Show Profiles

Like Source Profiles, Show Profiles are set up through the Altus Control Center which is accessible by launching your preferred web browser on a computer connected to your studio network and entering the IP address of the Altus in the address bar. When prompted for authentication, enter the user name “user”. The password field is left blank.

Show Profiles Menu

Show Profiles define how the surface is laid out channel-by-channel and determine some console behaviors. They are so named because they provide a convenient method of recalling a particular way of organizing the controls for different dayparts or program types, such as a morning show, a live sports broadcast, or a local newscast.

The Shows menu (4-1A) in the Profile Manager section of the Altus Control Center menu contains the various options related to recalling, saving, editing, and resetting Show Profiles.

Clicking on either the Edit button (4-1C) or the Show Profile letter or name (4-1B) will open a new page where individual show-specific parameters can be changed.

The Capture button (4-1D) saves the current console layout to the selected Show Profile.

The Reset button (4-1E) sets all Show Profile values back to factory defaults.

Editing Show Profiles

Four Show Profiles are supported. To create a Show Profile, begin by clicking either on the Edit button (4-1E) or the Show Profile letter or name (4-1B) which will open a new page with all settable parameters.

You may notice that many of these parameters are mirrored on the surface itself, and any current values for buttons, faders, volume controls, etc. are represented here though typically in numerical rather than graphical form. Additional controls that allow or prohibit the operator from making changes to certain settings are found only here in the Control Center.

Fader Channels

A friendly seven-character name can be entered into the Show name field (4-2A) so that operators can easily identify and recall a specific profile.

The Source dropdown (4-2B) is used to select the input source for the channel. Note that the only sources that will appear in the dropdown are those which have been added via the Source Profile manager.

The On checkbox (4-2C) determines whether the channel will be switched on when the profile loads. If the checkbox underneath with the padlock icon is also checked, the operator will be unable to change the channel On/Off status from the surface.

The PGMx checkboxes (4-2D) set the PGM mix destinations (Program 1 – Program 4) when the profile loads. If the checkbox underneath with the padlock icon is checked for a particular mix bus, the operator will be unable to change its status from the surface.

The Group Start dropdown (4-2E) links channel On states. Any On state changes made to a channel designated as a Master channel will affect all other channels designated as either Master or Slave. When set to Independent, the fader channel is unaffected by any group start signals.

The Automix dropdown (4-2F) sets the importance or “weight” of each fader channel when Automix is enabled in the adjacent checkbox. Weight 1 is the highest priority, with subsequent numbers having less priority. See the “Automix” section below for more information.

Phone Connection

Interfacing with a Telos VX phone system is set up in the Phone Connection section.

Enter the IP address of the appropriate Telos VX product in the Phone Server IP field (4-3A) or use the browse button to view and select from all available addresses.

Do the same for the Studio name field (4-3B), which is a Studio Configuration as defined in the VX system.

The Show Name field (4-3C) is optional, but if declared, the selected VX Show will become active. Leaving the field empty allows a VX Show to be controlled externally. The Phone Connection settings must be in place in order to use Fixed or Selectable Phone types.

Automix

The Automix feature automatically sets the balance between various active sources and ensures the combined output of all sources doesn’t exceed the level of the source with the most gain. This is useful for keeping multiple mics under control, ensuring that the host mic is always dominant in the mix, or to help with the balance between voice and music during talk-overs.

The Control dropdown (4-4A) determines the patch point from which Automix is fed. When set to “Post-Fader”, the operator can control the input gain to the Automix algorithm. Selecting “Pre-Fader”, the input gain to Automix is fixed.

The Attack Time field (4-4B) sets how quickly Automix will reach to reduce gain in as its input levels increase. The Release Time field (4-4C) determines how quickly Automix will increase gain when input levels decrease.

Monitor Section

The Monitor Section includes four monitoring points:

• CR Monitor – The control room monitors (operator position)

• CR Headphones – The control room (operator) headphone

• Preview – The Preview (or “cue” output)

• Studio Monitor – The studio monitors (typically a host studio position)

Various parameters can be set for each monitor type, but note that not all settings are applicable to all monitor types while others are exclusive to only one type of monitor.

The Volume Level field (4-5C) sets the defined volume level when the Show Profile is loaded and the Volume Set checkbox (4-5B) is checked. If left unchecked, the existing volume level is retained when the Show Profile is loaded.

