From Issue #3 , Page #52 | By Edward Driscoll Jr.

Without one moment of hesitation, Jean-Yves Archambault would be the first one to tell you what many already know: "I'm one of a kind." And without hesitating, we know he's right. In fact, we would even fight over that statement. After all, there are a lot of people that put technology into their homes—we cover them in every issue. But words cannot begin to describe the amount of technology he has put into his home, and all with little to no outside help.

At the age of 12, Jean-Yves was designing home theaters, long before such a term even existed. Today, at 45, he's living out his childhood dream in his Quebec home. Saying that the home is crammed full of technology is quite the understatement. "I have so many things, it is hard to describe everything," he says. Just to scratch the surface, he has his home theater, as well as whole-house audio, 31 pairs of speakers, 12 subwoofers, over 70 powerline-based X10 modules, and 13 PCs with wireless Wi-Fi capabilities and MP3 music management.

A WIRED WORKPLACE

When he isn't enjoying his automated home, Jean-Yves is busy running his company, Le Groupe ENICO, Inc. "It's not home automation, it's industrial automation," he says about his day-to-day activities. "With my company, I do all sort of robotics, artificial vision and PLC [powerline control] stuff … it's a human-machine interface, and whatnot."

But the knowledge that Jean-Yves gained from his work has allowed him to install and improve on the technology in his 3,000-square-foot home over the 23 years he's lived there. "I built it myself; I call it auto construction," he says. "At first I had almost no electronics except for a stereo system; I installed everything myself." This, of course, included all of the electrical wiring and just about everything else. And before you start thinking Jean-Yves is one of those homeowners with an endless bankroll, think again. Instead, he chose to start semi-slow and then graually grow his system over time.

X10 MARKS THE SPOT

Jean-Yves didn't start off his home with 70 X10 modules. In fact, 15 years ago, his home's tech odyssey began with just one—a Stanley alarm clock that doubled as an X10 controller. He installed his first X10 module in his bedroom lamp, "and well—it was fun!" After that, he was off and running. For a home that seems to be so complex, Jean-Yves says he didn't have any clear objectives when he began designing it. "I was just trying to have fun," he says. "Since I love audio and video, I started to do something with X10 modules and my sound system. Today, it's a way of living."

Such a large installation means Jean-Yves is always upgrading and fine-tuning everything; it's become quite a full-time hobby. "I would say that I've been modifying stuff every two weeks or so for the past 18 years," he says. "It's always new for me." Jean-Yves specifically recalls the time when he installed a new MP3 server on his Elan whole-house music system. It may sound easy, but it has actually been an ongoing project for 18 years now. In fact, over the past 12 years, he's gone through four different projectors and five or six A/V receivers. "It's an ongoing job for me."

THE DIGITAL HEARTH

Surrounding the mantle of Jean-Yves' fireplace are panels hiding an extremely sophisticated multizone whole-house music system. "This is a great system," he says. It all started with a plain stereo; then, he changed the speakers. "About 10 years ago, I bought my first Elan Z system," Jean-Yves says. The Z system was a pioneer in integrating the phone system into home control; it could be accessed at the touch of a button. "At the time, I had only one power amp, one pre-amp, a couple of sources and distributed speakers around the house." Eventually, two more speakers were added in the kitchen, and another two in the basement. He also threw in a switch so he could control various speakers, as well as a rotary volume knob to each room.

Jean-Yves says that cooling the system has always been a major concern. "In the beginning, there was no ventilation in these modules," he says. "I installed two fans: one on the top and one on the bottom of that stack of equipment, to make sure that everything would be kept cool."

THE CONTROL CORE

The core (pun intended) of Jean-Yves' system is his CorAccess control system. "It's a very flexible and powerful type of system," he says of the tablet PC-type product, which runs on Linux. With these—and he has four of them—Jean-Yves can watch the outside temperature, the pool temperature, control all of the lighting and music zones, and also look in on the four security cameras around the house. He can even surf the Web. "It's very useful when watching TV and we hear somebody coming up to the house." But Jean-Yves does the bulk of his surfing from a different tablet, however—an HP tablet PC. The CorAccess panels are mainly for his home control and security features. For instance, if something happens in the middle of the night, the CorAccess unit at his bedside will awaken from its sleep mode, and the exterior lights will come on.

SIX COMPUTERS, ONE ROOM

Scattered through Jean-Yves' home are 13—yes 13—PCs, and six of them are located in his computer room. "Everyone who visits my home is fascinated by that room," he says. "The first three in line are for my kids. The one with double monitors is for me, and I also have another to control the automation system." There is also one more PC, which is tied into the high-tech grand piano, and also serves as a PC for his guests. "Very often my kids go in with a couple of friends to play special first-person shooter games that are networked to different PCs," he says.

