What about that Sony switcher box that a few folks have used in their installs? Perhaps creative wiring with that box will allow the CD player to work the way you intend, without any empeg-reprogramming. Press play on the CD box, and it switches the RCA lines to the CD player. The empeg could also pause from the same line as if it were tel-muted. Dunno if it'd work, but it's something to think about anyway.

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Tony Fabris