Overview
Channel groups are one of the most powerful features of the WVC product line. They let you assign RCA output channels, across one or more WVC units, into logical groups that can be controlled independently or in a relative (chained) relationship. This article explains how channel groups work, how to configure them, common deployment architectures, and how to use multiple WVC units together in a single wireless mesh.
What Is a Channel Group?
A channel group is a collection of one or more RCA output channels that are controlled together by a single encoder or knob action. Each group can be given a custom name (for example, "Front", "Sub", "Rear") that appears on the knob display, the RTC screen, and in the app. You can have as many channel groups as you have channels, and each group can be set to one of two modes:
- Standalone: Volume is fully independent of all other groups.
- Relative: Volume moves proportionally to a parent group. Example: If Channel Group 2 (subwoofer) is set to Relative to Group 1 (mids/highs) at 50%, and you turn your mids/highs down to 50%, your subwoofer output will automatically be at 25%, maintaining the same relative balance.
Default Channel Group Configuration
By default, all output channels on a unit are assigned to a single channel group, so the knob controls all channels together. You can reconfigure this in the AuralSync app under Advanced > Channel Groups.
Switching Between Channel Groups on the Knob
Single Encoder Knob
- Single click the top of the knob. The default action is to toggle between Fast Mode and Slow Mode volume stepping. The click action is configurable in the LF Audio AuralSync app; the alternative is Mute (short press mutes and unmutes the output).
- Double-click the top to cycle to the next channel group.
Multi-Encoder Knobs (Dual, Concentric, Quad)
On knobs with more than one encoder, each encoder controls a channel group, giving you simultaneous, instant control of multiple groups with no button presses. The Dual Knob and Concentric Knob have two encoders; the Quad Knob has four.
By default the encoders are spread evenly across however many channel groups your system currently has, and this mapping updates automatically whenever you add or remove a group:
- Two groups: the encoders split evenly. On a Quad knob, the left knob (both left rings) controls Group 1 and the right knob (both right rings) controls Group 2.
- As many groups as encoders: each encoder gets its own group. On a Quad knob with four groups, each ring controls one group.
- More groups than encoders: the extra groups are reached by double-clicking, the same way a single-encoder knob cycles through them.
Channel Group Mode (firmware 4.1.2 or newer)
The Dual, Concentric, and Quad knobs add a Channel Group setting that controls how the encoders map to your groups. To find it, long-press an encoder to open the menu, then open Knob Settings. It offers three modes:
- Linear (default): a double-click shifts the encoders together to the next set of groups, keeping them evenly spread. On the Quad knob the two rings of each physical knob move as a pair. The mapping re-balances itself across the current number of groups, so it stays sensible after you add or remove one.
- Dynamic: each encoder advances to the next group on its own when you double-click it, independent of the others. Use this when you want to point individual encoders at different groups on the fly.
- Manual: you assign each encoder to a specific group yourself, and those assignments stay put. Double-clicking no longer changes the mapping.
Linear and Dynamic always re-balance the encoders across the current number of groups, so a double-click is only a temporary nudge. Only Manual mode makes a per-encoder assignment stick.
The single-encoder knob does not show this setting: with one encoder there is nothing to distribute, so it always controls the active group and a double-click cycles to the next one.
Assigning Encoders in Manual Mode
When you set Channel Group to Manual, an Assign Encoders... item appears in Knob Settings:
- Long-press an encoder to open the menu and go to Knob Settings.
- Set Channel Group to Manual.
- Open Assign Encoders....
- For each row (Encoder 1, Encoder 2, and so on), rotate to choose the channel group that encoder should control. The group's custom name is shown if one is set, otherwise "Group 1", "Group 2", and so on.
- Select Back to save. Your assignments apply immediately and persist across sleep and power cycles.
Manual mode is ideal when two encoders should share one group (for example, both left rings on a Quad knob set to "Front" while the right rings handle "Sub" and "Rear"), or any time you want a fixed, predictable layout that does not shift when the group count changes.
