I have released an alpha version of SBC 3.0, a Java-based Roku
SoundBridge controller. SBC -- for SoundBridgeController -- is
written in Java and has been run on Linux, Solaris, MacOS X, and
Microsoft Windows.

A long time ago (1.5 years -- ancient by computer years), I released
SBC version 1.0. The current version is quite a bit different. It
includes agents (mini-applications focusing on parts of SoundBridge
function), movable and resizable windows, and layouts that can be saved.

This version also includes a last.fm client and the start of album
art display.

You can pick up the software at

http://software.cs.hope.edu/sbc/SBC3.0a.zip

Once extracted from the zip file, the software is packaged as both a
Windows Installer file and as an executable JAR file. There is a
Windows executable included. It comes with a README.

Please remember that this is an alpha version and that it can be
rough around the edges and a little buggy.

Please check out the software and let me know what you think. This is
a pet project of mine and I welcome comments and suggestions. Send them
to "jipping@hope.edu". Many thanks in advance!

I'm setting up a SoundBridge to use with my new outdoor speaker system. The speakers are outside on the patio, and the amplifier is downstairs in the basement. The speaker wires run through the wall, but controlling the music source and volume is a pain.

Originally, I thought about putting a SoundBridge in a weatherproof enclosure outside, and running long cables to the amplifier and power outlet... But now that I see your software, I'm wondering if I can just hook the SoundBridge directly to the amplifier in the basement, and control it either over the network or through the internet. Will your sofware make this possible?

Hi!

As long as your SoundBridge is in network (it means that you can listen music) and i think that you are. Well then you can use this software and also some others for example VisualMR (available for PocketPC and PC).

Cheers

I'd agree with illiac4. SoundBridges were built for network control. As long as you can hear the music produced by the SoundBridge, you don't need it in the same room as you. Use SBC or VisualMR or their like to control it.

In my office at work, I have a SoundBridge in front of me. At home, it's in the den, but speakers are all over the house. I can run it from the kitchen as long as I have access to a computer.

Good luck.

I tried the java version of SB3 last night, and was able to control the SoundBridge in my basement, feeding the speakers on my patio, from my second floor bedroom!

Now I'm looking for the next level of convenience... Is there a portable device, like a Sony PSP, that can be used to run the SoundBridge through the network? The laptop is a little bulky to use for a remote. Neither my new BlackBerry Curve nor my old Treo 700W has wifi, so I can't use them through my network.

Any suggestions?

While I have an obvious bias toward SBC -- VisualMR can run on handheld Windows Mobile devices. Check the VisualMR thread in the SoundBridge Control and Integration forum.

SBC will run on some handheld devices soon, but not right now.

I tried installing both versions of the program on my WIN-XP laptop from work, but when I try to run sbc.exe I get this error message:

Java Virtual Machine Launcher
X
Could not find the main class. Program will exit.

And when I double click sbs.jar, a command prompt briefly flashes, then nothing.

Entering radioroku.com or http://192.168.1.100/SoundBridge.html in my browser both work, but neither allows me to change the library to my NAS music server, so I'm only able to control the volume and pick internet radio stations.

This could be a problem with security (I do not have admin privledges) on my work laptop. Is there a workaround?

Is there any other way to select the server using a laptop connected to the wifi network?

Do you have java runtime installed on comp at the job???
The second is to control from remote location which is not a part of your network.

To do this you will need DNS (like dyndns which can traslate dynamic ip adresses into user frindly name (name). Some better routers support this or. DD-WRT firmware does.
The second thing you will need is called port forwarding on the router. This is basically the logic which transfers some specific request from outside to internal LAN. Example http:\\test.dyndns.org:2345\ address forwards router into internal address on your LAN 192.168.1.101 which is your soundbridge for example.
Of course application has to support that!!! But with already build-in web interface in soundbridge you can control radio from remote location.
The imortant thing is to know that the internal build web-control in soundbridge uses port 80.
Oh yes and do not forget to give the soundbridge always the same IP. You can do this so that the DHCP service of thr router will always gives the same IP which is bound to MAC of the wlan or. LAN adapter in soundbridge or. to assign static ip to soundbridge. But be aware that if you assign static ip it has to be out of DHCP range.

