HTD Whole-House Audio Control User manual

Whole-House Audio Control
Owner’s Manual
HomeTheaterDirect
Tollfree:866-HTD-AUDIO(483-2834)
www.htd.com
[email protected]
©CopyrightHomeTheaterDirect,Inc.

CAUTION
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK
DO NOT OPEN
!
!
Thelightningflashwitharrowheadsymbol,withinanequilateraltriangle,isintendedtoalerttheusertothe
presenceofun-insulateddangerousvoltagewithintheproduct’senclosurethatmaybeofsufficientmagnitudeto
constituteariskofelectricalshocktopersons.
Theexclamationpointwithinanequilateraltriangleisintendedtoalerttheusertothepresenceofimportant
operatingandmaintenance(servicing)instructionsintheliteratureaccompanyingthisappliance.
ReadInstructions
Allthesafetyandoperatinginstructionsshouldbereadbeforethe
applianceisoperated.
RetainInstructions
Thesafetyandoperatinginstructionsshouldbeadheredto.
HeedWarnings
Allofthewarningsontheapplianceandintheoperatinginstructions
shouldbeadheredto.
FollowInstructions
Alloperatinganduseinstructionsshouldbefollowed.
WaterandMoisture
Theapplianceshouldnotbeusednearwater.Forexample,neara
bathtub,washbowl,kitchensink,laundrytub,inawetbasement,or
nearaswimmingpool,etc.
Ventilation
Theapplianceshouldbesituatedsothatitslocationorpositiondoes
notinterferewithitsproperventilation.Forexample,theappliance
shouldnotbesituatedonabed,sofa,rug,orsimilarsurfacethat
mayblocktheventilationopenings.Neverplacetheappliancein
aconfinedspacesuchasabookcase,orbuilt-incabinet,unless
properventilationisprovided.
Heat
Theapplianceshouldbesituatedawayfromheatsourcessuchas
radiators,heatregisters,stoves,orotherappliancesthatproduce
heat.Positiontheapplianceatleast4”awayfromanyheat-produc-
ingamplifier,includingHTDamplifiers.
PowerSources
Theapplianceshouldbeconnectedtoapowersupplyonlyofthe
typedescribedintheoperatinginstructionsorasmarkedontheap-
pliance.
GroundingorPolarization
Precautionsshouldbetakensothatthegroundingorpolarization
meansofanapplianceisnotdefeated.
PowerCordProtection
Routethepowercordsothatitisnotlikelytobewalkedonor
pinchedbyitemsplaceduponoragainstthem,payingparticular
attentiontotheplugs,receptacles,andthepointwherethecord
exitsfromtheappliance.
Cleaning
Unplugtheappliancefromthewalloutletbeforecleaning.Donot
useliquidcleanersoraerosolcleaners.Useaclothlightlydamp-
enedwithwaterforcleaningtheexterioroftheapplianceonly.
Non-UsePeriods
Thepowercordoftheapplianceshouldbeunpluggedfromthe
outletwhenleftunusedforlongperiodsoftime.
ObjectandLiquidEntry
Careshouldbetakensothatobjectsdonotfallandliquidsare
notspilledintotheenclosurethroughopenings.
DamageRequiringService
Theapplianceshouldbeservicedbyqualifiedpersonnelwhen:
a)thepowersupplycordortheplughasbeendamaged
b)objectshavefallen,orliquidspilledintotheappliance
c)theappliancehasbeenexposedtorain
d)theappliancedoesnotappeartooperatenormallyorexhib-
itsamarkedchangeinperformanceor
e)theappliancehasbeendropped,ortheenclosuredamaged
Servicing
Theusershouldnotattempttoservicetheappliancebeyondthat
describedintheoperatinginstructions.Allotherservicingshould
bereferredtoqualifiedservicepersonnel.
ProductServicing
Ifyoursystemfailstooperateproperly,pleasecontactHTD
directlyforfurtherassistanceat1-866-483-2834.
Additionalinformation,includingdetailedspecificationsforeach
model,canbefoundonourwebsite,www.htd.com.Thanks
againforchoosingHomeTheaterDirect!