The Volume Adjust Allowed checkbox (4-5A) allows the operator to adjust the volume when checked. Left unchecked, the Volume cannot be controlled by the operator.

The Dim Gain field (4-5D) defines the amount of attenuation during a Dim event. A setting of “-Inf” mutes the main content while “0” applies no attenuation to the main content.

The Gain in Muted State field (4-5E) defeats the usual mute state in favor of a “dim” state, allowing monitors to pass audio but with a much lower gain value. In most radio applications, the goal is to completely mute monitors in the same room as any open mics to avoid feedback. In some television applications, however, the studio mics may need to stay open for internal communication or IFB purposes, but the talent may still need to hear program audio through monitors.

The Source dropdown (4-5F) defines the audio source for the monitor when the Show Profile loads. Whether the operator can change the source on the surface is determined by the Source selection allowed checkbox (4-5G).

Enabling the Preview in checkbox (4-5H) allows the Preview mix to be added into the CR Monitor and/or Headphone Monitor outputs. When enabled for the Headphone Monitor, the Preview mode dropdown (4-5I) determines whether the Preview audio is mixed into both left and right channels (“Normal”) or into only the left or right channel (“Split”).

The Logic Port field (4-5J) accepts a Livewire channel number for the monitor logic, the value of which would be applied to a GPIO port. This is commonly used to trigger ON AIR or mic tally lights.

External Inputs

While most of the Monitor section is centered around local DSP-produced sources, it is sometimes necessary to utilize a source on the AoIP network. Note that only sources set up in Source Profiles will appear in the External source dropdowns (4-6A) for each input, and settings in the Source Availability menu will determine whether a particular source is available for monitoring.

Source choices include:

• External 1 (and External 2) – The monitor section has two EXT buttons used to route an external source to the monitors. The source feeding those EXT buttons for this Show Profile is defined here. An off-air tuner is a typical source, allowing the operator to listen to the actual transmitted signal.

• External Talk – This is used to defeat the default configuration in which Talkback audio from the operator mic is routed through a channel on the surface. In many applications, the operator doesn’t contribute audio to the on-air mix and so tying up a strip for the operator mic is costly. This option allows the operator microphone (or any other available source) to be the audio source when a “Talkback” function is called.

• External Preview – This defines the source applied to the Preview mix when an “Ext Preview” logic state is engaged via GPIO. For example, this can be used to route Intercom audio into the monitor section of the surface.

Record Mode

Clicking the “Record” button on the surface triggers a GPIO command to record whatever source is currently routed to the studio monitors. Its specific behavior can be defined by choosing options from the Record mode dropdown (4-7A). Choices include:

• Disabled – Effectively turns off Record mode, and clicking on the Record button does nothing.

• Enabled – Toggles the “historical” Axia record mode that most users who are familiar with this feature expect. When the Record button is clicked, the monitor section will change to a specialized Record mix which triggers a specified GPIO and mutes the CR monitors.

• CR Ready – Used to indicate a ready condition through a GPIO. GPO Pin 5 will latch in this mode when the Record button is clicked.

• CR Ready with Auto-Reset – Works just like CR Ready, but the latch will reset the moment a mute state is triggered

• GPIO Button – Treats the Record button as a GPIO button. GPO Pin 1 of the specified port will follow the button press, and GPI Pin 11 will trigger the illumination of the Record button.

Selecting CR Ready, CR Ready with Auto-Reset or GPIO Button requires that a value between 1 and 32767 be entered in the Logic port field (4-7B).

User Interface

The User Interface section allows for the customization of certain aspects of the surface.

The Timer mode dropdown (4-8A) determines whether the count-up timer is triggered manually on the surface or by source profiles that have their time controls enabled.

If the Preview interlock mode (4-8B) is enabled, pressing a second PFL (“preview” or “cue”) button releases the PFL button previously pressed and routes the audio associated with the second button to the associated monitor source. When disabled, each PFL button must be pressed again to remove the channel from preview.

The timer can be manually controlled through GPIO by entering the appropriate channel in the Logic Port for Timer field (4-8C).

The Talk to CR Level (4-8D) sets the gain (either attenuated or amplified) of the “Talk to Control Room” audio.

Comparing and Saving Profile Changes

The Changes menu in the Profile Manager section of the Altus Control Center menu displays any differences in both Source and Show Profile settings between the Profile Manager and the currently active settings on the console surface.

Changes can be selected and de-selected via individual checkboxes and then saved to the profiles by clicking on the Save Selected Changes button.