Creating Auto-Answer Call-in "Listen" Lines in VX

Scope

This document covers the set up of automatically answered call-in "Listen" lines on the Telos VX. This is not available to the Telos Hx6 or iQ6 Talk Show systems.

Description

Sometimes we'll need to set up listen lines for people to call into just for program audio. The most common way to do this is to set up Fixed Hybrids in a studio and set them to auto-answer (traditional IFB). This will get the job done but uses up Hybrids in the system. If we just want a bank of lines for people to call into to hear program audio and not a customized backfeed, a Dummy Studio with program on hold audio is perfect since it will do exactly what we want without using up hybrids.

A Dummy Studio is a Studio with no hybrids configured. These can be used for extra indicators, call screeners, and cases like this.

Create a Dummy Studio in the VX

  • Name the Studio. In this example, we'll name it "Listen Lines."
  • Leave FIXED and SELECTABLE CHANNELS set to "0."
  • Set the desired feed audio to the callers as the Program On Hold.
TIP: If the desired audio is a backfeed from an Axia console, set TYPE to "To Source" and enter the Livewire channel used in the source profile from that console channel. For any other source (from a node, etc.) use "From Source."

Create the Show in the VX

Here, we'll create a VX show with as many line positions as we want to have callers (maximum) listening. In this example, we'll do 5:

Since this is a Dummy Studio and since we aren't sharing these lines with any other studio, it doesn't really matter what we set for FADER or BUSY ALL.

Assign the Show to the Studio

  • Go back to the Studio we just created and set CURRENT SHOW to the new Show we just created.
  • Click CHANGE

Enable Auto Hold using a VSet

  • Go to a VSet's ENGINE SETUP menu and select the Listen Line Dummy Studio under SELECT STUDIO.
NOTE - Engine Setup is a protected menu. You must hold the Engine Setup button DOWN for five seconds and THEN release it. If you release before that, you will only enter the Engine Setup in VIEW mode.
  • Go to the VSet's USER PREFERENCES menu and set AUTO HOLD to ENABLED

Now, whenever someone calls into extension 5001, the VX will automatically place the call on hold and will begin sending Program On Hold audio to the caller until they hang up.

We can leave this VSet logged into this studio to view and control the state of the listen lines, or we can reassign the VSet to another Studio. If Busy-All is checked for the line positions, BLOCK ALL can be used from the VSet to turn the listen lines "On" and "Off."

NOTE: Auto Hold and Block All can be toggled via GPIO Actions as well as via the VSet. See the VX Manual for more information.
ALSO NOTE that Auto Hold will reset back to DISABLED whenever the VX is rebooted. If the listen lines do not automatically answer, double-check this setting.

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