Wedding Music Technology Solutions!

Edd

So, I'm getting married soon and I have a unique music management issue.

Some context: we will be having our reception in the main dining room of a restaurant that has been rented out for the occasion. I do not want to have a DJ and would prefer simply switching through play lists on an iPod whenever I feel it appropriate. As far as I know, wi-fi is available in the dining hall.

The problem: in this restaurant, the iPod or other device would have to be kept in a locked room downstairs in order to pipe it into the sound system. Obviously, I will have no direct access to the device. Assume that anyone being able to manually interact with the thing is out of the question.

The question: what software / hardware solutions can you guys recommend so that I or anyone else I designate can (somewhat) discretely control the wedding's music remotely? I've seen some iOS based-software solutions online, but nothing I or anyone I know has any experience with. So, any thoughts would be very welcome.

redx

How far is downstairs? Could you set up an ad hod network (or bring a router), and then remote into whatever is playing the music (vnc of some sort)? Not sure if there is an ios vnc server, but it would work with a laptop playing music, and I think android tablets could manage it too.

Then you could connect to it with anything(smart phone, tablet, or pc) that could run a vnc client and get some sort of network or Internet connection.

EggyToast

Why must it be in a locked room downstairs? What does it plug into in that room? And how far away is this room?

Edd

EggyToast wrote: »

Why must it be in a locked room downstairs? What does it plug into in that room? And how far away is this room?

The locking is a question of policy, which is probably negotiable for a private affair, but it's also the hub for all the sound controls, which isn't. It's immediately beneath the main dining room - the restaurant's floor plan is pretty tight.

redx wrote: »

Then you could connect to it with anything(smart phone, tablet, or pc) that could run a vnc client and get some sort of network or Internet connection.

I'll just come out and admit that I was unaware of VNC as a thing, but it seems to be pretty much exactly what I'm looking for. The restaurant already does have a wi-fi network that I should be able to use.

Foomy

you can also use xbmc on a bootable usb stick in any laptop as an airplay device, so you would just select play to airplay from your ipod and your set. assuming your ipod is running ios 4.2 or later.

EggyToast

The speakers have to have cables that go to the sound control "hub," and the easy solution is to buy a long cable and snake it down there so you can just plug your iPod in directly to that.

Otherwise, yes, plug your laptop in downstairs and then use a remote desktop application (like VNC). You can technically run a VNC from a lot of devices, but it may be easier to just use 2 laptops.

The easiest solution is to just create a long playlist and let it go all night, rather than futzing with your iPod during the reception. That's what I did.

wmelon

we brought a laptop to our wedding and used an iphone to control what was playing on it.

Ruckus

Edd wrote: »

EggyToast wrote: »

Why must it be in a locked room downstairs? What does it plug into in that room? And how far away is this room?

The locking is a question of policy, which is probably negotiable for a private affair, but it's also the hub for all the sound controls, which isn't. It's immediately beneath the main dining room - the restaurant's floor plan is pretty tight.

redx wrote: »

Then you could connect to it with anything(smart phone, tablet, or pc) that could run a vnc client and get some sort of network or Internet connection.

I'll just come out and admit that I was unaware of VNC as a thing, but it seems to be pretty much exactly what I'm looking for. The restaurant already does have a wi-fi network that I should be able to use.

Be aware that many establishments that offer WiFi also enable host isolation, which prevents individual hosts from accessing any other host on the network, except the router.

Aioua

Ruckus wrote: »

Edd wrote: »

EggyToast wrote: »

Why must it be in a locked room downstairs? What does it plug into in that room? And how far away is this room?

The locking is a question of policy, which is probably negotiable for a private affair, but it's also the hub for all the sound controls, which isn't. It's immediately beneath the main dining room - the restaurant's floor plan is pretty tight.

redx wrote: »

Then you could connect to it with anything(smart phone, tablet, or pc) that could run a vnc client and get some sort of network or Internet connection.

I'll just come out and admit that I was unaware of VNC as a thing, but it seems to be pretty much exactly what I'm looking for. The restaurant already does have a wi-fi network that I should be able to use.

Be aware that many establishments that offer WiFi also enable host isolation, which prevents individual hosts from accessing any other host on the network, except the router.

This. You're likely to only get access to the internet from the wifi network, and no access to the other devices on the network. Unless you're able to get real chummy with the IT guy... assuming they have one, and they're actually able to give you that access.

You'd probably be better off bringing your own wireless AP and setting it up down with your music player, and making your own mini ad-hoc network. Assuming you can get signal though the floor...

MichaelLC

Any option to just run the audio-out from the iPod to a long cable that goes under/over the door? Use a dock so you're not shifting the plug, then just squeeze it under the door.