Dedicated music playing computer? - Overclock.net

The Pook · 05-09-09

Like most people, I have my main rig that I sit in front of, and I have Foobar playing my music. I have my main HDDs (two Raptors, RAID 0) and a big storage drive with all my music. I listen to music through my XtremeGamer and to my Klipsch ProMedia 2.1s. It obviously works and sounds pretty good.

Problem being, a lot of the time I want to listen to music, but I don't want to have my computer on. Or, in a lot of scenarios, I want to listen to music but I'm current upgrading, cleaning, or rebuilding my computer. The last CD I bought was Eminem - The Eminem Show way back when I was 12 or so, and I don't burn music CDs.

So, instead of burning CDs, I want to make a rig to do it. I just don't know how to pull it off. I was throwing around the idea of making a dedicated folding machine, but due to the fact I work minimum wage and would barely be able to afford it, I couldn't convince myself to drop the cash. If I can find a money friendly way to do it, I more than likely will.

I'm thinking an HTPC case, with an LCD. I'd love for it to display the current song that is playing. It'd need a media remote if the HTPC case doesn't come with (I've noticed many do), but I'm sure any of those will do.

I'm thinking an external HDD (1-2TB) for both my main rig and the "HTPC" computer, so more than likely it'll either be connected via ethernet to the router or ethernet from the HTPC rig and then from the HTPC rig to the main rig.

That's all I've gotten figured out. The problems I can't work out is:

1) Speakers. I have great speakers. They sound really nice. I'm okay with the idea of having to buy a second sound card, but I'm not sure if a splitter will work fine (ie, have my ProMedias be used simultaneously on both my main rig and the HTPC rig). It might, but I'm not sure.

2) Control. While my main rig is on, playing music will be no big deal. Seeing as it will have no monitor, keyboard, or mouse, I can control it through VNC. But if my main rig is down, I can't think of a way to control it unless I hook up the monitor to it, or I just leave it on shuffle and hope it plays a song I like by playing next.

Any ideas to work out the kinks?

Suggestions for a cheap sound card (comparable or better than an XtremeGamer) and an HTPC case?

Tator Tot · 05-09-09

For a comparable sound card, look at picking up a used Audigy 2 Platinum.

You can get them on Fleabay for 60$ shipped with a front pannel.

nutterisgod · 05-09-09

http://www.cheap-battery.com/cb05895.html That may do it for the soundcard.

http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCateg...a-Center-Cases
And any one of those cases?

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Dedicated music playing computer?

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