Control 4 Matrix Issue?

[derickson1472]

Hi,

I have something odd going on, and I was wondering if anyone else has noticed this and has a fix?

I have multiple amps in my system, and they go trough a Control4 Matrix.  Here is the background and steps I’ve taken:

1.  I have 4 speakers in my kitchen coming off a Sonance Amp

2.  2 of the speakers were not working (if you put your ear up to it you can barely hear sound)

3.  Tried lots of troubleshooting and Sonance was awesome and just shipped me a new Amp as they thought it was an Amp issue

4.  New Amp did nothing to solve the issue.  We moved the cables on the Control4 Matrix to a new slot and my dealer updated the programming.  This fixed the issue, all 4 speakers worked

5.  Weeks later the same issue happened again, again we moved to a new location on the Control 4 Matrix and it solved the issue again

6.  A few days later the same issue returned 

I could keep moving the cables but it’s not a great solution

Any ideas?

Thanks

Dave

[mujtaba.khokhar]

Hi Dave, 

Hope you're well. 

Props on taking some troubleshooting steps. 

Which other amps are you using? Are they Control4 Matrix amplifiers?

To me it sounds like an audio matrix output issue, it could be hardware or software. 

Could also just be the audio matrix? 

Id be more than happy to give your programming a once over just to make sure its all sound. 

Thanks 

M

[Neo1738]

Sounds like something is telling the matrix to program to a low volume level for those speakers/room.

[mujtaba.khokhar]

Sounds like something is telling the matrix to program to a low volume level for those speakers/room.

Could be the initial on volume?
Or if there is the room control driver installed there’s on volume there too


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[timmypop]

I am experiencing something similar except certain channels of speakers were going out. Simple install. C4 HDMI switch, C4 16 channel matrix audio switch, C4 8 zone amp. Connections are good, bindings are good. I started noticing certain speakers in certain rooms were not playing. I pulled the amp and replaced it. Same problem so I moved to focus on the 16 channel switch. I replaced the audio matrix switch and rebuilt everything in composer after some troubleshooting. All good! Two weeks later I noticed my master bedroom left channel is not working. Ugh?! Cables are seated correctly. 

Back to more troubleshooting. 

[WholeHomeControl]

On 5/5/2020 at 1:00 PM, derickson1472 said:

Hi,

I have something odd going on, and I was wondering if anyone else has noticed this and has a fix?

I have multiple amps in my system, and they go trough a Control4 Matrix.  Here is the background and steps I’ve taken:

1.  I have 4 speakers in my kitchen coming off a Sonance Amp

2.  2 of the speakers were not working (if you put your ear up to it you can barely hear sound)

3.  Tried lots of troubleshooting and Sonance was awesome and just shipped me a new Amp as they thought it was an Amp issue

4.  New Amp did nothing to solve the issue.  We moved the cables on the Control4 Matrix to a new slot and my dealer updated the programming.  This fixed the issue, all 4 speakers worked

5.  Weeks later the same issue happened again, again we moved to a new location on the Control 4 Matrix and it solved the issue again

6.  A few days later the same issue returned 

What we must know here is how the system is setup such that the 4 speakers act as one zone.  For example, are you using two sets of outputs on the matrix and then programming one set to mirror the other?

[derickson1472]

Hi, My Sonance Amp has 4 zones.

My Kitchen has 5 speakers (4 speakers and one in wall Sonance sub)

That Amp also powers a set of speakers in a bathroom

The speaker wires are set up as:

Zone 1 -  The 2 right kitchen speakers are wired into this one zone

Zone 2 - The 2 left kitchen speakers are wired into this one zone

Zone 3 - The kitchen Sub is wired into this zone

Zone 4 - The bathroom speakers

My understanding of the programming is something like:

Zone 1 - 3 are tied together to all come on when I turn on the Kitchen

Zone 4 comes on when I turn on the Bathroom

From the Sonance to the Control4 Matrix connections:

RCA Cable One - goes from Sonance Amp to Control4 Matrix this is for Zone 1 - 3

RCA Cable Two - goes from Sonance Amp to Control4 Matrix for Zone 4

The Bathroom speakers never have an issue.  It is only the Kitchen, and always 2 speakers don’t work and 2 do (the Sub always seems to work)

Hope this makes sense

Thanks

Dave

 

[JSTRONG]

Zone 1 - 3 are tied together to all come on when I turn on the Kitchen

RCA Cable One - goes from Sonance Amp to Control4 Matrix this is for Zone 1 - 3

How did you setup the amp for this? MAtrix out 1 to where?

 

[derickson1472]

1 hour ago, JSTRONG said:

Zone 1 - 3 are tied together to all come on when I turn on the Kitchen

RCA Cable One - goes from Sonance Amp to Control4 Matrix this is for Zone 1 - 3

How did you setup the amp for this? MAtrix out 1 to

 Hi, my understanding is when I turn on music in zone Kitchen, my main Control4 controller tells the Control4 Matrix to tell the Sonance Amp to turn on zones 1, 2, and 3

thanks

Dave

 

 

[JSTRONG]

Did you split the matrix out to the 3 amp inputs ? Or is there a global setting on amp ?

[WholeHomeControl]

This is odd - if all three kitchen zones on the amp are being fed by a single feed from the matrix, I don't see how changing the output on the matrix would have solved the issue.  Either that one matrix output is working or it isn't.  If it's working and only some of the amplifier zones are outputting audio, then the issue must be downstream from the matrix.

