RE: TTS and how to do it? - summary

["Nikola Kasic" <nikola@xxxxxxx>]

I am also very interested in putting something similar at home, so to summarize:

 

Most of the people would like to have one speaker in each room for TTS and would like to independently control the volume of each speaker (depending on part of day, room location, whether music is playing etc.). I would asume that 8 zones would cover most of the needs.

 

If we want to have independent volume control of each speaker, we need to have separate amplifier for each speaker. Whether they will be all-in-one unit or separate, doesn't matter. 

 

Now, the first question is where to locate those amplifiers. A while ago, I asked about using CAT5 as speaker cable for HiFi and the answer was NO, but I asume for TTS it should be fine. I asume that proper speaker cables should be even better. One option is to have each amp in one room, but that's bulky, requires line level signal to be transmitted (KAT5) etc.

So better solution is to have all amplifiers in node 0 and connect each speaker to it's amplifier with speaker cable.

 

The second question is how to control volume of each amplifier. Switching off is equivalent of lowering volume to 0. Amplifiers will always be on, to reduce delay and it seems not to be a problem regarding hiss or noise.

It needs to be controlled from PC, so it could be either IR through IR transmitter or wired via serial.

If IR, each amp must have it's own IR receiver and they must also have ID code so IR commands for volume+ and volume- must be different for each amp otherwise they'll all mix up. Probably, it will be very hard to find such amplifiers.

Therefore wired solution seems to be more likely to work.

But then, on amplifier side, you need an amp that will accept volume commands through wire - again hard to find. And you need somehow to connect serial port on PC to each amp and route commands to right amplifier.

 

Buiding amplifiers themselves is probably too complicated for DIY, I asume (at least for me it is), to put them in all-in-one device. However there are fixed gain amplifiers, where you regulate output by regulating input. If there is a device like that irrigation relay board, where you'll instead of switching relays set up volume (resistence) on each channel that's it.

There should be no much delay, in first step, you set up volume on each channel. In second step you release sound. Where volume is 0, there will be no sound.

Does this seem possible?

 

Cheers,

Nik

 

For more information: http://www.automatedhome.co.uk
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