POWER STUDIO

Ember+ Control

Use the Ember+ Control plugin when the station uses Ember+ compatible control systems or broadcast equipment. Ember+ is used in broadcast mixers, routers, matrices and control systems from manufacturers such as Lawo, D&R, DHD and other studio-equipment vendors.

The plugin is installed as Ember+ remote control plugin. It connects to the Ember+ device as a consumer and maps Ember+ parameters or matrix connections to Power Studio commands and status.

Keep the control network restricted to trusted studio systems.

Typical Uses

Use Ember+ integration when Power Studio needs to control or follow parameters from a larger broadcast system. Examples include:

  • Following or controlling mixer, router or matrix states.
  • Linking Power Studio player or cart state to a control-system parameter.
  • Driving studio logic from playout state.
  • Reading device state so the operator can see or act on external equipment changes.
  • Connecting or disconnecting a matrix crosspoint when a Power Studio status changes.
  • Switching routes automatically when Multi-Studio Coordination changes which studio is active or on air.

Configure The Connection

Configure the target device and mapping in Options and Settings > Plugins.

  1. Enable Ember+ remote control plugin.
  2. Enter the Ember+ device Host and Port.
  3. Set the connection timeout and reconnect delay.
  4. Leave Auto reconnect enabled unless the station has a specific reason to handle reconnects manually.
  5. Configure Input mapping.
  6. Configure Output mapping.
  7. Apply the settings, restart Power Studio and test the expected commands and feedback states.

The default Ember+ port in the plugin settings is 9000. The default connection timeout and reconnect delay are both 5000 ms. Use values that match the device and the stability of the studio network.

When the connection is restored after startup or reconnect, Power Studio refreshes the output status mapping so that remote indicators and matrix states can be brought back in line with the current Power Studio state.

Browse The Ember+ Tree

The input and output mapping screens include a browser for the Ember+ tree exposed by the connected device. Use this browser during setup instead of typing paths by hand.

Open the browser from a mapping row after the host, port and timeout have been entered. The browser connects to the device, shows the tree on the left and shows details for the selected node on the right. Expanding a node loads its children from the device.

The details panel can show:

  • The Ember+ path, identifier, number and description.
  • The node type: node, parameter or matrix.
  • Parameter access, current value, minimum, maximum and default value.
  • Parameter type and enum values.
  • Matrix targets and sources.

For input mapping, choose a readable parameter. For output mapping, choose a writable parameter or a matrix. Larger Ember+ systems can expose many nodes, so keep a station document with the selected paths and the reason each path is used.

Input Mapping

Input mapping converts Ember+ parameter changes into Power Studio commands. Use this when a mixer button, control-system logic state or router parameter should operate Power Studio.

The input mapping screen is organized by Power Studio command section. It can map Ember+ parameters to:

  • Player A-D: play, stop, cue, PFL on, PFL off and PFL toggle.
  • Cart A and Cart B: row 1-7, stop and play selected.
  • Mix Editor: play, stop, record start, record stop, record toggle and save.
  • Recorder: play, stop, record start, record stop and record toggle.
  • Playout: refresh playlist, next playlist item, automation, live assist and automation toggle.

Each mapped command row has a path, parameter type, match mode and, for some match modes, an expected value.

Use Path for the Ember+ parameter path. The browser fills this automatically. The selected parameter must be readable by the Ember+ consumer.

Use Parameter type to tell Power Studio how the value should be interpreted. When the path is selected through the browser, the type and enum values are read from the device. Supported value types include Boolean, Trigger, Integer, Real, String, Enum and Octets.

Use Match mode to decide when the Power Studio command should fire:

  • AnyChange fires when the parameter changes.
  • True fires when the parameter value becomes true.
  • False fires when the parameter value becomes false.
  • Equals fires when the parameter value equals the expected value.
  • LessThan fires when the parameter value is lower than the expected value.
  • MoreThan fires when the parameter value is higher than the expected value.

The LessThan and MoreThan modes are only suitable for Integer, Real and Enum parameters. For most button or logic workflows, start with True or Equals. Use AnyChange carefully, because it can fire repeatedly if the external device updates the parameter often.

For Enum parameters, use the browser when possible. It reads the enum names from the device, so the mapping can use the device's own labels instead of relying only on numeric values.

Output Mapping

Output mapping sends Power Studio status to the Ember+ device. Use this when the external system should show a lamp state, follow a player state, control a logic parameter or switch a matrix connection.

The output mapping screen can display:

  • Player A-D playing.
  • Player A-D PFL.
  • Automation and Live assist mode.
  • Timeshift recording.
  • Multi-Studio local on-air state.
  • Multi-Studio studio 1-5 on-air state.

Each mapped status row has a path, parameter type, true value and false value. The selected target must be writable when it is a parameter.

For Boolean or Trigger parameters, the true and false state are written as boolean-style values. For Integer, Real, String and Enum parameters, use the True value and False value fields to define exactly what should be sent for an active or inactive Power Studio status. When the browser is used, Power Studio can use the selected parameter's type, limits, defaults and enum map to help validate the values.

Matrix Mapping

Output mapping can also control an Ember+ matrix. Use this when a Power Studio state should connect or disconnect a router, matrix or console crosspoint.

In the output mapping browser, select a matrix node. The browser shows a matrix grid with targets and sources. Select the required target/source cell. If the Ember+ device exposes labels for the matrix endpoints, the browser can show those labels, which makes it easier to choose the correct crosspoint.

Power Studio stores a matrix mapping as a matrix path with the selected target and source, for example:

/path/to/matrix[2,5]

When the mapped Power Studio status becomes true, Power Studio connects the selected source to the selected target. When the status becomes false, Power Studio removes that connection. If the matrix target only allows one source, the existing source on that target is cleared before the new source is connected.

This is especially useful together with Multi-Studio Coordination. For example, the Multi-Studio local on-air state or studio 1-5 on-air states can drive Ember+ matrix crosspoints, so a router or console matrix follows the studio that is currently active. In that setup, Power Studio can coordinate playout state while the Ember+ device handles the actual audio or control routing.

Use matrix mapping carefully in live systems. Confirm with the station engineer which target and source are safe to control, especially when the matrix affects on-air routing, monitoring, recording feeds or studio signaling.

Setup Advice

Prepare the Ember+ configuration together with the station engineer or system integrator. Before changing live mappings, confirm:

  • The target device address and port.
  • Which parameters Power Studio may control.
  • Which parameters are read-only status feedback.
  • Which matrix targets and sources Power Studio may connect or disconnect.
  • What should happen after Power Studio or the external device reconnects.
  • Whether the mapping affects on-air routing, fader logic or studio signaling.

Test reconnect behavior by restarting Power Studio and, during a maintenance window, by restarting or disconnecting the Ember+ device if that is safe for the station.

Before assigning Ember+ mapping to on-air workflows:

  • Test every input mapping with the actual external control.
  • Test every output mapping with the actual remote parameter, lamp, logic state or matrix connection.
  • Confirm that repeated parameter changes do not fire commands unexpectedly.
  • Confirm that a Power Studio restart restores the expected output state.
  • Confirm that reconnecting the Ember+ device leaves the studio in a safe state.
  • Label the mapping in the station's technical documentation.