External source for preview on Element

[nickditlov]

Hello!
I want to assign external preview source for Element (the source is not assigned to a fader, so I can't use channel preview button). I am going to Element's Web interface - Show Profile - Monitor Section Screen - SOURCE ID FOR EXTERNAL PREVIEW and setting there the source for preview (source profile is already preconfigured). Saving changes to Show Profile, reloading Show Profile. Starting the source and hearing nothing in Preview speakers.

What is also confusing me, is the following: in the PathfinderPC client - Audio Router I can see 3 preview busses:
- Preview
- Source preview
- External preview
When I start preview from Element's channel preview button I can see activity on preview bus (could be heard in the preveiw speakers). When I start external preview source I can see activity on External preview bus but no audio in preview speakers.
Would appreciate more information on that topic.

Nick

[Catfish]

Hello Nick,

You are almost there.

Element allows an external audio source to feed into the preview (cue) system. Of course there are preview buttons on each fader channel so any console source can be previewed instantly. Sometimes though, it is desirable to have an intercom or other device feed audio to the preview speakers and/or operator headphones.

You have defined an audio source and subscribed to it in the monitor section. Only one thing remains: you must gate open this input using a GPI. Most applications for the external preview input are temporary rather than permanent. So we have tied this input to a switch that must be activated in order to pass audio.

You set this up by designating a GPIO port as the Control Room Monitor port. Do this by finding an unused port, assigning it a unique channel number and entering that number into the CR GPIO field on the Monitor web page. Save and reload the profile. Now that GPIO port is a Control Room Monitor Logic port. See Element manual chapter 3 for a description of each GPIO function.

You will want to switch pin 13 low to turn on the audio (Enable EXT PREVIEW Command). If you want the audio on all the time, you can jumper this pin to ground.

Thanks for writing!

[nickditlov]

Hello Michael.

Thanks a lot for explanations. It works! And a smile on customer's face which is most important.

Kind regards,

Nick

[nickditlov]

Michael, just one remark to your words:

You will want to switch pin 13 low to turn on the audio (Enable EXT PREVIEW Command). If you want the audio on all the time, you can jumper this pin to ground.

Yes, I want the audio on all the time. When I jumpered this pin to ground, it worked. But when I reloaded show profile it did not. In order to make it working again I had to disconnect ground from this pin and then connect it back. Sort of hardware initialization. Not convenient. You have to do that every time after you change show pofile.

So I found a workaround with the help of PathfinderPC stack events. I used free GPO pin on another port and bridged it with pin 13 of our CR monitor GPIO port. Then I created a stack event, qualified by show profile change. One of actions is GPO pin state change to HIGH. And then comes delayed action (for 200 ms) which brings GPO pin state back to LOW. Wow! It works.

But imho it would be nice in the future to reinitialize GPIO port after show profile change by software .

Regards,
Nick

[Catfish]

Good feedback Nick. Thank you. I'll report this to the software testing team as a possible bug.

[Stephen Wilkinson]

Hi,
I've been trying to do this with the Preview/Cue playback of our DAW system.
As originally described, It is there if you Preview on a channel and it is assigned in the External Preview setup of the Monitor Section.
Have also wired GPIO.
Do you just Grnd Pin 13 to Pin 8 OR
Link Pin 9 and 10, Link Pin 7 and 8, Link Pin 13 to 8.

Seems like a simple thing but I'm not getting anywhere.

Thanks
Stephen

[Catfish]

Stephen,

Let's start with that GPIO port. Have you given it a unique channel number in the GPIO page of the Element setup? Have you ensured that this channel is not in use by any other logic or audio ports? Have you entered that channel number into the CRMO GPIO field in the target show?

Next, let's take a look at the wiring external to the GPIO port. We use optically isolated inputs and outputs which are floating, so that you have more flexibility when connecting to various devices. Probably, you'll want to look at Chapter 3 of the Element Manual:

http://axiaaudio.com/manuals/files/Element_2.0_WEB.pdf

If you are only trying to activate this port, then you will want to use two jumpers and a resistor.

Pin 7 to Pin 8 Jumper together.
Pin 9 to pin 10 Jumper together.
Pin 13 to pin 8 220 ohm resistor.

The jumpers tie the floating isolator circuits to Element power and ground. The resistor activates the input. You can see if the input is active by looking at Element's GPIO page. Port activity is monitored on that page. Make sure you reload the show to activate.

Lastly, as Nick reported, there was a problem with the initialization. This should be fixed in Element version 2.0 which is now in the final stages of testing before release. We can get you a copy to test the function. Just refer to this post when you contact one of the support engineers at the following address:

support@axiaaudio.com

Thanks!

[Stephen Wilkinson]

Thanks Michael,
Well you confirmed everything that I have done.

It is working now.
What I found is that you can't have that source in a channel list at the same time as wanting it to appear as the External Input.

Once it was only available to monitor section it works

BTW Have you had any issues with the CR HP output having a distorted edge, I did email some audio recordings to you?

stephen

[Catfish]

Stephen,

Your source must be configured as non-sharable so it would not allow you to load it into two console destinations. Glad you fixed it.

Regarding headphone output distortion, that certainly should not happen. I was copied on an email from your dealer to you in which he detailed steps to diagnose the problem. Please follow those steps and let us know what you find.

Thanks!

[Stephen Wilkinson]

Hi

The Issue with the External Preview jumper having to be un-plugged and re-plugged when a Profile is re-loaded doesn't seem to be fixed in Version 2.0 of the Element software?

The GPIO port needs to be re-initialized.

Lastly, as Nick reported, there was a problem with the initialization. This should be fixed in Element version 2.0 which is now in the final stages of testing before release. We can get you a copy to test the function.

Thanks
Stephen

[clarknovak]

Hi Stephen,

You're right - somehow this item slipped off the grid for Element v2.0. After conversing with our software development team, I found that there is a fix planned for v2.1, which is forthcoming.

The fix will place an option in the Element Show Profile that allows you to specify, per Profile, whether the external preview should be on or off.

In the meantime, according to our Support engineers, PathfinderPC Server can be used as a workaround for this issue. Please contact them for full details.

Cheers!

[AXIA_milos]

Pathfinder has a qualifier option of a show profile change. In the building of the qualifier, you need to specify which show that is being selected. If this show is selected, the actions that are in the Stack Event will occur. A suggestion is to use Output #4 (not used) on the GPIO port assigned as the CR monitor and wire this so that it will trigger Input#3 (Ext Preview).
So, the Actions to take place would be to set the OUT#4 High and have a delayed action (~500msec) to set OUT#4 low.

What this would do, for SHOW-A being selected (for example), the OUT#4 would go HIGH (Not triggering Input#3), and 500msec later, OUT#4 goes LOW (triggering Input#3). There is nothing telling OUT#4 to go back high so this will act like a latch.

-milos