Warranty
AllHTDelectronicscarryatwo-yearpartsandlaborwarranty.Warrantyregistrationoccurredautomatically
atthetimeyourorderwasplaced.Thereisnoneedtocompleteormailinadditionalpaperwork.
Warning-Toreducetheriskoffireorshock,donotexposethisappliancetorainormoisture.
Caution-Toreducetheriskoffireorshock,donotremovethecoverorback.Nouserserviceablepartsinside.
Referservicingtoqualifiedservicepersonnel.
Caution-Topreventelectricshock,matchwidebladeofplugtowideslot,fullyinsert.
Safety instructions for the mc-86
1

IntroductiontotheMC-86Whole-HouseAudioControlSystem
ThankyouforyourrecentpurchaseoftheHTDMC-86AdvancedWhole-HouseAudioControl System!This
newsystemisthemostaffordablesystemaroundthatmakesuseofaudiocomponentslocatedthroughoutyour
home.Withthissystemyoucanindependentlyselectfromupto8sourcesin6zones.MultipleMC-86and
amplifierscaneasilybecombinedforupto16zones.
Unlike most systems, the sources do not have to be located at a centralized point.  Instead, you can have
onesourcelocatedwithineachzonethatisavailablenotonlytothatzone,butallotherzonesaswell.Some
examples:streamaudiofromacomputerinonezone,connecttheaudiofromaTVinanotherzone,orattacha
CDplayerinanotherzone.
Ofcourse,youcanstillconnectaudiosourcesdirectlytotheMC-86.Andsinceourkeypadspassalonginfrared
signals,thosesources can becontrolledfromwithin any zone withtheuse of your ownremotecontrol. For
extremeconvenience,wehaveincludeda3.5mm(1/8”)inputjackoneachkeypadthatoverridesthesourcefrom
thatzone.SoyoucaneasilyconnectanMP3player,iPod®,orotherdeviceandwithinsecondsbestreaming
musicthroughoutyourhomeorofficefromit.
Thisowner’smanualisdesignedtogetyouquicklyupandrunningwithyournewsystem.Shouldyouhaveany
questions,weareavailablebyphone,tollfree866-HTD-AUDIO(866-483-2834)M-F8am-6pm,andbyemailat
[email protected].
Multi-Source Multi-Zone Audio Controller MC86
STATUS
SOURCES
ZONE-1 ZONE-2 ZONE-3 ZONE-4 ZONE-5 ZONE-6
Source-1 Source-2 Source-3 Source-4Source-5 Source-6 Source-7 Source-8
MA-1235
MC-86
2
Ifyouhaveanyquestions,wecanbereachedat...
[email protected]ortollfree1-866-HTD-AUDIO(483-2834)
Whole-House Audio Control Owner’s Manual

IR Emitters (with 6 foot cable)
Keypad Control
Source Input Panel
MC-86 Multi-Source / Multi-Zone Whole-House Audio Controller
Included with MC-86
3.5mm to 3.5mm Cables
IR Receiver Eye (with 16 foot cable)
Single
Double
Allowsyoutocontrolaudiocomponents
locatedneartheMC-86,evenwhenhidden
insideacabinetorcloset.
Connectemitter(s)totheMC-86andplace
infrontofothercomponentsyouwantto
controlfromwithineachzone.
