# multiple PC VSA control console



## Dr Morbius (Sep 21, 2004)

Well, I had an idea and I want to run it past anyone who may have tried this already and could give any thoughts on it. What I have is 4 older PCs..2 466MHZ and 2 266MHZ. I have installed VSA and ran it on one 266MHZ PC running Win98SE and it works fine (after MUCH work getting the drivers for it), and also installed VSA and drivers in one 466MHZ running the same OS, (again, after MUCH work finding drivers for it and configuring...realize, I got these PCs for free from friends/coworkers who didn't want them anymore and NO supporting software AT ALL!!) and VSA now runs fine on that. I realized I now have 4 audio channels, (2 stereo sound cards on each = 4 channels). I want to sync them in VSA, and I had a thought....

Maybe I could install a kit74 in one pc, have it trigger my keyboard hack to trigger VSA in the other PC, and maybe chain this to a 3rd and 4th PC in the same fashion, effectivly giving me 8 audio channels (and many MANY port addresses!) I would of course mount these in a control console and snake the lighting control from it, along with the wipermotor controlling wires as well.

If this works, the combinations of control is mind boggling. Understanding the keyboard hack is fundamental to understanding what I'm trying to do here. The Kit74 could activate multiple "keystrokes" on the Keyboard hack allowing multiple routines to execute by opening new windows using the hotkeys in VSA and starting each routine, and the Kit74 could also activate VSA in another PC (via keyboard hack) which activates IT'S Kit 74 and so on. Adding multiple parallel ports to them gives more Kit74 controllers as well, however I am aware that the older PC's may not be able to handle too many ports running at once, but we'll see how it goes.
I know that if you have the $$$'s you should buy the Exorcist and save yourself the trouble, but I am poor, and must use what I have already as much as I can. Yea, this a definitely a poor mans' solution.
Thoughts?


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## Dr Morbius (Sep 21, 2004)

Another thought occurs:
Using the ever wonderful Kit 74's, I will have the means of triggering cheap MP3 players to sync with the aforementioned multiple VSA routines. Using four PC's with ONE mp3 player on each, I will have 16 available audio channels, 2 channels per PC sound card=8 channels, plus 4 mp3 players = an additional 8 channels=16 sound channels. I may be on to something, or I may be mad. Yes, my Frankenstein'd control console will LIVE!!! Mwaahahahaha! (cue thunder track).


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## Dr Morbius (Sep 21, 2004)

Cabinet construction...this was a desk a neighbor was giving away for free. I cut the table top where it extended past the edges so I could flip it up vertically and have it stand without leaning. I added a side panel from old particle board. I used the drawer hardware that came with it to make a keyboard tray and a board, both retractable, for mounting relay boards and such. It's nothing exciting, but I'm documenting the build of this anyway.


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## Dr Morbius (Sep 21, 2004)

Started mounting servo control board, talking circuits, and keyboard hacks. Wiring is temporary, although soldered, will be replaced with cat5 connectors when I get them, but this works.


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## Dr Morbius (Sep 21, 2004)

Most of the functions I was gonna use the keyboard hack I have decided to replace using Macros, but I will still use it for syncing the PCs together.


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