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Document Release 1 - ALPHA!

- Setting up Multiple WinAmp Zones.    (Requires v5.15 or above)

eHome allows you to create a multi zone WinAmp server with up to 10 copies of WinAmp running on different sound cards. For our sample below we are going to install 3 zones.

NOTE: Before you start this... Make sure you  have a eHome installation working with the Audio sever.
NOTE: Use WinAmp Version v2.9x  Other versions sometimes work for some people but v2.9x always works.
 

Setting up Hardware and WinAmp

Step 1:
The first thing need to be done is to setup your computer with multiple sounds cards. So with 3 zones we will need 3 sound cards for our computer. (For help on this do a Google search on 'setting up multiple sound cards')  Once this is working then step 2.

Step 2:
Install WinAmp. Create a folder on c drive called 'C:\eHome\AudioSvr'. Run WinaAmp and configure it to your liking. (turn off mini browser and check for new version options) Save it and close. Now create 3 more folders inside that and call them Zone0, Zone1,  Zone2. Copy WinAmp to each one of these folders.

Step 3:
Now its time to setup WinAmp to allow multiple instances and to have each instance play on a different soundcard. Go to the ZONE0 folder and run Winamp. Click in the upper left corner for the menu. Now select 'Options' then 'preferences'. You should see the Preference menu, select 'output' under the 'Plugins' section. Click the Configure button and a new window appears. From the drop down menu labeled Device: each of your soundcards should be listed. Select the sound card for this zone and hit OK. Test WinAmp and then close.

Ok - done with ZONE0 so now do this the same thing for each copy of WinAmp. (ZONE1 and ZONE2) Makes sure that each copy can play though its own sound card.

Setting up the eHome server software:

In your eHome folder, open the file 'eHomeSvrAudio.ini'  for editing. Since we are doing 3 zones we need 3 entries to tell eHome what WinAmp to use for what zone. So our INI file should look like this:

[ZONE_00]
path=C:\eHome\AudioSvr\Zone0\winamp.exe
class=WinampZone00

[ZONE_01]
path=C:\eHome\AudioSvr\Zone1\winamp.exe
class=WinampZone01

[ZONE_02]
path=C:\eHome\AudioSvr\Zone2\winamp.exe
class=WinampZone02

Now close all copies of WinAmp and start the eHome Audio server. You should see 3 copies of WinAmp up and running. Switch to each one and clear out the play lists so that they are blank. (if this did not work - check the error logs)

Setting up the eHome client software:

Now its time to setup the eHome client and tell it what servers - zones it can see.

In C:\eHome\Client-Server folder, create a text file named eHomeMultiSvrsAud.ini  Now you need to add the computers you wish to connect to in the file. The format is as follows:

Description$$Computer$$Zone

So your file should look something like this: (WinAmpSvr is the name of the PC with the 3 soundcards)

[main]
1=My Local Computer$$Local$$ZONE_00
2=Zone0-Main$$WinAmpSvr$$ZONE_00
3=Zone1-Garage$$WinAmpSvr$$ZONE_01
4=Zone2-Main$$WinAmpSvr$$ZONE_02

So in this configuration - entry 1 will connect to the local computer, entry 2 will connect to ZONE_00 on the PC WinAmpSvr and entry 3 will connect to ZONE_01 on the PC WinAmpSvr.

Once the file is created restart your eHome client and go to Audio. In the lower left hand side you should see a new icon, touch this and audio list will popup with your zones.

NOTE: In the eHomeClient.ini file you can set the default zone to attach to on startup. Run the client INI editor and look for the 'Default Audio Zone' entry.