Unit Configuration

The Configure > Unit tab displays settings regarding a Unit’s internal configuration.

ⓘ When inside of a Project, many tabs include Unit-specific options. Change the Focus Unit by selecting the dropdown menu of the same name in the lower left of System Manager’s main window

Save, Restore & Template Configs

When done working on a Config, it is common and good practice to save the file. This can be done by navigating to Configure > Unit and selecting Save Config. System Manager stores the Config as a .cfg extension file.

Restoring a Config works similarly. Navigate to Configure > Unit and select Restore Config. System Manager is looking for a .cfg file.

ⓘ Restoring a Config overwrites the current Config and Preset memories

Config files store the Unit’s configuration (e.g., stereo channel assignments, Room Combiner builds, email notifications setup, Processing Expansion configuration, etc.) as well as Presets and other current settings. Configs can also store audio files for Playback, User Profiles, and any Custom Control Config loaded into the AHM.

ⓘ Network settings and User passwords are not stored in the Config and must be manually configured on each AHM

Template Configs are Configs that we supply within System Manager to help get a quicker or refreshed start with AHM.

Network

Here is where adjustments can be made to an AHM’s network information including name, IP addressing, and a DHCP switch.

System Manager must be connected to a physical AHM in order to make any adjustments.

A name with up to 16 characters can be set to identify the AHM on the network.

Select DHCP Enabled to allocate an IP address to the AHM by a DHCP server on the network. When DHCP is enabled but there is no DHCP server present, AHMs will default to a Link Local address in the 169.254.X.X/16 range. If there are extended periods of time to connect to an AHM, consider using DHCP with IP reservations, a static IP address, or a smaller subnet.

To set a static IP address, click the IP Address box and type in the desired address. Be sure that the Subnet Mask and Gateway are valid, and all devices on the network have unique but compatible addresses.

ⓘ For average control network access of AHMs, DNS addresses are not required, but are available if necessary

ⓘ AHM requires a restart after any network configuration changes. There is a Restart Unit checkbox in this pop-up window for convenience

The default network settings for AHM are as follows:

To reset network settings to factory default, please refer to the AHM Getting Started Guide.

Input Stereos

Input channel stereo pairing is a fundamental part of the AHM’s processor. We recommend doing this earlier in the process if possible, though it can be changed at any point. With odd/even pairings available, select which pairs of Input channels to become a stereo channel and click OK.

ⓘ Changing stereo pairs of channels will cause the audio to stop flowing for a minimal amount of time (a fraction of a second) so keep this in mind if making changes while the system is being used

Stereo pairs become one single stereo channel, as opposed to two linked mono channels. Stereo channels are perfect for many applications, but we find that mono channels can often be helpful in distributed systems.

Input channel mono/stereo configurations are stored at the Config level and cannot be changed via Preset.

Zones Configuration

Zones are akin to processing outputs. Use some of them to mix Inputs or other Zones together and process them as one. Or, use these processing outputs for Speaker Processing which give access to crossover filters, all-pass filters and more.

Each AHM has either 64, 32, or 16 Zones available, matching their model number.

Choose how many to dedicate to each role in the Zones Configuration window under Configure > Unit. The amount of unused processing outputs that are available are listed on the right-hand side.

Zones Configuration as well as stereo pairing are a fundamental part of the AHM’s processor. We recommend doing this earlier in the process if possible, though it can be changed at any point.

The Zone Stereo Pairs tab with odd/even pairings available can select which pairs of Zone channels to become a stereo channel. Once done, click OK.

The Speaker Processing tab shows current Zone configuration, and which Zones currently have crossovers (Speaker Processing) applied to them, and how many ways/bands. In this tab, a Zone highlighted in yellow indicates one or more active crossovers. Select the dropdown next to each Zone number and choose how many ways of Speaker Processing to apply. This can also be done directly on a Zone inside the Speaker Processing block found under Channels > Zones. Access to the full-range output of the Zone will be retained. To learn more about setting up the Speaker Processing block, see the Speaker Processing section of this guide.

ⓘ The full range output is the default for output patching. When using crossovers, be sure to patch the filtered outputs to their respective sockets/outputs

ⓘ Changing Zone configurations and stereo pairing will cause the audio to stop flowing for a minimal amount of time (a fraction of a second) so keep this in mind if making changes while the system is being used

The following table demonstrates the output processing allotment:

Audio Sync

Audio Sync lets us choose the digital audio clock source for each AHM. The green checkmark on the Audio Sync button shows us that the clock is locked in and good to go.

