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[NickM]

I am taking my first steps into the unknown for multi-zone play back.  Are there any particular types of multi channel sound cards that are compatible, good, bad, indifferent with MC?

Having read so much about the problems of synchronisation with multi-zone playback for a party, I also wonder if there is a sound card that can do the channel linking instead of MC?

Just installed a new KIND MCX 6-channel amp.  Maybe will post some photos of the new MC server rack if anyone is interested…

nick

[Mastiff]

Try an Audigy with the kX Drivers, then you can have three zones on one card. If you're even more budget concscious, you can get a used old Live! 5.1 for maybe 15 dollars. Put three of those in a computer, and you've got nine zones without any hazzle (kX Drivers again, of course).  

[Michaelo]

Need a little info on the kX drivers... Link would be nice.

Tried to get Live 5.1 to work with on board C Multi Media 6 channel sound...
Works for 2 or 3 minutes then hangs. Also could you point me in the direction to learn more about Zones and Setting up etc..

Many thanks  

Mike

Running 2000 SP3 Tons of Ram and Dragon Kt400 Ultra.

[NickM]

I am not familiar with kX, although am now reading the site...  It appears to be a software driver that takes over the Audigy board so that instead of 7.1surround sound, you can create 3 stereo outputs?  In that case, do you know if it handles channel linking?  Is this mature software / technology, or will I be dealing with beta's and techie issues for a while?
nick

[Mastiff]

Michelangelo, you've got them here: www.kxproject.com

NickM, I use them on both my carputer and the main media server. If you knew me you'd know that this is as strong an endorsement as there is. One crash that affects my multi-zone system means that the offending piece of soft- or hardware takes a tumble down the cliff. And there will be no elven cloak or horse saving it's ass! It will be as dead as an ork in Fangorn! (Does it show that I just came up from the home theater after the second viewing of the EE of Two Towers?)

[NickM]

I guess you're happy with the software then...
I will try it out and shout if I get stuck.  Many thanks,
nick

[NickM]

Mastiff, thanks - as an aside, do you have local zone control?  If so, what type of clients or remotes do you use?
nick

[PhatPhreddy]

I would also look into the M-Audio line like the 410 or the Revo both are 8ch cards so can do 4 stereo zones...

Depending on how serious you are going to be getting on this you may want to consider a RS232 controllable switchbox.  I think the sync all zones problem is a bit of a big issue so if I was takling this i would look at a 4 in and 8 or 12 out audio switchbox... This will allow you to have up to 4 sources routed to any or all of 12 zones output... Thats a big advancement on amount of zones and then in turn solves the one source to all zones in time problem.. There are also multi zone amps which can be RS232 controlled so that the above can be performed and the amping of line level signals can be applied, if you dont already have your amps this may be a viable alternative.

Of course there will be additional work involved with zone selection and playback so RS232 controls through Girder and some control interface will be required (MainLobby).

I am also thinking that some method of streaming out from the media server to client nodes (multiple streams and client 'tuning' from each location) would be another viable way to tackle the issues currently seen.

[loraan]

Could you tell me what drivers you're using to get multi-stereo zones out of the Revo? I didn't know this existed for that card.

[Mastiff]

NickM, look at my webpage, and this thread: http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?board=3;action=display;threadid=17519

[NickM]

High Mastiff,

Got the KX application and put it all together – it looks nice, but I can’t say it is at all intuitive.  Still, I battled though and managed to get a kind of result.  I managed to get one zone separated out but a couple of other zones still seem inseparable.

I really need to go back to basics ( not that I ever progressed beyond that stage anyway ).  In MC, I choose WAV out and select the KX channel 0/1, 4/5 or 6/7 for each zone – as an aside I can’t get anything on 4/5 yet.

Then in the OS multimedia control panel there is an option to set each of the KX channels ( probably using the wrong word there ) as stereo, x4, 5.1 etc – I set mine to stereo.

Then in the KX software there are a number of buttons to press ( statement of the year ) not many have any explanation.  The 4x Router seemed the best.  In the KX set up there is also a confusing sound card configuration , again asking for 2.1, 4,1,5,1 etc.

I did notice a “load configuration” button…  I wonder if KX or MC could publish the settings for this software to work with MC or at least some examples to play with.

By the way, I am impressed with the photo’s of your set-up.  How do you manage if anything goes wrong !  I’ll post a picture of my basement room next week…

Thanks, nick

[PhatPhreddy]

High Mastiff

Yeah thats what I often think also

[Mastiff]

First of all nothing goes wrong. I have too many safeguards for that. Well, mice may chew on the cables on the attic, but that's it...

Second: The correct settings are these: Go into the kX DSP, right click and tweak the surrounder and set it to 5.1, with surround off. That should separate your channels. Also you should bypass both reverb and chorus. And you should be set. Remember that 0/1 are not to be used in this setup since they spread all over the three stereo pairs. You start with 4/5. But you can use 0/1 for synchronized play over more than one zone (party in the whole house, maybe). This should help you on the way.

[Mastiff]

High Mastiff

Yeah thats what I often think also

So you mean that I have gotten on my high horse? Or that I'm high on something? Or that I'm too high and mighty for my own good? Or maybe that I soar high above you commoners?  

High-ho-high-ho, to Multi-Zone I go!