Polycom EagleEye Director Quick setup guide

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Integrating Polycom EagleEye Director with
an HDX and SoundStructure System
ThisapplicationnotedescribeshowtousePolycom’sEagleEyeDirectorwithanHDXVideoconferencingsystemthatis
integratedwithaSoundStructuresystemanddetailsthestepsforcreatingaSoundStructureproject.
Integrating the HDX codec and the EagleEye Director
ThePolycomEagleEyeDirectorforHDXdeliversanaffordable,personalizedtelepresenceexperienceingroupmeetings
byintelligentlyemulatingprofessionalvideoproductiontechniquesenablingbettercommunicationandmore
productivemeetings–noremotecontroloruserinterventionisrequired.SoundStructuresolutionsoffertheultimatein
audioqualityandflexibilityforanysizeroom.CombiningthesecomponentstogetherisanaturalextensionoftheHDX
codecandimprovestheoverallaudioexperience.
AsshowninFigure1,whentheEagleEyeDirectorisusedwithanHDXcodec,thetwosystemsareconnectedtogether
withacustomcableincludedwithEagleEyeDirectorthatconnectstheaudiooutputs(1Land1R)fromtheHDXcodecto
theEagleEyeDirectorandconnectsthesameaudiototheAmplifierviaadditionalbalancedaudiocables.Inadditionto
theaudiocables,thereisavideocable(redinthisfigure)fortakingthevideooutputfromtheEagleEyeDirectorintothe
HDXcodec.
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Figure 1 - Signal connections for EagleEye Director and HDX system showing the audio connections (black) and the video signal (red).

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EagleEyeDirectorneedsthemixofalltheremoteaudiosothattheEagleEyeDirectorcanproperlydiscernbetween
audioplayedintotheroomfromtheremotesites(i.e.,remotetalkers)andthelocaltalkeraudiointhelocalroomwhen
determiningcamerapositioning.
Integrating the SoundStructure with the HDX codec and EagleEye Director
TheHDXcodec/EagleEyeDirectorsolutioncanbeupgradedwithoneormoreSoundStructuredevicesbyreplacingthe
analogoutputs1Land1RfromtheHDXcodecwithtwoanalogoutputs(outputs1and2)totheAmplifierandtwomore
outputs(outputs3and4)totheEagleEyeDirectorasshowninFigure2.
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Figure 2 - Integrating SoundStructure with an EagleEye Director uses four balanced audio cables and one conference link interface to
the HDX codec.
Thefourbalancedaudiocablesusedareconnectedstraight‐throughwithpin1connectedtopin1,pin2connectedto
pin2,andpin3connectedtopin3asshowninFigure3.
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Figure 3 - A standard balanced audio cable with 3.5mm terminal block connectors.
BeforeconnectingtheSoundStructuresystemtotheHDXcodec,itisrecommendedthatyouenableLiveMusicmodein
theHDXcodec.TodothisnavigatetheHDXUIfromAdminSettings>AudioSettingsandselectLiveMusicmode.This

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settingwilldisableanyaudioprocessingwiththeHDXandminimizeanyaudiosuppressionthatmayoccurintheHDX
codec.ItisimportanttomakethischangebeforeconnectingtheHDXtotheSoundStructuresystembecausethe
LiveMusicmodeoptionisnotvisibleoncethetwodevicesareconnectedoverConferenceLink.
TheSoundStructuresystemisconnectedtotheHDXcodecusingtheConferenceLinkconnection.Whenthe
SoundStructuresystemisintegratedwiththeHDX900xcodec,the18”RJ45‐maletoRJ45‐maleConferenceLinkcable,
2457‐23574‐001,whichisincludedwitheverySoundStructuredeviceshouldbeusedtoconnectdirectlytotheHDX
codec.
IftheSoundStructuresystemisintegratedwithanHDX800x,HDX700x,orHDX600xcodec,theRJ45femaletoWalta
maledongle,2457‐25646‐001,shouldbeusedwiththe18”RJ45‐maletoRJ45‐maleConferenceLinkcabletoconnect
theRJ45connectionontheSoundStructuredevicetotheWaltaconnectorontheHDX800x/700x/600xcodec.Seethe
BestPracticesGuidePolycomSoundStructureandHDXMicrophonesonPolycom.comfordetailedinformation,pin‐outs,
andconnectiondiagrams.
SoundStructure Studio Configuration File
TheSoundStructureconfigurationfilecanbeeasilycustomizedtosupporttheadditionaloutputchannelrequiredto
drivetheinputtotheEagleEyeDirector.Tocompletethisintegration,thefollowingstepsarerequired:
1. AddanewStereooutputfromSoundStructuretotheinputontheEagleEyeDirector
2. AddagroupthatcontainsboththeAmplifierandEagleEyeDirectoroutputs
3. Ensurethein‐roomvolumecontrolisdoneproperlysothatin‐roomleveladjustmentsareheardintheroomare
alsoheardbytheEagleEyeDirector.
Asanexampleofthecustomizationsrequired,anexampleconfigurationfilethatsupports2HDXCeilingmicrophones,
anHDXcodec,andastereoaudioamplifieroutputwillbecreated.
Tostarttheproject,launchtheSoundStructureStudioprogramandselectNewProjectfromtheSoundStructureStudio
Filemenu.
Step 1: Select the Inputs
1. AtStep1,clickMicrophoneandthenclickHDXCeilingmicrophone,
2. Adjustthequantityto2andclickAdd,
3. Next,addtheHDXcodecbyclickingVideoCodec,PolycomHDX,andclickAdd.
TheresultingchannelsthataredefinedareshowninFigure4.
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Figure 4 - Step 1 of creating a SoundStructure project.
Step 2: Select the Outputs
Tocreatetheoutputs,followthesesteps:
1. ClickNexttoselecttheoutputsandselectastereoamplifiercalled“Amplifier”andclickAddassummarizedin
Figure5.
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Figure 5 - Add a stereo amplifier channel for the local room audio to the project by following the numbered steps.

