The RTC features a circular AMOLED touchscreen with a built-in rotary encoder, giving you two ways to interact with the device. Both input methods work on every screen, so use whichever is most convenient.
Input Methods
Touchscreen
- Tap: select the currently focused item (menu item, setting, or toggle).
- Swipe up/down: on menu and settings screens, navigate between list items. Inside a Channel view on the main screen, switch graph type (Equalizer / Oscilloscope / Waterfall / Hi-Res Equalizer).
- Swipe right-to-left: advance to the next display view on the main screen (Volume to Voltage to Temperature to Channel views).
- Swipe left-to-right: go back to the previous display view on the main screen, or go back a screen from any settings or info screen.
- Long press (1 second): open the main menu from any screen.
- Drag: adjust sliders or scroll through long settings lists.
Rotary Encoder
- Rotate: adjust volume on the main screen, navigate menu items, or change setting values.
- Short press: select a menu item, activate or deactivate a setting, or confirm a value change. On the main screen, a short press also cycles to the next volume zone when multiple channel groups are configured.
- Long press: open the main menu from any screen.
The volume knob features acceleration: slow turns give you fine control over the volume level, while fast turns produce larger volume changes. This makes it easy to make precise adjustments and quickly sweep through the volume range without excessive turning. The acceleration is capped to prevent sudden jumps.
Main Screen Views
The main screen has multiple views you can swipe between. The available views depend on whether you are connected to a WVC-PRO or WVC-LITE base station, and on the Channel View setting.
Navigation uses two swipe directions:
- Horizontal swipes move between the top-level views: Volume, Voltage, Temperature, and Channel views.
- Vertical swipes (only inside a Channel view) cycle through the available graph types for that channel: Equalizer, Oscilloscope, Waterfall, and Hi-Res Equalizer.
Top-level cycle (horizontal swipes)
On a WVC-PRO system, swiping right-to-left advances through:
- Volume (default)
- Voltage
- Temperature
- Channel views (one per channel, or one per pair in Combined channel view)
Swiping left-to-right reverses through the same list. From the last channel view, the next right-to-left swipe returns to Volume; from Volume, the next left-to-right swipe enters the channel views from the end.
On a WVC-LITE system, only Volume and Voltage are available.
Graph types inside a Channel view (vertical swipes)
Once you're on a Channel view, swipe up or down to cycle the graph type without leaving that channel:
- Equalizer (FFT spectrum)
- Oscilloscope
- Waterfall (WVC Pro / Pro 6 only, base station firmware 3.9.7 or newer)
- Hi-Res Equalizer (WVC Pro / Pro 6 only, base station firmware 3.9.7 or newer)
The list wraps in both directions. On older base stations or on a WVC-LITE, the unsupported graph types are skipped automatically.
On-screen direction hints
Whenever you switch views, or any time you tap the main screen, small chevron pills briefly appear along the edges of the screen to show which directions are available. Left and right are always shown, plus up and down whenever you're inside a Channel view. They fade out after a moment so they don't get in the way of the readouts.
In firmware 3.10.5 and newer, you can tap the chevron pills directly to navigate, as an alternative to the swipe gesture. Tap the right chevron to advance to the next view, the left chevron to go back, and (inside a Channel view) the up or down chevron to switch between Equalizer, Oscilloscope, Waterfall, and Hi-Res Equalizer. This is useful in installations where a swipe is awkward, for example when the RTC is mounted in a tight gauge pod.
Tapping anywhere else on the main screen (the volume number, a zone name, the background) only surfaces the direction hints. It does not change the current view, switch zones, or commit any other action. Zone-switch happens only on a short encoder press.
The last view you were on is remembered across restarts. If you power off the RTC while viewing the Oscilloscope, it returns to the Oscilloscope the next time it powers on. In Single channel view (see below), the specific channel you were on is also restored.
Volume (Default)
The primary view showing:
- Volume level: displayed prominently in the center (as a percentage or in dB, depending on your settings).
- Volume arc: a ring around the display edge that fills proportionally with the volume level.
- Voltage: your system's current voltage reading.
- Temperature: current amplifier temperature (PRO only).
When connected to a multi-zone system, each zone's volume is displayed simultaneously. The currently selected zone is shown larger, and rotating the encoder adjusts that zone. Non-selected zones are shown smaller and dimmed, and on firmware 3.10.6 and newer the volume rings around each zone also shrink visually so the selected zone is easier to pick out at a glance.
In firmware 3.10.5 and newer, the selected zone's name is shown above its volume reading so you always know which zone the encoder is currently controlling, for example Mids, Subs, or the default Group 1. When you press the encoder to switch zones, a brief banner reading "Now controlling:
In firmware 3.10.6 and newer the group name is shown above every zone's volume reading, not just the selected one. The selected zone's name appears in its own color while the others stay dim, so you can see at a glance which zone you're about to control before you turn the encoder.
