I played with one last week. The outof the box functionality (OOTBF) was pretty good. With a few simple steps from the front Panel I was able to identify all the APADS and 12 button's easily. The APADS were nice but a little clumsy to figure out at first. Not very intuitive for the simple consumer. Definitely need to train the Clients Thuroughly on these.

I liked the way you can control all zones from any APADor the front of the unit. Also you can raise the Global volume on all zones together. There are six programmable "party" like buttons but I did not try them.

The tuner worked well and even displayed some station ID's. You can preset the Stations from the APAD as well.

Of course there are the usual Quirks with a first Gen Unit. They say to hit "enter" to confirm a set up function for the AES in the manual, but there isn't an button labled "enter"on the Unit. A silkscreen "enter" next to the button would have been helpful. Also they use tech words like "default" on the APAD user interface.

If you are going to add any non Crestron device (cable box, 5 CD, etc.) then as of right now, you have to program using Simple Windows. There will be "easy" wizard driven software using SYSTEM BUILDER 3.0 comming soon (I was told a few weeks) that will not require any Crestron programming experience; just a lot of initial software downloading. They Provide the OOTBF program to get started though. You just have to add to it.

I was disapointed with the 12 button pads. 6 of the buttons are sources and with on/off, vol and mute, that leaves two buttons left. OOTBF uses them as up and down (scans the radio). Better off with all APADS.

I did not try the CEN-Ipod yet with them. We didn't have an ipod to test.

We will be installing this uniot Monday if anyone has any questions. I'll try to post feedback when I can.

Bump.... Has anyone else done an Adagio install? What equipment was used and how much time was alotted for programming? Thanks

Works Great.....Just use all Crestron Equipment!

or plan on spending some time to initial program your first one. If the Client likes to listen to CD's or Cable music your in it for the long haul.

Let me know... I'm especially interested in the additional programming stuff...
Thx!

Programming an Adagio is hardly difficult--assuming one has the ability to program. If you cannot program you are stuck with the default funcitonality. Thus you now have a reason to learn to program. As you point out the default labeling on the 12 button keypads may not suit your installation. One can order other keypads and program them according to your needs. Even if you do decide to code it yourself I'd suggest coming up with a stock GUI and not providing too much customization. This is entry level Crestron and while I think it will be a fabulous improvement on what is on the market at the price point, especially in terms of integrating video control with lighting and HVAC, but it seems out of balance to sell a 2500-5000 worth of equipment and have a 7k programming line item.

Alan

Alan,

It is all in the presentation.

I have sold 2 full blown Adiago systems for clients including AES, AAE, and the Audio Server. In each case I showed them the 12 button and the Apad first ...then the TP4 and for the little more ($600 per keypad) They went with TP4's. Here is how I did it...I had the wife use each interface and then I shut up. I stopped talking and let the wives talk. In both cases the TP4. In a $6000-$10,000(before labor and programming...of course) whole house audio system the ease of use won out. The price difference became negliable.

Alot of times we know what is best for our customers because of the countless systems we have designed, the customer feedback, and lets be honest...the mistakes we've made in system design. We just have to remember that our new clients cant see into our minds eye and need to be educated why no cable card or a stereo receiver and a speaker selector for 12 pairs of speakers.

And in this case why if you are selling an Adiago it needs to be all crestron for ease of use and to keep the budget down. Or the client can, for what the XM tuner costs use their Directv xm radio but get no feedback or meta data and pay that amount in integration of said Directv Box.

And lastly dont mix and match APAD's and TP4's. You will then have to teach your client how to use 2 different interfaces...in the words of Charlie Brown ARRRGGGHHHHH!!!!

Just my $.02

Jeff

PS: In prewire right now systems are going in within the next 45-60 days. I let you all know how it goes.

You misunderstand my point. Anyone who has a music system that requires feedback ( and how can you navigate a CD server or XM tuner without feedback ) will see the benefit of a touch panel. The issue is not whether a touch panel is a superior interface to a keypad, whether buttons or with a few lines of text like the APAD. The question is if the AES is a full blown automation platform. Even with a TPS-4L the Adagio can fuction with the stock program because the good folks at Crestron see the TPS-4L as part of the Adagio system. My point was that were you to generate your own program rather then use Crestron's stock program you should keep it simple and not try balls to the wall everything. Otherwise sell the same source components with a PAD8/BiPAD8 and full blown 2 series 257 mips processor. I see it as an Elan killer or a substitute to the B&K. Use any touch panel you like and spend as much time on the graphics as is necessary to satisfy yourself that your skew will sell but keep the underlying program basic and simple. Save the super custom for the full blown system. It is not the price of the system's components but the amount of programming time the project requires that I was addressing. That is my point and my opinion. Your miles my vary in actual use. If you see it otherwise, go with god.

