2ch amp with 5.1 pre ?

[windwaves]

Hi,
I have to start building some sort of a HT. All I have is a 42" plasma and my current two channel stereo.
What I am envisioning (wishfull thinking may be) is that I might be able to use my current amp (2ch, 100W into 8ohm and 150W into 4ohm) with a multi channel sound processor (a 5.1 pre-amp, a Rotel, which one don't know for sure yet). The purpose here would be to be able to drive my current speakers (BA micro90 + subwoofer) AND a center channel which I would have to purchase with the pre-amp. Is this something at all doable ??

This woud allow me to build the system gradually and wait a little before buying an actual multi-channel power amp and rear speakers. But I am afraid this is not really possible. Just wondering. The thing that I miss the most is a damned center channel as I struggle watching DVD and controlling the volume of dialogues versus the rest.

thanks for your help.

gio

[Scarp]

Hi,

Any Rotel (and all other brands as well) pre/pro will allow you to setup the speakers. For each speaker (or group of speakers) you can specify whether its small, large or non-existant.

If you only get two fronts, all surround effects and center channel info (and also your LFE) are put onto the fronts in a reasonably correct fashion. Actually for dolby digital sources its very well specified how multichannel is downmixed to stereo.

After the two fronts you can gradually add centre and surrounds, when you got the money and get the amplification for then. Each time you just change your setup in the pre/pro and hook it up and things will be quite fine.

What you usually cannot do is make the centre channel louder in such a downmix. Thats quite unfortunate.

You could opt for a receiver instead of a seperate pre/pro. This will also give you 5 channels of amplification which you can use immedialty for centre and surrounds (or buy surrounds later). Also this allows you to still use your own amplifier for your front speakers.