Capabilities of Alexa

[Crustyloafer]

In case it's of interest, here is document another C4 dealer, Ryan Messinger created detailing how to integrated Alexa into a Control4 multi-zone audio system.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/r3yzu7v48ov3smw/Integrating Alexa’s Audio into a Control4 Audio System.pdf?dl=0

[South Africa C4 user]

2 hours ago, Rob21 said:

I have echo flex’s throughout my house and I use voice scenes to play whatever I want wherever I want. I know it’s a little more tedious because you need to create all the scenes, but my family loves it. For example when I say, “Alexa, play billy Joel in the kitchen”. The Billy Joel Pandora station will play in the kitchen. It would be nice if it were possible to avoid saying the room you wanted to play the music in but that’s not really a big deal. This seems to be the best solution for what you’re looking for that I know of at least. 

This is what I have done but it does require a lot of programming in the background...

[WisC4]

1 hour ago, South Africa C4 user said:

This is what I have done but it does require a lot of programming in the background...

Are you able to use this set-up for drop-ins/intercom calls room to room?

[msgreenf]

Here is what I have done with Google home that works well....Google home lets you take a Google Device (mini/clock/display) and then with each one pair a music device.  That means that small local speaker of the device is used for basic commands but when you say play music, that will play via the paired music device.  I have my paired music device as a Chromecast audio and I use Triad matrix to auto-sense the audio.  I have this setup in my master and plan to expand this setup to other rooms....

[crash1977mtl]

On 1/1/2021 at 1:45 PM, rf9000 said:

All,

In a new build, I will have 12-14 in ceiling concealed Echo Dot 3 devices. I would really like them to perform the simplest of functions, but I have been told in the past this is not doable. I would simply like to be able to sit in my kitchen for example, and say “Alexa, play Maroon 5”, whereas Alexa would notify the C4 system, kitchen zone turns on, and Maroon 5 plays. I want to listen to music on the whole home audio, not the tiny little Dot speakers. This seems to me like the most basic function that one could want. A simple integration of Alexa into C4, but I have been told it really can’t be done? I mean isnt this why we spend the huge amounts of money on C4? There are other solutions out now or coming out that can easily do this, but the super expensive C4 system can’t perform this simple function?

What I did was use existing Ethernet/telephone cabling and ran the 3.5mm audio from the echo dot over the structured wiring back to the rack and used a y splitter to plug into the amp for that zone

You need to leave the amp on all the time for this but I can now ask Alexa to do any command and the audio comes out of the ceiling speakers in each room independently 

[rf9000]

12 minutes ago, crash1977mtl said:

What I did was use existing Ethernet/telephone cabling and ran the 3.5mm audio from the echo dot over the structured wiring back to the rack and used a y splitter to plug into the amp for that zone

You need to leave the amp on all the time for this but I can now ask Alexa to do any command and the audio comes out of the ceiling speakers in each room independently 

I do have an extra CAT6a do each location. I could do this but how flawlessly does it work? What is the sound quality like with music? Is it ok to leave the amp on all the time? Can you explain little more in depth? Wouldn't this need to plus into the audio matrix as a source, is that what you meant?

[rf9000]

18 hours ago, Crustyloafer said:

In case it's of interest, here is document another C4 dealer, Ryan Messinger created detailing how to integrated Alexa into a Control4 multi-zone audio system.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/r3yzu7v48ov3smw/Integrating Alexa’s Audio into a Control4 Audio System.pdf?dl=0

In your opinion, would this be a better option than the other suggested option of leaving the amp on all the time, running a 3.5mm?Cat6 from each Echo back to the matrix as an input?

[Crustyloafer]

25 minutes ago, rf9000 said:

In your opinion, would this be a better option than the other suggested option of leaving the amp on all the time, running a 3.5mm?Cat6 from each Echo back to the matrix as an input?

If you have the option of running an audio cable back to matrix from each Echo then great, but as a retrofit solution this works.

[am350z]

The problem with c4 relaying on Josh and others for voice they may find themselves replaced altogether . You could build a really nice system with Sonos for whole home audio, Lutron for lighting and shades, misc vendors for doorbells and hvac all controlled with Josh.ai.  Maybe even add small c4 setup just for media room.  No many care about video distribution with smart tvs everywhere now.  

[crash1977mtl]

15 hours ago, rf9000 said:

I do have an extra CAT6a do each location. I could do this but how flawlessly does it work? What is the sound quality like with music? Is it ok to leave the amp on all the time? Can you explain little more in depth? Wouldn't this need to plus into the audio matrix as a source, is that what you meant?

Sound quality is perfect and it works flawlessly. The downside is you have an amp running all the time , but I already had that because I wanted our doorbell chime to ring on the house speakers without any delay so I was already paying the higher energy cost.

You just need and rca splitter cable at the amp to mix in the Alexa

 

[rf9000]

8 hours ago, crash1977mtl said:

Sound quality is perfect and it works flawlessly. The downside is you have an amp running all the time , but I already had that because I wanted our doorbell chime to ring on the house speakers without any delay so I was already paying the higher energy cost.

