Shure IntelliMix Room User Manual

IntelliMix Room

Audio Processing Software

User guide for Shure IntelliMix Room DSP software. Learn how to install, activate, and manage IntelliMix Room to bring crystal-clear audio to

all of your rooms.

Version: 7.0 (2020-H)

Shure Incorporated

Table of Contents

IntelliMix Room Audio Processing Software	4
What is IntelliMix® Room?	4
What Do I Need to Use IntelliMix Room?	4
Choosing a Channel Count	5
How to Purchase IntelliMix Room	5
IntelliMix Room Free Trial	5
System Requirements	5
Optimizing Windows for Conference Room Audio Pro­
cessing	6
Installation Guide	6
Installing IntelliMix Room	6
Installing with Mass Deployment Tools	7
IntelliMix Room Firewall Changes	8
Basics of Shure Designer Software	8
Discovering IntelliMix Room in Designer	9
Uninstalling IntelliMix Room	9
Updating IntelliMix Room	9
How IntelliMix Room Licenses Work	9
Activating IntelliMix Room	10
Renewing a License	12
Deactivating Licenses	12
Moving or Reassigning Licenses	12
License Server Details	12

Using Videoconferencing Software with IntelliMix Room1 2

Routing Microphone Signals to the DSP	13
Routing Far-End Audio to IntelliMix Room	15
Sending Far-End Audio to Loudspeakers and Other
Sources	16

Use Cases	16
Overview of Shure Conferencing Devices	16
Use Case: IntelliMix Room, 2 MXA310s, and Display with
Built-In Speakers	18
Use Case: IntelliMix Room, 2 MXA910s, and Loudspeak­
ers	19
Applying DSP Blocks	20
Using Designer's Optimize Workflow	20
Schematic View	21
Parametric Equalizer	22
EQ Contours for IntelliMix Room	24
Acoustic Echo Cancellation	24
Noise Reduction	25
Compressor	25
Delay	26
Automatic Gain Control (AGC)	26
Mute and Fader Groups	26
Adjusting Input levels	27
Preand Post-Gain Metering	27
When to Use the Input and Automixer Gain Faders	27
Matrix Mixer	27
Crosspoint Gain	28
Routing Channels	28
Automix Modes	28
Gating	28
Gain Sharing	28
Manual	28
Automix Settings	28
Automixer Direct Out Tap Points	29
Network Setup Examples	30

Choosing Networks for Shure Control and Dante Audio 32

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Choosing a Licensing NIC	32
Security Testing	33
IntelliMix Room IP Ports and Protocols	33
Compatibility with Dante Domain Manager	33
How to Recover IntelliMix Room from Inaccessible Dante
Domains	34

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Dante Flows for Shure Devices	34
Using Command Strings with IntelliMix Room	34
Event Logs	35
Troubleshooting	36
Reset	38
Specifications	38

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IntelliMix Room

Audio Processing Software

What is IntelliMix® Room?

IntelliMix Room is digital signal processing (DSP) software designed to optimize the performance of Shure networked micro­ phones with videoconferencing software, resulting in better conference room audio all around. It's designed to run on the same computer as any videoconferencing software, which reduces the amount of equipment in the room.

What Do I Need to Use IntelliMix Room?

IntelliMix Room requires other software and hardware to work in your room. You'll need the following:

Software:

• Shure Designer software installed on a computer connected to the same network as IntelliMix Room.

◦Designer lets you control all installations of IntelliMix Room in one place.

◦It doesn't need to be on the same computer as IntelliMix Room.

•Videoconferencing software (such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or BlueJeans) installed on the same computer/device as IntelliMix Room

Hardware:

• Dante-enabled microphone, such as a Shure MXA910 or MXA310

•PC or other physical device optimized for running IntelliMix Room (no virtual machines)

◦Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, or IoT Enterprise (64 bit)

◦Processor: i5 quad core 1.9 GHz minimum

◦8 GB RAM minimum

◦Solid state drive

◦Internet connection for licensing

•Other room components, such as displays, cameras, loudspeakers, switches, Cat5e cables, and meeting control inter­ faces

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Choosing a Channel Count

IntelliMix Room software is sold based on the number of IntelliMix DSP channels you need. For example, an 8-channel license has 8 channels with all of the IntelliMix DSP blocks (AEC, NR, and AGC).

The software always includes 8 auxiliary Dante input channels without IntelliMix processing. You shouldn't count these when deciding on your channel needs.