3
Product Features
Source status indicates when a stereo input source is active
Zone status indicates when a keypad in that zone is powered on
RJ-45 connector (for
CAT 5 cable to Keypad)
Stereo line level output from
each zone (connect to amplifier)
Stereo source output from each
zone (connect to source input)
Multi-Source Multi-Zone Audio Controller MC86
STATUS
SOURCES
ZONE-1 ZONE-2 ZONE-3 ZONE-4 ZONE-5 ZONE-6
Source-1 Source-2 Source-3 Source-4 Source-5 Source-6 Source-7 Source-8
Power On/Off switch
Zones 1 - 8
Power Plug
8 Source Inputs
Voltage setting
Set to 110V for
USA & Canada
Doorbell
IR Repeater outputs (connect to single or dual IR emitter
to pass IR signals to other audio components)
IR Input (connect to IR receiver eye)
A
B
C
D
E
F
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
IR Activity
Indicator
Mic
LED Indicator shows
Sources: L1, L2, L3...L8
Volume Level: 00-99
Source Selection
Volume Level
Page
Built-in Microphone
for Paging
3.5mm (1/8”) Input Jack
CAT 5 Cable
(not included)
HTD 30 Foot
Interlink Cable
(included with source
input panel)
Zone Dial
Interlink Cable Connection
RJ 45 Inputs (connect
to either input. Use both
to daisy-chain keypads)
Mute/Power
Mute/
Power
L
R
Interlink Cable
Connection
Interlink Cable
RCA-type
Stereo Inputs
POWER MUTE
SOURCE
VOLUME
RC1 MULTI-ZONE
REMOTE CONTROL
(6)ShieldedStereoPatchCable(3feetlong)
(forconnectingMC-86toamplifier)
(6)ShieldedStereoPatchCable(1footlong)
(forconnectingzoneoutputsourcestosourceinputs)
(1)Powercord
Sold Separately
Pointatanykeypadto
selectthesourceandto
controlthevolumelevel
inthatzone.
RJ45Inputusedto
connectuptothree
MC-86stogetherfor
pagingallzones
L
R
Interlink Cable
Connection
Interlink Cable
RCA-type
Stereo Inputs
Remote Control
ForconnectinganMP3palyer,iPod®,etc.
to3.5mminput.
6feet 8inches

Connection Overview
Zones 1-6
Zone 1
Zone 6
L
R
Zone 1
Zone 6
Keypad
Source Input Panel
Sat Rcvr, CD Player, etc.
Any Stereo Source
(1 per zone)
MP3 Player, iPod, etc.
Speakers
8 8
Mic
Multi-Channel
Amplifier
MC-86
Multi-Source Multi-Zone Audio Controller MC-86
MA 1235
CentralLocation Zone3
4
How to Connect
ThinkoftheMC-86asthebrainofthesystem.Basedoninformationreceivedfromthekeypads,itdetermineswhat
sourcetoplayintoeachzoneandthevolumeleveltobesenttotheamplifier.
KeypadConnections(seepage5.)
ThekeypadsareconnectedtotheMC-86usingCat5cable(regularCat5,shieldedCat5,Cat5e,orCat6willwork)with
RJ-45connectionsatbothends.Keypadscanbe“daisy-chained”togetherwithCat5cablebutonlyonesourcecanbe
connectedperCat5cablethatisconnecteddirectlytotheMC-86.Formostinstallations,werecommendconnectingat
leastonekeypadfromeachzonedirectlytotheMC-86inordertobeabletoconnectasourcewithinthatzone(calleda
ZoneSource).
OnceyoursystemisinstalledandBEFOREturningontheMA-1235amplifier,turnontheMC-
86controllerandsetthevolumeleveloneachkeypadto50orlower.Thiswillpreventsend-
ingtooloudofasignaltoyourspeakers.
SourceInputPanelConnections(seepage5.)
Althougheachkeypadincludesa3.5mm(1/8”)sourceinputjack,youwilllikelywanttoconnectasourceinputpanelto
onekeypadwithineachzone.ThesourceinputpanelprovidesstandardstereoRCA-typeconnectionsforconnecting
mostaudiocomponentssuchasDVDplayers,CDplayers,TVs,VCRsandevencomputers.Thesourceinputpanelis
connectedtothekeypadwithaspecial30’interlinkcablethatweincludewiththepurchaseofeachsourceinputpanel.
AmplifierConnections(seepage6.)
AstereoLineOutputisprovidedontheMC-86foreachzone.EachLineOutputmustbeconnectedtoitsownamplifierin
orderforeachzonetoindependentlyplayitsownsource.TheHTDMA-123512-channelamplifierisaperfectfitwiththe
MC-86becauseitprovides6stereo(12independent)channelsofpower.TheLineOutputsontheMC-86areconnected
totheLineInputsontheamplifierusingsix3’shieldedstereopatchcablesincludedwiththeMC-86.
SpeakerConnections
Speakersareconnecteddirectlytotheamplifierusingspeakercable.Forallbehind-the-wallinstallations,CL3-rated
cableisrecommendedtocomplywithmostbuilding-codes.
AudioComponentConnections(seepage7.)