You just need and rca splitter cable at the amp to mix in the Alexa

 

I don't think the energy cost is much of a factor to leave amps run. When you say RCA splitter at the amp, you mean audio matrix, right? So here is what I think I'm understanding about the setup. Run a 3.5mm to Cat6A cable from each Echo back to the Audio matrix. Then use a Cat6a to RCA cable there to go into the matrix as a source? Lets say the Dot in the kitchen was given the command, the programming would be defined as this is the kitchen Dot and the kitchen zone would be turned on? Do y'all ever run into problems with multiple dots picking up commands? For instance in a few areas if spoken loudly enough, it could be heard by another Dot. So if this happens, the music would play in each of those rooms? Lastly, any issues whatsoever about leaving the amps on all the time? I have all Triad amps for the whole home audio. Does it affect the amps, speakers, is there any hum?

[crash1977mtl]

On 1/4/2021 at 8:41 AM, rf9000 said:

I don't think the energy cost is much of a factor to leave amps run. When you say RCA splitter at the amp, you mean audio matrix, right? So here is what I think I'm understanding about the setup. Run a 3.5mm to Cat6A cable from each Echo back to the Audio matrix. Then use a Cat6a to RCA cable there to go into the matrix as a source? Lets say the Dot in the kitchen was given the command, the programming would be defined as this is the kitchen Dot and the kitchen zone would be turned on? Do y'all ever run into problems with multiple dots picking up commands? For instance in a few areas if spoken loudly enough, it could be heard by another Dot. So if this happens, the music would play in each of those rooms? Lastly, any issues whatsoever about leaving the amps on all the time? I have all Triad amps for the whole home audio. Does it affect the amps, speakers, is there any hum?

No, not at the matrix and no programming is required.

I am running the dot directly to the amp which is connected to the speakers. So when Alexa speaks it is running directly to the amp, to the speakers, bypassing the matrix and c4

the downside is that if you are actually running something on those speakers from the matrix and c4 then Alexa will just talk over it and be mixed in.. 

like if you kitchen was already playing something controlled from Control4 Alexa has no way of knowing it and will talk over the already playing source

 

[rf9000]

On 1/5/2021 at 9:37 AM, crash1977mtl said:

No, not at the matrix and no programming is required.

I am running the dot directly to the amp which is connected to the speakers. So when Alexa speaks it is running directly to the amp, to the speakers, bypassing the matrix and c4

the downside is that if you are actually running something on those speakers from the matrix and c4 then Alexa will just talk over it and be mixed in.. 

like if you kitchen was already playing something controlled from Control4 Alexa has no way of knowing it and will talk over the already playing source

 

Oh, then that would be a bit odd I think. I have a 24 zone and 8 zone for my audio matrix. Please tell me if I'm missing something here, but can't the 3.5mm from each Echo be ran back to the matrix? Where each one would be a source? But then I guess how would the matrix react when audio is detected? Geez, I can't believe it is this hard to achieve such a simple thing. Voice controlled audio seems like it would the first thing people would want to do when using Alexa in a smart home, using the audio system in place. I must say, I have never had Alexa or really even used it that much. So I'm trying to guess what my family would use it for ahead of time as we are currently installing all speakers, etc. Some on this forum think this feature would not be used much that I'm trying to achieve, but to me it seems like this would be the most used feature of all, at least for my family. And I suspect many other users too. I have been in homes where there is an Echo or something like that on the counter, and they use the play music all the time. All I want to do is the same thing but use my whole home audio. I have 32 zones of audio in which I have spent a ton of money on, so would kinda like to use it instead of having voice activated music just play on the little Echo speaker. I have an extra CAT6 cable ran to each Echo that I can use. Its insane that getting this to play over the whole home audio system is so complicated. Yes, I know JoshAI can easily do it, but to have this feature, I have to spend roughly $10,000 in my case? And by doing this, you actually lose some of the features that Alexa provides too.  Crazy.

[rf9000]

I should add, I haven't really explored the option of using Echo Flex back at the Matrix. Am I looking at the wrong thing when I see the Echo Flex is a plug in speaker? Would the Echo Flex be considered a source at the matrix then and the matrix would auto sense? MSGREEN mentioned that he does this with google and that normal commands, etc are replied to using the little speaker in the room (in my case the Echo), and then anything commanded as play music goes to the matrix using the paired device. I think this would be great, but can the Echos do this like the Goggle equipment?

[rf9000]

Just now, rf9000 said:

I should add, I haven't really explored the option of using Echo Flex back at the Matrix. Am I looking at the wrong thing when I see the Echo Flex is a plug in speaker? Would the Echo Flex be considered a source at the matrix then and the matrix would auto sense? MSGREEN mentioned that he does this with google and that normal commands, etc are replied to using the little speaker in the room (in my case the Echo), and then anything commanded as play music goes to the matrix using the paired device. I think this would be great, but can the Echos do this like the Goggle equipment?

Oh, and would then the music information be displayed on the touchscreens if doing it this way?

[msgreenf]

9 minutes ago, rf9000 said:

Oh, and would then the music information be displayed on the touchscreens if doing it this way?

No

[lippavisual]

You can run the audio outputs from Dots to a matrix.  Then program audio sensing on the matrix for when you interact with Alexa.  There will be zero feedback of the music.

But, hey, if that's what you want, you can do it.

Like most, the novelty of voice control wears off pretty quickly.  Nevermind the privacy issues.