ControlMatrix Devices

Purpose

ControlMatrix is a MediaMatrix add-on product that provides MediaMatrix with all the capabilities of serving as a large-scale audio and visual paging system.  We won't go into a great level of detail here on how it all works.  The goal of this topic is to teach you how to use the ControlMatrix devices for MWare.  These devices are only needed if you are constructing a view file for use with a ControlMatrix system.  The devices themselves won't function as a paging system without the necessary ControlMatrix hardware.  With that said, you can read all available documents about ControlMatrix, including spec sheets, manuals, etc. on the ControlMatrix Resources Page.

These devices were designed to make it easy for you, the view file designer to construct a view file for use with ControlMatrix.  In going through the process of adding devices, it may not seem that easy, but there are reasons for things to be the way they are.  The device set provided here is really the fifth or sixth generation of devices.  The first version was just a template view file that you had to start with.  Since that was quite inflexible, a large all-in-one device was created.  But this proved inflexible as well, since you couldn't scale it down to fit the size of the project.  These latest devices break most of the functions into separate blocks which can be spread out and placed as needed into any view file.  As we at Peavey get more experience with ControlMatrix View File design, we have tweaked the ControlMatrix device set into a set of devices that make sense and can be expanded easily with project growth.

First we will cover the different device types and how they function, then we'll show you how to construct a simple view file with them.  Finally, we will provide a checklist of "gotchas" that must be avoided as well as tips for successful implementation.

ControlMatrix Device Types

Input Blocks

 

These Input Blocks are used to get control of audio from the ControlMatrix system.  These shouldn't be confused with the green audio Input Blocks that are used to bring virtual audio into the view file itself.  The difference here is that we are inputting the audio into the whole set of ControlMatrix devices.  Audio from each PCU paging station, Telephone Paging Units, background sources and local room inputs are all supposed to be fed to the Input Blocks.  Audio that is not supposed to be controlled by ControlMatrix should not be wired to these input blocks (e.g. ambient sense microphones, etc.).  The labels you see are not for you to modify directly.  They are updated automatically from the Setup program on the Q-Host.  When you change the input labels in the Setup program and restart the servers, these labels will be updated.

Output Blocks

 

         

There are three types of Output Blocks.  The selection of Output Block will depend on the hardware you are using.  You need to place enough Output Blocks to cover the amount of separate paging zones in the system.  In most cases, you will use only Standard Output Blocks.

TPU devices are used to send recorded audio prompts to the external Telephone Paging Units (also known as Telephone Paging Interfaces).

If you are using SVC2 wall-mounted controllers, you must use an SVC2 Block in place of a standard block.  In this case, you have the option of having up to ten SVC2 zones (with more than ten SVC2s) in your file.  The difference between a standard zone and an SVC2 zone is that SVC2 zones have four separate outputs, which correspond with the four separate BGM sources available to each SVC2 zone (Standard Zones only have one BGM selection).  For each count of SVC2 zones (up to ten), there is a separate device tailored exclusively to that combination of SVC2 zones to standard zones.  If this makes no sense to you, have no fear -- when you see the procedure, it will become clear.

You cannot have SVC2 and standard Output Blocks using the same zone numbers in the same file.  For example, if you are using SVC2 zones 1-5 (which also includes standard zones 6-8), you cannot also place a Standard Zone Block 1-8 into the file.  You can use standard zones starting with the next unused group of 8 zones, however.

The Zone Labels you see are not for you to modify.  They are automatically updated from the Setup program on the Q-Host.  When you change the output labels in the Setup program and restart the servers, these labels will be updated.

ControlMatrix Logic

 

 

This device is required once in every ControlMatrix view file.  It contains various logic and SubPreset functions necessary for the Q-Host of the ControlMatrix system to communicate with the frame.  These presets are automatically saved and recalled while the system is operational.  Since controls from the Input Blocks and both SVC2 and Standard Output Blocks have to be within the Logic Block's SubPreset device's scope, there are special "Copy Blocks" that must be copied into the logic block prior to compilation.  Spaces are provided in the Logic device for all copy blocks to make it easier to verify you've copied everything that you should.