[JSTRONG]

I am still waiting for Derickson to let us know how the Matrix outputs connect to the Amp.

The Matrix has to send output to the Amp inputs and if he is only using Matrix output 1 then he is splitting the outout signal with "Y" splitters

Either that, or his amp has a global setting

So the way I just did this in a 4 zone system yesterday is as follows

Living room- 3 pairs of speakers (all 3 pairs should play the same and act as 1 zone)

Bedroom - 1 pair speakers

Matrix output 1 to AMP global input 1) Living room

Dip switch to make Amp input 1,2,3 Global (living room 3 pairs of speakers)

Matrix output to amp input 4 (bedroom 1 pair of speakers)

 

 

 

[derickson1472]

 

Hi,

Thanks everyone for helping and sorry for my slow responses.

I did a picture and drew on it to try and show set up.  So my Control 4 Matrix has 2 RCA cables to my Sonance Amp.  One tells zones 1 - 3 to come on for kitchen and the other RCA cable tells zone 4 to come on for the bathroom.

Again, If I move the RCA cable on the Control4 Matrix from position 14 to an open position 13, have my dealer change the programming all the speakers in the kitchen will work anywhere from a week to a month.  Then it will go back to where only 2 of the 4 speakers work unless I change the Control 4 Matrix position again.  As a reminder Sonance gave me a brand new amp, so I don’t think it is a hardware issue with the amp.

Thanks

Dave

 

[WholeHomeControl]

When 2 of the 4 speakers go out, are they both the same channel (ie both L or both R?) Perhaps the balance on the matrix is getting thrown to one side. Or, maybe even one of the RCA connectors is coming loose and when you change outputs what’s really happening is you are reestablishing contact. 

The next time it happens, try swapping L and R on the patch from the matrix to the amp and see what happens. You may need to try on both sides of the patch. 

[mujtaba.khokhar]

 
Hi,
Thanks everyone for helping and sorry for my slow responses.
I did a picture and drew on it to try and show set up.  So my Control 4 Matrix has 2 RCA cables to my Sonance Amp.  One tells zones 1 - 3 to come on for kitchen and the other RCA cable tells zone 4 to come on for the bathroom.
Again, If I move the RCA cable on the Control4 Matrix from position 14 to an open position 13, have my dealer change the programming all the speakers in the kitchen will work anywhere from a week to a month.  Then it will go back to where only 2 of the 4 speakers work unless I change the Control 4 Matrix position again.  As a reminder Sonance gave me a brand new amp, so I don’t think it is a hardware issue with the amp.
Thanks
Dave
 

Have you tired new rca cables?

Just a thought

Thanks
M


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[JSTRONG]

Dave, What is the model number on the sonance amp? 

And what Matrix do you have? I have seen lots of the older Control4 Matrix with issues

 

 

[derickson1472]

I’ll order new RCA cable from Amazon to try that also.  Is anyone good, or a specific one I should buy?

[derickson1472]

4 minutes ago, JSTRONG said:

Dave, What is the model number on the sonance amp? 

And what Matrix do you have? I have seen lots of the older Control4 Matrix with issues

 

 

Sonance DSP 8-130 MKII

Matrix - C4-16ZAMSV3-B

Thanks

Dave

[derickson1472]

20 minutes ago, WholeHomeControl said:

When 2 of the 4 speakers go out, are they both the same channel (ie both L or both R?) Perhaps the balance on the matrix is getting thrown to one side. Or, maybe even one of the RCA connectors is coming loose and when you change outputs what’s really happening is you are reestablishing contact. 

The next time it happens, try swapping L and R on the patch from the matrix to the amp and see what happens. You may need to try on both sides of the patch. 

Yes, the 2 speakers that go out are always the 2 left or the 2 right.....never 1 left and 1 right

[mujtaba.khokhar]

I’ll order new RCA cable from Amazon to try that also.  Is anyone good, or a specific one I should buy?

Anything really many of them are pretty much the same

I’ve used amazon basics and Ugreen in the past both are good.

I mainly use the planet waves coax and make my own cables much nicer looking in the racks

Thanks

M


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[WholeHomeControl]

2 hours ago, derickson1472 said:

Yes, the 2 speakers that go out are always the 2 left or the 2 right.....never 1 left and 1 right

OK, so, if this happens again, then first check the physical connection of the audio patch cable.  If that connection is good, then have your dealer check that the balance on the audio matrix has not swung all the way to one channel (i.e. all the way to left or all the way to right.)

[derickson1472]

Thanks for all the great ideas to check, really appreciate it

[archidee]

Is your Subwoofer connected in Bridge Mode or mono Mode? The Control4 driver for the Sonance does not recognize that and will drive the amp wrongly...

Hopefully in a new driver update Bridge mode becomes supported.

[derickson1472]

On 5/10/2020 at 5:08 AM, archidee said:

Is your Subwoofer connected in Bridge Mode or mono Mode? The Control4 driver for the Sonance does not recognize that and will drive the amp wrongly...

Hopefully in a new driver update Bridge mode becomes supported.

I’m not sure as I did not program it and not sure how to tell.  Is this something I can see in Home Edition?

[archidee]

you can see it in the sonance setup by entering its ip address in a browser