Chaining Relative Groups
Firmware supports chaining relative channel groups. For example:
- Group 1 (Highs): Standalone, master volume
- Group 2 (Mids): Relative to Group 1
- Group 3 (Subwoofer): Relative to Group 2 In this configuration, turning down Group 1 cascades the volume reduction through Groups 2 and 3 proportionally. Each group can still be independently adjusted within its relative range.
Understanding Active Channels
Before planning your deployment, it helps to understand what an "active channel" means in this context:
- A mono signal occupies one active channel (a single RCA connection carrying one signal).
- A stereo signal occupies two active channels: a left and a right RCA connection carrying different audio data. This distinction matters when deciding how to assign your inputs and outputs across one or more WVC units.
Deployment Architectures
There is no one-size-fits-all answer for how to wire a WVC into your system. The right topology depends on how many amplifiers you have, whether you're using a DSP, and how much independent control you need. The following scenarios illustrate common approaches.
Scenario 1: Two-Channel Unit Controlling Two Amplifiers (Mono Channels)
A 2-channel WVC has one left and one right output. If you want to control two separate amplifiers independently (for example, a subwoofer amplifier and a mids amplifier), you can route one mono signal to each:
- Channel 1 (left): Subwoofer amplifier
- Channel 2 (right): Mids/highs amplifier Assign each channel to its own channel group. You can then switch between groups on the knob (double-click) to adjust subwoofer and mids levels independently. This gives you complete independent control of your entire system from a single 2-channel unit.
Scenario 2: Two-Channel Unit with Multiple Amplifiers on the Same Signal (Y-Splitter)
If you have a stereo left/right signal and want to feed it to more than one amplifier, you can use a Y-splitter, passive RCA splitter box, or an active device such as the LF Audio Multi-Amplifier Synchronizer or DD Audio ZDL to split the output to multiple amplifiers. All amplifiers on the split will be attenuated together as a single channel group.
See the warning below about what not to do with Y-splitters: splitting outputs to multiple amplifiers is fine; combining inputs is not.
Scenario 3: Six-Channel Unit for Full System Control
A 6-channel WVC provides six independent inputs and six outputs. A typical full-system deployment:
- Channels 1-2 -> Front left / front right -> Mids amplifier
- Channels 3-4 -> Rear left / rear right -> Highs amplifier
- Channels 5-6 -> Subwoofer left / subwoofer right -> Subwoofer amplifier Each stereo pair can be assigned to its own channel group for independent control, or grouped together as a master volume.
Scenario 4: WVC with a DSP: Master Volume + Independent Subwoofer Control
A common and flexible topology when using a DSP:
- Your source signal enters the WVC inputs.
- The WVC outputs feed the DSP. This channel group acts as master volume control.
- The DSP processes the signal and sends its outputs to your mids/highs amplifiers directly.
- The DSP also loops one output back into a second WVC input channel, which then feeds the subwoofer amplifier. This channel group provides independent subwoofer level control. This gives you a master volume knob for the whole system plus a separate subwoofer trim, all from one WVC unit.
If you are running a full DSP-based system with proper stereo signals on all channels, running mono signals into the WVC is generally not recommended. The DSP loop-back topology above is better suited to those builds.
Using Multiple WVC Units Together
The WVC wireless encrypted mesh allows you to link multiple WVC base units together. A single knob can connect to and control multiple units simultaneously. Channel groups can span channels that reside on different physical units.
Example: You have two 6-channel units linked together, for 12 total channels. You might assign:
- Channels 1 to 4 (Unit 1) to Channel Group 1, set to standalone (master volume).
- Channels 5 to 12 (across both units) to Channel Group 2, set to relative to Group 1, so they always track at a fixed percentage of the master.
A single mesh supports up to 23 channel groups across linked units, giving you fine-grained independent control over a large number of output channels.
Linking Units
Replace 'Pair Additional WVC wizard' with the actual on-device label 'Pair WVC' (the underlying firmware-version gate of >= 2.0.0 is correct). For the app, point users to 'Mesh Network > Add Unit'. Follow the on-screen pairing steps to add each secondary unit. Once linked, all channels from every unit appear in the Channel Groups configuration screen.