We can click Audio Sync and choose a clock source:

Audio Sync Jitter Tolerance allows us to connect Allen & Heath’s layer 2 (L2) audio-over-ethernet (AoE) protocols (e.g., gigaACE) across network hardware such as a switch more reliably. By design, our AoE protocols are built to be point-to-point, and in these cases this Jitter Tolerance should be set to Low. If the project necessitates or benefits from having longer signal runs across network switches, Jitter Tolerance should be set to High.

ⓘ Using a High Jitter Tolerance may result in unwanted changes in audio quality. If audio quality is of utmost importance, we recommend using Low Jitter Tolerance

ⓘ Allen & Heath’s proprietary protocols require specific network setups. Please refer to the AHM for IT Managers document found on the Allen & Heath website for more information on this setup

Unit Time & Network Time Protocol (NTP)

Every AHM has an internal time clock (Unit Time) that it will reference for Event triggers and for Logs information.

The Unit Time pop-up window found in Configure > Unit will show two running clocks:

If keeping time is mission critical to a project, implement a network clock and use NTP to keep the Unit Time in lockstep. Click on Edit NTP & Time Zone to set up the time zone that the AHM will be living in, as well as pertinent NTP information. The default NTP server addresses are run by an international non-profit and are free to use, but are not managed by Allen & Heath. To use a local network NTP server, or any clock of choice, simply replace the server addresses with their respective IP addresses or URLs.

ⓘ Using an internet-based NTP server requires the AHM be connected to the internet. Otherwise, use a local NTP server on the network

When NTP has been set up, the universal time code (UTC) time will be shown, and radio buttons with the choice to run the AHM’s time clock manually or via NTP will become available.

In Manual Mode, the controls can adjust the time +/- one hour (for those regions that regularly have time change), edit the Unit Time manually, or sync the Unit Time to the computer running System Manager.

In NTP Mode, easily test the NTP setup using the Test NTP Sync button. Additionally, the last sync attempt information will be shown.

Signal Generators

There are 8 independent signal generators available in each AHM, making it easy to test signal flow, align system components and other vital processes.

In the Signal Generator window, select which generator to edit with the dropdown menu, then select the type of signal to implement. The subsequent options will be catered to the type of signal chosen. The meter to the right of the pop-up will show the selected generator’s level.

These signals can be routed to any Input (and thus, any Zone) and are a selectable source found on the Input block of an Input Channel, or in the I/O Patchbay (Assign > I/O Patchbay).

Chromatic Meter

On the front panel of AHM, there is a high-resolution chromatic meter available (labelled SIG on AHM-64, and available on-screen on the AHM-32 and AHM-16) to indicate present signal strength across the whole of AHM. In the Chromatic Metering window, make adjustments to colour and value for five of the seven audio signal states. Peak and Inactive have fixed values and colours which cannot be adjusted.

Click and drag or double-click to type a value that will trigger the change in colour. Values are bound by the level settings of the states above and below each state.

The meter intensity of each state has the following options:

Click Reset to Defaults to return the chromatic meter settings to their default state.

The Status Panel Meter mirrors the front panel meter.

Metering Ballistics

The Metering Ballistics window allows us to customise the on-screen meters within System Manager to suit the application.

Attack and Release adjust the time the meters will hold onto a given value – between 5ms and 300ms for Attack and between 50ms and 2048ms for Release. Use fast Attack and Release to simulate digital absolute peak meters, which can be helpful when avoiding clipping. Slower Attack and Release values can “dampen” the metering to more closely simulate how human hearing interprets the level.

Peak Hold value is how long the meter will hold on to the peak value. The value can be held between 20ms and 10s, or infinitely. Clear Peak Hold will clear the currently held peak.

Change the demo meter by clicking Displayed Meter Source.

Clicking Reset to Defaults returns all values to their default state.

Email Notification

AHM, when configured to do so, can send the logs of a Unit to a supplied email address. This is helpful if managing important or multiple systems and prefer to have updated logs sent whenever there is an error, notification, or regularly at given intervals (via Events).

The email notification system employs Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) and will require certain information to function, as well as internet access (unless using a custom SMTP server on the local network).

To learn more about SMTP setup, please see AHM’s Firmware Reference Guide.

