Multiple instances through automation

[TrevorPrinn]

I'm working on a program for playing music/effects etc for theatre performances. This needs to be able to play multiple tracks at the same time (it includes multiple volume controls and cross faders). Currently, it uses Windows Media Player automation to handle playing tracks, and by creating multiple instances of these player controls I can play as many tracks simultaneously as I want. I'd like to give the users the option to use MM instead of WMP, to extend the range of formats available (eg ogg and flac), but I can't see any way of playing muliple tracks at the same time in MM. I could fire up multiple instances of MM by using the Shell, but I can't then specify which instance any SDBApplication objects I create will control.

Is there any way of creating multiple instances of MM (preferably hidden) when I create an SDBApplication object?

If not, MM will still be useful to this program, but only to convert sound files to mp3 when they are imported.