To choose a channel count:

•Check your Dante-enabled microphone's channel count

◦Plan the microphone's coverage for the room, and see how many channels you will need. For example, if you use 2 MXA910s, a 16-channel license is the best option. For 2 MXA310s, an 8-channel license covers your needs.

◦For best results, each microphone channel should have an IntelliMix DSP input channel.

◦Larger rooms may require multiple microphones.

◦Don't count the microphone's automix out channel when calculating channel needs.

•Plan for future device needs

◦If you plan to add more microphone channels with processing in future, include them in your channel count.

	Room Size	Small/Medium	Large
	Possible equipment combinations	MXA910 or	2 MXA910s or
		2 MXA310s	3-4 MXA310s
	Channel count	8 channels	16 channels

How to Purchase IntelliMix Room

To purchase, contact your local Shure sales representative (find yours at shure.com). For each installation, you can choose from 8 or 16 channels of IntelliMix DSP. Licenses are available for 3- and 5-year durations.

After purchasing, you'll receive an email with instructions for creating a software.shure.com account, where you can download the software and find your license ID. The license ID activates all purchased installations.

Next steps:

•Install IntelliMix Room on all devices.

•Discover and activate all IntelliMix Room installations using Shure Designer software.

•Apply DSP and route audio for each installation using Designer.

IntelliMix Room Free Trial

Before purchasing, you can try out a 16-channel version of IntelliMix Room. The software runs exactly like a purchased version during the trial.

To download a trial version, contact your local Shure sales representative (find yours at shure.com).

Once you set up a trial license, you'll get a license ID for the software. Enter that ID in Designer to activate the trial.

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System Requirements

You can install IntelliMix Room on any physical device that meets these requirements:

•Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, or IoT Enterprise (64 bit)

•Processor: i5 quad core 1.9 GHz minimum

•8 GB RAM minimum

•Solid state drive

•Internet connection (wired or wireless required for licensing)

If you install IntelliMix Room on a hub­type device running Windows, consult the manufacturer's documentation for how to ac­ cess the operating system and install software.

Devices that don't meet these requirements are not supported. Virtual machines are not supported.

Optimizing Windows for Conference Room Audio Processing

These are the recommended Windows settings for conference room audio processing:

•Disable Cortana.

•Disable notifications from Windows and installed programs.

•Turn off automatic Windows updates.

•Use the high performance power plan in Power Options.

◦Make sure this plan uses active cooling in the advanced power options.

•Disable all Sleep and Hibernate settings.

•Disable network throttling.

Additionally, follow these system best practices:

•Reboot the computer regularly.

•Disconnect unused USB devices.

•Remove software with high CPU loads, such as games or streaming apps.

•Make sure the computer's BIOS is updated.

•Check that Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and display drivers are updated.

Installation Guide

Installing IntelliMix Room

Before installing, make sure you have admin rights for all devices.

1.Purchase IntelliMix Room from your Shure sales representative (find yours at shure.com).

2.Download the .exe from software.shure.com.

3.Launch the installation file and follow the steps.

4.Choose network interface cards (NICs) to use for Shure control, Dante audio, and licensing.

◦The Shure control NIC must match the one used by Designer software.

◦Important: For licensing, only use a permanent NIC on the computer. This setting can't be changed after installa­ tion.

5.Choose which PC optimizations to make. For the best audio performance, choose all options.

6.Click the IntelliMix Room icon in the system tray to access basic settings and a troubleshooting event log.

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Next steps:

•Activate IntelliMix Room installations using Designer software (free at shure.com). IntelliMix Room installations will not pass audio until you activate your license.

•Control DSP, routing, and all other settings with Designer.

Installing with Mass Deployment Tools

You can deploy IntelliMix Room using standard software deployment tools. See below for available command line and silent in­ stall arguments.

Optional CLI Arguments

•/S : Silent mode. Installer runs without GUI and implements default options. If there is an existing version installed, the in­ staller uses the existing settings unless parameters listed below are provided.

◦/S /express: Installer runs with only a progress bar UI and keeps all previous settings.

•/nicindex=[integer]: NIC index to use for both Shure control and Dante audio network capabilities.

◦/nicindex_control=[integer]: NIC index to use for Shure control network capabilities.

◦/nicindex_audio=[integer]: NIC index to use for Dante audio network capabilities.

•/nicipaddress=[integer]: NIC IP address to use for all IntelliMix Room network capabilities.

◦/nicipaddress_control=[integer]: NIC IP address to use for Shure control network capabilities.

◦/nicipaddress_audio=[integer]: NIC IP address to use for Dante audio network capabilities.

•/nicid=[UUID]: NIC UUID to use for all IntelliMix Room network capabilities.

