Need a streaming gadget - mono from a line out to Google TV or DLNA?

[Linwood]

I have a player piano system which for some songs has a vocal or instrumental track. This is delivered via a line-out which is hooked to a small powered speaker inside the piano. Emphasis on small, and mediocre sound tucked up inside.

The piano is in a room with a nice HT system with a Denon 3800 as well as a Google TV streamer.

I can't get that line out to the 3800 -- too far, across areas I can't run wires practically, and even if I did I anticipate major hum (I did this once long ago in a different house with a 60' wire, did not go well). Anyway...

I need a gadget (and even willing to build one, say with an esp32 or a rPi) that will take that line out (it's mono by the way) and stream it to the AVR or Google TV streamer, preferably as mono on both stereo channels (just duplicated).

Quality is largely irrelevant, these are not high sample rate, and it's all mono (the other track is an analog encoded signal that activates the piano servos).

Now... a slight twist on this is that the system playing is one I have full access to, it's a Linux box running Kodi. So an alternative is some mechanism to intercept one track from Kodi and stream it instead... but honestly that sounds harder than a gadget, as ALSA hates me and tends to go wonky when I work with it (the same box has a bunch of custom software I wrote to play midi from musescore). But it's a possibility as well, if there's some mechanism for that.

Note I can't just split it and stream the whole signal while also playing it as output, as it's a 1980's style modem sound if you play both channels. I need to stream just one channel.

Thoughts?

 

[TLS Guy]

I have a player piano system which for some songs has a vocal or instrumental track. This is delivered via a line-out which is hooked to a small powered speaker inside the piano. Emphasis on small, and mediocre sound tucked up inside.

The piano is in a room with a nice HT system with a Denon 3800 as well as a Google TV streamer.

I can't get that line out to the 3800 -- too far, across areas I can't run wires practically, and even if I did I anticipate major hum (I did this once long ago in a different house with a 60' wire, did not go well). Anyway...

I need a gadget (and even willing to build one, say with an esp32 or a rPi) that will take that line out (it's mono by the way) and stream it to the AVR or Google TV streamer, preferably as mono on both stereo channels (just duplicated).

Quality is largely irrelevant, these are not high sample rate, and it's all mono (the other track is an analog encoded signal that activates the piano servos).

Now... a slight twist on this is that the system playing is one I have full access to, it's a Linux box running Kodi. So an alternative is some mechanism to intercept one track from Kodi and stream it instead... but honestly that sounds harder than a gadget, as ALSA hates me and tends to go wonky when I work with it (the same box has a bunch of custom software I wrote to play midi from musescore). But it's a possibility as well, if there's some mechanism for that.

Note I can't just split it and stream the whole signal while also playing it as output, as it's a 1980's style modem sound if you play both channels. I need to stream just one channel.

Thoughts?

I have been think about this, and you won't find one as it would be illegal. If you make one it will also be illegal. Any device like you suggest requires FCC approval.

I would not do a DIY device, as you don't know what interference it could cause, and you could get yourself in trouble. You need a wired solution.

 

[Speedskater]

What about a BlueTooth transmitter?

 

[highfigh]

I have been think about this, and you won't find one as it would be illegal. If you make one it will also be illegal. Any device like you suggest requires FCC approval.

I would not do a DIY device, as you don't know what interference it could cause, and you could get yourself in trouble. You need a wired solution.

If he's not receiving any financial benefit, I seriously doubt the DRM police will go after him. Since it goes to a speaker, it's not even digital, so that's a moot point.

 

[highfigh]

I have a player piano system which for some songs has a vocal or instrumental track. This is delivered via a line-out which is hooked to a small powered speaker inside the piano. Emphasis on small, and mediocre sound tucked up inside.

The piano is in a room with a nice HT system with a Denon 3800 as well as a Google TV streamer.

I can't get that line out to the 3800 -- too far, across areas I can't run wires practically, and even if I did I anticipate major hum (I did this once long ago in a different house with a 60' wire, did not go well). Anyway...

I need a gadget (and even willing to build one, say with an esp32 or a rPi) that will take that line out (it's mono by the way) and stream it to the AVR or Google TV streamer, preferably as mono on both stereo channels (just duplicated).

Quality is largely irrelevant, these are not high sample rate, and it's all mono (the other track is an analog encoded signal that activates the piano servos).

Now... a slight twist on this is that the system playing is one I have full access to, it's a Linux box running Kodi. So an alternative is some mechanism to intercept one track from Kodi and stream it instead... but honestly that sounds harder than a gadget, as ALSA hates me and tends to go wonky when I work with it (the same box has a bunch of custom software I wrote to play midi from musescore). But it's a possibility as well, if there's some mechanism for that.

Note I can't just split it and stream the whole signal while also playing it as output, as it's a 1980's style modem sound if you play both channels. I need to stream just one channel.

Thoughts?

Miccus makes a BlueTooth device that can transmit or receive and it has analog RCA jacks and optical- the range is excellect and sound quality is good, too- I used one in a fitness facility and another in a school gym, but I tested it at home, where I could compare it to line in on the stereo.

