News

Audio Design Associates Introduces the iBase and iBase eXtender at the CEDIA Expo (15/9/2005)

Audio Design Associates, Inc. (ADA) will be introducing the iBase and iBase eXtender, at the CEDIA (Custom Electronics Design and Installation Association) Expo, in Indianapolis, September 9-11, 2005. The iBase is a tabletop docking base for all types of iPods and can connect to audio and video systems. When incorporated into a system with the iBase eXtender, the iBase permits remote control of the iPod with full text feedback to the keypads, touch-screens or IP control interfaces. The iBase and iBase eXtender join the iHome Multi-Center in ADA's new Home Suite product group.

"The iPod is an incredible product and is used by many existing and future ADA customers. From our market studies, it is clear that these people want to play their iPod with ease and functionality throughout the home." states Albert G. Langella, ADA's President, CEO, and Chief Design Engineer. "For over fifteen years, our systems and keypads have provided customers with remote control and text feedback of their radio tuners and CD library players. Making it easy to integrate the iPod is just another step in the road of progress." Langella notes that while many iPod docking base products will make their way to the market this year, "It is our goal to improve the sound quality of the iPod while extending the distance it can be located from the equipment mainframe and to give our customers the opportunity to have more than just a few iPods running at once. And perhaps most important, we want to keep it simple and fool proof."

ADA's solution begins with the iBase, a small docking base that will mate with any iPod. It features an angled plexiglass back plate upon which the iPod rests. The back plate is illuminated from the base and features several attractive lighting color modes including light organ options that change color with the music. Langella states, "while the iBase is an incredible iPod system, we also wanted to make the docking base attractive and cool so people would want to use it frequently." The lights also indicate if an iPod is not in place, going through the process of docking, or fully docked. The rear panel of the iBase features stereo audio outputs as well as composite and S-Video outputs for use with Photo iPods. There is an additional feature on the back of the iBase for incorporating it into an ADA multi-room system or touch-screen control system. The iBase eXtender jack is a ten-pin RJ-50 connector that is plugged into a 10-pin flat RJ-50 cable provided with the iBase eXtender kit. This wire is then plugged into the iBase WP (Wall Plate), a single-gang wall plate that can be mounted into the room's base-board. With this design, the RJ-50 flat wire is the only wire connected to the iBase. The iBase WP can be run on 500 feet of Cat.-5 cable to the iBase eXtender. This wire carries balanced audio, iPod control commands, and iPod META data. It can also power the iBase. Both the iBase and iBase eXtender feature a rotary address switch making it possible to have as many as eight iPods docked in independent iBases, all operating at the same time.

"The entire iPod revolution is extremely exciting for all of us in the multi-room systems business," states Richard D. Stoerger, ADA's V.P. and C.O.O. "Installers can now incorporate several iBases throughout the home so that each member of the family can dock their own iPod and instantly, their personal music library is available anywhere in the home or even outside. ADA keypads navigate the iPod just like the iPod's own touch wheel so there is no learning curve to conquer."

The iBase eXtender is located at the system mainframe and takes the feed coming from the iBase WP (and in turn, the iBase and iPod), and converts balanced audio to stereo analog audio. It features RCA outputs with a output level volume control so that iPods will play at the same volume level as other audio components, regardless of the distance they are located from the mainframe. The iBase eXtender also features an ADA Bus data jack that routes control and data signals to and from keypads and touch-screens. Stoerger adds, "Many of our customers will favor a centralized music server over using their iPod for this function. That is why we offer the iHome Multi-Center which can load and maintain an iPod's library. This way, when the iPod is on the go, the house isn't without a music server. Also, the iHome Multi-Center can store significantly more music than the iPod. But for those customers who can't budget in the iHome or want to give the kids a chance to play music throughout the home while keeping them off the central library in the iHome, the iBase is a terrific idea come true. Several of our dealers that have already specified the iHome to customers, are eyeing the iBase as the perfect add-on to that customer's vacation home. Here the customer maintains a central library in their primary residence and then loads their iPod from the iHome, takes it on vacation, and then plugs the iPod into the iBase in their vacation home. The magic of music on the go."

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