AnyaudiocomponentwithastereoanalogRCA-typeoutputcanbeconnecteddirectlytooneofthe8SourceInputs
locatedonthebackoftheMC-86usingRCA-typeshieldedstereopatchcables(notincluded).
AssigningZoneSourcestoaSourceInputontheMC-86(seepage7.)
Foreachzonethatincludesanaudiosourcewithinthatzone(calledaZoneSource),ortosimplytakeadvantageofthe
3.5mm(1/8”)inputjackonakeypad,onthebackoftheMC-86youwillneedtoconnecttheSourceOutputfromthatzone
tooneoftheSourceInputs.TheMC-86includessix1’shieldedstereopatchcablesforthispurpose.

2. Connecting a Keypad & Optional Source Input Panel
5
How to Connect (CONT’D)
EachkeypadcanbeconnecteddirectlytotheMC-86(option“A”)orcanbe“daisy-chained”toanotherkeypadthatisconnected
totheMC-86(option“B”).TheZoneDialoneachkeypaddeterminesthezonenumberthatitcontrols;select1,2,3,4,5,or6.
Notethatadditionalsettings,including0and7thruFareavailableforcombininguptothreeMC-86s(forpaging).Pleasecon-
tactusformoredetailssincethisoptionrequiresmodificationtothesecondandthirdMC-86.ItisnotnecessaryforaKeypad
withaZoneDialsettingof“X”tobeconnectedtotheNetworkRJ-45inputforZone“X”(seeoption“B”).
Whenmorethanonekeypadissettothesamezonenumber,adjustingthesettingofonekeypad(eitherbypressingbuttons
onthatkeypadorusingaremotecontrolforthatkeypad)willadjustotherkeypad(s)settothesamezonenumber.
AlthoughcombinationsofOption“A”and“B”areacceptableandveryoftennecessary,wehighlyrecommendconnectingat
leastonekeypadfromeachzonedirectlytotheMC-86asshowninoption“A”inordertomakeuseofanaudiocomponent
locatedwithinthatzone.EachCat5cablethatconnectsdirectlyfromakeypadtotheMC-86cancarrytheaudiosignalofonly
ONEaudiocomponent(see“NOTOK”above).
L
R
L
R
L
R
L
R
L
R
L
R
L
R
L
R
L
R
L
R
L
R
A
B
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D
E
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9
NOT OKOption “B”
Option “A” (recommended)
CAT 5 Cable
Source Input Panel
HTD Interlink Cable
(included with Source Input Panel)
L
R
RJ45 Connector
Keypad
Mic
A
B
C
D
E
F
0
1
2
3
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6
7
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9
ZoneDial
Setting the Zone Dial
ItisbesttosettheZoneDialoneach
KeypadBEFOREeverconnectingthe
KeypadtotheMC-86.NEVERADJUST
THEZONEDIALWHILETHEKEYPAD
ISPOWEREDON.Doingsocanresult
in“storedmemory”thatcancausethe
Keypad,andpotentiallyotherKeypadsin
thesystem,tomalfunction.Shouldthis
occuryouwillneedtoclearthememory
forEVERYKeypadinthesystembyper-
formingthefollowingtoeachkeypad:
1)TurntheKeypadoff,waitatleastone
second,andturntheKeypadbackon.
2)Takethevolumeleveldownto“00”and
thenbackupto“99”.
3)TurntheKeypadoff,waitatleastone
second,andturntheKeypadbackon.
4)Setthevolumeleveltoyourpreferred
listeninglevel(“92”orlower).

3. Connecting The Amplifier
6
How to Connect (CONT’D)
UsetheLineOutputsontheMC-86toconnecttotheLineInputsontheamplifiersforeachzone.Weincludesix3’
shieldedstereopatchcableswiththeMC-86forthispurpose.Thediagramaboveshowstherecommendedcon-
nectiontoourMA-123512-channelamplifier.
AmplifierSettings
Twoside-by-sideamplifiersareusedforeachzone.OnesideissettoamplifytheRightchannelof
astereosignalandtheothersideissettoamplifytheLeftsideofastereosignal.Inourdiagram,
channel1issettoamplifytheRightchannelandchannel2issettoamplifytheLeftchannelforthe
speakersinZone1.
