I’d like to share a recent project I finished for a good client: Wireless multi-room audio.
TL;DR
Headless Mac Mini as a server with Chromecast Audio units and Rogue Amoeba to achieve live source playback in any single room or the house house, without running wires everywhere.
Sounds Easy!
It doesn’t seem like a difficult task with all the tech available now, but in this project we have some very particular needs. We must have live streaming from a CD player, a record player, and a digital music library. We want high quality playback, and we want it perfectly synced across the house. Did I mention we want it simple to start, and able to record and play at the same time?
Now What?
I wanted to use a Raspberry Pi, I really did, but there were quite a few hoops to jump through and in the end it was just simpler (and less expensive) to use Chromecast Audio. After settling on our streaming device it was time to work everything else out, namely streaming a live audio source.
This was achieved with Rogue Amoeba’s Airfoil, a pretty slick little application for OS X that allows casting from any audio input on the Mac.
Next up is output. Any old speakers will do, you’ll just need a way to get sound from the Chromecast’s 3.5mm or mini optical port. My client had a variety of passive speakers but a shortage of amplifiers, so I got this LP-2020TI.
That’s basically it. The client connects remotely through an older MacBook. The vinyl can be recorded while it’s playing using Audacity. You can create different speaker groups in order to play through the entire house or just one set at a time.
I Want One!
I’d love to help, so contact me and let’s get you rockin’ out!
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