Today, most hotels and conference facilities rely on flexible room configurations for a wide variety of events. Typically this involves one or more large rooms that may be divided by flexible partitions. These combinations of space are referred to as “room combining” and have their own unique requirements when it comes to the audio system. The key is the management of the audio signal to interconnect sub-room sound systems when those sub-rooms are combined into larger rooms.
There must be at least two rooms in order to use the Room Combine function. It is assumed here that rooms have been created. To begin, see Define the Venue.
Add Room Combine Processing Object
To begin combining rooms, select the Define Venue tab.
Select the rooms you wish to combine and click the
Create button in the Room Combine section of the ribbon. This will add
a Room Combine group in the Venue Explorer. Enter a name for the Room
Combine group. Shown below are three groups. In addition, the right-click
menu option has a rename function as well.
To add a partition between rooms, select the two rooms and click the Create Partition button. Shown below is a partition between Salon A and Salon B which together are the Blue Room. Partitions may be selected and re-sized.
Select Add Devices in the Workflow section of the Offline Ribbon and add the BSS BLU device that will be configured with the Room Combine function. Open the BLU device and select Processing Objects at the bottom of the Venue Explorer. To add a Room Combine group, first select Venue Explorer at the bottom of the Venue Explorer window, then click and drag one of the groups on the left to the BLU device configuration area on the right as shown below:
The Room Combine Output Order/Priority window will appear:
Select rooms you wish to have moved up or down This will order the rooms from top to bottom in the Room Combine processing object. Note above the rooms outputs are ordered Room 6 at the top, then Room 5, Room 7 and Room 8 at the bottom. Clicking OK brings up the Room Combine processing object.
The Room Combine processing object simplifies system setup for such a 'room combining' application. When rooms are "combined", all controls for each involved room will mirror each other perfectly. These controls are objects like faders, mute buttons and source selectors.
Note that the Room Combine outputs are ordered as directed in the Room Combine Output Order/Priority window.
The Room Combine can route client automixer control and audio signals. When two or more rooms are involved all automixers will perform as one single automixer to ensure proper gain levels and channel weighting are achieved. These signals are the Chain and Threshold signals located on Client automixers. Host Automixers or Standalone automixers cannot be used in conjunction with the Room Combine for proper operation. Client Automixers do not have a Host gain control. When using the Client Automixer in conjunction with the Room Combine P.O., the Host gain fader is the "Mix" fader located inside The Room Combine P.O.
Room Source: The Room Source inputs are for receiving a mono audio output from each room. The Source signal input needs to be connected to the output signal of the Client Automixer if Automixers are utilized.
Background Music (BGM): The BGM input is used for receiving audio to be distributed in each room as background music. When two or more rooms are combined, the combined rooms will receive the same BGM source.
Room Mix: This output from the P.O. has the mixed audio signal for each room, composed of the room source audio and the BGM audio.
Signal Names: Click here to edit the output signal names. Brings up the Signal Naming window.
Number of Rooms: Indicates the number of rooms in the group.
Number of Partitions: Indicates the number of partitions in the group.
Number of BGM Inputs: Sets the number of background music inputs.
The fill color share between rooms in the indicated group. Brings up the Select Color window. This will be the color of the border around the selected group in the Room Combine panel when in Simulate Venue or Run Venue modes
Use Automixer I/O: When checked, the 'Chain' and 'Threshold' signals will be available for wiring with Automixer Gain Sharing. Note that the Automixer Gated cannot be used.
Enable stereo functionality: Creates left and right output mixes for each room.
Mix BGM Signal Path: When checked, the background music (BGM) signal is mixed with the room mix input.
Priority Partition Mode: When checked:
1. Room Combine will operate in 'partition' mode where opening or closing partitions determines which group a room will be part of.
2. When each room is created it will be assigned a 'default group' number which is the same as the room number.
3. When rooms are combined, the group number for the combined room will be set to the lowest numbered room which is present in the room combination.
4. When a room is combined with an existing group of rooms, the room controls will take on the values of the highest priority room (i.e. lowest room number) in the group which is formed.
Example 1) Room 1 and Room 2 are combined to form a new room group (group 1). Room 1 host gain is set at 0dB, Room 2 host gain is set at -10dB. At the instant the rooms are combined, both rooms host gain will be set to 0dB.
Example 2) Room 1 and Room 2 are already combined in a room group (group 1). Room 3 is combined into the group. Room 1 and 2 host gains are set at 0dB, Room 3 host gain is set at -20dB. At the instant the rooms are combined, all rooms host gains will be set to 0dB.
