SECTION 6 |
31
VMIX AND VMODE
6
VMix and VMode
If you’re familiar with Axia mixing consoles, than you already know about VMix and VMode, the virtual mixing
and stream manipulation utilities that are built in to these products.
That same functionality is available with Zephyr iPort PLUS. These 8 channels of “virtual mixing” can be used to
pre-mix up to 5 audio sources each, for presentation on a single physical fader
VMode (Virtual Mode) allows you to customize a standard stereo Livewire audio stream by subtracting one
channel and summing the remaining channel to a Mono output, or compiling a custom audio stream from other
separate audio streams.
Zephyr iPort PLUS has eight channels of VMode. Normally, these would be used to manipulate Livewire audio
channels before or after the iPort’s inputs or outputs. VMode is typically used to create a “stereo” channel by
copying an incoming stream’s Left or Right channel to both Left and Right. Mixing Left and Right is also possible.
VMode may also be used to convert a Livewire Live Stream to a Livewire Medium or Standard Stream. Medium
and Standard streams are often used if a stream is received by a PC-based IP-audio driver.
Virtual Mixing with VMix
What’s it all about?
VMix is a 40-input “virtual” mixer accessed using the Zephyr iPort PLUS web browser. This mixer consists of 40
stereo input channels, a direct output for each channel, 8 submixer outputs, and one master out. The 40 channels
are divided equally among the 8 subgroups, providing 5 stereo channels in each subgroup mixer. Using these, you
can combine multiple Livewire audio channels into a single summed channel, which can then be sent to a receiving
Zephyr iPort PLUS.
The various VMix outputs described above are sources that can feed your Livewire network and they can be manip-
ulated in the same manner as any other audio source. A VMix source can be applied to a console fader, assigned to
an audio node destination, or monitored by Pathfinder.
To understand this concept, think of VMix as a standalone piece of hardware. If you visualize wiring an external
line mixer to your network, Livewire audio sources would be connected to the mixer inputs; your VMix outputs
then become mixdowns that you can use anywhere else on the network, just like any other audio source.
To access VMix setup, open a browser on a computer connected to your Axia network and browse to the IP Address
assigned to Zephyr iPort PLUS or, if you have Axia iProbe, open the UI page by right-clicking on the device’s icon in
the left pane. Then, choose the
V-Mixer and V-Mode
item from the navigation bar.
The following image is an excerpt of the VMode setup screen. It shows the VMix Main and Sub-Mixer 1 controls.
These sub-mix controls are duplicated for all 8 VMix submixers.
Note that adjustments made to VMix take effect as soon as you apply them — so changes saved “on the fly” will
affect your output streams immediately.