Level:TurntherotaryLevelknoballthewayclockwisetogetthemaximumpoweroutoftheampli-
fier.YoucansettheLevelatlessthanmaximumtolimitthevolumeoutputinazone(e.g.limithow
loudachildcanplayhis/hermusic).
InputSelectionSwitch:Setto“Line”.
L,L+R,RSwitch:Whenthe“Line”inputisused,thisswitchisinactivesothesettingisirrelevant.
However,youmightwanttosetoddnumberedchannelstoRight(R)andevenchannelstoLeft(L)
justtomakeiteasiertorecallwhichLineOutputfromtheMC-86isbeingsenttoeachchannel.
BridgeSwitch:Sinceyouarenotbridgingthetwochannels,makesuretheBridgeSwitchisoff(far
leftposition).Seetheowner’smanualfortheamplifierforinstructionsonbridgingadjacentchan-
nelstoachieveevenhigherpowerwhennecessary.
On-AutoOn-TriggerSwitch:Itisbesttosetthisswitchto“On”whichwillalwayshavetheampli-
fierreadytopoweraninputsignal,includingthedoorbellandpaging.Additionally,“AutoOn”and
“Trigger”maynotalwaysrecognizealow-levelsourcesignalcomingfromtheMC-86.
!
Right Left Right Left
Right Left Right Left Right Left
3’ShieldedStereoPatchCables
SpeakerConnections
Right Left
Right Left
On
AutoOn
Trigger
!

4. Connecting Source Inputs
7
How to Connect (CONT’D)
TheMC-86iscapableofpassinginfraredsignalstoothercomponentspositionednearit.Whenaninfraredremotecontrolis
aimedataKeypadthesignalistransmittedthroughtheCat5cabletotheMC-86andontoothercomponentsthroughtheuse
ofIRemitters.Inthisway,youcancontrolthesecentralizedcomponentsfromwithineachzone.
IfyouneedtocontrolthecomponentslocatedneartheMC-86whentheyarepositionedoutofsight,suchasinsideacabinet
orcloset,andthereisnotaKeypadcloseby,youcanconnectanIRReceiverEyedirectlytotheIR-Receiverinputontheback
oftheMC-86.Placethe“Eye”within15feetofwhereyouwilloperateyourremotecontrol.
TheMC-86allowsyoutoselectfromupto8audiocomponents,includingupto6locatedthroughoutyourhome.Inordertomake
useofanaudiocomponentlocatedwithinazone,includinganaudiocomponentconnectedtothe3.5mm(1/8”)inputjackona
keypad,onthebackoftheMC-86youmustconnecttheSourceOutputforthatzoneintooneoftheSourceInputs.Weinclude
six1’shieldedstereopatchcablesforthispurpose.
Intheexampleabove,wehaveassignedthesourcelocatedwithinZone1toSourceInput1;thesourceinZone2toSourceInput
2;thesourceinZone3toSourceInput3;andthesourceinZone5toSourceInput5.NotethatZones4and6arenotwired
toprovideasourcefromwithinthosezones.ThreecentralizedsourceslocatedneartheMC-86havebeenassignedtoSource
Inputs4,6,and7.SourceInput8isstillavailableforafutureaudiocomponent.
POWER MUTE
SOURCE
VOLUME
RC1 MULTI-ZONE
REMOTE CONTROL
HomeEntertainmentCabinet
HTD Whole-House
Audio Controller MC86
HTD 12-Channel
Amplifier MA-1235
CD/DVD Player
Sat Rcvr
Tuner
5. Making use of Infrared Capability
UsingIREmitter(s)
UsingtheIRReceiverEye
ConnectEmitterstotheEmitterOutputsonthebackofthe
MC-86.PlaceeachIREmitterunderneathorabovean
audiocomponentpointingitatthecomponents’infrared
eye.(seethecomponent’sowner’smanualtodeterminethis
location)
ConnecttheIRReceiverEyetotheIRReceiverinputon
thebackoftheMC-86.PositiontheReceiverEyeoutside
ofyourcabinetorclosetinapositionwhereitcandetect
yourIRremote.Itisonlynecessarywhenyoudon’thavea
keypadlocatednearby.
