Finding Devices
The first thing you may see when opening Powered By Crown is a blank screen. Fear not, tap the ‘devices’ button in the top left corner. If you are using an iPad in landscape mode, the devices list automatically is pinned to the left side of the screen.
The devices list will always list any appropriate online device (Crown Ethernet-enabled amplifier or JBL VerTecDP-DA loudspeaker) and allow you to access the factory panel designed for that device. All you have to do is tap on the device in the list and the appropriate panel will come up.
Powered By Crown ALWAYS performs a ‘receive settings from network’ when it goes online. This means that you can make changes while the app is disconnected from a network, but those changes will always be overwritten by the settings in the amplifierss and speakers when you go back online.
This makes it very easy for you to go online confidently, knowing that your device settings will not be accidentally overwritten when you launch Powered By Crown.
Devices Tab
The devices tab is where your online devices are always listed. This is as opposed to the panels tab, which gives a list of imported custom panels. We will cover custom panels later.
All devices are ordered by their HiQnet address, and displayed by HiQnet number and name. The type of device is listed in grey below the device name. If a device shows up in this list, all you have to do is tap on it and you will access its factory control panel, where you can monitor meters and make adjustments in real-time.
Buttons on the Devices Tab
Across the top, the ‘+’ button enables you to add an offline device. The ‘add new device’ dialogue will appear which allows you to change the type of device and its HiQnet address. You can then use the ‘edit’ button to delete offline devices, as you would a text message conversation.
The refresh button on the bottom left of the list will re-scan the network for new online devices that haven’t populated yet. Use it if you close and reopen the app, you don’t need to hit refresh if you open the app and it is not already populated in the task manager.
Device Count
The ‘Online / Offline’ counter gives a count of total online and offline devices in your system. This is based on a count of devices that have populated, and may have gone offline. If you have a Crown or JBL device that is not properly networked, it will not show up as an offline device because it was not online to begin with.
Control Locking
The ‘Lock’ icon enables you to disable any adjustable function. Faders, buttons, and input dialogues on all control pages can all be locked to prevent accidental changes. One tap latches the lock on, and it stays on as you cycle through devices. To unlock the panels just tap the ‘lock’ icon again and it will un-latch.
Information Panel
The ‘Info’ icon enables you to view your version information, as well as access selected network and user interface settings. It is also where you would access the error log
In general, white text boxes can be modified by touching them with a single tap. Text boxes will open the appropriate keyboard, combo boxes will open an iOS selection box. Black raised buttons can be activated with a single tap for example ‘Input-Y’, ‘Load Monitoring’, and ‘Output Fader Link’. Mute buttons can be single tapped to activate, faders are moved by using a touch and drag motion.
When using factory panels, in the top right corner of the menu bar there will always be an ‘Info’ button. Use this button to view/modify HiQNet and TCP/IP settings and firmware information for the device you’ve selected. Use this menu to activate the ‘Locate’ feature on some amplifier models, or to perform a reboot on the selected amplifier with the ‘Reset’ button. Changes made in the ‘Info’ menu do not take effect until the ‘Send’ button is pushed. If you close the menu before hitting ‘Send’, changes will not take effect.
You can create custom panels in Harman’s HiQnet System Architect software, and import them into the Powered By Crown app. When creating custom control panels, keep the following guidelines in mind:
- Not all System Architect functions are enabled in Powered By Crown. For a list of supported functions please refer to Supported Controls section.
- Panels need to be certain sizes to fit properly on the iPad or iPhone/iTouch. Use the following as guidelines:
- iPad Landscape: 704x704
- iPad Portrait: 768x960
- iPhone Landscape: 480x26
- iPhone Portrait: 320x416
Importing Custom Control Panels
- Export your custom control panel from System Architect, save it in a location you will remember.
- Open iTunes, and sync your iDevice with your computer via the Apple sync cable.
- In iTunes, click on your iDevice, and then click on the ‘Apps’ tab across the top. Scroll down to where you see the text ‘File Sharing’ and a list of apps that support it. Powered By Crown will be in that list, select it.
