This took a rather long time with a lot of phone calls between myself and Axia / Enco, but here’s how you use Enco DAD automation to control the mixer built into modern generations of Axia xNodes. We use a spare DAD (Digital Audio Delivery) computer at our North Providence facility, where our PRSS satellite downlink dish is located. The SFX4104 satellite receivers push audio over IP (AoIP) LiveWire streams over the local ethernet network (a Cisco SG350 switch) to the xNode. The AES3 digital audio output of the xNode then goes into a Comrex BRIC Link II which transmits it over the Cox Cablemodem and Verizon FiOS ISP’s at the site (for redundancy) to a twin BRIC Link II at our studios, and that’s our backup program feed. Very handy when there’s a problem with our system or if I need to do intrusive maintenance.

In our case, we’re using a Mixed Signal xNode, which can do a mic input, analog input/output, and AES3 digital input/output. Adjust as needed for your xNode; the mixer matrix is the same for all of them but exactly which sources/destinations the matrix routes from/to will shift somewhat.

The trick, however, was figuring out how to use DAD to control the software mixer inside the xNode, so the right satellite feed (or local playback from the DAD computer) was “on the air” going into the BRIC Link. Here’s how you do it, both for reference for me and for anyone else who tries to do this, because the documentation available on the web is kinda lacking.

Confirm you’ve purchased the right options for DAD by running “Check Security Key”.

First and foremost, you have to have IP/Serial I/O enabled (checked) on your DAD security key. Without that, DAD will not respond to any incoming text commands. (if you’re going to be using LiveWire sound to/from your DAD, you’ll need to purchase IP Audio as well). Check with your Enco sales rep about this. Assuming you have this installed already, we’ll proceed…

Setup your local network

I use the NET1 port on the xNode for a local, non-livewire LAN. NET2 is dedicated to livewire. The Win10 computer running Enco DAD has a similar dual-NIC setup. This command/control work will all be on the livewire LAN (NET2). I believe for the xNode to recognize these text commands, they need to come in where it expects to see livewire. So if you have livewire enabled on both NET1 and NET2, it might work on either. YMMV.

I have the Axia IP Audio software driver on my Win10 DAD computer. I don’t think you need it for this project, though. There’s no changes to any settings in the setup software for the driver.

Setup DAD’s CFI in DADconfig.

Highlight SEND_TEXT and in the A_IO field type -93 xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx ^M The xxx’s are the IP address of the xNode. Note the spaces and also the dash before the port of 93. You don’t have to use the A_IO field; you can use any of them I guess, so long as you’re consistent in the implementation. When done, close and restart DAD. (that’s key, it won’t work if you don’t – you may even just want to reboot here while you’re at it)

Create Command Cuts in DAD

Click ADD > COMMAND and then give the cut the ID, title, Group, etc that you want. Click CLOSE AND SAVE and it’ll take you to the actual COMMAND CUT DCL EDITOR.

Command Cut Syntax

Your average command cut will need a minimum of three lines:

SEND TEXT A 'LOGIN password'

SEND TEXT A 'MIX 23 1:0'

SEND TEXT A 'MIX 24 2:0'

Let’s break this down, shall we?

• The “A” in each line refers back to the CFI where we decided to use A_IO as our destination field. If you used B instead, put B here instead of A, etc.
• The commands should all be in UPPERCASE but the password is case-sensitive. In this case, replace the word “password” with whatever the actual password to access the web GUI of the xNode is (eight characters max). If you have no password, put ‘LOGIN ‘ (note the space between the “n” and the second single quote).
• To understand MIX 23 1 and MIX 24 2, it helps to look at the mixer page in the xNode web GUI. The first number is the number of vertical columns from the left edge. The second is the number of horizontal rows from the top. That’s the “square” the command is affecting in the mixer. So 23 1 and 24 2 are the discreet left and right channels of the topmost source (Input 1 from Livewire) and the rightmost destination (AES). You can see them as the top-right-most green squares in the image above.
• Now what’s the business with the :0 after each? That’s the gain level you want to set that square for. 0 means unity gain, or “on”. If you want to turn that square off? Remove the :0 from the command so it reads SEND TEXT A ‘MIX 23 1’ instead. Or if you want it at a particular gain/volume? Make it :-9 for a 9dB reduction (usually a good amount if you want music in the background when someone is talking). So that’d be SEND TEXT A ‘MIX 23 1:-9’

You can add as many lines to a command cut as you want to turn various “squares” in the mixer on, off, ducked, whatever. It can be as complicated or simple as you like.