Zone 1-6
Equipment Room
RC1
Yourownremotecontrol
VOLUME
VOLUME
Yourown
remote
control
DVDPlayer CDPlayer SatRcvr
Connecting the Doorbell
Simplyconnectadoorbellbutton
tothegreenconnectingblock
locatedonthebackoftheMC-
86.Whenthedoorbellbuttonis
pressedthecircuitisclosedanda
doorbellsoundissenttoallzones
wherethekeypadispowered
on.Thissoundwilloverrideany
sourcecurrentlyplayedintothat
zone.
Doorbell
Greenconnectingblock
(IR Receiving Eye, Emitters and RC1 remote are sold separately)
(included)

8
NowthatyoursystemisinstalledyouarereadytobeginenjoyingtheconvenienceandflexibilityoftheMC-86whole-house
audiocontrolsystem.
Whenyoufirstgetstarted,itisagoodideatoleteveryoneknowwhichcomponentsareavailableandtheSourceInput
numbertowhicheachofthosecomponentshasbeenassigned.Example:
SourceInput1:ComponentinZone1(Michael’sMP3player)
SourceInput2:ComponentinZone2(Brandon’sCDplayer)
SourceInput3:ComponentinZone3(Kimberly’scomputer)
SourceInput4:CentralizedComponent(DVDPlayer)
SourceInput5:ComponentinZone5(TVingameroom)
SourceInput6:CentralizedComponent(SatelliteReceiver)
SourceInput7:CentralizedComponent(CDPlayer)
SourceInput8:Open
UsingtheKeypad
TheKeypadisdesignedtobeuser-friendlysothatitisnotintimidatingandanyonecanuseitthefirsttime.
Volume: (two buttons)  The top button increases volume and the bottom button decreases volume. The volume level
isdisplayedon thekeypadwith arangeof 00to99. Thiswide rangeisdesigned toaccommodateaudio components
ofvaryingfixedoutputlevels.Inmostsituations,volumecanbeheardfromasettingof40-99withmostofthevolume
achievedfrom60-92.
Theoutputlevelfromsomesourcesmaybesignificantlyweakerthanmost.Toaccommodateforthis,thegainfromthe
volumelevelbetween92and99increasesexponentially.Whilethisincreasedgainishelpfulforweakersignals,itwill
sometimesaddaudibledistortionformoretypicalsources.Forthecleanestsound,keepthevolumelevelat92orbelow.
Source:(twobuttons)UsethetopbuttontoscrollupthroughtheSourceselection,i.e.1,2,...8;usethebottombuttonto
scrolldownthroughtheSourceselection,i.e.8,7...1.
Mute/Power:Pressthisbuttontoturnthekeypadon.Oncepoweredon,pressthebuttontomutethespeakersinthatzone.
Whenmuted,thekeypadwilldisplaytwohorizontallines.Whenazoneismuted,thespeakersinthatzonearestillavailable
forthedoorbellandpaging.Pressandholdthisbuttonforapproximately3secondstoturnoffpowertothekeypad.When
off,thespeakersinthatzonearenotavailableforthedoorbellandpaging.
Page:Pressandholdthisbuttondowntooverrideeveryzone.Speakwithyourmouthabout4”to12”awayfromthe
Keypad’sbuilt-inmicrophone(labeled“mic”).Releasethebuttontoresumemusiclistening.Notethatifyouexperience
feedback(ahighpitchedsqueal)inthezoneinwhichyouarepagingfrom,youmayneedtoturnthevolumedowninthat
zonebeforepaging.
UsingtheRemoteControl
Weprovideasimpleinfraredremotecontrolthathasthesamefunctionality(withoutthepagefeature)astheKeypad.The
oneexceptionisseparatePowerandMutebuttons.
UsingYourOwnRemoteControl
YoumaywanttouseyourownuniversalorlearningremotecontroltocontroltheKeypadfunctionsaswellasthefunctions
ofthecentralizedcomponents.Todothis,youwillneedtopurchaseatleastoneofourRemoteControlsandthenfollowthe
instructionsprovidedwithyourlearningremotecontroltoteachittocontrolvolume,sourceselection,power,andmute.