- Locate your custom control panel and drag the file from your folder onto the (possibly empty) list of files in iTunes. You will see iTunes sync with your device to send the file, and now it’s on your iDevice.
- To remove the panel from your iDevice simply delete it from the list of shared files in iTunes. This will not erase the custom control panel from your hard disk; it will just remove it from the Powered By Crown app.
- On your iDevice, when you open Powered By Crown, click on the ‘Panels’ button and you will see a list of synchronized custom control panels. Just tap on the panel name in the list and it’ll be displayed.
- You may need to rotate your iDevice and reopen it if you opened it in an orientation it was not designed for.
Sections
All panels are organized into sections. These sections represent swipeable pages on the iPhone/iTouch and general groupings on the iPad.
Inputs/Routing
On devices with an input/routing section, click on any of the white list boxes to open a dialogue and change input or routing selection. Changes will not take effect until you tap the ‘done’ button.
The ‘Input-Y’ button on the iTech panel allows you to Y the channel 1 input into channel 2.
For the CTs8200USP/CN and 4200USP/CN panels (On the iPad, remember to swipe pages over to find the input/routing section), remember that any one of the analog inputs can be selected to feed each of the 4 or 8 amplifier channels.
'Analog' metering
Generally, analog input metering has a range of -60dB to 0dB. Keep this in mind because most main channel I/O meters in the ‘Metering’ section have different ranges depending on their amplifier model.
Remember, the sideways ‘Analog’ input meters may need to be routed to a channel using the appropriate selections in the input/routing section on the amplifier. The sideways meters correspond to the actual input at the back of the amplifier, the user may need to select that input in order for it to pass through to the output of the desired channel.
Any display of VRMS or dB Gain cannot be modified, only viewed.
'AES' metering
PLL indicates AES3 digital audio lock, without PLL AES will not pass audio. The lock signal is sent from the source device as part of the stream. If the light is not on, it means that no AES3 digital audio is arriving at the input to the device.
The white ‘Trim’ boxes can be tapped on to adjust the AES trim. For some VerTec V4.1 settings, AES trim will be adjusted so that digital input level corresponds properly with analog input level for use in mix systems or running digital with analog backup.
Load Monitoring
At any point you can click the Load Monitoring button on an amplifier panel. Blue indicator lights will illuminate when there is enough output level from the amplifier to properly monitor the impedance of the attached load. If the lights do not illuminate, then load monitoring will not take any measurements. The acceptable range for load monitoring is set using System Architect. Please refer to the help file for each device for more information.
Metering
The metering section is the best way to monitor input and output levels, as well as ensure the amplifier is within its operating ranges.
At the top are clip lights, they blink red when clipping occurs to the signal represented by the meter below them.
Green meters represent channel input levels, blue meters represent channel output levels. Red meters represent output gain reduction due to limiter settings. Limiter levels can be adjusted from System Architect.
The indicator lights below each set of channel meters will tell the following:
- Temp: If the amplifier is operating within its optimum temperature range. If the lights turn yellow or red, ensure the amplifier fan is operating properly and that the amp is not enclosed in an unventilated space.
- Limit: If any gain reduction is occurring, the light will turn yellow. If significant gain reduction is occurring, the light will turn red.
- Load: If load monitoring is enabled, loads within the acceptable range will show green. The light will be yellow if impedance is too low or red if impedance is too high. Set High and Low limits using System Architect.
- Ready: The ready lights will illuminate blue if the amplifier is ready to operate.
Actual (Volts): Displays the line voltage of the input power feeding the amplifier.
Levels/Mute
This section is used to adjust output faders, and the individual mute buttons for each channel. The white display box above each fader can also be tapped on, which allows for manual input of a fader level.
Signal Generator
This section is used for troubleshooting and confirming output routings. If any of the lights (‘Off’ or ‘M’) are red, the signal generator is off. Always make sure the signal generator fader is all the way to the left (-100dB) before turning it on.
- The ‘Off’ button is red if the signal generator is off, the red light dims when the signal generator is on.
- The ‘M’ button activates all the ‘signal generator to channel’ mutes on the iTechHD and PIP-USP4CN amplifiers, the single fader controls all ‘send to channel’ faders as well as signal generator level.
