All right, some more details on this job:

I had a 2nd meeting with the owner yesterday. Finally, out of the 11 VCs, he decided that only 5 would need to be automated. The remaining 6 should stay as they are now.

This site has multi buildings, on each side of a boulevard. The music playing everywhere is coming from a web-based interface (Not sure if "web-based" is the right way of telling it, but Ernie please get me back on track if it's not. My English is not good enough in those picky situations...).

In other words, from any ethernet jack, the IT dept can provide me an "MP3 decoder" (this is how they call it) that give me a line-level audio signal from the main stream.

This way, I could "de-centralize" the patch system near the VCs area, and get the audio signal I need.

From there, it's just a matter of reorganize the existing wiring at the VC's, set up a controllable audio matrix, feed (5) 70V amps and get rid of those 5 VCs...

The quote is almost complete, a Vaux audio matrix and RTI XP-6 will be my choice of automation, combined with QSC 70V amps, and I will propose an RTI KX-7 to replace the 5 VCs on the wall so they will still have manual, on-the-fly control.

A nice little solution around $8K. Not so bad...

I will be presenting the quote on Friday morning....