UsingHand-HeldAudioComponentswithVariableOutput
Mobileorhand-heldaudiocomponents,suchasanMP3playeroriPod®,caneasilybeconnectedtoaSourceInputPanel
usingapatchcablewitha3.5mm(1/8”)stereoplugononeendandstereoRCA-typeplugsontheotherend.Thesedevices
canalsobeconnecteddirectlytothe3.5mm(1/8”)inputjackontheKeypadusingapatchcablewitha3.5mm(1/8”)stereo
plugonbothends.The“output”onthesedevicesisoftenthestereoheadphoneoutputjack.Thisoutputlevelisvariable,
meaningtheoutputleveliscontrolledbythecomponent’svolumecontrol.Itisusuallybesttosetthevolumeonthese
devicessomewherebetweenhalf-wayupandmaximumwhenusingthemwiththeMC-86system.However,insomecases
youwillneedtoreducethisoutputlevelinordertopreventdistortion(especiallyifoperatingonbatterypower).
How TO USE

Whole-House Audio Control Addendum
Pleaseuseastandard(T-568AorT-568B)“Straight-Through”RJ-45connectionwithCat5cable(regularCat5,shielded
Cat5,Cat5e,orCat6areallacceptable)toconnecttheKeypadtotheMC-86oraKeypadtoanotherKeypad.A“Straight-
Through”connectionmeansthattheCat5wiresareattachedinexactlythesameorderinsidetheRJ-45plugatbothends
ofthecable.Neveruseacablewitha“Crossover”connectioninwhichthetwoendsofthecablearewireddifferently.
WhenrunningyourCat5cable,youhavetwooptions:1)usecableofpredeterminedlengthsthathavetheRJ-45plugsat-
tachedbythemanufacturer,or2)useacrimpingtooltoattachtheRJ-45plugsyourselfafteryouhaveruntheCat5cable.
Withoption1)youdon’thavetoworryabouttheconnectionsbeingsolidandcorrect,butyou’lllikelyhavetocutlarger
holesthroughtheframeworkofyourhousetogetthecablesintoposition.Thisoptionwillcostalittlemorebecauseyouare
likelytohaveexcesscablesinceyoucanonlybuyinpredeterminedlengths.Option2)allowsyoutobuyyourCat5cable
inbulkandrunexactlythelengthyouneedforeachconnection.Butyou’llhavetoterminateeachendwithanRJ-45plug
yourself.
IfyoudecidetoaddtheRJ-45connectionsyourself,makesureyouwiretheplugsusinga“Straight-Through”standard.The
T-568Astandardissupposedtobeusedinnewnetworkinstallations.However,mostoff-the-shelfEthernetcables(Cat5
cableswithRJ-45plugs)arestilloftheT-568Bstandard;eitherstandardissuitableforusewiththeMC-86.
Instructions:
Startononeendandstripthecablejacketoff(about1”)usingastripperoraknife.Beextracarefulnottonickthewires,
otherwiseyouwillneedtostartover.
Spread,untwistthepairs,andarrangethewiresintheorderofthedesiredcableend.Flattentheendbetweenyourthumb
andforefinger.Trimtheendsofthewiressotheyareevenwithoneanother,leavingonly1/2”inwirelength.Ifitislonger
than1/2”itwillbeout-of-specandsusceptibletocrosstalk.Flattenandinsuretherearenospacesbetweenwires.
HoldtheRJ-45plugwiththeclipfacingdownorawayfromyou.Pushthewiresfirmlyintotheplug.Inspectthateachwireis
flatandevenatthefrontoftheplug.Checktheorderofthewires.Doublecheckagain.Checkthatthejacketisfittedright
againstthestopoftheplug.CarefullyholdthewireandfirmlycrimptheRJ-45withaspecialRJ-45crimpingtool.
Checkthecolororientation,checkthatthecrimpedconnectionisnotabouttocomeapart,andchecktoseeifthewiresare
flatagainstthefrontoftheplug.Ifevenoneoftheseareincorrect,youwillhavetostartover.
TipsforRunningCat5andConnectingtoRJ-45:
•Ifyouarepullingcablesthroughholes,itiseasiertoattachtheRJ-45plugsafterthecableispulled.
