MultiroomMan
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: Multiroom with plural sources

Hi there, as we just bought a house, we want to install a multiroom audio system for four rooms.

I read on the internet that:

 

- a macbook with music stored in iTunes can be used as a musicsource

- for each room you need an airport express and speakers connected to it

- with the remote app you can use your iphone as a remote for the whole system

 

But my doubt:

 

Is it possible to play two different songs, that are stored on the same macbook, in two different rooms at the same time?

Or do we need two macbooks to create two music sources?

I imagine the problem stays the same if we use a Time Capsule as music source?

 

Thx!

Posted on Apr 1, 2013 1:14 PM

by eldrik,Solvedanswer
eldrik eldrik
Level 1 (65 points)
A:

where I am writing that it is possible to stream from two itunes sources to one airport device at the same time??

 

Even two different rooms with each it's own express does not work AS LONG AS THEY ARE ON THE SAME WiFi net.

 

     try to explain this sentence!

 

     if i got 4 airport express on my house, they can all be on the same network, and while I am playing music from my central mac mini server to my airport      express #1 & #2 via itunes my, girlfriend can stream with no problem to airport express #3 & #4 with her macbook pro and itunes or to one of the not used      airport express with her iphone at the same time.

 

 

one more time... the thread opener does not want to stream different songs to the same room at the same time, so no need for multiple airplay devices on one room!

 

 

- a macbook with music stored in iTunes can be used as a musicsource

 

    yes!

 

- for each room you need an airport express and speakers connected to it

     yes!

 

- with the remote app you can use your iphone as a remote for the whole system

      yes!

 

But my doubt:

 

Is it possible to play two different songs, that are stored on the same macbook, in two different rooms at the same time?

     no, not with only one itunes source! it you have another itunes source it is not a problem!

 

Or do we need two macbooks to create two music sources?

     yes absolute right, and you can only access the airplay device exclusive not shared with different sources while playing music on it!

 

I imagine the problem stays the same if we use a Time Capsule as music source?

     yes, the timecapsule can only host the music, but you can use it to host it for two different itunes instances on your network.

Posted on Apr 2, 2013 5:42 AM

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Q: Multiroom with plural sources

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  • by MultiroomMan,

    MultiroomMan MultiroomMan Apr 2, 2013 11:55 AM in response to eldrik
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 2, 2013 11:55 AM in response to eldrik

    lol thx!

  • by coxwain,

    coxwain coxwain May 28, 2013 2:38 PM in response to MultiroomMan
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 28, 2013 2:38 PM in response to MultiroomMan

    I hate to belabour this but I wanted to clarify some points as I too have a whole house system I would like to set up.

     

    My situation:  Whole house is wired for approx 10 zones speakers in wall/ceiling, home run to basement central area.

    I am considering Airport Express with a Dayton Audio MA1240a Multi-Zone 12 Channel Amplifier or something like that.

     

    I would have 1 Airport Express per zone.

     

    I have 1 mac Mini that would be a media server, as well I have a DNS 323 NAS that has a itunes media server option.  My Apple Remote App sees both libraries.

     

    I currently use airport extreme with mac mini so I cant really test everything out yet.

     

    But I want the following

    each zone: Airport Express + Amp (MA1240a or equivallent), speaker wire and pair of speakers.

     

    It sounds like from the previous posts I cannot play from one iTunes library to multiple locations as separate streams, ie different music to each zone. 

     

    If I used an Apple TV instead of Airport Extreme, would that change things?

     

    Also, since Airport Express is Airplay compliant, each iphone, itouch or ipad can stream whatever source they have on their device directly to their zone.  Most likely, (4 kids in the house)  they would have all the media or streaming services on their ipad that they would want to hear anyway.

     

    Any additional thoughts on this?

  • by Lexiepex,

    Lexiepex Lexiepex May 28, 2013 11:51 PM in response to coxwain
    Level 6 (10,470 points)
    Mac OS X
    May 28, 2013 11:51 PM in response to coxwain

    Hi coxwain,

    I advise to start a new thread with your question: this one is marked as solved, and there will be more help in a new thread.

