ProAudio: Setting Up 12V Triggers (Config Tool)


The 12V trigger outputs on a ProAudio switch send a 12V signal to an external device — commonly used to turn on an amplifier or projector automatically when a specific zone is activated.

You'll need the ProAudio Config Tool, available to installers with a Pulse-Eight Installer ID at monitoring.pulse-eight.com/Downloads/ProAudioConfigTool.
If you don't already have an Installer ID and User Auth Code, contact your local distributor or Pulse-Eight Sales and Support to get set up at monitoring.pulse-eight.com.
For help downloading and connecting the Config Tool itself, see Connecting to the ProAudio Config Tool.
Not every model has 12V trigger outputs — the ProAudio8, ProAudio16 and ProAudio16RS do not include them. This article applies to the ProAudio Matrices that feature 12V Trigger Ports

Assigning a Trigger to a Zone

Open the Config Tool, select your switch, and go to the Stereo Zones tab. Find the zone you want to trigger from, and set its Trigger field to the trigger number you want to use — either by typing the number directly or using the up/down arrows.

Setting Analog Zone 1's Trigger field to 1.
More than one zone can be assigned to the same trigger.

Managing Triggers

Switch to the Triggers tab to see all trigger outputs and which zones are currently assigned to each one.

The Triggers tab lists every trigger output and its connected zones.

Each trigger has a Current State setting, defaulting to Auto:

StateBehaviour
AutoThe trigger activates whenever any assigned zone is powered on, and switches off once every assigned zone is powered off.
Always OffThe trigger never activates, regardless of zone power state.
Always OnThe trigger stays on permanently, regardless of whether an assigned zone is powered on.
Current State options for a trigger.
"Powered on" specifically means the zone's power state — the same thing controlled by muting a zone off entirely, not just whether it's currently at a low volume or paused on silence.

Coax and Optical Outputs

There's no direct way to fire a 12V trigger from a Coaxial or Optical output's power state. A workaround is to set a Digital Zone to mirror an Analog Zone, then assign the trigger to that Analog Zone instead — the trigger will fire whenever the mirrored analog zone is powered on. This does mean dedicating an analog zone to the mirror.


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Need help with your 12V trigger setup?

Our support team can help troubleshoot Config Tool or trigger wiring issues.

UK: 01202 413 610 | US: (858) 748-8250 | support@pulse-eight.com