TouchLink™ is an ingenious system that can be used for creating virtual zones by linking multiple compatible devices with each other. In AUDAC Touch™ or directly on the device you can select multiple amplifier channels that should react to the user as one zone.
Main functionalities:
- Setting up (virtual) zones by grouping devices.
- Share input, volume & mute settings across these devices.
- Priority settings.
Setting up (virtual) zones
So how does it work? In AUDAC Touch™ or directly on the device you can select up multiple compatible devices or outputs that should react to the user as one zone by assigning it the same TouchLink™ zone ID (e.g. 1, 2, 3, ...). All devices with the identical TouchLink™ ID will virtually work as one zone. Compatible devices are the AMP203, which has network functionality built-in by default but also the following devices when equipped with the ANI44XT Network interface:
- MFA series
- SMA series
- SMQ series
- PMQ series
- VEXO series
- And more to come
Share input, volume & mute settings
In these virtual zones, you can share the inputs, volume & mute settings between the different devices so that they actually act as one (physical) zone. To counteract the possible differences in amplifier power, you can set volume offsets for each unit. This will set a constant difference in volume that will be maintained even if the overall volume of the zone is changed.
As mentioned, all inputs can be shared with the devices in the TouchLink™ zone. Keep in mind that it is important that the input lists are the same: On all the devices you will have to map the same inputs but of course, it is possible that local input 1 on one device is the same as Dante™ 1 on another device. Additionally, a wall panel that is physically connected to one of the linked devices will automatically control all the linked devices.
Priority settings
Last but not least, you can also send priority messages using the MFA to these TouchLink™ zones. Just set up the priority settings on the different devices within the zones after which they can be triggered by any input such as Dante™, SourceCon™ and more. When a priority is activated, the current input stops and the priority message starts playing on all the different devices. Additionally, you can set a different volume and/or offset of all the devices to ensure good intelligibility.
Some interesting use cases:
- In a building, you can trigger an evacuation message after which the current music stops playing and the message is distributed in high volume to all the different zones.
- In a company the break moments can be indicated by a bell signal. After the bell signal, the different zones automatically switch back to their respective inputs.
- In a retail shop, a spoken message can be distributed using a paging microphone to call an employee to the information desk.
