How To | Do simple multi-zone/multi-room control with Axon C1
Learn how to use Axon C1 to control multiple zones/rooms easily and efficiently.
Procedure
Simple multi-room or multi-zone control can be used when all that is required is for a single C1 to control volume, mute and metering either across multiple zones or across multiple rooms in a room combiner application and no other actions are required. If other actions are also needed such as source select, then see the "how to" on complete multi-zone/multi-room control.
As simple mode requires no menus, the menu button can instead utilized to trigger switching to the next zone or room. It does this by loading a saved snapshot which configures the C1 plug-in fields to point to the next zones settings for the C1. Setup is as follows…
“Normal” Mode
- Setup the C1 using unIFY in Q-Sys mode and set it to "Volume only" mode
- In Q-SYS designer, add a C1 plug-in and a snapshot to the design (with the number of snapshots equal to the number of zones required)
- Rename the snapshot block with a custom name (Note: Click on the actual component block and type a new name. Changing the property called "Name" will not work)
- In the C1 plug-in, "locate" the C1 on the network and "sync" the menus
- Add the "Name" field and "Gain Ctl" from the "Zone" section as well as the "#" field designated for the "Menu Button Function" to the snapshot added to the design in step (2)
- If metering also required add the "Meter Ctl" and Meter "#" field
Starting with the first, repeat the following steps for each zone...
- Configure the zone controls "Name" field for the selected zone
- If metering required, configure the meter component and meter number for the selected zone.
- Select the "Gain Ctl" used for volume and mute of the selected zone
- For the "#" field, select the next zone to be selected when the menu button is pressed.
- Use the "Save" snapshot controls on snapshot added in step (2) to save the configuration for the selected Zone.
When the above is complete the snapshots should be configured as follows (where N is the number of zones used).
| Zone / Room number |
Zone Name | Gain Ctl | Plug-in field "#" |
Save as Snapshot (1 - n) |
| 1 | (Name for Zone 1) | (Gain for Zone 1) | 2 | 1 |
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| n-1 | (Name for Zone n-1) | (Gain for Zone n-1) | n | n - 1 |
| n | (Name for Zone n) | (Gain for Zone n) | 1 | n |
Lastly ...Save the design.
To test, click "Load 1" on the snapshot. That should set everything on the C1 to "Zone 1". If you change the volume the gain for Zone 1 should change and if metering is being used, the metering for Zone 1 should be active. Once that's confirmed, press the menu selection button on the C1. That should then change everything so its now configured to zone 2. Repeat the tests for each zone. On the last zone, pressing the menu selection button on the C1 should then select zone 1 again.
“Room Combiner” Mode
These steps assume a correctly configured room combiner component already exists in the design.
- Setup the C1 using unIFY in Q-Sys mode and set it to "Volume only" mode
- In Q-SYS designer, add a C1 plug-in and a snapshot to the design
- Select "Room Combiner" mode for the C1 plug-in
- Set it up with the number of snapshots equal to the number of rooms the room combiner component uses.
- Rename the snapshot block with a custom name (Note: Click on the actual component block and type a new name. Changing the property called "Name" will not work)
- In the C1 plug-in, "locate" the C1 on the network and "sync" the menus
- Add the "Name" field, and "Room Number" fields from the "Zone" section the "#" field designated for the "Menu Button Function" to the snapshot added to the design in step (2)
- If metering also required add the "Meter Ctl" and Meter "#" field
Starting with the first, repeat the following steps for each zone...
- Configure the zone controls "Name" field for the selected room
- If metering required, configure the meter component and meter number for the current zone
- Select the "Room #" used for volume and mute of the selected room
- For the "#" field, select the next zone to be selected when the menu button is pressed.
- Use the "Save" snapshot controls on snapshot added in step (2) to save the configuration for the selected Zone.
When the above is complete the snapshots should be configured as follows (where N is the number of zones used).
| Actual room number |
Zone Name | Room # field | Plug-in field "#" |
Save as Snapshot (1 - n) |
| 1 | (Name for room 1) | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| n-1 | (Name for room n-1) | n-1 | n | n - 1 |
| n | (Name for room n) | n | 1 | n |
Lastly, save the design.
To test, click "Load 1" on the snapshot. That should set everything on the C1 to room 1. If you change the volume the gain for room 1 should change and if metering is being used, the metering for room 1 should be shown. Once that's confirmed, press the menu selection button on the C1. That should then change everything so its now configured to room 2. Repeat the tests for each room 2. On the last room, pressing the menu selection button on the C1 should then select room 1 again.