ExtraVeg Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 We've done the impossible!Up to now Sonos Zones and Control4 Zones have been incompatible. This has meant that you couldn't use the Control4 Zones page to join together amplified Sonos ZonePlayers. That has been really inconvenient when integrating a Sonos system with a ZonePlayer in each room with a Control4 system. You had to tell your customer to use the Sonos app to join Zones together - well not anymore! We really didn't think that it was possible to bring the Sonos concept of Zones into Control4 but after a monumental effort and some very cunning code we have managed to make this work. And we have made it simple too.There are more details on our Sonos driver on our website http://www.extravegetables.com/products/sonos. See it working on You Tube http://youtu.be/VdbWEr3LIgc.Sonos ZonesA customer with an existing Sonos system will be used to being able to start music playing in one room and then using their Sonos app to add other rooms to play the same music. Similarly with Control4 it is possible to use the Zones page to do the same thing with sources. The problem has been when you have been using any of the amplified Sonos players such as the the Play:3, Play:5, ZP120 or Connect:Amps. These are both sources and the amplifiers for the room. That's a concept that is quite different from Control4. Until today there's not been an easy way to join these Zones together.Integrate with Control4 ZonesNow with Version 6 of the driver this becomes possible and is very easy to set up. In fact it needs no set up. The driver package recognizes other amplified Sonos ZonePlayers in the project and provides links to them behind the scenes. When a customer starts music playing in one Sonos zone and wants to add another they can do so via the Control4 Zones page. When they click on add Zone they will be presented with all the other Sonos zones in the project to choose from.Keeps track automaticallyThe really clever bit is that the driver keeps track of all of the Sonos streams. So you can start music playing in one room, add another room to the stream, drop the first zone. Then you can add a third room to the second room and start a different stream in the first room. Exactly like you could with sources connected to a central multi-channel rack. It is some of our cleverest code to date.Optional UpgradeJust to let you know that you DO NOT have to upgrade your existing system - this new version is entirely optional. This new feature has no benefit if you are using un-amplified ZP90 or Connect players connected to multichannel amplifier. These set ups have already been able to join zones together. But if you have customers with amplified ZonePlayers who want to be able to join them together for parties etc it is well worth considering the upgrade.Available NowThere is no charge from Extra Vegetables for the new version, dealers may charge for their time in upgrading a system. For new installations the price of the driver remains as before - contact your Control4 dealer for more information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdepaola Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 Very nice, and thanks... Wish it worked with the zp90 too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgbrown Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 ^ It does already. Your ZP90 is likely hooked up to a C4 multizone amp - zone linking fo you is in place already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WillEV Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 This works with *any* Zoneplayer - we just recommend that if you're using ZP90s then you go through a multichannel amplifier, which will already have been able to do zoning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffreyaallen Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Nice work, guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WillEV Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Something we've discovered about the zones page:If you hide a device under Music (not Listen) then you can't join that device in Zones in the rooms its hidden in. You should still hide all the other devices in Listen, but should unhide the Sonos players only (not the tuners or amplifiers) under Music, and then the Zones page will work for those ZonePlayers.This is a feature: it can be used with the zoneable driver to block some rooms from zoning with other rooms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csmpez Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 How much is the price of the driver? Thanks."For new installations the price of the driver remains as before."Scott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WillEV Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 For new installations the price of the driver remains as before - contact your Control4 dealer for more information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wappinghigh Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 Will. I have 8-9 Sonos Zones already. A mixture of ZP80', 90's and 120's. Strung all over, in different rooms..I use your driver already, but I don't get the multizone ability within C4 that you have mentioned with this updated driver. (because I use non C4 amps like Rotels for my Zp80'sand 90's)But I can re-arrange things to pull speaker wires into 2 separate areas, if I have to..My idea is to use 1 or 2 4zone Control4 amps to replace the Rotels. Will this get me all the flexibility mentioned of 8 independant and "grouped zones under Control4, or do I need an 8 zone amp to do this..?Also do I actually need Contol4 amps, or is there something else with a driver that will achieve the same result? What do I do? Confused??ThanksAlex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WillEV Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 Will. I have 8-9 Sonos Zones already. A mixture of ZP80', 90's and 120's. Strung all over, in different rooms..I use your driver already, but I don't get the multizone ability within C4 that you have mentioned with this updated driver. (because I use non C4 amps like Rotels for my Zp80'sand 90's)But I can re-arrange things to pull speaker wires into 2 separate areas, if I have to..My idea is to use 2 x4 zone Control4 amps. Will this get me all the flexibility mentioned of 8 independant and "grouped zones under Control4, or do I need an 8 zone amp to do this..?Also do I need a Contol4 amps, or is there something else with a driver that will achieve the same result? What do I do? Confused??ThanksAlexYou don't need anything except the driver, doesn't have to be C4 amps or anything in particular. Your dealer needs to set the driver up correctly - if they don't know how to do it, get them to put a ticket on our helpdesk and we'll look into it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wappinghigh Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 Great^. For some crazy reason I thought you needed to run Zp80's and zp90's into C4 amps to make all this multizone stuff work within Control4 . No idea why I thought this.. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wappinghigh Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 Will, is what you are saying that you can add and drop and "party mode" Sonos Zones on a Control4 touchscreen, just like you can on a Sonos touchscreen? No difference in functionality at all. This is crucial for me, as I wouldn't buy a new C4 touchscreen unless this is true.. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slySTANGguy Posted May 19, 2012 Share Posted May 19, 2012 Can the sonos be controlled with the my home c4 app for iPad when using the ev driver? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WillEV Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 Will, is what you are saying that you can add and drop and "party mode" Sonos Zones on a Control4 touchscreen, just like you can on a Sonos touchscreen? No difference in functionality at all. This is crucial for me, as I wouldn't buy a new C4 touchscreen unless this is true.. Cheers Yes you can, but why do you need a new C4 touchscreen? The driver works with any existing 1.8+ C4 system, no need for new hardware. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WillEV Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 Can the sonos be controlled with the my home c4 app for iPad when using the ev driver?Yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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