The inventor of the in-wall speaker, SpeakerCraft, distributed in Australia by Audio Marketing, has launched a new multi-room distributed audio system which harnesses the popularity and functionality of Apple iPods – Music On Demand Experience (Mode).

Flush-mounted into the wall, Mode connects up to six iPods, from iPod Minis to Video iPods and eventually the iPhone, through a network of docking stations. The information from all six iPods can then be accessed from any Mode 3.1 key pad in the house.

The key pads, a 3.5” hi-res colour display with 64K 16-bit colour, fit most standard dual gang boxes and feature eight back-lit hard-key configuration buttons and a built-in IR receiver, allowing the system to be controlled via remote. Featuring a dedicated volume control knob, with a graduated backlight to visually indicate the volume level, Mode key pads display song titles, album names, artists, play lists and genres in a similar format to the standard iPod interface.

The backbone of Mode is the MZC – a central hub where all of the source components and individual zones are connected. Expandable to include additional rooms and zones, the MZC-64, 66 and 88 feature eight, 12 and 16 channels of digital audio amplification respectively, and a single unit can power up to eight stereo zones with no need for additional amplifiers. To avoid obsolescence, this software-based operating system can be updated as new technologies become available at both software and firmware levels.

The MZC-88, for example, is an eight zone, eight source controller/amplifier/receiver. Featuring 50W per channel over 16 channels, and two in-built AM/FM tuners with a total of 80 presets, the MZC-88 provides RS232 output for the control of source components. All MZCs come with programmable doorbell and telephone triggers to mute the system when the phone rings or someone is at the door. The audio then resumes after a preset amount of time has elapsed.

With up to eight sources, Mode units can also connect to a jukebox music server, AM/FM tuner, or a CD player. Further, the system can perform multiple tasks via a single button, a feature which is not unlike preset lighting ‘scenes’. For example, pressing one button can turn on the system, route the music to the media room, select your favourite song, and adjust the volume to a preset level.

The Mode base, a docking station, acts as an interface between the base adapter and the MZC system by converting iPod audio into a balanced audio signal. It also features a USB port for syncing an iPod to a computer for updating files.