14 USING MULTIPLE DEQX UNITS
Multiple DEQX units can be combined to build more complex active speakers, as well as
multichannel systems for home theater. A single master DEQX unit can control up to
nine slave DEQX units for volume and profile selection.
Note that all of the configurations described in this chapter are considered to be
advanced configurations. We strongly recommend that you enlist the assistance of a
DEQXpert to ensure that your system is commissioned and configured correctly.
14.1 MASTER-SLAVE CONTROL
Any DEQX unit can act as a master, with the proviso that only the
HDP-4 and HDP-5 provide the digital pass-through necessary to
realize some configurations. The HDP-4, HDP-Express II, and
PreMate can act as slave units. (The HDP-5 and PreMATE+ cannot
be used as slave units.)
Multiple DEQX units are connected via their RS-232 ports. The
master unit sends volume control and profile selection commands
to the slave unit(s). The RS-232 connecting cable from DEQX to
DEQX must be a fully-wired straight-through cable. Sometimes,
this cable is referred to as an “RS-232 extension cable.” A cable
without all connections or with loopbacks (such as a “null
modem” cable) will not work.
With the PC connected to the slave DEQX unit and DEQX-Cal running, open the
Options dialog to disable the slave’s front panel and remote control (see page 151). This
ensures that the master is the only unit that responds directly to user input:
Note that Preference EQ commands are not transmitted over the RS-232 interface.
Preference EQ will therefore be operational on the master unit only. In some cases, this
detail will affect the choice of connections – that is, which drivers or speakers are driven
from the master unit and which are driven from from the slave(s).
To Next Page