◦/nicid_control=[integer]: NIC UUID to use for Shure control network capabilities.

◦/nicid_audio=[integer]: NIC UUID to use for Dante audio network capabilities.

•/licindex=[integer]: NIC index to use for licensing identification. Also used to get MAC address.

•/licipaddress=[IP ADDRESS]: NIC IP address to use for licensing identification. Also used to get MAC address.

•/licid=[UUID]: NIC UUID to use for licensing identification. Also used to get MAC address.

•/licmac=[mac address]: NIC MAC address (without -) to use for licensing identification.

Installation and IntelliMix Room Settings

•/norestart: Do not reboot the system after installation. Default behavior of the software is to reboot, and rebooting is re­ quired to implement certain Windows optimizations.

•/analyticsoptout=[true|false]: Opt out of analytics data collection.

Windows Optimizations

•/skipoptimizations: Skip all optimizations.

•/disablecortana=[true|false]

•/disablepushnotifications=[true|false]

•/disableautoupdate=[true|false]

•/optimizepowerplan=[true|false]

•/neversleep=[true|false]

•/disablenetworkthrottling=[true|false]

Installer Default Settings

	Option	Default Value	Notes
	NIC index	0	The 0th found NIC using the lookup
			GetEnabledNetworkAdaptersIds
	Analytics opt out	False	Users have data collection enabled by
			default.
	Disable Cortana	True

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Option	Default Value	Notes
Disable push notifications	True
Disable auto update	True
Optimize power plan	True
Never sleep	True
Disable network throttling	True

IntelliMix Room Firewall Changes

During installation, the software modifies your firewall to allow access for all Shure .exes. These changes are required to run the software.

•Shure_IntelliMix_Room.exe

•Shure PTP.exe

•Shure mDNSResponder.exe

•Shure Common_Server.exe

•Shure APEC3.exe

Basics of Shure Designer Software

To use IntelliMix Room, you need Shure Designer software installed on a computer with a network connection to all IntelliMix Room installations.

Designer has some basic concepts that are important to understand as you start using IntelliMix Room:

Projects

◦Use to manage groups of locations.

◦Each project uses 1 license ID. All IntelliMix Room installations in a project use the same license ID.

If you're managing multiple customers with multiple license IDs, create separate projects to manage them.

Locations

◦Use to organize groups of devices installed in the same physical location, such as a room, an area, or a building floor.

◦If devices are in the same Designer location, you can route audio between them using the Routing tab.

Virtual Devices

◦Use to design coverage without being on the same network as the physical devices.

◦Push settings from virtual devices to physical devices once connected at the job site.

Online Devices

◦ Shows every available device on your network.

Live Mode

◦Location-level setting that lets you control devices in real time.

◦Use to push settings to online devices or pull settings from online devices.

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Sync

◦Use in Live mode to match the settings between virtual devices and online devices.

Push settings from virtual devices to online devices.

Pull settings from online devices to virtual devices.

Discovering IntelliMix Room in Designer

Each installation of IntelliMix Room appears as a separate device in Designer. Each installation's name matches the computer's network name.

To find any online installations:

•Go to Online devices.

•Use the checkboxes to select IntelliMix Room installations and add them to locations.

If you can't find some installations:

1.Go to the computer that won't appear in Designer.

2.Click the IntelliMix Room icon in the system tray.

3.Make sure IntelliMix Room is using the same Shure control NIC (network interface card) as Designer.

Note: IntelliMix Room doesn't show up in Shure Update Utility or Shure Web Device Discovery.

Uninstalling IntelliMix Room

Before uninstalling, make sure you have admin rights and an internet connection for all devices.

1.In Designer, find the devices that you plan to remove IntelliMix Room software from.

2.Select the devices, and click Deactivate. After deactivation, the licenses are available to be used again. Devices with an internet connection release their licenses quickly. If the devices don't have an internet connection, it will take up to 7 days for the license to be available for reuse. To avoid this delay, connect devices to the internet before uninstalling.

3.On each device, uninstall IntelliMix Room like any other software.

Updating IntelliMix Room

Version 2.x and newer: When a new version of IntelliMix Room is available, you'll receive an email about the release. To up­ date, open the IntelliMix Room installation that is being updated from the Windows system tray and go to Version > Check  for updates.

Updating from Version 1.x to 2.x: Download the 2.x version from your account at software.shure.com and run the installer over the 1.x version. The 2.x version replaces the 1.x version.

How IntelliMix Room Licenses Work

After installing IntelliMix Room on all devices, use Shure Designer software to activate your licenses. Designer is usually in­ stalled on a separate computer since it manages all installations of IntelliMix Room.