•Oddnumberedpinsarealwaysstriped,evennumberedpinsarealwayssolidcolored.
•LookingattheRJ-45withtheclipfacingawayfromyou,Brownisalwaysontheright,andpin1isontheleft.
•Nomorethan1/2”oftheEthernetcableshouldbeuntwistedotherwiseitwillbesusceptibletocrosstalk.
•Donotdeform,donotbend,donotstretch,donotstaple,donotrunparallelwithpowercables,anddonotrunCat5cables
nearnoiseinducingcomponents.
Connecting RJ-45 Plugs to Cat5 Cable
RJ-45 Plug
Clip is pointed
away from you T-568B
o O g B b G br BR
12345678
T-568B
o O g B b G br BR
12345678
RJ-45 Plug
Clip is pointed
away from you T-568A
12345678
g G o B b O br BR
T-568A
12345678
g G o B b O br BR
O
o
G
g
B
b
BR
br
Orange
Orange striped
Green
Green striped
Blue
Blue striped
Brown
Brown striped
Wire Key
T-568A Straight-Through Cat5 Cable T-568B Straight-Through Cat5 Cable
Pin1
Pin1
9

Using More Than One MC-86 Controller
*PLEASECONTACTHTDIFYOUPLANTOCOMBINETWOORTHREEMC-86CONTROLLERS
FORUPTOSIXTEEN(16)UNIQUEZONES.WEWILLMODIFYTHESECOND(ANDTHIRD)MC-86
CONTROLLERSFORTHISPURPOSEBEFORESHIPPINGTHEMTOYOU*
Itispossibletoachieveatotalof16zones(0-9andA-F)bycombiningthreeMC-86controllerstogether.Thiswillallow
everyzonetoPageeveryotherzone.AdoorbellconnectedtoanyoneoftheMC-86controllerswillalsobeavailabletoall
zones.ToconnecttwoMC-86controllerstogethersimplyconnectaCat5cablebetweenthemusingtheRJ-45connections
shownbelow.ToaddathirdMC-86controlleryouwillneedtoaddathree-wayadapterthatwesupplyfree-of-chargewith
thepurchaseofyourthirdMC-86controller.
Sharing Sources Across Multiple MC-86 Controllers
Upto8audiodevicescanbeconnectedtoeachMC-86controller.Everykeypadattachedtothatcontrollercanselectbe-
tweenthosedevices.Using“Y-adapters”,itispossibletoconnectasingleaudiodevice(evenoneoriginatingfromazone
onadifferentMC-86controller)intomultipleMC-86controllers,makingitavailabletoallzones.
Intheexamplebelow:
 CDPlayer1isavailabletozones1,2,3,4,5,6
 CDPlayer2isavailabletozones7,8,9,A,B,C
 Thetunerandtheaudiodevicelocatedinzone5areavailabletoallzones
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C
CDPlayer1 Tuner CDPlayer2
Whole-House Audio Control Addendum
10

HomeTheaterDirect
Tollfree:866-HTD-AUDIO(483-2834)
www.htd.com
[email protected]
Troubleshooting:
Ifyouarereceivingnosoundwithinoneormulitplezones-makesureeachchannelonthe12-channelamplifierisset
to“Line”(seepage6).
Iftheamplifierisshuttingoffunexpectedly-makesureitissetto“On”insteadof“Auto-On”(seepage6).
Ifoneormorekeypadsismalfunctioning-youmayneedtoreseteachkeypad(see“SettingtheZoneDial”onpage5).
Notes:
Itispossibletocreate“Sub-Zones”byaddingrotaryvolumecontrolstoeachpairofspeakersina“Sub-Zone”.Thesevolume
controlsareinstalled“in-line”betweentheamplifierandthespeakers.PleasecontactHTDformoredetails.
BecausetheMC-86Controlleriscompletelyseparatefromtheamplifier,thissystemprovidestheflexibilityofbeingableto
addunlimitedspeakersandamplifiersintoeachzone.

YoumaynoticeaslightflickeringeffectofthenumericalLEDsononekeypadwhenanotherkeypadisbeingused.Thisis
normaloperation.
®iPodisaregisteredtrademarkofAppleComputer,Inc.
Whole-House Audio Control Addendum