Outputs
Video Transcript
00:08
The next step in configuring our MP-M Series is to Name and Configure our Output channels,
00:12
including setting up priority sources for paging and ducking,
00:16
as well as assigning EQ presets to your loudspeakers.
00:19
Once again, we can use the Setup Wizard to jump us to the Setup screen for our output channels,
00:25
or we could navigate there manually by selecting Outputs and then selecting the Setup icon on the left.
00:31
This Master page should look relatively familiar, as it looks a lot like the Inputs Master page,
00:36
where we once again have a variety of sub-pages you can use to fine-tune each output channel.
00:42
But for now, let’s just focus on the general Setup page.
00:45
Just like the Inputs, we’ll start by naming the output channel and engaging a stereo link if applicable.
00:51
Once again we’ll move from left to right using our “Next” button,
00:55
and name and configure each one of our channels.
00:58
For this installation, we have a reception area, a main dining area,
01:05
a bar which primarily supports the cable TV, restrooms, and the kitchen.
01:12
Remember, these names will carry forward to other places like the MFC Controller and MP-Manage app,
01:18
which is why it’s a good idea to name them accurately first.
01:22
You can also establish a minimum and maximum output gain range for this region.
01:27
For example, you don’t want your bartender to be able to crank the sports channel so loud
01:31
that it drowns out the background music in the main dining area.
01:34
You also have access to an architectural audio delay,
01:37
which comes into play if you are playing the same source through multiple zones.
01:41
Once this is done, we can return to the Setup Wizard and check this task as complete.
01:47
The next step is to Assign Sources.
01:49
If you select the “Output Sources” button,
01:52
you’ll notice that it returns you to the output configuration screen, but we’re now on the “Sources” page.
01:57
There are two main sections here – Priority Sources, and Selectable Sources.
02:03
Selectable Sources allows you to define the possible source options for a given zone.
02:09
When you connect to this Zone using either the wall-mounted controller or a smartphone,
02:13
these are the options you’ll see listed as available to play here.
02:17
Simply select a name and populate that source with the input of your choice.
02:22
So if I only elect to have two possible sources in this Zone,
02:26
then the controllers will only see a list with two options.
02:30
Remember to be smart about the kinds of inputs options you give.
02:33
If your private room has no way of seeing those TVs in the bar,
02:36
then you probably don’t want to make that an option.
02:39
If you select “None,” then no option will be displayed at all.
02:43
If you’re in the actual space, you can click the On button to activate that Source,
02:48
and then use the Level slider to adjust the music source level and balance your various Sources.
02:54
Or just tap the Cue button and save yourself the steps,
02:57
by listening to this output from the Cue bus output on the front of the Mixer.
03:01
Only one source can be active at a time – if you want a mix of multiple sources,
03:06
you can use the mix output as your source, and mix to your preference on the Mixer screen,
03:11
which we’ll see in future videos.
03:14
ou may have noticed, when selecting your Sources,
03:16
that you could choose an output as a source for a Zone.
03:20
Why is that?
03:22
Well this is a convenient way to create a Zone that follows another Zone.
03:27
Let’s say we have some large surface-mount loudspeakers in the bar
03:30
as well as some ceiling speakers in the booths at the perimeter.
03:33
Since these are different types of speakers,
03:35
you’ll want to apply different EQ or factory presets,
03:38
so you’ll wire them as separate outputs from the mixer.
03:41
But when the bar changes the source for the main speakers,
03:44
you want those peripheral speakers to follow along and change sources as well.
03:49
So in a case like this,
03:50
simply choose the Bar Output as the only selectable source for the peripheral speakers and engage it.
03:57
Now the Bar control acts as the parent that makes changes for both of your zones.
04:02
This setup is also a great method for driving content to subwoofers.
04:08
Now let’s take a look at our Priority Sources.
04:10
These are sources that override the currently selected source.
04:14
You can establish two levels of priority.
