Control4 Driver v20: Independent Audio Routing


Driver v20 adds a new Independent Routing property for matrices running in Sink Mode, along with the ability to lock or unlock individual audio zones to their current input. This article explains what the feature does, where it applies, and how to enable it in Composer Pro.

Independent Routing applies to the neo:X+, neo:XSR, and neo:XMR Control4 drivers only — these are the only Neo Matrix models with a dedicated audio matrix. It is not applicable to neo:4, neo:6a, or neo:8a, which use fixed source audio extraction rather than matrixed audio zones.

What Independent Routing Does

By default, when a matrix is in Sink Mode, each audio output zone automatically follows the video route on that output — if you change what's being displayed, the audio switches with it.

Independent Routing lets you break that link. Once enabled, any audio zone (A–J, depending on model) can be locked to its current input. A locked zone keeps playing that audio source even if the video routing on that output changes later. An unlocked zone continues to follow video as normal.

This is useful where a room's audio needs to stay on a source independently of what's on screen — for example, keeping background music playing in a zone while someone switches the connected display to a different video source.

Independent Routing is only available in Sink Mode. It has no effect in Source Mode, where audio zones are already fixed 1:1 to specific inputs by design.

Requirements

RequirementDetail
Matrix firmware3.11 or higher
Driver versionv20 or later
Audio modeSink Mode (Routing Mode property)
Applicable modelsneo:X+, neo:XSR, neo:XMR
Independent Routing is disabled by default. Zones will continue to follow video routing as normal until this property is enabled.

Enabling Independent Routing in Composer Pro

1
Select the matrix driver.In System Design, select the neo matrix driver under the relevant room.
2
Confirm Routing Mode is set to Sink Mode.On the Properties tab, check the Routing Mode property. Independent Routing has no effect if the matrix is in Source Mode.
3
Set Independent Routing to Enabled.On the Properties tab, find the Independent Routing property and change it from Disabled to Enabled.
4
Open the Programming view and select the matrix as a Device Action.In Composer Pro, go to Programming (Ctrl+5), then find the matrix driver under Device Actions in the right-hand project tree.
5
Add a Set Output command.On the Commands tab, choose the relevant zone from the Output dropdown, then select the Set option under Input and choose the input you want that zone's audio locked to.
6
Scope the command to Audio.Next to the input selection is a second dropdown that scopes the command to Audio, Video, or both. Setting this to Audio routes that input's audio to the output zone independently, without affecting the video routing already in place — this is what "locks" the zone. To return the zone to following video, use the same command scoped to Video (or Audio + Video) instead.

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Need help setting up Independent Routing?

If you're not seeing the Independent Routing property or it isn't behaving as expected, get in touch and we'll help you check your firmware and driver version.

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