and the remote AirPlay app, going from room to room to listen to music OR the Apple TVs can access content directly via their remotes and the on- screen menu of their connected displays. In this case, different source material can be played in those zones, independent of what's in the AirPlay zones. I might add that all zones will also accept direct Airplay streams from Apps like Pandora, LastFM, Spotify, etc.

The multi source,multi zone touchscreen system you mention is obviously available, but very expensive and rightfully so. There's quite a few systems to choose from from some top names in custom audio installations,....Crestron, Niles, etc. you COULD set one up DIY but for the most part, it's all hardwiring with multi zone amps, triggers and source switching. If you really need that level of performance, go for it. For me, the Apple/AirPlay network hasn't left me wanting yet.

Have you looked into Sonos? I have a 4 zone setup and when I first got it I was amazed how easy it was to setup and how well it works with no hiccups. It's incredibly reliable and you can have music playing in sync in all zones or each zone can independently play their own music.

All music is controlled by their iOS/Android app (love the iPad app) and you can stream local music stored on a NAS or connect to most streaming services (Spotify, Pandora, MOG, Sirius, Rdio, Rhapsody, etc )

Forgot about Sonos.......another great alternative

Hey Greg.....that'll playback from a NAS as well so the PC doesn't need to be on?

Exactly, you don't need to have a dedicated PC to be on all the time if you have already have a NAS. I currently have a WHS v1 in my basement that Sonos connects to for local content plus I use Spotify. The wife loves it. Going to be adding another zone soon for the bathroom. That's another thing with Sonos is that you can add future zones down the road so its not too much of a financial hit when you first setup.

Not sure how much work you want to have to put into the set up on this but there is some interesting stuff you can do with Xlobby. It is an older product now but you can still use the free version and accomplish this type of set up.

See this for link for an explanation of how this user created 7 zones in his house using two 7 channel audio cards and a couple 6 ch amps. It is all controlled through an xlobby front end.

http://sites.google.com/site/maycreates/music-server

mayhem13,
you mentioned Pandora, LastFM, Spotify to each zone,

-do this also include rhapsody?
-are you using an app or the website for each of these services?
-how do you select music to the zones for the above services.....the itunes remote lets you choose which expresses / ATV's to play to, from within the app, how does this compare to using these services

thanks

Rhapsody is also an available App. I use the appropriate App which are available for the iPad,Phone and Touch. When you select the AirPlay Icon, all of the available playback devices or zones appear. Each is name able....I use the room or application each is in.....Theater, Bedroom, Living, Yard, etc. You can't listen to different content in different zones, but ATV zones can playback from iTunes library independent of the other zones.

Hi mayhem13, if I understand correctly the rhapsody app you're referring to is a "remote for rhapsody" app, to control the rhapsody client on the PC, correct?, and has airplay integrated into it, just like the "remote for itunes" apps?

I just did a search for the app and can't seem to find it. Their website seems to only show apps that will stream to your phone

thanks

Hi Zac851,

Just to let you know our CasaTunes XLi comes with the software, you do not have to buy it seperately from the card. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Thanks,
Wade
CasaTunes

Q for casa, are you able to link/sync 2 XLI PCI cards together to extend more than 6 zones?

One way to get over 6 zones would be to upgrade to an XLe. If you already have an XLi we can do some sort of a discount on the XLe. Just shoot us an e-mail or a call and we can help you out with this. Another way will be in our next software release. Soon you will be able to add more zones via Airplay speakers such as Apple TV's, Airport Expresses, AVR's integrated with AirPlay and speakers that are built with AirPlay technology. You will also be able to push apps(Pandora,MOG, iHeart radio, etc...) via airplay from any iOS device to any wired or wireless room(or multiple rooms) in your house. We will basically work as an airplay switch, all seamlessly in our software.

Let me know if you need anything else,
Wade

the airplay integration that sounds great, and will you have apps for iphones/ipads that will be able to control the zones?

The apps we already have will work with the extra zones!

I'm referring to airplay zones, from with the app

Yes, the airplay zones will show up in our app and be controllable just like the wired zones. As for an app like pandora you will be able to push it to any of our zones on our system and control the volume through pandoras app as wll as our own.

sounds great, can you explain briefly whats the reason for the big increase in cost between the Xli (6 zones) and the XLe (for 12 zones), it looks like there's 2 XLi cards in the XLe box, but the price is just over 3x higher
thanks

Autonomic Controls MMS music servers are wonderful and without all of the tinkering... just enjoy the music anywhere and any time ;-). I love my MMS-2

Here are a few reason why the XLe costs more than the XLi: It is expandable to up to 48 rooms, has trigger outputs and inputs, works with some paging and muting systems and is able to use up to 9 sources of music for playback compared to 5 on the XLi. One other reason is that manufacturing costs are quite a bit greater due to the exterior chassis and its components. Please let me know if you have any more questions.

Thank you,
Wade