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Symetrix

The Symetrix page manages Symetrix Composer audio DSP matrix modules and their mappings to GEM AV zones and sources. You can define matrix modules with their controller ID ranges, map AV zone outputs and source inputs to those matrices, and use a visual crosspoint test grid to verify routing.

Prerequisites​

Create a Symetrix device in System > Devices with the driver set to symetrix_composer and Enabled set to Yes. Configure the device with the DSP's IP address and port.

Tabs​

The page has two tabs: Matrices and AV Sources.

Matrices Tab​

The Matrices tab lets you define and manage Symetrix matrix modules. Each matrix module represents a crosspoint router in the Symetrix Composer design, identified by its controller ID ranges.

Matrix Table​

The table at the top lists all configured matrix modules with the following columns:

ColumnDescription
Module IDA unique numeric identifier for this matrix module.
Output Start IDThe starting Symetrix Composer controller ID for the output volume controls.
Grid Start IDThe starting Symetrix Composer controller ID for the crosspoint grid.
Input CountThe number of audio inputs (sources) on this matrix.
Output CountThe number of audio outputs (zones) on this matrix.

Each row has two action icons:

IconDescription
DeleteRemoves the matrix module. Also clears any zone or source attributes that reference this matrix. A confirmation prompt appears.
Load (view icon)Loads the matrix into the visual test grid below the table.

Adding a Matrix​

Below the matrix table is an input row for adding a new matrix module. Fill in all five fields and click the Add icon:

FieldDescription
Module IDA unique number to identify this matrix (e.g., 1, 2).
Output Start IDThe Composer controller ID of the first output. Subsequent outputs use sequential IDs.
Grid Start IDThe Composer controller ID of the first crosspoint. The grid is laid out row by row (all outputs for input 1, then all outputs for input 2, etc.).
Input CountTotal number of inputs on this matrix.
Output CountTotal number of outputs on this matrix.
note

All fields are required. The controller IDs must match the actual controller IDs in your Symetrix Composer design. You can find these by opening the Composer project and inspecting the matrix module's controller properties.

Visual Test Grid​

When you click the Load icon on a matrix row, a visual crosspoint grid appears below the table. This grid lets you test and verify the matrix routing directly from GEM.

Grid Layout​

The test grid is structured as a table:

  • Top row: Output labels (Out 1, Out 2, etc.) with a volume display button beneath each one. The volume display shows the current output level as a percentage (0-100).
  • Second row: A Mute button for each output. Mute buttons turn red when active (muted) and white when inactive.
  • Body rows: One row per input (In 1, In 2, etc.). Each cell in the row is a crosspoint toggle button at the intersection of that input and output. Active crosspoints are shown in green; inactive crosspoints are white.

Interacting with the Grid​

  • Click a crosspoint button: Toggles the crosspoint on or off. When toggled on, the button turns green and the DSP routes that input to that output. When toggled off, the button turns white and the route is cleared.
  • Click a Mute button: Toggles the mute state for that output. Red means muted, white means unmuted.
  • Click a volume display button: Currently shows the output volume level as a percentage.

Sync Button​

A Sync button appears to the right of the test grid. Clicking it reads the current state of all controllers in the matrix block from the Symetrix DSP and updates the grid display to reflect the actual hardware state. Use this after making changes in Composer or from other control systems to ensure the grid reflects the current state.

tip

Use the test grid to verify that your matrix module controller IDs are correct before mapping AV zones and sources. If crosspoints do not toggle as expected, double-check the Grid Start ID and Output Start ID values against your Composer design.

AV Sources Tab​

The AV Sources tab maps GEM AV zones and sources to specific matrix inputs and outputs, enabling automatic audio routing when users select sources in the GEM interface.

Mapped Sources Table​

The top of the tab shows a table of all currently mapped AV source-to-zone relationships:

ColumnDescription
MatrixThe matrix module ID this mapping belongs to.
AV ZoneThe GEM zone (shown as [id]name).
AV SourceThe source device (shown as [id]name).
InputThe matrix input number assigned to this source.
OutputThe matrix output number assigned to this zone.

Each row has a Delete icon to remove the source-to-input mapping (clears the source's address).

Adding a Mapping​

Below the mapped sources table is an input row for creating new mappings:

FieldDescription
MatrixSelect the matrix module from a dropdown of defined matrices. If the selected AV zone already has a matrix module assigned, this field is auto-populated and locked.
AV ZoneSelect the GEM AV zone. A Reload icon next to this field reloads the AV zone device. When a zone is selected, its sources are loaded into the AV Source dropdown.
AV SourceSelect the source device from the dropdown (populated after selecting an AV zone).
InputEnter the matrix input number for this source.
OutputEnter the matrix output number for this zone. If the zone already has an output address, this field is auto-populated and locked.

Click the Add icon to save the mapping. This sets three things:

  1. The matrix_module attribute on the zone.
  2. The address on the AV zone record (output number).
  3. The address on the AV source record (input number).
note

Once an AV zone has mapped sources, the Matrix dropdown becomes locked for that zone to prevent accidentally changing the matrix assignment.

How Matrix Routing Works​

When a user selects an AV source in a zone through the GEM interface, GEM automatically calculates and sends the correct crosspoint command to the Symetrix DSP:

  1. GEM looks up the source's matrix input number.
  2. GEM looks up the zone's matrix output number.
  3. GEM calculates the crosspoint controller ID using the formula: 
    grid_id = grid_start_id + (input - 1) * output_count + (output - 1)
  4. GEM sends a command to the Symetrix to activate that crosspoint.

Example:

Matrix: Grid Start ID = 1, Output Count = 8
Source "Blu-ray" mapped to Input 3
Zone "Living Room" mapped to Output 1

Crosspoint ID = 1 + (3-1) * 8 + (1-1) = 17
GEM sends: Set controller 17 to max value
Result: Blu-ray audio routed to Living Room

Troubleshooting​

Matrix Not Routing​

  1. Verify the Symetrix device is online in System > Devices.
  2. Check that the matrix module controller IDs match the Composer design.
  3. Ensure both the source (input) and zone (output) mappings are complete.
  4. Use the visual test grid to manually test crosspoints.
  5. Verify routing works directly in Symetrix Composer first.

Wrong Controller IDs​

  1. Open the Symetrix Composer project.
  2. Inspect the matrix module's controller properties to find the actual controller IDs for the grid and outputs.
  3. Update the matrix configuration in GEM to match.
  4. Click Sync on the test grid to verify.