The triggers for email notification can be based on the following

Unmute Delay

An optional setting that implements a 60 second delay before unmuting the local I/O on the AHM.

In situations where the speaker system powers on before the AHM, it is recommended to turn this on to prevent an unwanted noise being amplified during the boot process.

Processing Expansion

For users of AHM-64 and AHM-32, an optional slot is available for a daughterboard to expand the processing capabilities. This slot is available as a trap door on top of the AHM-64 and inside the lid of the AHM-32. There are currently two possible functions of the Processing Expansion Module: Acoustic Echo Cancellation and Feedback Suppression.

Select which configuration to implement for the daughterboard in this window.

ⓘ A restart and reconnection are required after a change to the Processing Expansion Configuration

ⓘ When inside of a Project, many tabs include Unit-specific options. Change the Focus Unit by selecting the dropdown menu of the same name in the lower left of System Manager’s main window

Controllers

Connect, configure, and simulate control options including GPIO (general purpose inputs/outputs), front panel controls, Allen & Heath’s series of IP Controllers, and more.

Controllers are associated with a particular Unit – meaning they can only be attached and receive programming from a single AHM at a time.

If working inside of a Project, change which Unit’s controllers are being configured with the Focus Unit dropdown at the bottom left of System Manager.

On the right-hand side of the Controllers tab, choose a subcategory of controllers:

Unit Controllers

Specific controllers are available on or inside an AHM. These can be programmed at Configure > Controllers > Unit.

Unit GPIO functions exactly like the networked GPIO box and its functions. The only difference is that these GPIOs are found on the back of the AHM.

Level Sensing controllers are used to trigger certain functions based on the level of a signal. There are 10 switches available on each AHM with an On and an Off function. Once one of the 10 switches has been selected, choose the channel and position to base to trigger on, then choose the function in the Function dropdown menu. Switch On sets the level that the On trigger will activate and Switch Off sets the Off trigger level. Hold Time determines how long the On function will remain active after the signal drops below the Off threshold.

Front Panel (AHM-32 & AHM-16)

Available in the Unit subcategory of lie properties and functions of the front panel of an AHM.

Like the softkeys and buttons found on the IP Controllers, there are many options regarding available functions. These functions include mutes, level up/down, audio playback (press to play, press to pause, press and hold to stop), external control (hex or decimal), IP control (ASCII, hex or decimal over TCP or UDP without monitoring), paging, Preset recall, Room Combining, Device Control (ASCII commands via HTTP(S), REST, or TCP with monitoring), Feedback Suppression reset, or it can remain unused.

Front-panel softkeys offer more options as the screen allows for some additional interaction with functions. Notably, Preset Select (allow users to scroll through a list of Presets), and Zone and Room Source (allow users to scroll through a Selector built in a Zone [Channels > Zones > Selector]). The front-panel softkeys also have an option to require a Hold (1 sec) or a Double Press to trigger the function. This can make it safer if the AHM is in a high-traffic area and may prevent accidental bumps.

The Screen Brightness, LED Brightness, and Key Brightness can be adjusted, as well as an option to automatically dim the front panel after 10 seconds of no interaction via the Auto Dim checkbox.

IP Controllers

AHM allows multiple IP Controllers of each variety to be connected simultaneously to each Unit via Programming Slots. The AHM knows which IP Controller should be receiving which programming options based on the Programming Slot that IP Controller has been associated with. See all available Programming Slots by clicking on a subcategory of IP Controllers under Configure > Controllers in System Manager.

Below is a table outlining the amount of IP Controller Programming Slots available on each model of AHM.

ⓘ Each AHM can have 100 simultaneous TCP connections (excluding External Device Control found under Configure > Device Control) and total numbers of IP Controllers should be balanced with other control connections such as Custom Control, System Manager, or 3^rd-party control platforms to suit the needs of the project

Select the variety of IP Controller to program then choose a slot to associate the IP Controller with. If ready to connect an IP Controller to that slot, click on Device Assignment where any discovered IP Controllers of the chosen variety will appear. If an IP Controller is not automatically discovered, simply type in the IP Controller’s IP address.

ⓘ Use the Identify button to flash the lights on the IP Controller in question to identify which IP Controller System Manager be connected to

When working offline in System Manager, enable Connections Inhibited (Offline Mode) to prevent System Manager from taking control of IP Controllers on the network which may already be connected to an AHM. Disable this setting to connect IP Controllers to an offline AHM instance.

