music server with amp, radio and ipod input

[admin_exported]

Hi,

i work in a cafe that is soon to be refurbished into a cafe/restaurant, and we are looking for a new music system.

We need a music server with amplifier built in and radio and ipod/mp3 player input.

I have seen this post: http://www.whathifi.com/forum/hi-fi/music-server-hard-disk-with-cd-amplifier-and-dab-in-one-box

but it we need to be able to create playlists etc and a bigger screen.

I'm not asking for much.....

Cheers,

Josh

 

[Anonymous]

Also the built im amplifier isnt a key thing. We could get small active speakers...Any Ideas of any speakers?

Cheers

 

[Anonymous]

You may think this is off the wall but I recently tested a very different system in a local cafe and it worked wonderfully well and was low cost.

It used a laptop as a server, with the potential to connect to Spotify Premium and on-line radio as well as replay from the HDD, plus an Arcam rCube. An Arcam rWave wireless dongle was used to connect the two (the path is lossless CD quality - 16-bit, 44.1ks/sec - and it's much more immune to interference than wi-fi). The laptop (obviously it could also be a static PC) was behind the counter where the owner was able to control it easily.

The cafe when empty was quite reverberant and we were able to move the rCube around using its battery supply to see where it sounded optimum. Several places turned out to be good and we used one of these which was reasonably secure, then powered it from the nearest mains supply. There was sufficient volume to fill the place to levels louder than would have been tolerated by many of the clientele. The rDock has IR remote control too so you can alter the level from behind the counter.

A couple of other benefits that appealed to the owner were its portability for use in non busy times for possible mother and child parties (using its internal rechargeable batteries) and the fact that several more rCubes could be linked in seamlessly to the same wireless feed if there was ever felt to be a need.

Don't forget you will need a performing rights licence.

Hope this helps!

John Dawson (Arcam)

 

[Anonymous]

Thank you for the idea, but the speaker may not be enough to fill the cafe.

We're looking at getting around 8-10 speakers for the cafe.

We have a similar system in a bar next door that uses a netbook, with itunes, a DAC and alesis muitimix 4 USB 4 channel mixing deck into 4 speakers with built-in amps but the speakers are a bit large for what we're looking for.

If we cant find anything thats suitable and cheap we may just go down the same route as the bar and use a netbook, But haveing the choice to have all that in one would be handy.

Thank you!

 

[Anonymous]

Fair enough Josh - it obviously depends on the size of the building, its reverberation time and the peak levels you want, especially at the bottom end.

[edited by mods- we get the point]

 

[Clare Newsome]

Rather loose interpretation of House Rules for industry posters there, John!

But an intriguing suggestion nonetheless; we'll let you off - this time....

 

[Anonymous]

On a similar note to the Arcam system. You could use some Sonos S5s in party mode, a cheap NAS and an i-Phone to control them. Each S5 can have it's own volume so you can tailor the sound as required.