Audio Group Menu

This menu page is used to define and edit the attributes of newly created or existing Audio groups.

Please note:
Observe the -> specific aspects when creating immersive audio groups on units with activated software licence SW20015 ISA - Immersive Sound Analyzer.

If entering this page for the first time while creating a new Audio group, some of the functions described here may not yet be available. In this case, the unit at first expects the user to input certain parameters, for example defining the domain of the input signals (analog, digital or SDI, depending on model and hardware configuration). The unit will inquire those parameters step by step.
In contrast, when editing an already existing group, all relevant functions will be available. A new group will be named by the unit automatically, but the name can be edited freely using the "Name" option (see below).

| Functions in the left (upper) area
| Control Bar functions
| Specific aspects when creating immersive audio groups

Functions in the left (upper) area

• Name
Initially, this key will show an automatically created name for any new audio group. Any new group will be named in the format "Grp-n" with a consecutive number. After touching the Name key, the name can be edited with an on-screen keyboard.

• Identifier Color
Initially, this key will show an automatically created color that will be helpful to identify the group. All instruments of the group will carry a mark in the form of a small triangle that is colored accordingly. This triangle will be visible in the top left corner of the instrument's display. In normal display mode, the identifier helps to determine which instruments belong to the same group and are sharing the same input signals. On top of this, the frame of an instrument that was focused by touching its display area will be shown in this color. The identifier's color can be changed by touching the color area and selecting another color in the color selector.

Options: |  | 10 colors

• Domain
This key is used to define the domain of the input signals used by the instruments of the group. Depending on the model and the unit's hardware configuration, analog inputs, digital inputs (AES3 or AES3id) or SDI inputs are available. All input signals used in a group share the same domain. The selected domain cannot be switched after the creation of an Audio group has been completed.

Options: |  | Analog | Digital | SDI (depending on model and hardware configuration, not available on devices with AoIP interface)

Please note:
On devices with AoIP interface, AoIP is already fixed as domain and displayed on the greyed key. This setting cannot be changed.

• Mode
This key is used to define how many audio channels the group's input signal will consist of and what channel configuration should be used. Depending on this selection, the TouchMonitor will offer the relevant channels for routing and the instruments available for the selected channel mode (see below). The selected mode cannot be switched after the creation of an Audio group has been completed.

Options: |  | Single | Stereo | Multichannel | 3.1 | 5.0 | 5.1 | 7.1 Cinema | 7.1 DD+ | Timecode (depending on model and installed software licence)

Please note:
In units without the "Multichannel" licence (SW20001) installed, only the Single and Stereo modes will be available.

Please note:
The number of channels in Multichannel mode can be selected using the Mode option after the Loudness mode has been set.

Please note:
The "Timecode" mode is only available with "Timecode Reader" licence (SW20008) activated. It is only selectable, if it is not yet placed in another audio group of the preset. With "Timecode" mode selected, only the Timecode Reader instrument is available. No other instruments can be placed in this audio group.

• References
This key only appears, if "Analog" is available and was selected for the group's domain (see above). The Analog References section entered with the "Configure" key is used to set the reference point for analog PPM scales and the analog input level in dBu that is referenced to 0 dBFS for analog loudness measurements.

• Input Routing
The "Routing" sub menu entered with the "Configure" key is used to assign an analog or digital input channel (depending on the domain available and selected resp. the activated licence) to each logical channel of the group (up to 8 per group).
On TM devices with AoIP interface, the AoIP channels defined by the network administrator can be assigned in the same way.
If "Timecode" mode and "Timecode Reader" instrument are adjusted to an audio group, this menu is used to assign the timecode input channel.

Please note:
The channel designations of the routing correspond to the (initial) designations of the respective domain.

Please note for 3G-SDI:
When using a 3G-SDI interface, check the assignment of the signals to the SDI channels in the stream.

Please note for AoIP:
Precondition for a correct routing of the input signals in a TM device with AoIP interface is the knowledge of the sources and their positions, assigned by the network administrator to the 32 input channels of the TouchMonitor. If the network administrator renames the channel designations, the changed channel names will also appear in the routing.

• Loudness
This key is used to enter the "Select Loudness" menu. In this menu, a standard/recommendation (SPL, ITU BS.1771, EBU R128, ATSC A/85, ARIB, CALM, OP-59, AGCOM, LEQ(M), TASA, SAWA) or a "Custom" setting for calculating and displaying the loudness values of the group's input signals is selected. The selected standard cannot be switched after the creation of an Audio group has been completed.

Options: |  | SPL | ITU BS.1771 | EBU R128 | ATSC A/85 | ARIB | CALM | OP-59 | AGCOM | LEQ(M) | TASA | SAWA | Custom

Please note:
During initial setup of a new audio group, only the options mentioned above for standards selection will be available in the "Select Loudness" menu. After having entered the loudness standard, the Audio Group menu will display an overview of the audio group settings. Touching the Loudness key again will return you to the "Select Loudness" menu, but this time additional parameters will be available for individual loudness measurement settings.

Please note:
On TMR7-Radio and TMR7-Mount the "Custom" mode is not available.