When ready to start programming a Programming Slot (and thus the IP Controller) simply use the Setup section of the screen to select a button, knob, fader, etc. (indicated by a white square/circle/etc.) and choose its function with the Function dropdown.

Softkeys, buttons, GPIs and GPOs can have functions that include mutes, level up/down, audio playback (press to play, press to pause, press and hold to stop), external control (hex or decimal), IP control (ASCII, hex or decimal over TCP or UDP without monitoring), paging, Preset recall, Room Combining, Device Control (ASCII commands via HTTP(S), REST, or TCP with monitoring), Feedback Suppression reset, or it can remain unused.

IP1s and IP6s have rotaries that have a main function and a shift function. Main functions include level controls of Inputs, Zones, XPoints and Rooms, as well as a XPoint Select Level which can be used to have the rotary act as a 1-knob mixer of XPoints. Shift functions include Preset selection, Selectors, or XPoint Input Select which partners with the before-mentioned XPoint Select Level. If Shift to Mute is chosen as the main function, the shift function is overridden.

Level changes can be accompanied by a Min/Max level by deselecting the Audio Taper box when a level change has been chosen as a function. This is helpful when wanting to prevent a user from going all the way down in level, or all the way up, preventing damaged equipment or missed pages/audio in their zone.

Show Values can also be applied or removed with the so-named checkbox when a level change has been chosen as a function to show end users the values of the level changes. Leave this box unchecked if end users prefer not to see values when making level changes.

Enable Auto Dim to dim the IP Controller display after 10 seconds of no interaction.

Use Disable Brightness to disable the brightness button found on the IP6 and IP8 controllers.

Click Copy To… or Copy From… to copy settings to/from another Layer or Programming Slot. For the IP6 and IP8, Copy Mode allows the choice between copying all layers and settings from one Programming Slot to another or copying the currently opened Layer to another specific Layer (either on the current IP Controller, or to another IP Controller). For all other IP Controllers, simply copy and paste programming from one Programming Slot to another. Inside the Copy To… window, click the top left checkbox to select all available Programming Slots. Click the checkboxes located next to each row of Programming Slots to choose the entire row.

Paging

Paging can be assigned to softkeys or GPIs (as well as via Custom Control).

Select Paging as the press function of a softkey or GPI, then select the Input to be the source of the Page. Next, choose which Zones that Page should be activated in. When Paging, the source XPoint to the selected Zones is unmuted and will automatically mute once the Paging ends.

ⓘ The designated Paging input must still be routed via XPoints to the designated Zones in order for the Zones to receive the audio

Paging works in both momentary (press and hold to talk, release to deactivate) and latching (press once to activate and press again to deactivate) modes. The length of time the button is held determines the function. If a Paging button is held for longer than 333ms it is in momentary mode. If it is pressed and released in less than 333ms, it is in latched mode.

ⓘ When inside of a Project, many tabs include Unit-specific options. Change the Focus Unit by selecting the dropdown menu of the same name in the lower left of System Manager’s main window

SLink

Available on AHM-64 only, the SLink tab shows us information regarding any devices connected to the native SLink port.

This includes audio sync status, device connections, and protocol information. When using a DX Hub, the subsequent connections will also be listed.

To rename the Input and Output sockets for these connections, click the respective buttons. This option is also available in the Patchbay (Assign > I/O Patchbay). This can make routing and patching quicker and easier to read.

ⓘ When inside of a Project, many tabs include Unit-specific options. Change the Focus Unit by selecting the dropdown menu of the same name in the lower left of System Manager’s main window

I/O Port

This tab shows us information regarding any card that may be outfitted into the slot on the back of the AHM (e.g., Dante, MADI, etc.) including firmware version, audio sync status, and (if available) an internal network bridge switch.

ⓘ The internal network bridge merges the control network of the AHM into the card slot connection. Beware of any possible network loops or storms when including this in the network

To rename the Input and Output sockets for these connections, click the respective buttons. This option is also available in the Patchbay (Assign > I/O Patchbay). This can make routing and patching quicker and easier to read.

ⓘ When inside of a Project, many tabs include Unit-specific options. Change the Focus Unit by selecting the dropdown menu of the same name in the lower left of System Manager’s main window

Profiles

Profiles can be used within System Manager and Custom Control and can be imported/exported via an AHM Config.

