The purpose of this Tech Tip is to show you how to probe, listen to, and meter any signal by using the Selected Wire Audio Module. This is useful for commissioning a Symetrix system or troubleshooting a noise issue while onsite. The second half of this Tech Tip provides detailed instructions to accomplish this
Selected Wire Audio Module
The Meter Bar displays the physical (unit) input and output meters as well as the Selected Wire Meter. The panel may be resized and docked. Its orientation may be switched by clicking on the double-ended arrow button in the upper right corner. Each group of input or output meters may be collapsed or expanded by clicking on the +/- buttons above their labels.
One of the great things about being able to click on any wire in the design is that you can quickly monitor any point in the signal path. When a wire in the design is selected, it will meter audio passing as long as the unit is online. The Selected Wire Audio module can be wired directly to one of the unit outputs to be connected to headphones, near-field monitor speakers, or even a listen cue wedge for live sound applications.
The Selected Wire Audio module can be wired to a Matrix Mixer module, so that it can be routed anywhere in the software or to any of the outputs. This function is available to anyone logged in as a user for a live monitor feed. The end user could matrix it to a monitor feed during a live broadcast.
this example, the Selected Wire Audio module is wired to a Dante flow so that it can be routed to outputs of another Dante enabled device such as the Symetrix xOut 12.
In the example below, you can easily compare the sound pre or post Compressor, as well as pre or post EQ.
The Selected Wire Audio module can be wired into an Oscilloscope module, for testing of the signal path.
You can wire into a Dante channel that can be routed directly to the laptop speakers using Dante Virtual Soundcard (DVS). A full set of instruction can be found in the Tech Tip: Sending Audio with Dante Virtual Soundcard to Composer hardware
Follow these simple steps to monitor any point in the DSP signal path from the speakers in the host computer running Composer:
Necessary items:
- Composer software installed on the host computer
- Symetrix Radius 12×8, Radius 12×8 EX, Radius AEC, Prism, or Edge DSP • Dante Virtual Soundcard (DVS) installed on the host computer (www.audinate.com) • Dante Controller installed on the host computer (www.audinate.com)
Step 1:
In order to have the ability to probe the DSP signal path in Composer and have the audio play out on the host computer speakers via Dante, it is necessary to merge the Ethernet control network with the Dante network. Simply use a short CAT5 patch cable to connect one unused Ethernet port on the Symetrix device to a Dante port. Plug the host PC into the other unused Ethernet port. When using Prism, an external switch is required.
WIRING KEY: Dante = GREEN, Ethernet/Control = RED, Dante/Ethernet Control Merger = BLUE
Step 2:
In Composer create a one channel, Dante Transmit Flow and wire its input to the output of the “Selected Wire Audio” module. Also name the Flow and the channel. In the example, the Dante Flow is entitled “Monitor Send” and the channel name is “Dante Laptop Monitor”.
Step 3:
Open the “Dante Virtual Soundcard” with Audio Interface set to “WDM” and audio format at 48 KHz.
Step 4:
Configure the host PC/laptop to use the DVS:
- Go to Control Panel->Sound
- On the “Playback” tab make sure the laptop speakers are the default device
• On the “Recording” tab click on DVS Receive 1-2 and click the Properties button.
• Click “Listen to this Device” and then click OK
Step 5:
Open Dante Controller:
- Expand the “laptop network name” under Dante Receivers.
Example: rcurtright-lt2
- Expand the Radius or Edge unit under Dante Transmitters.
- Click the cross points for the laptop DVS channel 01 and 02 so they receive audio from the DSP transmitter’s channel “Dante Laptop Monitor”
• When the cross points get green checks, the Dante audio should now be received and played from the laptop.
Step 6:
Return to Composer and click on any wire to “select it” so that the wire turns red. Now the output of the “Selected Wire Audio” module will be the audio on the red selected wire, which will enter the Dante Transmit Flow “Monitor Send”. The audio then travels across the Dante network to be received by the DVS where the selected wire audio will play out of the host computer’s laptop speakers. Start testing, click, probe, monitor!
Hint: Place an Oscilloscope, found under “Meters and Analyzers” in Composer, in line with the Dante Transmit Flow. This creates the added benefit of viewing the selected wire audio on a scope while at the same time monitoring with the host computer speakers.
Josh Carter
Symetrix Technical Support Engineer
Document: 2016-08
First published: August 2016
