Anyone using i tunes as a computer based jukebox?

I am using a dedicated G4 cube to run Titletrack software which is a CD jukebox changer program that also can mix and manage playlists that are exclusively Mp3's or CD's mixed in. What's great about this approach (at least for us) is we have a dedicated music system in the sunroom. Over in the corner (tucked away) is a stack of CD jukebox changers with a Nirvis DMX digital switch. Whatever source is playing, it routes into a P1-A, P3-A combo that then converts into the pre-amp, amp section. This way, anything playing, whether it's MP3's from the computer or a CD changer, get's the best possible processing and amplification with only one place where we need to manage it. It's great!! I was really attracted to the Escient based changer controllers, but the cost was a bit much. I spent the money I saved on more music!!
The titletrack program is very easy to use and set up, and saved me from ripping all my CD's into MP3's in order to manage them into playlists. Now my playlists options are endless, whether it's of music I already own, or unusual music downloaded from the net!

Justlisten, the G4 was purchased Micro Center in suburban Chicago. It's a 433, 128Mb, 30Gb w/ CD-R; it cost $1,050. I considered an iMac or a Powerbook, but that would have limited me to Firewire I/O, which is quite limited and somewhat expensive. (I only know of two models, the MOTU 828 ($795) and the Metric Halo I/O ($1,495)). The RME sound card I ordered only cost $430.

iTunes is super cool, I use it here at work. The interface is much simpler and the design is cleaner than some of the other utilities I've seen. It plays both my old Napster downloads and newer Gnutella/Limewire files. However, simultaneously playing Snood while listening to iTunes seems to halve the volume through my Grado SR60 headphones.

I'm curious what iTunes and Titletrack are - I guess they're Macintosh programs? How do they interface to the stereo - through a digital output on a soundcard or something else?

Mnmatt - I'd be very interested in how you're set up with the jukebox changers - who writes the Titletrack software and does it physically interact with the changers?

I have two Sony CD changers and have it set up to control them with the Nirvis Slinke controller from my PC. The controller costs $$$ and they give you the jukebox software. Conceptually it works great - fabulously flexible keyword assignments and infinite flexibility for playlists, etc. In reality, the jukebox software is the most bug-ridden software I've ever allowed to crash my computer more than once. I've tried to coax it to behave because I want the functionality in the worst way, but it's a bad piece of software and I've probably now given up. I'd love to know some alternatives, especially if somebody has some success stories.

The other cool box I've seen is from a company called Lansonic. It's a hard-disk based "jukebox" with an ethernet interface on the input side, hard drives for storage in the unit, and an audio-component output side. It connects to a network and looks just like an NT server to other computers on the network. You can control it from any browser on the network, and it can play songs from any location on the network. I'd go for it in an instant if I was convinced it actually worked reliably, but it's a relatively new product and, like Nirvis, is probably a hardware company that writes the accompanying software "because they have to" and many companies like this produce bad software.

I love the best possible reproduction path when I'm sitting to specifically listen, but the technology exists in spades to have your whole music collection at instant access, and that's what I want. Unfortunately, I haven't been too successful coming up with the right mix to accomplish this (and, I agree - the Escient stuff is just too expensive even if it works flawlessly). -Kirk

Kthomas, you are correct, i tunes is an Apple software product. It comes pre-installed on all new Macs or it can be downloaded (for free) from the Apple website. i tunes primary purpose is to handle the conversion to and organization of MP3 files. Fortunately, the program has the flexibility to handle uncompressed files at the original 16 bit, 44.1K rates. Although some Macs have analog I/O, I would recommend adding a soundcard with digital I/O and connecting the computer to an outboard DAC. Music can be sent into the computer either by using the computer's CD drive, it takes about 4-5 minutes to rip a CD, or by using the digital input on a soundcard and any audio software that can produce a WAV or AIFF format file. Additionally, i tunes burn songs using the computer's CD-R.

The cost of the computer, monitor, sound card and hard drives quickly adds up, but a Mac running i tunes can directly replace a CD player and a CD-R. Also, since the music is contained as computer files, it opens up the possibility of DSP manipulation of the music - EQ, noise reduction, whatever.