Relative Channel Groups in Detail
When a channel group is set to Relative, its volume is always expressed as a percentage of its parent group's current level.
Example:
- Group 1 (master) is at 100% -> Group 2 (relative at 50%) outputs at 50%
- Group 1 drops to 50% -> Group 2 automatically outputs at 25% (50% of 50%)
- Group 1 drops to 0% -> Group 2 is also at 0% This allows you to set a permanent balance between amplifier sections that is maintained automatically as you adjust master volume, without needing to touch the subwoofer or secondary group separately.
Warning: Never Use a Y-Splitter to Combine Input Signals
A common mistake is attempting to use a Y-splitter to merge two stereo signals into a single RCA input. For example, combining a front left/right pair and a rear left/right pair into one input in order to control more amplifiers with fewer channels.
Do not do this. Here is why:
Signal Cancellation
Stereo audio contains different data on the left and right channels: different frequencies, different timing, and often intentional phase differences. When you electrically combine two RCA signals using a Y-splitter, the voltages from both sources are summed on the same conductor. If the two signals are out of phase with each other (even partially), they partially or fully cancel:
- Two signals that are 180 degrees out of phase produce zero output, a completely flat, silent signal.
- Two signals that are partially offset produce incoherent noise, a garbled mix that does not resemble either original signal. Real music signals are not perfectly in phase, so combining them this way produces unpredictable, degraded audio, not a useful summed signal.
Output Device Conflict
Each RCA output is driven by an active circuit (typically an op-amp). When you connect two outputs together via a Y-splitter, the output stages of both devices are now directly connected and fighting each other's voltage rails. This is electrically harmful and can damage the output stages of your source device, DSP, or WVC unit.
The Right Solution
If you need more channels of independent volume control than your current unit provides, add another WVC unit and link it to your mesh wirelessly. Do not attempt to combine signals with a Y-splitter.
Splitting one output to multiple amplifiers (one output -> Y-splitter -> two amp inputs) is fine. Combining multiple outputs into one input is not.
Naming Channel Groups
You can give each channel group a custom name (up to 10 characters) such as "Front", "Sub", "Rear", or "Fill". Custom names appear everywhere groups are referenced:
- On the knob display when switching between groups
- On the RTC screen in the Channel Groups editor and volume display
- In the AuralSync app when managing groups
Names are set in the Channel Groups configuration screen (on the RTC or in the app) and automatically sync to all connected devices: knobs, other RTC units, and the app. Groups without a custom name display as "Group 1", "Group 2", etc.
On the RTC, when a channel pair belongs to a renamed group the display also appends the underlying physical channel(s). For example, a group called "Mids" covering Channels 5 and 6 displays as "Mids (ch5/ch6)". This makes it clear which physical RCA outputs each renamed group covers, so a renamed group never becomes ambiguous when you are wiring or troubleshooting.
Naming Voltage and Temperature Probes (firmware 3.10.0+)
In addition to channel groups, you can give the voltage input and each temperature probe a custom name. This is especially useful on the WVC PRO-6 where three temperature probes can monitor different parts of the system (for example, "Sub Amp", "Mid Amp", "Battery").
- Set custom names in the AuralSync app under the device's settings.
- Custom names sync automatically across the entire system. They appear on the RTC temperature legend, in the RTC color picker, in the base settings live voltage display, and in the app.
- The on-device touchscreen and the RTC update probe names live, without needing to reboot or leave the screen.
- If a temperature probe is unplugged on the WVC PRO-6, its label and graph line both hide cleanly so the display only shows probes that are actually reporting data.
Configuring Channel Groups in the App
- Open the AuralSync app and connect to your unit.
- Navigate to Device settings > Channel Groups.
- Add or remove groups: tap Add Group at the bottom of the tab to create a new group, or use the Delete Group button inside an empty group's expanded card.
- Tap each group name to rename it (optional, up to 10 characters).
- Move channels between groups: expand a group card, find the channel row, tap the swap-arrows icon, and choose the destination group.
- Set each group's mode: Standalone or Relative to [Group X].
- If Relative, set the percentage.
- Tap Save to push the layout to the base station. Unused groups are removed automatically.