- Tap on the white text boxes to select the type of signal generated, and if you’re using the frequency generator you also need to select a frequency to use.
- Ramp the noise generator fader up slowly; sudden jumps in noise levels can damage speaker components or injure the hearing of people in the area of the unit under test.
JBL Factory Panels
Powered By Crown only supports Powered JBL VerTec series cabinets with DP-DA cards installed.
CobraNet™ enabled devices are causing problems
Due to network bandwidth usage, wireless networks will not operate properly on a network which has CobraNet traffic. If at any point you are experiencing sluggish meter response or issues with amplifiers populating, turn off CobraNet on your network to determine if it is a network traffic issue.
It is possible to use the router functions to block CobraNet traffic from the wireless network. You can separate the wireless control network from CobraNet traffic by using a network router and a HiQnet proxy device. In the Crown app, you can enter one which device is acting as the proxy on the Settings panel. The configuration settings vary by router, please refer to the owner’s manual for your router for exact configuration of your router.
If you are not using CobraNet for signal transmission, use System Architect to ensure that the ‘Conductor Priority’ on any CobraNet enabled device is set to 0. This setting will stop all CobraNet traffic being broadcast, including the timing signals. This setting is available on all Crown CobraNet devices.
Controls on a panel do not function
The controls have been locked. Please refer to the “Control Locking” section for more information.
Some controls on a Custom Panel do not appear or function properly
Not all controls are supported by the Powered By Crown application. Verify that the control is supported in the application. Please refer to the Supported Controls section.
These are the System Architect controls that are currently supported.
- General
- Locked
- Tool Tip Text
- Tab Index
- Tab Stop
- Reset Text
- Window
- Size
- Panel Name
- Background Image
- Background Layout (Tiled or Stretched)
- Start Location
- Windows Default
- Window Style (all parameters)
- Text Display
- Text Label
- Text Box
- Location, Size, Background Color
- Text
- Text Font (limited)
- Text Color
- Text Alignment
- Text Border Style
- Fader (Horizontal or Vertical)
- Location, Size, Background Color
- Fader Cap Image
- Minimum, Maximum
- Background Image
- Fader Cap Size, Offset
- Channel (all parameters)
- Button
- Location, Size
- Background Image
- Text
- Color
- Text Color
- Text Font
- Press Value
- System Functions (Launch Custom Panel and Locate only)
- Button - On/Off
- Button - Latching
- Location, Size
- Center Text
- Font
- On Indication (Label, Label Color, Backing Color, Backing Image)
- Off Indication (Label, Label Color, Backing Color, Backing Image)
- On Value
- Off Value
- Timed(ms)
- Button - Momentary
- Location, Size
- Center Text
- Font
- On Indication (Label, Label Color, Backing Color, Backing Image)
- Off Indication (Label, Label Color, Backing Color, Backing Image)
- On Value
- Off Value
- Flashing (all parameters)
- System Button - On/Off
- Location, Size
- Button Action (OnClick only)
- Font
- Text Color
- Button Image
- On Color
- Off Color
- On Text
- Off Text
- System Functions (Launch Custom Panel and Locate only)
- Combo Box
- Spinner
- Location, Size, Background Color
- Text Font (limited)
- Text Color
- Text Alignment
- Border Style, Color
- Margins (Top, Left, Right)
- Spinner Width & Button Color, Arrow Width
- LED Image
- Location, Size, Background Color
- Image Values (Minimum, Maximum, Image)
- LED Color
- Location, Size, Background Color
- Color Values (Minimum, Maximum, Color)
- LED Region
- Location, Size, Background Color
- Color Values (Minimum, Maximum, Color)
- Transparency
- Border Color and Width
- Meter - Gradient
- Location, Size, Background Color
- Orientation
- Gain Reduction
- High Color is always used for the entire meter
- Meter - Fast
- Tick Marker
- Panel
- Location, Size, Background Color
- Draw Border, Border Style
- Rounded Corners, Corner Radius
- Background Image, Background Image Layout (Tiled or Stretched)
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