To switch zones, give the encoder a short press. The RTC does not change zones in response to a touchscreen tap, so an exploratory finger touch on a zone name or volume number cannot accidentally take control of the wrong group.
Status Icons
When active, status icons appear near the top of the main screen:
| Icon | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Crosshair/target | Competition mode is active |
| Shield | IDS (Intelligent Drive System) is enabled |
| Fire icon | IDS triggered: high temperature |
| Bolt icon | IDS triggered: low voltage |
| Bolt + Fire (blinking) | IDS triggered: both voltage and temperature |
| WiFi | The base station is connected to your home WiFi in Home Mode (requires base station firmware 3.9.0 or newer) |
| House | The base station is paired to a smart home via Matter (requires base station firmware 3.9.0 or newer) |
Status icons are only visible on the Volume view. They are hidden on the Voltage, Temperature, Equalizer, and Oscilloscope views.
Voltage
A scrolling graph showing your system voltage over time. The current voltage is shown as a prominent reading at the top of the screen, with a smaller Min / Max readout below it (for example, 12.30V to 14.50V) showing the lowest and highest voltage values observed.
Whether the Min and Max values track historical extremes since power-on or just the values currently visible in the graph is controlled by the Min/Max setting. See Menus and Settings.
Temperature (PRO Only)
A scrolling graph showing amplifier temperature over time, with up to 3 temperature probes drawn as separate traces. The current temperature is shown as a prominent reading at the top, with a smaller Min / Max readout below it showing the lowest and highest temperatures observed. The displayed unit follows your Temp Units setting (°F or °C).
The reading at the top reflects the hottest currently active probe. If Probe 1 is unplugged but Probe 2 or 3 is reading, the display follows the live probe instead of getting stuck on the disconnected one (firmware 3.10.5+).
A small legend above the graph names each active probe in its line color, so you can tell which trace is which at a glance. By default the probes are labeled Temp 1, Temp 2, and Temp 3, but if you've renamed the probes from the LF Audio AuralSync app (firmware 3.10.5+), your custom names appear here. Probes that aren't currently reading are removed from the legend automatically and their graph lines are hidden, so what you see in the legend always matches what's drawn on the graph.
As with voltage, the Min/Max setting controls whether these values track historical extremes since power-on or just the values currently visible in the graph.
Equalizer (WVC Pro / Pro 6 only)
A real-time FFT spectrum analyzer showing the frequency distribution of the audio signal.
- In Combined channel view (default), both channels are shown side by side in one display.
- In Single channel view, each channel gets its own Equalizer screen. A large label at the top of the screen (for example L, R, or Ch1...Ch6) shows which channel is currently displayed.
Oscilloscope (WVC Pro / Pro 6 only)
A real-time waveform display showing the audio signal shape.
- In Combined channel view (default), both channels are shown at once. On stereo systems they are stacked top and bottom.
- In Single channel view, each channel gets its own Oscilloscope screen, with a large label at the top showing the active channel.
Waterfall (WVC Pro / Pro 6 only, base station firmware 3.9.7 or newer)
A 3D mountain-range view of the FFT history for the selected channel pair. Newer frames sit in front, older frames recede into the distance, so you can see how the spectrum has changed over the last few seconds at a glance. The colors follow your theme's Left/Right pair so each channel is easy to tell apart.
When you first switch to the Waterfall view (or to a different channel pair while already on Waterfall), the display "warms up" over the first second or two as new FFT frames stream in. This is expected behavior, not a freeze: the RTC requests the waterfall data on demand and only the channels you are actively viewing are streamed, which keeps the wireless link efficient.
Hi-Res Equalizer (WVC Pro / Pro 6 only, base station firmware 3.9.7 or newer)
A higher-resolution version of the FFT spectrum view, with finer frequency detail than the standard Equalizer. Useful for reading individual tones and sweeps more precisely.
CLIP indicators on Channel views (firmware 3.10.5+, WVC Pro / Pro 6 only)
When a channel's input is being driven hard enough to clip, a CLIP pill appears on the Equalizer, Oscilloscope, Waterfall, and Hi-Res Equalizer views. On the Equalizer view in firmware 3.10.6 and newer the pill sits in its own dedicated band above the spectrum bars (clearer to read and no longer overlapping the channel name in combined-channel mode); on the other views it appears next to the channel name. The color escalates with severity:
| Color | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Yellow | Mild clipping. Occasional brief peaks at the limit. Audible distortion is unlikely but the headroom is gone. |
| Orange | Moderate clipping. Noticeable distortion is likely on louder material. |
| Red | Severe clipping. Sustained or aggressive clipping. Reduce source level or RCA Gain immediately to protect speakers and avoid audible distortion. |
The CLIP pill is per-channel, so on a 6-channel system you can see exactly which channels are clipping while the others run clean. The pill is updated live as the signal changes, so once the source backs off, the pill disappears.
If you see CLIP appear consistently, lower your head unit volume or reduce RCA Gain in Base Settings until the indicator stays clear at the loudest material you play.