    Lex

  • by tomasxvi,

    tomasxvi tomasxvi Aug 14, 2013 1:18 AM in response to MultiroomMan
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 14, 2013 1:18 AM in response to MultiroomMan

    Hi,

     

    check out the app WHAALE Multiroom Player for iPad.

    With that you are able to stream a song to multiple speakers or stream different songs to different speakers.

    Without any additional hardware - just iPad, AirPlay speakers (and your wlan-router ...).

     

    Maybe - if you want - you are able to mix sound effects (wind, sea waves, etc.) with your music.

     

    For me, it's all what i want/need

    It is the answer for the question "Real Multirooming with AirPlay speakers..."

  • by coxwain,

    coxwain coxwain Aug 14, 2013 5:41 AM in response to tomasxvi
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 14, 2013 5:41 AM in response to tomasxvi

    Where do you buy those speakers?  Them seem to look like they will work. 

     

    Since I have a wired house without source equipment, I think the best solution is to wait for a full blown airplay amp to come out.  And use wired speakers.

  • by tomasxvi,

    tomasxvi tomasxvi Aug 14, 2013 5:57 AM in response to coxwain
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 14, 2013 5:57 AM in response to coxwain

    Hi coxwain,

     

    there a lot of airplay featured amps on the market now, e.g. http://airplayspeakers.com/pioneer-vsx-series-av-receivers-for-2012/#.Ugt8EGRgZf Q

     

     

    but personally i like the smart and tiny, active speakers with "integrated airplay". Only i have to plug them in the electrical socket - and no more cables are necessary.

     

    there are a wide range (particular in price) of them.

     

    Good price/quality is (for my opinion) SONY: http://www.sony.de/product/wireless-lautsprecher

    I use them in the "secondary" rooms like floor, bathroom, kitchen, etc.

     

    In the livingroom i have a (more expensive, but more briliant sound) bowers&wilkins like http://www.bowers-wilkins.de/Wireless-Music-Systems/Wireless-Music-Systems/Wirel ess-Music-Systems/airplay.html

     

    Since the WHAALE App for iPad is there i have a very comfortable and intuitive multirooming solution.

  • by CEB20816,

    CEB20816 CEB20816 Aug 14, 2013 9:43 AM in response to MultiroomMan
    Level 1 (80 points)
    Aug 14, 2013 9:43 AM in response to MultiroomMan

    I have 5 Airport Express devices in my home network. I'll share what I have learned

     

    A computer running itunes (Mac or PC) can adress all or some of the airport express connected speakers. Itunes can only play one song at a time.

     

    Any speaker not in use by a device can be used by another device (another MAC/PC, an idevice such as an ipad or iphone).

     

    However, If a Mac/PC is streaming itunes to a subset of speakers it can also stream, say, Pandora at the same time to unused speakers

     

    My family will regularly run multiple instances of itunes on separate computers (I'm not sure how you would run mulitple itunes instances on one computer). Each of us claims the speakers we want

     

    Your limit on Airport express devices depends on ethernet vs. wifi. With ethernet you can essentially run an unlimited number of AX devices (4 of our 5 are ethernet). With wifi you are limited to 3-5 AX devices depenidng on wifi signal strength

     

     

    Carlos

  • by coxwain,

    coxwain coxwain Aug 14, 2013 12:58 PM in response to CEB20816
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 14, 2013 12:58 PM in response to CEB20816

    Those are all great options.  But what I am looking for, and this would be helpful for people who have legacy whole house systems or want a wired system.

    I want a multi room amp like a russound that runs completly off of airplay.  All speaker zones would be wired into the multiroom amp.

    something like this:http://russound.com/product_detail.php?i=1550

     

    it would be great if it had the capacity to multi source and multi zone too, but all run through airplay.

     

    I dont want to have wall controllers or remotes.  Everyone (6 people) have apple devices in our house that could control the device so I see no need for a remote anymore.

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