Multiple instances of Winamp? How? (1 Viewer)

[Ken Woodrow]

I've tried opening multiple instances of Winamp in Windows XP (my goal is to route different music to different outputs of my Delta 410 card), but I can't seem to get more than one open at a time. It just defaults to the instance that already is open. Is there a special plugin for this, or a setting in XP that I should adjust?

BTW, I CAN get Winamp and Media Jukebox open at the same time, and I CAN route different music to different sets of outputs on the Delta 410 card, proving the concept. It was kind of strange to have two different songs playing from my front speakers and my surrounds, both crossing over to the sub at different points! Talk about making your head spin.

One of my goals is to be able to route different music to different zones using either the extra outputs of the Delta 410 card or the analog outs of a Delta Dio card installed in the same machine. Because the Delta drivers will accept more than one soundcard, this should work in theory. I hope to have time to install both cards in the same machine and try it out this week.

Has anyone else gotten multiple instances of Winamp (or other music player software) open in Windows XP?

Are there other software players that allow this?

 

[Masood Ali]

Right Click on the Winamp window--->Options--->Preferences--->Click on the "Options" heading--->Make sure the "Allow Multiple Instances" checkbox is checked

 

[Ken Woodrow]

Thanks! I knew it should be easy, I was just missing it in the options.

Now, is there any way to get multiple instances of Winamp to play the same song from different outputs at the same time? In other words, to synchronize two instances of Winamp? I'd like to have the same music playing on my patio that I have playing in my theater using my 8-channel soundcard. It may be possible using the Monitor Mixer of my Delta 410 sound card; I'll have to experiment. But if someone's already done it, let me know!

Finally, is it possible to use Winamp in a client/server mode, so that multiple Winamp "clients" play the same music being played on the Winamp "server", allowing whole-house distribution to several computers on a network?

 

[Masood Ali]

I don't have two soundcards, but I'm pretty sure you can adjust the output for each instance of Winamp through the Preferences menu.
As for serving MP3s, read up a little on Shoutcast for Winamp. Its the easiest way to stream music to multiple clients through your house. Shoutcast

 

[Alan Benson]

Finally, is it possible to use Winamp in a client/server mode, so that multiple Winamp "clients" play the same music being played on the Winamp "server", allowing whole-house distribution to several computers on a network?

Have you explored Shoutcast? Last time I looked, it was a way of setting up WinAmp-based playlist broadcasting... I would expect it to work on a network as well, but I've not investigated it personally...
EDIT: Gee maybe I should read the posts above mine sometime...

 

[Ken Woodrow]

You guys are great. I've learned more in these responses to my post than I have reading the boards for a long time.

I see two alternatives to accomplish whole-house audio aided by the PC:

Alternative 1

Use the LAN to route (broadcast) audio to different PCs or purpose-built PC music players in different locations. I've been checking out Shoutcast, and it looks like it will do what I've been wanting for streaming the same music to multiple PCs on my home LAN. My only question about Shoutcast is whether it will work in Windows XP, but if it works on NT, it should work on XP, right?

Alternative 2

Using line-level audio connections to separate amps and speakers in each location, use the PC to route different music to each location. I've learned that by installing Winamp in different directories, I can open up multiple instances of Winamp and set each to different outputs on my soundcard (or to different soundcards in the same PC), effectively giving me a multi-zone player. Combined with the appropriate amps and speakers, I can use the PC to route audio throughout the house.

Using the Talisman desktop shell, I can label buttons for "Theater," "Patio," and "Living Room" and have each button open up the appropriate instance of Winamp. All the music would still be stored on my office PC (effectively functioning as a music server), but would be played by the HTPC in the theater and distributed by means of line-level connections.

I guess the choice of alternatives depends on what type of wiring exists or is easiest to run, and on how comfortable I am with setting up and using Shoutcast.

 

[Masood Ali]

Shoutcast works with XP.

Alt 1 has the benefit of being able to control music at each location. Using Shoutcast, you could also access your central server remotely from any terminal; another plus.

Alt 2 is more centralized, which can be good or bad depending on the layout of your home. You would either have to be at the central computer to control the music, or find some alternative way of remotely controlling it at different locations in your home.

 

[Ken Woodrow]

I guess a variation on Alt. 2 is to use Remote Desktop or VNC to control what's going on at the HTPC, so you could control what's being sent to each of the zones with a laptop (connected wirelessly) or another computer in the house. That way, I could sit at my home office computer on the second floor and control what music is being played throughout the house using different instances of Winamp residing on my HTPC in the basement .. .

But, unfortunately, with an older house, its hard to run home-run line level audio throughout the house and to the basement. And I already have two separate stereo systems on two floors, so it may be easier to build dedicated PC music players for those systems and connect them to the LAN with ethernet cable or wireless NICs.

So, do you have any leads on building (or buying) a small PC-based dedicated audio player? No need for a display, except perhaps for a small LCD or touchscreen . . .