On July 12, 2014 at 10:36, amgbrews said...
Current setup is this: 5 sources (2x Sirius/XM tuners, 2x CATV STB, 1x CD Changer) feeding to 12 zones.
Five sources? That's way more than are necessary. Does your client have the proper licensing for any CD that someone brings in and wants to play, or even that he himself owns? Does he have proper licensing for two Sirius music streams?
Licensing for both cable boxes isn't difficult, but is that enough cable boxes? Actually, I'd think he would want a cable box for each TV, each placed at the TV for ease of installation (one RG6) and to control costs, plus one or two cable boxes at the head end for feeding audio (or audio foldback from a couple of boxes in the place) to the sound system. A small beach bar system I've worked with has four TVs in basically two areas, and we've fed audio from one receiver in each area back to the head end. Another restaurant has a bar/dining room that's about 50' x 50' with six TVs and six satellite boxes, the audio of one of which is connected to the audio system for that room.
Sources are fed into a Knox Video Tech. Media Flex16 which controls tone & volume for all zones from bar area rack (Not ideal!)
What's not ideal? The ZonePro does exactly that. Maybe you're saying the bar area isn't the ideal location.
Everything still functions as is, but the MediaFlex16 is on it's way out. I'm looking to keep things pretty simple and leave existing equipment intact and just swap out the MF16 with a new controller and better control.
I'd go with the ZonePro. I have to tell you I have not specified this myself, nor set it up, but the installer I work with uses them in systems small and large all over the LA area (plus at Ernie's, the PGA bar out in the Palm Springs area).
2x Russound MCA-C5 w/ MDK-C6 keypad (rack location) & iDevice app - I've never used Russound in a commercial environment, but seems like a straightforward install, should work right out of the box, and nice UX.
Since you need EQ and you have many zones, if it works right out of the box it's not very capable.
Can anybody offer some input? Any experience controlling ZonePro's with URC products?
Sorry. I'd use ZonePro controllers, though I think there's an iPad controller either ready or on the way. Anything still "on the way" should not be specified, though!
Any experience with russound outside of a home?
I think it's fair to generalize from experience with many brands over the years that if it's made for residential use, it will be a bad choice for commercial use. The entire commercial part of this industry EXISTS because residential product doesn't get the job done, is squirrely to use, or doesn't last. You need silent dumb powerhouses of components! I also agree with your trepidation about using RCA type connections, but mostly because that product isn't commercial. Of course we have to deal with that when we connect to cable boxes and such.