Alan

Alan,


Have you programmed an Adagio yet from scratch?

I will not sell the AAS as yet. Have I begun coding the Adagio? Yes. Have I installed any? Not yet. Are any in the offing? Shortly but not imminent ( I am waiting till July 1 to put my oders in. )

Break out the code into 3 parts:

1. Zone control including volume
a. Pure Crestron analog logic.
Now that we can switch any input to any output with volume and tone control let's move to.............
2. Source Control
a. I have suggested elsewhere that control of the AM/FM tuner is nothing new.

b. XM. Much more complicated and I'd crib off the stock Crestron XM tuner macro or steal from their Adagio program if it looked right. The only issue would be how I'd edit it for keypads, APAD or touch panel. Having already worked through this on the C2N-TXM this ought not to take much time save to ensure that no typos occured in the process.

IPOD: Still playing with this which means that I am still playing with the stock program. I have not decided how this ought to be controlled and I will need to steal my daughter's IPOD first. I am not an IPOD person nor do I play video games. I am of a different generation.

CD servers: As I suggested above I am a Request guy and the AAS will not hit my lab for at least 1 year. Code for this has already been worked out--although Request's new firmware and how it interfaces with ITunes and IPODs may ultimately result in zero CEN-IPOD interfaces being specified into my systems.

Cable music, CD players and such: Standard code that has already been worked out.

3. New UI Devices/New equipment: APAD, TPS-4L
We all know that the TPS-4L has a NIC for among other things, clip art. How to deal with the added graphical abilties of this panel vs the CT-1000? My sense is I will update the graphics by using TPS-2000 as templates

APAD working through how I will use the limited text fields available. My gut tells me I will use them for basic artist, alburm, track information and not much else. For radio band, station number and stereo/mono; or for preset names saved in memory.

Keypads: Been there, done that.

What then needs to be done? Figure out how the CEN-IPOD works and either write a module from scratch or more probably edit the stock Crestron program to suit my world view--and the UI I expect to sell.

See how my current XM program fits into an Adagio ( I'd wager they are the same )

See how I will deal with the limited text avialbe on an APAD. Still working this out.

Alan

great writeup Alan, thanks. You'll be getting a call...

Just want to clarify one point. The TPS4L is not available in the OOTB setup with no programming. Only apad and 12 button. Now it should be simple to add one once we get the new composer software.

Am I the only one that laughs everytime I hear of Crestron's 'COMPOSER' software?

Hi,
We were looking at using this system at a customers house. If they are only using it for radio, maybe xm, & a modest cd collection how would you compare it to a sonance dab1/k2 combo?
Thanks,
Matt

Compare it to Niles ICS.
ICS has no programming required (just a wizard) and the iPod interface is easier to use than an iPod. It has alphabetic direct access.

Those are all correct Statements.

Here is how adiago is different.

Adiago is a great starting point for a client to get into home automation. You can do lighting control, Thermostat, and shading control if your client wants.

Niles cannot do any of this. Whole house audio distribution is what the ICS is for.

Crestron AES: 10 sources/6 zones upto 40 sources/24 zones

Niles ICS: 6 sources/6 zones upto 30 sources/30 zones



Niles requires a keypad for every zone. You cannot control different zones from a single keypad. You can from the ICS remote but not from the Keypads. The only way is to subzone with a VC but thats just volume and no control.

In alot of houses there are rooms that flow into one another...Crestron allows you to share a keypad between zones and independently choose source for each. IE and bedroom/ bathroom, living room dining room.

Niles does not have an audio server. It is working on a module for Escient but it will just be metadata no jacket art.

Crestron's server is available with up to 4 outputs. I dont know if you will be able to use an Escient E2 and 3 MP200s to allow for multiple outputs on Niles.

Adiago is more expensive and requires programming if you are going to use touchpannels ie: TP4 but it is not just a whole house audio system like the ICS is.

Both are excellent new products but it up to the system designer to figure out what the clients needs are now and in the future.

Hope this helps

Jeff

Alan

I apologize. All I was stating was that to sell more programming and labor $'s than the cost of the equipment is how you present it and create value. Then I just gave an example of my experience so far with Adiago. Thats it. Sorry for not clarifying better. As for My feelings on Adiago is it is a great way to get a client who was just a Niles, Sonnace, Russound, ETC ETC into Crestron at a price point never obtainable before. As a full blown home automation system, no I dont think it is. For a client who likes a single system to control music, lights, shades, and temperature from a single keypad in 2000sq ft -4500 sq ft house absolutlely. Anything more than that the are better options.

Jeff