A hotel with 8–16 zones needs a separate music source and volume for each area, staff who can make adjustments on the spot, and a reception desk that can page the right area. This article presents a sample setup using the Ecler HUB zone manager, eMCONTROL1 control panels, WPaBT and WPaMIX-T, together with IC3 and IC6i in-ceiling loudspeakers and eMOTUS OD outdoor loudspeakers.
A mid-sized hotel usually has a lobby, restaurant, bar, swimming pool, garden, spa, gym, meeting rooms and corridors on each floor. Each area needs its own atmosphere, but the people operating it are receptionists, restaurant managers and spa staff, not audio technicians. The system therefore has to be clearly zoned, with only a few simple operations for each zone.
Setup overview
- Central equipment: the Ecler HUB1408 digital zone manager (up to 8 zones) or HUB1616 (up to 16 zones).
- Local control: an eMCONTROL1 wall panel in each area.
- Local music sources: the WPaBT wall-mounted Bluetooth receiver and the WPaMIX-T wall-mounted micro-mixer, sharing the same cable as the eMCONTROL1.
- Indoor loudspeakers: IC3 and IC6i in-ceiling loudspeakers. Outdoor loudspeakers: eMOTUS OD, rated IP65.
- Amplification: multichannel amplifiers supporting 70/100 V lines, for example the AURA series, with one channel per zone.
Choosing between HUB1408 and HUB1616
- HUB1408: 14 inputs, 8 outputs. The inputs consist of 2 line, 4 mic/line and 8 remote inputs (RJ45) that receive audio from the wall panels.
- HUB1616: 16 inputs, 16 outputs. The inputs consist of 4 line, 4 mic/line and 8 remote inputs.
- Both: each output is a zone, with its own music source selection, volume, mute and 3-band tone control.
- Built-in signal processing: 8-band graphic EQ, delay, crossover filters, compressor and limiter, frequency shifter for feedback suppression; latency below 1.5 ms.
- Four priority levels for announcements overriding the music.
Hotels with up to 8 zones use the HUB1408. For 9 to 16 zones, or 8 zones with expansion planned, use the HUB1616. Configuration is done with the HANGAR web application built into the unit, opened in a web browser, with no software to install.
eMCONTROL1: the control panel for each area
The eMCONTROL1 is a wall panel with an LCD screen and a single rotary knob. Depending on how it is programmed, staff select the music source and adjust the volume and tone for their own zone only, without touching other zones. Each HUB can connect up to 8 eMCONTROL1 panels.
The most convenient point is the cabling: a single CAT5 or better network cable from the HUB to the panel carries the control data, DC power and one balanced mono audio line in the opposite direction. This allows a WPa panel placed next to the eMCONTROL1 to send local music back to the central unit without pulling any additional signal cable.
Photo: an eMCONTROL1 installed next to a WPaMIX-T micro-mixer in a double box. Photo credit: Ecler.
WPaBT and WPaMIX-T: music and microphones right in the area
- WPaBT: a class 1 Bluetooth receiver (25 m range, version 5.0) in wall-panel format. It takes 24 V DC power from the eMCONTROL1 power bus and provides a playback-active signal so the system can apply priority automatically. Suitable for bars, gyms and meeting rooms, where staff or guests want to play music from a phone.
- WPaMIX-T: a wall-mounted micro-mixer that allows a microphone and a local music source to be plugged in. Suitable for meeting rooms, banquet rooms and pool areas with entertainment hosts.
Note the limits: the HUB has 8 remote inputs and connects up to 8 eMCONTROL1 panels. For a 16-zone hotel, give priority to placing panels in the 8 areas that are staffed; the remaining zones such as corridors, restrooms and the car park are controlled with the Ecler pilot app on a phone (Android, iOS) or left to run on a fixed configuration.
Choosing loudspeakers by area
- Corridors, restrooms, spa treatment rooms: IC3 (3-inch, 10 W RMS, 90 mm cut-out, 100 V taps: 1.5 / 3 / 6 W).
- Lobby, restaurant, bar, gym, meeting rooms: IC6i (6.5-inch, 2-way, 40 W RMS, 163° coverage angle, 100 V taps: 2.5 / 5 / 7.5 / 15 W).
- Outdoor walkways, balconies: eMOTUS3OD (25 W RMS, IP65).
- Swimming pool, garden, outdoor restaurant: eMOTUS5OD (40 W RMS, IP65, 100 V taps: 3.75 / 7.5 / 15 / 30 W).
- Large courtyards, outdoor event areas: eMOTUS8OD (100 W RMS, IP65).
Example: a 12-zone hotel
- 1. Reception lobby: IC6i, with eMCONTROL1.
- 2. Restaurant: IC6i, with eMCONTROL1.
- 3. Bar: IC6i, with eMCONTROL1 and WPaBT.
- 4. Swimming pool: eMOTUS5OD, with eMCONTROL1 and WPaMIX-T.
- 5. Garden: eMOTUS5OD.
- 6. Spa: IC3, with eMCONTROL1.
- 7. Gym: IC6i, with eMCONTROL1 and WPaBT.
- 8. Meeting room: IC6i, with eMCONTROL1 and WPaMIX-T.
- 9. Banquet room: IC6i, with eMCONTROL1 and WPaMIX-T.
- 10. Corridors on each floor: IC3.
- 11. Public restrooms: IC3.
- 12. Car park, entrance: eMOTUS3OD.
The central unit is one HUB1616 with 8 eMCONTROL1 panels for zones 1–4 and 6–9; the remaining four zones are adjusted through the Ecler pilot app. The shared sources are 2 music players connected to the line inputs. Reception uses an eMPAGE paging station (the HUB can connect up to 2 stations) to make announcements to individual zones or to the whole hotel.
Calculating amplifier power
The HUB outputs line-level signals, so each zone needs one amplifier channel. The calculation for a 100 V line: add up the power taps of the loudspeakers in the zone, then leave a margin of about 20%. For example, a corridor with 16 IC3 loudspeakers on the 3 W tap is 48 W; a restaurant with 10 IC6i loudspeakers on the 7.5 W tap is 75 W; a pool with 6 eMOTUS5OD loudspeakers on the 15 W tap is 90 W. These totals are within the range of a multichannel amplifier with 150 W per channel such as the AURA-4B150; when finalising the configuration, the power in 70/100 V mode must be checked against the manufacturer's documentation.
Photo: Hotel Bonito Ibiza (Spain), a multi-zone audio project using HUB1616, eMCONTROL1, WPaMIX-T and AURA amplifiers together with IC6i and eMOTUS OD loudspeakers. Photo credit: Ecler.
Paging and safety
- Announcements from the paging station take priority over the music according to 4 priority levels.
- The HUB has a MUTE port triggered by an external dry contact, which mutes the programmed zones when a signal is received.
- A background music system does not replace the emergency voice alarm system required by fire safety regulations.
Why this setup suits hotels
- Staff in each area make their own adjustments with a single rotary knob, with little training needed.
- One network cable per panel, for a tidy installation.
- Configured from a web browser, with presets for quick start-up.
- Gradual expansion: add zones, panels and paging stations within the limits of the HUB.
Liza Trading is the Ecler distributor in Vietnam and provides dealer training on HUB configuration. Dealers and contractors can send their floor plans and list of areas for advice on zoning and loudspeaker selection, and for support with bills of quantities. Advanced configuration is offered as a separate service; for installation, Liza connects you with installation partners suited to each project.