Well it is simple if you know the basic of networking, but quite a lot of things for the beginner

Cheers

P.S.
About ''This could be a problem with security (I do not have admin privledges) on my work laptop. Is there a workaround? ''

There are always workarounds for that problem If your admin is avarage than you will become an admin on your machine even in domain or. if your admin is very good you can become admin outside of domain at least till first logon into domain Well in both cases for at least so long that you can install java runtime.

Hello frethop,

I'm using a Mac PowerBook G4 and sadly there exists no Java 6 for PB G4. Seems like your jar is compiled against Java 1.6 because I'm getting an "java.lang.UnsupportedClassVersionError: Bad version number in .class file" Exception.

Could you please provide the Sorces so I can compile it against Java 1.5 our can you please provide a Jar that is compiled against Java 1.5? I would love to try this out.

Thanks, Max

Hey squashuax

I use the Media Streamer application that comes with the Nokia n800 tablet to control my M1001 soundbridge. It works very well (occasional minor glitches such as playing a track twice, but nothing serious)

It sounds like just what you are looking for.

PS I was originally hanging out for Canola (media application on n800) to implement UPnP rendering fully, but the Canola dev team seem to have come off the boil of late and they may not get to implement this - which is a pity 'cos an n800, running Canola and rendering tunes on a Soundbridge would be sex on a stick!!

Rgds

UPDATE
======

Imagine my surprise ... I spent all yesterday researching how to get LastFM streaming on my Soundbridge. Along the way I came across this post and downloaded frethop's Soundbridge Controller just to play with (and I did want a better SoundBridge controller for my n800)

Well I have yet to try this software on the n800 but when I ran it on my laptop I DISCOVERED THAT IT HAS A LAST FM CONTROLLER IN IT ALREADY!!!!:)

Just what I wanted - and completely unexpected. MANY thanks.

frethop - you should make this a more obvious feature as many people are interested in LastFM on the Soundbridge. Even Better, why not create a stripped down version that JUST acts as a LastFM enabler on the SB and can run on any Java enabled platform - even a mobile phone.!!

Either way - well played and thanks again

Nice software......I'm jigged about the last fm client, but for some reason when I put in my username/pword it tells me one of them are wrong, when I know they are right. How can I debug this? What could be wrong?

Thanks in advance frethop.

Hi,

I just tried to start the Software on my Linux-Machine and it seems there are some problems. I start it using java -jar SBC.jar and it starts up correctly. I'm able to discover the SoundBridge in my network which gets detected as "Roku SoundBridge M400 @ 192.168.0.101". (Actually its a Pinnacle product but this should not really matter, right ).

When i select the SoundBridge the first few commands seem to work, but then it hangs on the Line where "ListVisualizers" is called. This seems to "timeout" and the whole thing seems to be be an endless-loop


There is no GUI commin up.

When I manually run the command in a Telnet-Session it results in an Error since my model does not Support Visualizers (its the "small" one).



Can there anything be done? Is my model not supported or is your code just lacking some Error-Handling?

You may of couse feel free to give me the corresponding sourcecode since am quite familiar to Java-Coding. So I'm probably able to help.
[edit] oh, i just realized that the .java-Files are included in the jar... i'll have a look

Thank you in advance,

macmac

Hi Frethop,

Your ver 3 of the Soundbridge Controller is not there anymore. Can you please put it somewhere? I loved your previous version 1.1. Thank you.


Scot

Im trying to get my hands on it, could someone put the zip up somewhere it could be downloaded again or send it by email (send a private message to arrange this).
Thanks