Network Audio

Sending audio from your computer to the stereo system

You can set up your computer to send all audio (usually coming through your speakers) to the stereo system! First, you need to set up your computer:

1. Download and install the C++ 2010 Runtime (when you run this program, it will tell you if you already have it, or a newer version installed)
2. Download and install AltaCast 1.1 (check the box to Launch AltaCast at the end of the installation)
3. Once AltaCast has loaded, click "Add Encoder" and double-click on the new Encoder listed at the bottom of the window.
4. In the window that opens, change the following settings (leave all others as-is):
   • Use Bitrate: checked
   • Server IP: srv03
   • Encoder Password: hornbeck
   • Mountpoint: /main.ogg
5. Click OK
6. Right-click on the Audio icon in your System Tray () (usually in the lower-right corner of your monitor), and select Recording devices
7. Right-click in the main area of the window that pops up, and ensure the options for showing disabled and disconnected devices are checked
8. If you have an option called "Stereo Mix" available, ensure it is enabled by right-clicking on it and clicking the Enable option, if available (it's already enabled if you see a "Disable" option in the right-click menu)
   • If you do not have the Stereo Mix option, you will have to connect your headphone and Line-in (or microphone) plugs on your computer and use the respective device from the list
   • If you do not have the Stereo Mix option and don't have both the headphone and microphone plugs, you're out of luck, and will need to plug directly into the stereo. :-(
9. Click OK to close the Sound properties window. Back in AltaCast, in the Live Recording section, select the appropriate input device (Stereo Mix if you have that option; or Line In, Microphone, etc. if you have to go that route

To Play: Whether you've just completed the setup, or you've opened AltaCast to start playing music for the 100th time, click the Connect button, and then whatever is playing from your computer will play on the stereo! Due to the way the system works, there will probably be a 5 - 15 second delay between when the sound happens on your computer and when it actually comes through the stereo.

If you're using Stereo Mix, sound will also try to come through the computer you're using. To stop this and allow it to go only to the stereo, you can mute the speakers on your computer. If the sound going to the stereo is also muted when you do that, you can plug in some headphones or an unused aux cord (with nothing on the other end) into the headphone plug on your computer.

You can pause/stop, play, and adjust the volume on the stereo laptop (so there's no 5 - 15 second delay) by going to the Stereo Command page.