04:17
A Secondary Priority source, for instance, will override all your selectable sources,
04:22
and itself will only be overridden by the Primary Priority Source.
04:27
The Primary Priority cannot be overridden by anything,
04:31
and it will override all other sources including your Secondary Priority source.
04:36
Simply select Primary or Secondary,
04:38
then the selection field and find your desired source from the list of names that you’ve already assigned.
04:44
For our installation, our jukebox that sits in our reception area should override any BGM that might be playing
04:49
so we would assign that to our secondary priority.
04:52
After all, if someone is paying you money, their song should start playing!
04:56
However, we want any paging announcements from the reception area to override ALL music,
05:01
whether that’s coming from the BGM OR the jukebox, so we would assign that as the Primary Priority.
05:07
You can adjust the level of this source, as well as decide if you want to override the current Zone level.
05:13
If somebody has turned the volume down in this Zone, that means your announcement might not be heard,
05:18
unless you choose to override that Zone level,
05:21
which means your priority source will always be heard at the level you decide,
05:25
regardless of the levels currently active in the room.
05:28
You can also adjust three controls for the Ducker,
05:30
which determines how smoothly the background audio is lowered when a priority source is active.
05:35
The Threshold is the level a Priority source must reach in order for it to initiate an override,
05:41
the depth is how much you want the current source audio attenuated down
05:46
when the priority source is played,
05:48
and the Hold determines how long the ducker waits
05:51
until the threshold is no longer reached before it brings your background audio back up again.
05:57
If you have too short a Hold, like if the speaker on your announcement mic takes a short pause,
06:03
it might cause the background music to momentarily come back
06:07
in the middle of the announcement.
06:10
If you have several zones with the same requirements, don’t forget about your Copy/Paste buttons!
06:15
I can simply press copy on one Zone and Paste on the next Zone,
06:19
and it will take all of the Source settings on screen from the first channel and apply them to the second.
06:25
Once again, we’ll return to our Setup Wizard when we’re done and check off that we’ve completed this step.
06:30
Let’s do one last step in regard to our outputs.
06:34
The next step in the Setup Wizard is to load our Loudspeaker Tunings,
06:38
which will take us to the Presets page of our output channels.
06:41
Again, you could just as easily navigate to this screen by going to the Master Outputs screen,
06:47
and then select Presets for the channel of your choice.
06:50
Here you can load presets for your favorite QSC loudspeakers that are listed under the Factory settings.
06:56
Simply select a family of loudspeakers, then the model you’re using.
07:00
If you are using the QSC AcousticDesign Series SUB/SAT models,
07:04
you’ll be prompted to choose a preset
07:06
that represents the number of satellite loudspeakers connect to the sub.
07:09
Before you select the Recall button to load these tunings, you may want to consider these switches here.
07:16
If you recall a preset it will override the output channel’s level and sources,
07:20
loudspeaker tuning, and processing blocks, unless you choose to omit them.
07:25
We’ll quickly go through now and assign the proper loudspeakers to each of our zones.
07:30
In any case, just select the one that best matches your configuration.
07:35
You can also load your own User presets if you have any,
07:38
which could be located either in your MP-Install app storage,
07:42
within the MP-M device itself, or on a USB flash drive.
07:46
You can move these presets from any of these locations to another using the copy buttons,
07:51
and you can also create a User preset by selecting the “Save/Save As” button
07:56
to record your current channel configuration.
07:59
Back in the Setup Wizard we can check off this step and next we’ll start adjusting the Input and Output settings.
08:06
At this point, we’ve finished the basic structural setup of your system.
08:10
The next steps are going to be more subjective decisions,
08:13
like applying processing to your inputs or fine-tuning the loudspeaker settings.
08:17
That means that everything up to this point you could easily do before you’re ever in the venue,
08:22
but the last steps are probably best completed when your system is up and running.
08:26
We’ll take a look at these steps in the next videos.