MessageNet Blocks

 

   

MessageNet Blocks are the devices that enable the ControlMatrix system to playback recorded audio like delayed pages, canned announcements and telephone paging prompts.  The other half of the device is responsible for sending live audio to the S560 MessageNet card for recording.  You only need these devices if you have at least one S560 MessageNet card in your system.  Up to four cards can be used in one ControlMatrix "head-end".  If you didn't know, each card is capable of recording four channels of 48kHz audio simultaneously and playing back eight channels of 48kHz audio simultaneously.  These devices have Bundle displays that aren't supposed to be changed within MWare.  When you set up S560 cards on the Q-Host, there are a couple of fields to enter the Transmit Bundle and Receive bundle for that card (see screen shot below).  Whatever settings you enter there are shown in the MessageNet blocks once the view file is compiled and the ControlMatrix servers are started or restarted.  The official ControlMatrix standard is that Transmits are on Bundles 3001-3004 and Receives are Bundles 3011-3014.


Screen shot of the S560 MessageNet CobraNet
settings from ControlMatrix Setup on the Q-Host.

The values that appear on the MessageNet Input and Output devices should be manually typed into the Bundle control within the green and orange CobraNet blocks that the MessageNet Blocks are wired to.

Note that for these CobraNet I/O blocks, there are no associated CAB ("Taxi") Devices.  In this case, the S560 MessageNet cards take the place of CABs and are controlled from the ControlMatrix software and not MWare.

ControlMatrix CAB Devices

 

These devices serve the same function as standard CAB ("Taxi") Devices in a ControlMatrix View File.  Please see the CAB Topics for information on how to use these devices.  These devices have all of the same features of standard CAB devices, except they already have their serial bridging settings Control Grouped to work with the ControlMatrix system.  This serial bridging is a technology of CobraNet that allows compatible devices to transmit serial data between them.  In a ControlMatrix system, PCU paging stations, SVC and SCP wall panels send and receive their data to a nearby CAB's RS-485 port.  These CAB devices configure the destination of that data to be the CobraNet NIC on the Q-Host.  All of this happens behind the scenes.  You only need to have these devices in your view file for this to work.

Unless you know you should use another CAB Network, you should always use only CAB devices from CAB Network 1.  The other networks require additional hardware and would only be used when more than 253 ControlMatrix devices are to be configured from one head-end.  Instructions for using additional 485 networks can be found in the Advanced Topics section of the ControlMatrix User's Guide which can be downloaded here.

ControlMatrix View File Design Procedure

This is an example procedure.  There are certainly some restrictions in the combination of devices that must be used, but as with all lessons in MediaMatrix, there are always more than one way to achieve similar performance.  When you understand the functionality of the various ControlMatrix devices, you will most likely find a method that works best for you.

Here are the basic requirements for this example view file:

1 PCU2
10 PCU3
1 TPU2
4 SVC2 panels in 2 SVC2 Zones (2 each)
2 SCP2 (just like local audio, but with remote control)
4 User Inputs (Local audio returned from the zone)
1 S560 MessageNet card
16 Total Zones
 

Your requirements are almost certainly different than these, but we are trying to show you a mixture of different devices in the ControlMatrix design.

  1. Add the first 3 ControlMatrix Input Devices.

    Place enough Input Blocks in the view file to handle the audio from the various input devices (PCUs, TPUs, User Inputs, SCP and background inputs).  In our example, this count miraculously adds up to 19 (1 (PCU2) + 10 (PCU3s) + 2 (TPU2) + 2 (SCP2s) + 4 (User Inputs)).  The simple answer is that you'd need to place the first three Input Blocks into the file (1-8, 9-16, 17-24).

  2. Add SVC2 Output Block "Zone 1 - 2" and Standard "Zones 9 - 16".

    If there are any SVC2 Zones in the project, you must add SVC2 Output Blocks for those zones.  These aren't different devices.  In our example, we have 4 SVC2 Zones, so we need to use the "Zones 1 - 2" SVC2 device.  In this device, the first two zones have four outputs, which are for the four BGM sources that are sent to each SVC2 zone.  The remainder of the zone outputs are standard, meaning that they only have one output node.

    So, after we've placed the SVC2 "Zones 1 - 2" device (which also includes Standard Zones 3-8), we have to place Standard Output Blocks for the rest of the zones.  In our example, we have 16 total zones, so we still need to add the "Zones 9 - 16" device from the Standard category.

    FYI, since you can use up to 10 SVC2 zones, there are also a couple of SVC2 devices in a nearby category for instances where you need a ninth or ninth and tenth SVC2 zone.