But one of the niftiest uses we've ever seen is the laptop that Jean-Yves has hooked up to his wine cellar. This is one of his favorite rooms, ever since his latest remodeling project, which Jean-Yves considers his "real project." Using a Sony VAIO, he can keep track of the wine list, and see which bottle is ready and where it's located in the cellar.

NO SWITCHES NEEDED

While the wine cellar may be the favorite room, one of the most spectacular additions was the new kitchen—"the main room where we meet our friends." For sound, he's got two Sonance subwoofers and four Klipsch speakers mounted on the ceiling.

But the system doesn't just sound good, the kitchen looks nice too. In this area alone, there are 10—yes 10—different lighting zones. And even though that seems like a lot of lighting, there are no switches to be found; everything is controlled through one of the screens sitting on the desk. This screen is a PC screen, but with its 16x9 shape, it can also function as a TV. During the day, it can be used for Web surfing and streaming MP3s. At night, very often Jean-Yves' wife uses it for viewing favorite programs. The lighting can also be controlled by the wall-mounted CorAccess controller, which also controls lighting and temperature as well as his security system.

HOT HOME THEATER

The most high-tech part of Jean-Yves' home is definitely the theater. He programmed both his Crestron CNMSX-AV controller and Crestron STC-1500 radio-frequency (RF) remote himself—despite the fact that his dealer was very reluctant to sell them without programming them first. It wasn't an easy job, but Jean-Yves made it happen. "I'm very proud to say that with the press of one button, all of the electronics will come on, the Venetian blinds will close, lights will progressively go down, the screen will drop, and of course, the projector will turn on. Everything is automatic."

As far as equipment goes, the room includes a PLUS Vision Corp. DLP projector, a Denon AVR 4800 receiver, and a Carvin 1000 amp. Video is provided by cable and satellite receivers, as well as a Denon DV-2900 DVD player, two Sony VCRs, and a Pioneer D504 laser disc player. And if the kids ever get bored with all of the neat toys around the house (perish the thought!), the home has enough gaming devices to satisfy even the most rabid fan. Along with the original Sony PlayStation console, there's also the later PlayStation 2 and a Nintendo 64 to keep their hands full.

But one of our favorites features of the theater has to be the Bass Shaker and ButtKicker tactile transducers, which are neatly tucked under the furniture. This device may seem small, but it sure packs a whallop, transforming movie watching from an activity to an experience. "You see, you listen, and you feel what is intended by the video producer," Jean-Yves says.

In addition to the large 100-inch front projection screen, there is also a small LCD, which allows Jean-Yves to monitor four different security cameras. "If I'm watching a film by myself, I don't have to stop the movie if I hear a sound," he says. "Everything is recorded on special equipment in another room in the house." Jean-Yves can even go back up to seven days prior to see what he's been missing out on around the house. "That isn't to spy on my childen," he insists. "It's to make sure everything was OK while we were away on vacation or out of town."

There's a lot more to Jean-Yves' system. We can't even begin to scratch the surface because virtually every room in his house is connected to some element of technology. As much fun as it's been for him, the technology he's installed has provided security and comfort for his wife and children. And as you could imagine, his house is fairly popular with the kids' friends as well. "You can imagine that all the kids are here because we've got so many cool things to do!" This house definitely has its share of toys—for all ages.

Five Questions with Jean-Yves Archambault

1) What does your wife think about all of the technology in your home?
You really want to talk about that? At first, she was making fun of me—of course, at first, my system was not all that reliable. But she’s gotten used to it, and I’m pretty sure she won’t leave the house now without activating a few things.

2) What is the deal with your car?
It’s a Cadillac Escalade SUV. When I bought it, it was mainly to have a large SUV for safety and security, since none of my kids, especially my oldest son, had their own cars. I saw an ad for a headrest TV and I decided to install it. Of course, I added a Sony PlayStation, a 110-volt regulator, and a DVD player. Now my car is the show of my street. Everybody looks at my car like I’m some kind of pop singer!

3) How did you get into all of this technology?
I have always been fascinated by electronics. About 15 years ago, I got involved in X10 almost by accident. I was looking for a new morning alarm clock, and I bought the Stanley X10 module with a clock on it. And well—it was fun!

4) What is your biggest tech challenge?
I’m looking for a standard language for home automation. Right now, it seems like nothing speaks to each other.

5) What is your advice for someone who’s contemplating a similar system, and wants to do the bulk of the work without outside help?
Honestly, I would say that it’s almost impossible; they must be crazy like me!