This mode can be useful when you need to perform some logic which is dependent upon knowing the current group that a room is in, e.g. disable the room controls when a room is combined with a higher priority 'host' room. From the design tree you can drag and drop the group (for the room you are checking) onto a logic comparator. Then assign the compare value to be the group number you wish to test against. The logic comparator can then be wired to other objects such as presets, logic ends and so on which can be used to trigger other processing objects or actions. The example shown below can be read as "when room 2 is combined with room 1, i.e. when room 2 becomes part of group 1, do this particular action", and "when room 2 is not combined with room 1, i.e. when room 2 is part of group 2, do this (other) action
When Priority Partition Mode is unchecked:
1. Room Combine may operate in 'room' mode or in 'Partition' mode. In 'room' mode rooms are selected to join a particular group.
2. Each room is created with a default group of 0 ('unassigned').
3. When rooms are combined, the next available group (in sequence 1..number of groups) will be used to determine the group for the room combination.
4. When a room is combined with an existing group of rooms, the room controls for the room group formed will take on the most conservative values of all the rooms in the group which is formed.
Example 1) Room 1 and Room 2 are combined to form a new room group (group 1). Room 1 host gain is set at 0dB, Room 2 host gain is set at -10dB. At the instant the rooms are combined, both rooms host gain will be set to -10dB.
Example 2) Room 1 and Room 2 are already combined in a room group (group 1). Room 3 is combined into the group. Room 1 and 2 host gains are set at 0dB, Room 3 host gain is set at -20dB. At the instant the rooms are combined, all rooms host gainswill be set to -20dB.
Changing any of the above properties will cause the default control panel to close.
Use Signal Names: When checked, the BGM selectors will use the signal names.
Attached to Venue Controls: When checked (default), the Room Combine processing object can be controlled by actions in Room Combine mode. When unchecked, Room combine controls are unattached.
This doesn't change the functionality of the Room combine processing object... it only changes how it can be used in room combine mode.
This function is used to turn off Room combine functionality, to create a custom User Interface with custom control panels.
Note: this is an advanced feature. Use only if custom panels are to be created from Room Combine control.
Source Fader: A fader is provided
to control the level for each Source input.
Source Mute: A mute control is provided for each of the Source inputs.
BGM Fader: This fader controls the level of the background music being fed into each room. This will not be displayed if the number of BGM inputs is set to 0.
BGM Mute: Used to mute or unmute the background music being fed into each room. This will not be displayed if the number of BGM inputs is set to 0.
BGM Input: Use this source select to chose which BGM source is being fed into the room. This will not be displayed if the number of BGM inputs is set to 0.
Host Fader: This fader controls the mix of the source input and the BGM input.
Host Meter: This meter represents the audio which is being fed into the room. If the 'Enable Stereo' property is set to 'Yes' then separate meters for both left and right stereo channels will be displayed.
Host Mute:This mute controls the mute-state of all sources being fed into this room
The Room Combine panel shows mute and level controls for each Source and BGM input. The BGM Input window is for selecting which BGM Input source will be used for that room. Each room has a Host level and mute control. This panel may be converted to custom the same as other Audio Architect panels for use in a custom control panel.
In Simulate Venue or Run Venue mode, the borders around a room group will match the color of a selected room group.
Active group: None selected
Active group: 1 selected
With Active group 1 selected, selecting Rooms 1 and 4 will highlight Rooms 1 and 4 on the Room Combine panel. The same action applies for selecting Active Group 3, then selecting Rooms 2 and 5.
Note on the Room Combine panel, the Active Group color corresponds with the selected Room.
Partition mode is where rooms are combined according to the current state of a 'wall partition' connecting the two rooms. In a real situation the wall partition state could be driven from a relay contact coming into the Soundweb London unit as a control port input.
The wall partition between rooms 1 and 2 is opened
Room 2 joins room 1's group as it is has lower group number
The rooms become the same color to show the rooms are in the same group
All controls for room 1 and 2 are linked together in an exact link
The wall partition between rooms 1 and 2 is closed
Rooms 1 and 2 are set to no specific group (None / 0)
Rooms 1 and 2 become gray to show the rooms are not part of any group
All controls for rooms 1 and 2 are unlinked
The wall partition between two existing groups is opened
The rooms which are in the higher numbered group are set to be in the lower numbered group
The rooms colors change appropriately showing the rooms in the new group
The controls for all rooms in the new group are linked
Closing a wall partition splits a group
The room colors change appropriately
Controls are unlinked between the rooms and linked according to their new sub-groups
This section illustrates the use of DSP primitives by the Room Combine processing object as an aid to understand how it works internally. The example below shows the processing which is required 'per room' for the following setup :
4 rooms
4 BGM inputs
'Mix BGM Signal Path' property = 'Yes'
'Enable Stereo' property = 'No'
If separate BGM and room source outputs were required, i.e. 'Mix BGM Signal Path' property = 'No' then the DSP primitives would look like :
Notes:The two gains work
like a 2 input 'n-input' gain. The actual gain applied is the gain for
the source or BGM, PLUS the host gain.
The summer is a simple mixer that applies unity gain