How To | Control Axon C1 in a complex multi-zone/multi-room

Learn how to set up and manage multi-zone/multi-room control systems using Axon C1 Complex.

Updated at May 24th, 2023

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Procedure

Complex multi-room or multi-zone control is used when a single C1 has to control more than just volume and mute either across multiple regular zones or across multiple rooms in a room combiner application and it also needs to do source select or snapshot selection too. 

In complex mode, menus events are used to select the zones. Additional menus can also be added to support source select per zone or room too as long as each zone or room has the same source options.

"Normal" Mode

Initial Setup

  1. Setup the C1 using unIFY in Q-Sys mode and set it to "Volume and Menu" mode
  2. Configure the menus using "snapshot" events for zone selection and "source select" events for input selection.
  3. In Q-SYS designer, add a C1 plug-in and a snapshot to the design.
  4. Rename the snapshot block with a custom name and set it up with the number of snapshots equal to the number of rooms the room combiner component uses.
  5. In the C1 plug-in, "locate" the C1 on the network and "sync" the menus.
  6. Add the "Name" field and "Gain Ctl" from the "Zone" section to the snapshot added to the design in step (2).
  7. If metering also required add the "Meter Ctl" and Meter "#" field.
  8. If the source selections use separate routers or a different router output, these can also be assigned to the snapshot too.

Repeat for Each Zone

  1. Configure the zone controls "Name" field for the selected zone.
  2. Select the "Gain Ctl" used for volume and mute of the selected zone.
  3. If metering required, configure the meter component and meter number for the selected zone.
  4. If different source select options used for each zone, configure "router ctl" and router output used for the selected zone, configure them as required as well.
  5. Use the "Save" snapshot controls on snapshot added in step (2) to save the configuration for the selected Zone.
  6. For each snapshot event, assign the "Snapshot Ctl" and "#" fields to the point to snapshot that represents that event's zone.
  7. Save the design.

Test

  1. 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. 
  2. Once that's confirmed, use the C1 to select zone 2. That should then change everything so its now configured to zone 2.
  3. Repeat the tests for each configured zone.
 
 

"Room Combiner" mode

These steps assume a correctly configured room combiner component already exists in the design.

Initial Setup

  1. Setup the C1 using unIFY in Q-Sys mode and set it to "Volume and Menu" mode.
  2. Configure the menus using "snapshot" events for zone selection and "source select" events for input selection.
  3. In Q-SYS designer, add a C1 plug-in and a snapshot to the design.
  4. Select "Room Combiner" mode for the C1 plug-in.
  5. Rename the snapshot block with a custom name and set it up with the number of snapshots equal to the number of rooms the room combiner component uses.
  6. In the C1 plug-in, "locate" the C1 on the network and "sync" the menus.
  7. Add the "Name" field, and "Room Number" fields from the "Zone" section to the snapshot added to the design in step (2).
  8. If metering also required add the "Meter Ctl" and Meter "#" field.


Repeat for Each Zone

  1. Configure the zone controls "Name" field for the selected room.
  2. If metering required, configure the meter component and meter number for the current zone.
  3. Select the "Room #" used for volume and mute of the selected room.
  4. Use the "Save" snapshot controls on snapshot added in step (2) to save the configuration for the selected Zone.
  5. For each snapshot event, assign the "Snapshot Ctl" and "#" fields to the point to snapshot that represents that event's zone.
  6. Lastly, save the design.

Test

  1. 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. 
  2. Once that's confirmed, use the C1 to select zone 2. That should then change everything so its now configured to room.
  3. Repeat the tests for each room.
 
 

 

multi-room multi-zone axon c1

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