6-Channel Channel View Navigation (WVC-PRO 6 / WVC-LITE 6 only)
On 6-channel systems, horizontal swipes step through the channel views one channel (or one pair) at a time:
- In Combined channel view, the Channel views pan through pairs (Ch1+Ch2 → Ch3+Ch4 → Ch5+Ch6).
- In Single channel view, the Channel views pan through individual channels (Ch1 → Ch2 → … → Ch6).
The vertical swipe inside a channel view (Equalizer / Oscilloscope / Waterfall / Hi-Res Equalizer) is independent: switching graph type keeps you on the same channel.
On stereo (2-channel) systems there is only one channel pair (or two channels in Single mode), so horizontal swipes inside the channel views simply step through that smaller list.
Channel View: Combined vs Single
Whether the Channel views show both channels together or one channel per screen is controlled by the Channel View setting:
- Combined (default): the Equalizer and Oscilloscope show all channels in one screen, and horizontal swipes inside the Channel views step through pairs.
- Single: each channel gets its own screen for every graph type, and horizontal swipes inside the Channel views step through one channel at a time.
You can change this in Pilot Settings; see Menus and Settings.
Channel colors follow your theme's Left and Right colors consistently across the Equalizer, Oscilloscope, Waterfall, and Hi-Res Equalizer views, so the same channel always reads as the same color. You can change those two colors in Settings > Colors.
When you've renamed a channel group from the LF Audio AuralSync app (for example Mids or Subs), that name appears under the Equalizer, Waterfall, and Hi-Res Equalizer for the channels that belong to it, with the physical channel suffix appended. For example, Mids (ch5) in Single channel view, or Mids (ch5/ch6) in Combined channel view (firmware 3.10.5+). Custom names refresh automatically after a reconnect, so renames made in the app appear on the RTC without a manual reboot.
On WVC-LITE systems, only the Volume and Voltage views are available. The Channel views (Equalizer, Oscilloscope, Waterfall, Hi-Res Equalizer) and the Temperature view all require a WVC-PRO or PRO 6 base station.
Volume Display Modes
You can choose how volume is displayed:
- Percentage (%): shows volume as 0-100%.
- Decibels (dB): shows the actual output level in dB relative to full scale (0 dB = maximum volume with no gain).
At zero volume, the display shows MUTE in both modes. Switch between modes in Settings > Volume Units.
Auto Swap (Slideshow Mode)
When enabled, Auto Swap automatically cycles the main display through your enabled views every few seconds, in the same horizontal sequence you would otherwise swipe through manually (Volume to Voltage to Temperature to Equalizer to Oscilloscope, then back to Volume).
You control which views are included and how long each one is shown from Pilot Settings (PRO only). See Menus and Settings for the Swap Time slider (1 to 60 seconds) and per-view Show/Hide toggles for Oscilloscope, Equalizer, and Temperature. Volume and Voltage are always included in the rotation; you can hide any of the other three.
Auto Swap continues to cycle even while you are using the encoder, so if a view change is interrupting your work, turn Auto Swap off in Settings and swipe between views manually instead.
Connecting Screen
While the RTC is scanning for or connecting to a base station, you can still access the menu with a long-press on the touchscreen or encoder button. This allows you to start a firmware update, adjust settings, or perform a factory reset without waiting for a connection.
During a base station OTA update, this screen shows a progress arc with the label "Updating Base Station N%". The percentage tracks the base station's flash progress and the arc fills as the update proceeds. The RTC returns to its normal main display once the base station finishes and reconnects. See Firmware Updates for the full update workflow.
Menu Navigation
The main menu and all sub-menus share these navigation behaviors:
- Animated selection: the currently selected item is visually highlighted and scales up, while surrounding items fade based on distance. This makes it easy to see your current position at a glance.
- Wrap-around scrolling: scrolling past the last item wraps back to the first item, and scrolling above the first item wraps to the last. You can continuously scroll in either direction.
- Position memory: when you open a sub-screen (such as Settings or Base Info) and then return to the menu, the menu remembers which item you had selected.
Navigate using swipe up/down or the rotary encoder, and tap or press the encoder to select.
Navigating Settings Screens
All settings and information screens share a consistent layout and navigation:
- Title bar at the top: tap it to go back to the previous screen
- Scrollable list of items below the title
- Back at the bottom as an additional way to return
- Scroll indicator: a thin arc on the right edge shows your position in the list
There are multiple ways to go back from any settings screen:
- Swipe right on the touchscreen
- Tap the title bar at the top
- Scroll to the Back item at the bottom
- Press the encoder when no item is focused
Navigate between items by swiping up/down, dragging vertically, or rotating the encoder. To change a value, tap it or press the encoder. For sliders, drag with touch or rotate the encoder while the item is selected.
Display Brightness
You can adjust screen brightness from 10-100% in Settings > Brightness. Lower brightness saves power and reduces glare in dark environments.