There are a couple terms to know as you manage licenses for IntelliMix Room:

•Installation: A single instance of IntelliMix Room software installed on a device.

•License: Each installation of IntelliMix Room needs one to run. Choose between an 8- or a 16-channel license.

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•Project: A grouping in Designer that has a collection of locations with devices. Each project uses 1 license ID. If you have multiple license IDs to manage, create separate projects for each one.

•License ID: A 12-digit code used to activate all of your purchased installations in Designer. When you purchase a group of licenses from Shure, you'll receive this code in the purchase email (it's also available in your account at software.shure.com). Each customer has 1 license ID.

Here's an example workflow for the whole process:

1.Decide how many 8-channel and how many 16-channel licenses you need. Purchase them from Shure.

2.Install IntelliMix Room on all devices.

3.Install Designer on a computer connected to the same network and discover all of your installations.

4.Create a project in Designer. Move all 8-channel installations into that project at the same time, and then repeat for 16channel installations. You choose which type of license to use for the installations during this step.

5.Click Activate and add your license ID. All installations with an internet connection should activate quickly.

Activating IntelliMix Room

To activate the software, you need:

•A license for each installation

◦Licenses are based on the channel count (8 or 16 channels) for each installation of the software.

•Your license ID

◦A license ID activates all licenses in your account.

◦Find in your purchase confirmation email, or in your account at software.shure.com.

•Internet connection for all devices running IntelliMix Room

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IntelliMix Room must be installed on a device before you can activate that license.

1.In Designer, go to Online devices. Check that you can discover all installations.

◦Each installation appears as a separate device. The device name matches the PC's name.

◦If you don't see all installations, check the Shure control NIC settings on the computer running IntelliMix Room. Use the same network as Designer.

2.Create a new project in Designer.

◦If you have many license IDs to manage, create a separate project for each license ID.

3.Go to the project's Licenses page. From the list of available installations, select one to move into the project. Click Move into project.

◦If you add multiple installations to a project at the same time, choose installations that all use the same license type.

For example, move all 8­channel licenses into the project first, and then repeat the process for your 16­channel li­ censes.

4.Click Activate. Choose the license type for the installation and click Next.

5.Add your license ID and click Activate. This license ID is used for all installations in the project. If the device running In­ telliMix Room has an internet connection, the installation activates and is ready to use.

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Next steps:

•Create locations and add IntelliMix Room installations to them.

•Route audio to IntelliMix Room to apply DSP.

Renewing a License

To renew your IntelliMix Room licenses, contact your Shure sales representative.

After you renew your licenses, your license ID stays the same. You won't need to make any changes to any existing room se­ tups. All installations will continue running normally.

What Happens When My License Expires?

IntelliMix Room stops passing audio when your license expires.

You will receive email reminders to renew your license 90 days before it expires.

Deactivating Licenses

Deactivating the license for an IntelliMix Room installation causes that installation to stop passing audio.

After deactivation, the license is available to be used again on another installation of IntelliMix Room.

To deactivate licenses:

1.In your project, go to Licenses. This page shows all IntelliMix Room installations in the project.

2.Select the installations you want to deactivate.

3.Click Deactivate. If the devices being deactivated have internet connections, you can reuse those licenses. If the de­ vices being deactivated do not have internet connections, the licenses won't be available for reuse until they have an internet connection, or for up to 7 days.

4.Deactivated licenses are now available to be assigned to other installations.

Moving or Reassigning Licenses

After purchasing, you might need to install IntelliMix Room on a different device than it was originally installed on.

To reassign a license to a new device:

1.In your project, go to Licenses. This page shows all IntelliMix Room installations in the project.

2.Select the license that you want to move to a different device.

3.Click Deactivate. This causes the device to become unlicensed and stop passing audio. The license can be reused as soon as an internet connection is available for the device being deactivated.

4.Install IntelliMix Room on the new device.

5.In Designer, find the new installation of IntelliMix Room. Add it to the same project as the old installation.

6.When prompted, choose the channel count that matches the old installation. Your license is now reassigned to the new device.

License Server Details

IntelliMix Room uses a cloud license server managed by Flexera. To see information about available licenses and your ac­ count, sign in at software.shure.com. Use the username and password you set up during purchase.

IntelliMix Room requires a continuous internet connection to verify each installation's license status. Every 12 hours, the instal­ lation checks in with the license server to validate its license. If a device running IntelliMix Room can't contact the cloud license server for 7 days, the installation becomes unlicensed and audio stops passing.

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