Profiles in System Manager can be used to limit access, allowing certain people to log in and make changes but only to areas the Admin has granted access to.

Profiles in Custom Control can be used in conjunction with other Layout Details to give certain Users a specially designed application that matches their needs and circumstances.

Select a User in the available window to the left of the Configure > Profiles tab. Start by activating the User. Set or change their password, change their name, add a comment, or adjust their permissions (if logged in as Admin) as necessary.  

The following table details the available Profiles on each model of AHM:

ⓘ Whenever Profiles are imported from a restored AHM Config, passwords must be manually reset for the users as a security measure

ⓘ When inside of a Project, many tabs include Unit-specific options. Change the Focus Unit by selecting the dropdown menu of the same name in the lower left of System Manager’s main window

Security

If a project necessitates an extra layer of security on the control network, navigate to Configure > Security to disable all external control (excluding System Manager, which always remains available) or configure the AHM to use an SSL certificate.

A TCP protocol for control and interrogation of AHM parameters is available and documented at www.allen-heath.com. Clients should be configured to use TCP port 51325 (unsecured) or the TLS/TCP port 51327.

Select the appropriate Unit Security Level from the following options:

Click Select Certificate File to choose the SSL certificate on the computer running System Manager or local storage. The expected file extension is .pem.

Click Select Key File to choose the private key on the computer running System Manager or local storage. The expected file is .key.

Once the SSL certificate and key files have been chosen, click Upload to Unit to transfer the files to the AHM.

ⓘ The AHM Requires a reboot to apply any changes to the External Security

Click Restart Unit to reboot the AHM.

ⓘ When inside of a Project, many tabs include Unit-specific options. Change the Focus Unit by selecting the dropdown menu of the same name in the lower left of System Manager’s main window

Device Control

AHM can control and monitor certain aspects of 3^rd party equipment. This is frequently helpful in integrated systems, particularly if pieces of the system are made by different manufacturers.

Each AHM can connect up to 64 separate devices. Within each of those 64 devices, AHM can monitor and communicate with 128 different control points. These connections are separate from and in addition to the 100 simultaneous TCP connections dedicated to IP Controllers, Custom Control, and external connections to AHM’s API.

When implementing third-party control (3PC), AHM has several mechanisms to do so. While IP Control and External Control remain options within Custom Control, AHM and System Manager (in IP Controllers, on Presets, and more) for more simplified control, we recommend migrating to Device Control as it offers the ability to not only have longer-form communication with APIs that require it, but can also monitor these devices to display relevant information to the end user.

Under Configure > Device Control we can configure a new device connection by selecting a Device Slot in the scrollable Devices Window and clicking Configure. A pop-up window will appear allowing the choice between an HTTP/REST-based protocol or a TCP-based protocol. A relevant window will appear with two tabs: Device Settings and Controls. Device Settings is to set up the connection to the Device with the necessary fields for a given API. Controls is to set up the individual parameters (mute, preset, video output, etc.) and any polling that may want to be implement. Within the Controls tab click Copy To… and Copy From… to make multiple Controls easy to configure. The Move Up and Move Down buttons make it simple to reorder the Controls.

Once begun configuring Device Control, enable or disable each device’s connection with the Enabled checkbox. Enabled Offline/Sim allows testing of control without being connected to an AHM (while working in Offline Mode or with a Simulated AHM in a Project). Logging Enabled begins the logging process with Device Control.

When Controls are setup for Devices, view their Status and current Value in the scrollable Controls window located on the main Device Control tab. A Status of Never Healthy means the connection has never been validated. A status of Healthy means there has been a recent, validated connection to the Device regarding that control point. A status of Not Healthy means the AHM is currently attempting to “heal” the connection to the Device. A Value is shown as True or False for Boolean controls.

Device Control File (DCF)

Easily import and export DCF files with the Import and Export buttons. If intending on implementing control over the same equipment across multiple projects, it may be beneficial to store the DCF file for easy integration later on.

The DCF extension is .dcf.

Click Delete to permanently remove a Device Control.

Click Open Device Log to have a separate floating window with the Device Control logs easily accessible while programming and testing –Logging Enabled must be ticked in order to see anything here.

ⓘ When inside of a Project, many tabs include Unit-specific options. Change the Focus Unit by selecting the dropdown menu of the same name in the lower left of System Manager’s main window