• Instruments
In this field, the instruments used in the current group are shown as icons. To edit or delete an instrument shown here, first select the desired function ("Edit Instrument"/"Delete Instrument") in the left (upper) area of the Control Bar. Next, select the desired instrument in the "Edit Instrument" or "Delete Instrument" field in the right (lower) screen area. Use "Add Instrument" to add a new instrument to the group.

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Control Bar functions

• Add Instrument
After selecting this key, the "Add Instrument" field in the right (lower) screen area shows all instrument types available for the selected group configuration (domain, mode, loudness). An instrument type is only shown in this field, if the unit's DSP capacity is sufficient to create it. If the "Add instrument" key is not shown in the Control Bar, there are no more instruments available for this group. After selecting the "Add Instrument" key, touch the instruments to be added in the right (lower) screen area. Since it doesn't make sense to use more than one instrument instance of the same type with the same input signals, each instrument selected this way will be removed from the list of available instruments and is displayed in the "Instruments" field in the left (upper) screen area instead.

Please note:
In units of the TM7 and TM9 series all Audio Groups defined in one preset may contain a total maximum of two "Radar" instruments with activated "Radar" licence (SW2005). For TMR7 the "Radar" licence and according to this the "Radar" instrument is not available.
Also, with "RTW Premium PPM and Vectorscope" licence (SW20006) activated, only a total maximum of four instances of the Audio Vectorscope instrument is allowed in all Audio Groups of one preset. For this reason, the "Radar" and/or "Vectorscope" instruments will not be available in the "Add Instrument" field once their respective maximum count was used up in other Audio Groups of the current preset.
With "Timecode Reader" licence (SW20008) activated, the "Timecode Reader" instrument is available only once for an individual audio group in "Timecode" mode within a preset.

• Edit Instrument
This key is only available after one or more instruments have been added (see above). It lets you edit one of the instruments listed in the "Instruments" field in the left (upper) screen area. After selecting the "Edit Instrument" function, touch the key of the instrument to be edited in the "Edit Instrument" field on the right (lower) screen area. This will forward you to the configuration menu for that instrument.

• Delete Instrument
This key is only available after one or more instruments have been added (see above). It lets you delete one of the instruments listed in the "Instruments" field in the left (upper) screen area. After selecting this key, touch the key of the instrument to be deleted in the "Delete Instrument" field. The selected instrument will be deleted from the group.

• Done
Use this key to finish the Audio group configuration. The screen will return to the "Preset" menu page where groups of the current preset can be created, edited, duplicated or deleted. Also, the "View" menu for positioning instruments on the screen is accessed from the "Preset" menu.

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Specific aspects when creating immersive audio groups

With "ISA - Immersive Sound Analyzer" licence (SW20015), it is possible to measure surround formats with more than 8 channels accross the audio groups. So the summed overall Loudness of spatial or immersive formats like 5.1.2, 5.1.4, 7.1.2 or 7.1.4 can be measured in a simple way, and all relevant parameters can be read in a fast and intuitive way.
The mentioned formats consist of a so-called Main Bed, carrying the 5.1 or 7.1 part, and an Upper Bed with the 4.0 or 2.0 part.
Not until separate audio groups for each bed have been created, the Immersive domain is available to adjust to a further superordinated group, to which the Main Bed and Upper Bed groups and instruments like Immersive Sound Analyzer or the Loudness instruments have to be added for overall measurement.

Please proceed as follows:

1. | Create a 5.1 or 7.1 audio group for the Main Bed as decribed above, select the domain and configure the input routing.
| Please note: We recommend the use of cyan/light blue as Identifier Color, because this color represents the elements of the Main Bed in the Immersive Sound Analyzer.
2. | Select a Loudness standard, but don't use SPL in any case. Add instruments to the audio group, e. g. PPM, Loudness Sum or others.
3. | Create a 2.0 or 4.0 audio group with the same domain for the Upper Bed and configure the input routing.
| Please note: We recommend the use of orange as Identifier Color, because this color represents the elements of the Upper Bed in the Immersive Sound Analyzer.
4. | Select a Loudness standard, but don't use SPL in any case. Add instruments to the audio group, e. g. PPM, Loudness Sum or others.
5. | Create audio groups for all necessary objects of format to be measured, e. g. a Stereo audio group with PPM, Loudness and audio vectorscope for a downmix and/or Mono/Single audio groups with PPM and Loudness for differten languages.
6. | Create the Immersive group and select Immersive as domain.
7. | As requested step-by-step add the Main Bed and the Upper Bed groups to this group. If necessary, add additional objects and confirm the selection.
8. | Select the Loudness standard you need. The Immersive group overwrites any settings in the audio groups for the two beds to guarantee correct operation. Also the weighting factors will be set.
9. | Add the Immersive Sound Analyzer and further instruments like Loudness Sum, Loudness Numeric, or LRA to the Immersive group. It will also automatically start instruments like the Surround Sound Analyzer or the loudness in the audio groups for the beds as it requires to get data from there.
10. | After finishing this group, the instruments can be arranged on the screen using the View editor.

Please note:
Instruments being added to the Immersive group can only be edited in this group. The corresponding settings in the Bed groups are greyed out and cannot be changed.

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