It's available on Amazon for about $50.

 

[Linwood]

I have been think about this, and you won't find one as it would be illegal. If you make one it will also be illegal. Any device like you suggest requires FCC approval.

I would not do a DIY device, as you don't know what interference it could cause, and you could get yourself in trouble. You need a wired solution.

Well, ESP32's and rPi's have FCC approval for the hardware and frequencies. I'm not sure how that would be illegal. And the music involved has no DRM embedded (though that may be irrelevant to the general question). And I know of many projects to turn rPi's into HDMI connected media servers.

Though the discussion actually triggered a thought -- I don't need to stream (cast, dlna, etc.), I just need it to be wireless. I could make or buy a transmitter and receiver, and on the AVR end just put a physical splitter to the l/r audio inputs. I worry about blue tooth, synchronization is often an issue there.

Thanks, gives me something to think about and look up.

By the way, to your tag line "WiFi is for convenience, hardwired is for performance. " I absolutely agree. I've done wireless in buildings measured in acres, and whenever I can, I run a wire. Just ... not this spot.

 

[Linwood]

Maybe like these? https://www.amazon.com/1Mii-Wireless-Transmitter-Receiver-Amplifier/dp/B0D91VV9KZ

There are also blue took ones as @highfigh mentioned, I'm not sure which would be better. I've had poor luck sync'ing blue tooth to video at times, this would be sync'ing to what's basically MIDI output to the piano, but not sure I have any too with which to adjust delay (i would need to add delay to the piano side, since I can't make it negative in the AVR). But they are not terribly expensive, might be worth trying.

Cheaper than two rPi's, and DAC/ADC on esp's (which are cheap) are probably not up to the task, though they might be. impressive little $3 gadgets.

So... Bluetooth or 2.4ghz?

 

[lovinthehd]

I have been think about this, and you won't find one as it would be illegal. If you make one it will also be illegal. Any device like you suggest requires FCC approval.

I would not do a DIY device, as you don't know what interference it could cause, and you could get yourself in trouble. You need a wired solution.

What on earth would be illegal ?

 

[TLS Guy]

What on earth would be illegal ?

It won't be as long as it is FCC approved. Anything that transmits a radio signal has to be FCC approved.

 

[lovinthehd]

It won't be as long as it is FCC approved. Anything that transmits a radio signal has to be FCC approved.

I have filed more FCC 740s than you can imagine

 

[Linwood]

It won't be as long as it is FCC approved. Anything that transmits a radio signal has to be FCC approved.

I guess the thought was I was going to build it from components up, but I meant DIY as in taking a Raspberry Pi or an ESP32 chip and attaching a few wires and such, not that I was building a transmitter myself. But I think it's easier to buy now that I am searching for the right thing.

 

[Linwood]

In case anyone has a similar need, the above items worked fine. A splitter on the output going to RCA inputs, and playing in multi-channel stereo made the accompanying track sound nicely full (not to mention much larger speakers than the tiny one under the piano).

I can't vouch for the quality of the connection -- it sounds OK, but these single channel accompaniments are not all that clear to begin with, though they are pretty good for what they are. But no obvious hum or static.

The transmitter under the piano is nice in that it is USB (5v) powered, so I can just plug it into the embedded PC, no need for separate AC power.

Listening now to a rendition of Sloop John B, with mostly (real) piano, and a bit of drums, bass, and acoustic guitar. This is much nicer -- the speaker under the piano was severely "local". If loud enough to sound good in the same room, it was inaudible in the adjacent rooms. The main system though has enough speakers and spread that it sounds good all through the part of the house where guests may wander.

But piano placement and acoustics is a whole different subject.

 

[Linwood]

This is a followup in case anyone shows up here having searched for "Pianodisc" for similar purposes.

This does not work.

Pianodisc music is stereo, one track is an analog signal that encodes digital music (key, timing, velocity). Internally it turns to midi, not sure how it's encoded, but it sounds like an old 2400 baud modem. The other track is either empty, or contains an audio accompaniment (vocals, band, whatever).

When played on the piano with the small powered speaker they included it sounds OK, though not very audible even turned up fairly high. Bad placement, small speaker, etc.

When played over the RF devices to the home theater speakers, it's very clear and sounds great with audio accompaniment, however... on tracks without the accompaniment there's bleed over from the other track, and you hear the modem-like tone.

I am literally taking the two output wires from the PC playing it, and sending one over RF to the audio system, the other to the pianodisc system. The bleed thru is either in the actual music recording, or being generated somehow in ALSA. I don't do anything special in ALSA, so I see no mechanism to fix it. And there's no indication on the tracks (files) which include audio, so (automatically) turning off the HT speakers is not exactly viable, I'd have to listen to all 1089 tracks I have, code it in a metadata field, and then tie into KODI to somehow flip the AVR on and off (if I disconnect - also not readily available -- with it powered up, I get static).

So... RF devices are OK (not wonderful, but OK), but the basic idea appears flawed for Pianodisc. Once it plays over the nice HT speakers, you can hear EVERYTHING and among that everything is a vintage modem sound. Sigh....