Equipment List

Whole-House Media System
Cambridge SoundWorks CD-500
(2) Cambridge SoundWorks P500 amp
Cambridge SoundWorks T-500 tuner
Elan ViaMusic CD system
(2) Elan Z-630
(2) Elan Z-660
Elan Z-880
Elan Z-fan
(2) Inter-M sub amp
Monster cables
(4) Monster Reference power center
NAD 218 amplifier
(4) RadioShack modulators
Scientific Atlanta Explorer decoder
(3) Scientific Atlanta Explorer decoders
Sima volume stabilizer
(2) Sony Mega-changer 400CD
(2) Soundolier sub-amp
X10 multiple line filter
Xantech IR sytem
PC with MS MediaPlayer
R.S. audio mixer
(2) UPS

Family Room
CorAccess Mobile Companion
Elan Z-150/100 keypad
Leviton DHC scenes keypad
Monster cables
Ouellet X10 thermostat
Polk Audio subwoofer
Sony 32-inch TV
(8) Siemens 2.4 Giga-Set 8825
Sima source selection
(2) Sonance Ref series in-wall speakers
Sony Vaio
X10 multiple line filter and modules
Xantech IR sytem
Combo VHS-DVD player
UPS

Kitchen
CorAccess Companion 6
Elan Via! touchpanel
(4) Klipsch Reference speakers
Leviton DHC scenes keypad
Linksys 2.4 switching hub/repeater
Sharp TV/PC monitor
(2) Soundolier subwoofers (modified)
X10 multiple line filter and modules
X10 NightVision camera
Wireless mouse and keyboard

Dining Room
(2) Klipsch Reference speakers

Hall
CorAccess Companion 6
HAI OmniStat
Leviton DHC scenes keypad
X10 NightVision camera

Master Bedroom
Bose 821 home theater system
(2) Bose speakers
CorAccess Mobile Companion
Elan Z-150/100 keypad
Infinity subwoofer
Samsung LCD
Scientific Atlanta Explorer
UPS
(2) X10 master console
X10 multiple line filter and modules

Childrens’ Bedrooms (3)
JVC mini audio systems

First Floor Bath
Elan Via! touchpanel
Lightolier lighting system
(2) Sonance Reference in-wall speakers

First Floor Hall
Elan Z-150/100 keypad
(2) Energy e-XL speakers

Cellar
Sony VAIO

Work Room
(2) Dahlquist mini speakers
Denon DV5000 CD/DVD player
Denon receiver
Energy subwoofer
X10 multiple line filter and modules
Security monitor
TV

Media Room
Edimax Ethernet switching hub
Hewlett-Packard printer
Hewlett-Packard scanner
Linksys 2.4 switching router
(5) NEC LCD monitors
(5) Pentium PCs
X10 multiple line filter and modules
(2) X10 master console
Ethernet gateway
(2) UPS

Home Theater
Carvin 1000 amp
ChannelPlus modulator
Crestron CNMSX-AV controler
Crestron STC-1500 RF remote
Denon AVR 4800 receiver
Denon DV-2900 DVD player
Draper automated screen
DVDO progressive-scan modulator
(2) Energy 3.1e L&R speakers
(2) Energy EPS-150 subwoofers
JVC 27-inch TV
Lorex TV/VCR recorder
(2) Mission center speakers
(2) Mission rear speakers
Monster cables
Nintendo 64
Pioneer D504 LD player
Plus DLP projector
Pyramid sub-preamp
QSC USA 900 amplifier
Scientific Atlanta Explorer
Sharp Aquos LCD
Sony PlayStation
Sony PlayStation 2
(2) Sony VCRs
(2) X10 DrapeBoss store actuator
(2) X10 NightVision camera
X10 multiple line filter and modules
Xantech IR sytem
(2) UPS [[br]

Exterior
Elan Z-150/100 jeypad
(4) Stereostone speakers
(2) Stereostone subwoofers (modified)
X10 NightVision camera

MISCELLANEOUS
Axis 2400 video modulator
HAI OmniPro
(3) HAI temperature sensors
Leviton distribution center & amplifier
Leviton DHC control panel
(2) RadioShack modulators
X10 multiple line filter and modules
Automatic sprinkler system
Central vacuum
(2) Switching hubs
(2) UPS
Water leak detector
PA speakerS w/ Rotel speaker selector
(4) Wireless security motion detectors
Cadillac/Bose subwoofer w/ power acoustic amp & EQ (modified)
Garmin Vocal StreetPilot III
Sony Playstation 2
SunShade LCD
DVD player
(2) LCD TVs

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