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Gonna Build a Jukebox, which way do I go?


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Hey all, I have too much stuff kicking around so its either shift it on, or use it up :)

 

So obviously I want to use it up, so Im gonna build a jukebox.

 

Now in the piles of parts I have

 

Several sets of component car audio speakers, good ones, not cheapies.

About 5 amps, ranging from 100W x 4 to 850W monoblocks

A pair of 12" Subs (soundstream reference), and a pair of 15" ones (JBL's).

 

So with those I was thinking of using a car audio based system, but power consumption would be a problem. I have a dirty great marine battery, but I would need a huge car charger to feed it, if I didnt want the system to die within the first hour.

 

IOW battery charger connected to battery ( acts as a giant smoothing capacitor ) to car audio amps. But I dont know if commercially available chargers will cope, and I want to use up parts I have with a minimum of expendiature.

 

Another option is to use my old home sound amp to run the speakers. Its a Technics one (SA-GX170 @ 100W x 2), bought it new over a decade ago. Wont use the speakers I bought back then, they are Bose units and I cant bring myself to hack them apart.

 

So I could maybe series up speakers to give the amp a 8ohm load so as not to stress it. I mean series up 2x6" midbases, 2x4"mids, etc.

 

I dont know if the amp would handle any subs but.

 

 

What do people think? Any experience handed down would be golden.

 

TIA.

Edited by Simon_A
Found out technics specs
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I have sorta decided on how I will do it. Gonna use the Technics amp to drive car audio speakers.

 

Now I have been playing with SKJukebox, for those that use it without a touchscreen, what buttons do I need?

 

Also with the on screen keypad how do you use it without a computer mouse?

 

I was thinking about an arcade trackball for cursor movement, but when you normally click the letters with a mouse, what key is L mouse button on the keyboard? Its not listed in the key binding list.

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http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t237/adamndeb/IMG_0340Small.jpg

This is my setup.

 

Escape . (Numbers 0-9) , Enter , LEFT , RIGHT

 

 

Cause its a multifunction machine , the escape button does nothing in SKJukebox, I used to have that button to close the button , but now the close button is on top of the machine .. away from drunk fingers.

 

If your collection is very large, add in the "Next Letter" buttons, like Brad.

I think i will have to do that soon.

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http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t237/adamndeb/IMG_0340Small.jpg

This is my setup.

 

Escape . (Numbers 0-9) , Enter , LEFT , RIGHT

 

 

Cause its a multifunction machine , the escape button does nothing in SKJukebox, I used to have that button to close the button , but now the close button is on top of the machine .. away from drunk fingers.

 

If your collection is very large, add in the "Next Letter" buttons, like Brad.

I think i will have to do that soon.

 

Adam you should get rid of that enter button as SK can be set to auto accept selections....unless you need it for other apps?

 

Brad

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Adam you should get rid of that enter button as SK can be set to auto accept selections....unless you need it for other apps?

 

Brad

 

Yeah I do need it ... Ultrastar needs it to select stuff.

People have gotten used to using it ... just in case they make a mistake , they can use the ESC button to cancel their selection.

 

EDIT : -

the escape button does nothing in SKJukebox

 

See above paragraph .. i forgot that i have it set up that way. :b

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http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t237/adamndeb/IMG_0340Small.jpg

This is my setup.

 

Escape . (Numbers 0-9) , Enter , LEFT , RIGHT

 

 

Cause its a multifunction machine , the escape button does nothing in SKJukebox, I used to have that button to close the button , but now the close button is on top of the machine .. away from drunk fingers.

 

If your collection is very large, add in the "Next Letter" buttons, like Brad.

I think i will have to do that soon.

 

 

Okay, I know this is baby stepping but please humour me, what do the buttons do (yes I have never done this before) and with the on screen keyboard, how do you type?

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http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t237/adamndeb/IMG_0340Small.jpg

 

Ok, we will use the pic as an example.

 

To select the song - Patience , you will have to press 04206 then ENTER

042 - Album number

06 - Track number

In this setup - theres no need for the onscreen keyboard - u use that when you have a touchscreen screen.

You will have to ask Brad or someone , as i have never used a touchscreen with this program.

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Yep and don't forget that if you press O, this will bring up the options screen and you can remap keys or change/tweak functions.

 

As for Touchscreen, SK also uses it quite well so that you can do away with all the buttons. Either way works quite well.

 

Brad

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Okay, my plans have changed again, Now I will be using my bose speakers, and technics amp. Got rough sketches of how its gonna go and have been plugging away at my music collection (hell it needed sorting out anyway) and collecting album art for SKJukebox.