  3. Add two TPU Output Devices to the file.

    Add any TPU Outputs necessary for the total number of telephone paging ports.  The maximum number of ports per head-end is 16.  For this example, we are using a TPU2, which has two telephone ports and therefore two audio ports for audio I/O.  So we need two TPU Output Devices in the example file.

  4. Add "MessageNet 1" devices to the view file.

    Add MessageNet devices for each S560 card in your system.  In this example, we only have one card in the system.  We only have to add one set of MessageNet devices.

  5. Add "ControlMatrix Logic" device.

    Add ControlMatrix Logic device to the file.  You will have to copy controls from the input and output blocks into this logic block for the file to work properly.  We will do that now.

  6. Copy Input Copy Blocks into the ControlMatrix Logic block.

    Open each input block and copy each "Input Copy Block..." to the main window.  Open the ControlMatrix Logic block and the "Input/Output Level Blocks" block.  There, you will see a teal block called Input Level Blocks.  Open that.  Cut and paste those Copy Blocks from the main window into the appropriate places in this block.  Close the "Input Level Blocks" block.

  7. Copy Output Copy Block from SVC2 Zones block to ControlMatrix Logic Block.

    Open the SVC2 Zones 1 - 2 device.  Copy the "Output Copy Block 1-8".  In the Input/Output Level Blocks, open "Output Zone Copy Blocks".  Paste "Output Copy Block 1-8" into the area to the left of the "Output Zones 1-8 ->" bump panel.  You will probably have to carefully line up the Copy Block to appear correctly.

  8. Copy Output Copy Block from Standard Zones block to ControlMatrix Logic Block.

    Open the Standard Zones 9 - 16 block.  Copy the "Output Copy Block 9-16".  Back in the Logic block, paste this block in the proper spot in the "Output Zone Copy Blocks."  Now you can close both "Output Zone Copy Blocks" and "Input/Output Level Blocks."

  9. Copy Routing/Ducking Copy Blocks into the "Routing & Ducking" block.

    Open both the Zones 1-8 and Zones 9-16 Output blocks and copy their Routing/Ducking Copy Blocks one-at-a-time to the Routing & Ducking block within the ControlMatrix Logic block in the proper place.  You may now close all output zone blocks and the Logic block.

  10. Straighten up the devices in this way: Make input and output columns of blocks.  Inputs should be in this vertical order (top to bottom): Input Block 1 - 8, Input Block 9 - 16, Input Blocks 17 - 24, MessageNet Input 1.  You may wish to put them in the general location (not precise) and use CTRL-L to Pack Left.   

    Outputs should be in this vertical order: SVC2 Zones 1 - 2, TPU1, TPU2, Standard Zones 9 - 16, MessageNet Output 1.

  11. Add CobraNet Audio Blocks.

    Place CobraNet Interface 1A - 1D audio blocks into the view file.  Move the green inputs to the left of the ControlMatrix Input Blocks and the MessageNet Input block.  Move the orange output blocks to the right of the output zone blocks.  Wire the devices in the obvious way.  On the outputs, the SVC2 Zones 1 - 2 doesn't have an output node count that is an exact multiple of eight, so I've used the leftover ports on the CobraNet 1B Output for the TPU Outputs.

    MessageNet Output blocks only have four nodes (because the S560 card can only record four channels).  Since these audio channels aren't intended for CABs, you should not use the remainder of the nodes on the CobraNet output block for anything else.  Exceptions to this exist if you are using the advanced bundle features of the CNII DSP card and create a four-channel bundle for the MessageNet card.  If not, you can only use the first four nodes on the output block.

  12. Add ControlMatrix CAB Blocks.

    In this example we are using only CAB 8i and CAB 8o units.  So place 3 ControlMatrix CAB 8i devices and 3 ControlMatrix CAB 8o devices (to match all analog input and output requirements).  Remember that the MessageNet Input and Output blocks and the DSP I/O blocks they are wired to will go across the CobraNet to the MessageNet cards and not to CABs.

At this point, you have a complete ControlMatrix View File.  When you go through the process of setting up the Setup program on the Q-Host, you will have to enter bundle assignments for the MessageNet card(s).  When you finish setup and restart the servers or the Q-Host, those bundle settings will be copied to the Bundle fields on the MessageNet Input and Output blocks (assuming that you've already compiled your view file).  Those bundle numbers should be manually entered into the CobraNet Input and Output blocks in order for the MediaMatrix frame and MessageNet cards to communicate properly.

Things to keep in mind

[Cobranet]
useDynavar=True