Entertainment Center: TVs, Stereos, VCRs and DVDs - 2 Sound Sources, 2 Speaker Systems
Doityourself.com community forum was created to provide answers to all questions related to home improvement and home repair. Doityourself community can help you find information about how-to topics on small fixes to large remodeling projects. With comprehensive how-to content and expertly moderated community forums DoItYourself.com makes it easy to tackle even the most complex home improvement projects.View Full Version : 2 Sound Sources, 2 Speaker Systems
ChrisInMD
09-07-02, 08:04 PM
I'm a total novice in this, but I'm determined to do this if possible. If I can't, please tell me so I'll stop trying to figure it out.
I'm finishing my basement, walls are still not up, and I want to install in-wall (and in-celling) speakers in two seperate areas with two seperate audio sources. One area is the family room with the full-blown system and the other is the kids (teens) dance area with what we used to call a stereo. Both areas will be wired for 5.1 sound.
My desire is not so much being to play two different sound sounces at the same time, but to select which sound source is played throughout the system. That is, two sets of speakers with two different inputs, with the ability to play either sound system through either set of speakers. I'm rambling, I know, but to say it another way, I want to be able to select which system the speakers get their input from.
My colleague at work, a computer guy, sugested I simply run the speaker cables to a patch panel that has inputs from each system, letting me "flip a switch" to select which input goes to the speakers. Is he right? Can it be that simple?
I'm finishing my basement, walls are still not up, and I want to install in-wall (and in-celling) speakers in two seperate areas with two seperate audio sources. One area is the family room with the full-blown system and the other is the kids (teens) dance area with what we used to call a stereo. Both areas will be wired for 5.1 sound.
My desire is not so much being to play two different sound sounces at the same time, but to select which sound source is played throughout the system. That is, two sets of speakers with two different inputs, with the ability to play either sound system through either set of speakers. I'm rambling, I know, but to say it another way, I want to be able to select which system the speakers get their input from.
My colleague at work, a computer guy, sugested I simply run the speaker cables to a patch panel that has inputs from each system, letting me "flip a switch" to select which input goes to the speakers. Is he right? Can it be that simple?
FREDDYG_001
09-07-02, 10:57 PM
ChrisInMd, Yes all your doing is sending output signals from two different sources to the speakers. Radio Shack makes serveral speaker switch boxes that will work just fine.
Fred:)
Fred:)
bigmike
09-08-02, 08:03 PM
You may consider getting a 4 or 6 channel mixer board. I run my computer, TV, ham radio gear and a scanner all through the same source using a 10 channel mixer. Works extremely well and you can mix and match however you want for each room and source. This is of course the most expensive way to go. My mixer cost a couple hundred dollars I think like 8 years ago… I have a ham radio buddy that has a 26 channel mixer with all the bells and whistles on it, his radio gear sounds better than all of ours because of the compression he can run etc. Us ham’s like buttons and lights so the more the merrier.