 

For buttons I will have the 0-9, V, B, <-, ->, and out of immediate reach a R, N, P.

 

All controlled by a keyboard hack job (easy enough, just tracing the tracks is the pain, shoulda used my multimeter).

 

Plumbed it all together today and gonna start on the woodwork tomorrow.

 

Even the missus it looking forward to it :)

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Okay. cut all the wood, just need to get it screwed and glued together.

 

Today "she who must be obeyed" asked if I can put Ultrastar on it as well.

 

Hmmm

 

Okay so for those that know, can ultrastar be controlled just by keys? and what keys are needed?

 

Will take a couple of build shots in a day or so when I start assembly.

 

TIA people.

 

Oh keys already done in the keyboard hack are the 0-9, V, B, <-, ->, and out of immediate reach a R, N, P.

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Yes , Ultrastar can be used buy a minimum of buttons ... i have it running no probs on my juke.

 

Its only if you want to type peoples names into it is where you will need a keyboard,

otherwise it will work with LEFT RIGHT ENTER and ESC buttons.

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Hey all, I have too much stuff kicking around so its either shift it on, or use it up :) So obviously I want to use it up, so Im gonna build a jukebox.

 

Now in the piles of parts I have

 

Several sets of component car audio speakers, good ones, not cheapies.

About 5 amps, ranging from 100W x 4 to 850W monoblocks

 

I will take an amp off ya for my JB Simon if your thinkin of movin one or two on..

 

PM me to let me know.............

Cheers

Craig

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  • 2 weeks later...
Glad to hear it's progressing...

Don't forget photo's.:D

 

 

Well its progressing, sorta.

 

The original Jukebox has halted mid build as I got the bug to build a different one, I will finish the other one, but its size means it will be finished and live out in the entertainment area.

 

Nidzdotnet's Juke was the inspiration for my build, as I wanted something that was portable, and the original build isnt.

 

 

This one is a lot more manageable. I had a 14" screen (can still do 1024x768) that I could free up, and I have 2 of the red boxes from Dorian that were playing up. I also free'd up a old set of creative 2.1 speakers (these were the old Cambridge Soundworks ones).

 

So I thought I would utilise the guts out of a gamebox.

 

So lets see what I have.

 

A screen

A small PC

A set of powered speakers that sound loud and clear

A keyboard hack already build

Grey tint perspex

Gold aluminium angle

Ample 16mm MDF

 

Sounds like a jukebox begging to be built.

 

So being me, there are no build pics till now as why would I waste time with a camera in hand when I have a ruler and a pencil.

 

The basics are done, now its the fidly bits, so I have chance for a happy snap or 3.

 

Inside there are 4 chambers, Subs chamber, PC chamber, Speaker chamber, and the top for the screen.

 

Still need to open up the front for the speakers, a hole down the bottom, not so much for the sub, but for air intake.

 

Have to cut holes in the back of each shelf for heat management, and 2x exhaust fans behind the monitor. Will probably fit a fan intaking air, infront of the PC too JIC.

 

By tomorrow it will hopefully be at the strip and paint stage. Will do more snaps then.

Inspiration.thumb.jpg.51cad2703a94f4581e6c69dcc0ed611b.jpg

MiniJuke.thumb.jpg.e0befd0bd0fa15514b981047e4a3f58e.jpg

Screen.thumb.jpg.e9f5e7c31fe2415d5288f4ef63ab66b3.jpg

CP.JPG.4cfb40446a03a1067ea4bc3cf734267f.JPG

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Nice looking control panel , can you go into a bit more detail on it ... can you post a pic of the design ?

Are they normal arcade buttons ?

 

No trying to keep everything as small as practical they are buttons from jaycar.

 

The CP as a Jpeg attached. I just did it myself in photodraw and printed it. Its 35cm long IRL

MiniJukeCPNew.jpg.2b6d23f8adf84c4b226249f52159ae83.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well its been a while since I have posted. I have been slowly plodding along with the project the last couple of weeks. Every day after work I have spent a half hour on it, sort of a discipling thing as it will never progress except for mad moments on the weekend.

 

So its progressed to the install OS (I love tiny XP) and fire up.

 

Still has a lot to be done to it, but I was happy for it to fire up without issue.

 

A couple of happy snaps included.

DSCF1016.JPG.a02b5bb31c4a3d3b70166925ff96a60d.JPG

DSCF1017.thumb.JPG.61e5c45e3cae2e0b1a75401bde3b6127.JPG

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