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2. Next,selectanotherstereoamplifieroutput,renamethechannelto“EagleEye”fortheEagleEyeDirectorand
selectAddassummarizedinFigure6.
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Figure 6 - Add an amplifier channel and rename EagleEye in step 2 of creating a SoundStructure Project by following the numbered
steps.
TheresultingchannelsshownintheChannelsDefinedsectionareshowninFigure7.
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Figure 7 - The result after clicking Add to create the EagleEye audio channel.

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Step 3: Select the Equipment
ClickNexttocontinueandselectthedefaultSoundStructuredevices.InthiscaseaSoundStructureC8deviceisrequired
toimplementthesystemasshowninFigure8.YoucanmanuallyselectadifferentdeviceorsimplyclickNexttogetto
thelaststep.
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Figure 8 - Step 3 automatically selects the equipment required to implement the design.
Step 4: Finish the Project
ClickFinishtocreatetheofflineprojectasshowninFigure9.
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Figure 9 - Select ‘Work offline’ in the final step of the project to make it easier to make the remaining project changes.
Matrix Settings
NavigatetotheMatrixpageofthedesignedprojecttoreviewthesettingsasshowninFigure10.Asshowninthisfigure
theremoteaudiofromthePolycomHDXInchannelisroutedtoboththeAmplifierandtheEagleEyeoutputs.Thebold
crosspointvaluesindicatethematrixcrosspointsareunmutedandthevalueindicatesthegainwith0dBindicatingthat

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thesignallevelisnotchangedatthematrixcrosspoint.Crosspointscanbemutedandunmutedbyrightclickingonthe
crosspoint.
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Figure 10 - The default matrix that is created for this project routes the echo cancelled microphones to the HDX codec and the HDX
codec audio is routed to the amplifier and to the EagleEye Director.
Inpreparationforadjustinghowvolumeiscontrolled,clicktheEditGroupcontrolontheMatrixpageandenteragroup
labelof“ToLocalRoom”andpressAddGroupasshowninFigure11.
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Figure 11 - Using Edit Group to add a group called ToLocalRoom.

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AfterclickingAddGroupselecttheAmplifierchanneland,whilepressingtheCtrlbuttononthekeyboard,clickthe
outputchannelEagleEyetoselectbothoutputsandthenclickAddChannel>.Thiswilladdbothaudiochannelstothe
ToLocalRoomgroupasshowninFigure12.
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Figure 12 - Use Ctrl left click to select multiple audio channels and then, press Add Channel>.
AfterpressingAddChannel>theresultingEditGroupspageappearsasshowninFigure13.
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Figure 13 - The ToLocalRoom group includes the Amplifier and EagleEye channels.
TheresultingmatrixwiththenewgroupisshowninFigure14.Noticethatthegroupisdefinedasthetwostereooutput
channelsAmplifierandEagleEye.

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Figure 14 - The audio matrix after the new ToLocalRoom group has been added to the project.
AspartofensuringthevolumecontroladjustsboththeAmplifierandEagleEyeoutputs,theuserminandmaxfader
settingsontheToLocalRoomgroupwillbesettomatchtheminandmaxfadersettingsontheAmplifierchannel.The
reasonforsettingtheuserminandmaxfadervaluesisthatanytimeaSoundStructuresystemisdesignedwithanHDX
codec,bydefaulttheAmplifierfaderminandmaxvaluesareautomaticallysetto‐31and20dBrespectivelyasshownin
theleftsideofFigure15.TheuserminandmaxvaluesaresettoallowtheaudiotobeadjustedbytheHDXcodecover
arangeof0and51andhavethatvolumerangemapdirectlyintotheAmplifierfadervaluesof‐31to+20dB.Thismeans
thatwhentheHDXvolumeissetto0,thefaderontheAmplifierwillbesetto‐31dBandwhentheHDXvolumeissetto
51,thefaderontheAmplifierchannelwillbesetto+20dB.
Becausewe’vedefinedthegroupToLocalRoom,we’llsetthegroupuserminfadervalueto‐31dBasshownintheright
sideofFigure15.Theusermaxvaluedefaultsto+20dB,sonochangeisrequired.Changingtheuserminfadervalueof
theToLocalRoomchannelgroupwillautomaticallyadjusttheuserminfadervalueofallchannelsinthegroup.Inthis
casetheuserminfadervalueoftheEagleEyeoutputissetto‐31dB.

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Figure 15 - The fader min value of the Amplifier channel (left) and setting the value of the fader min on the ToLocalRoom group (right).
SoundStructure Volume Control Events
Next,let’sreviewtheEventsthatareassociatedwiththisprojectandensurethattheaudioleveltotheEagleEye
DirectorstayssynchronizedwiththeaudiolevelsenttoAmplifier.
OntheeventspageshowninFigure16,thereisadefaulteventcalled_PolycomHDXtoSSTVolumethatmapsthe
volumefromtheHDXcodec,usingtheclink_volumeparameter,tothefadervalueoftheAmplifierchannel.Tokeepthe
leveloftheAmplifierandEagleEyeoutputsthesame,editthiseventbydoubleclickingintheeventandchangethe
AmplifieroutputtotheToLocalRoomoutputasshowninFigure17.
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Figure 16 - The default events for this project with the volume event highlighted.