ProAudio — A Zone Has No Audio

If one or more zones on your ProAudio are producing no audio, work through the steps below in order. Check whether audio returns after each step before moving to the next.

Step 1 — Check the Zone is Powered and Not Muted

Open the ProAudio Config Tool and navigate to the Stereo Zones tab. Locate the affected zone and check these three icons:

• Zone Power — should appear white on a green background. If black on grey, the zone is off. Click to power it on.
• Soft Mute — should appear black on grey with sound waves. If white on green with a cross, the zone is muted. Click to unmute.
• Hard Mute — should appear white with a cross on a green background. If black on grey, the zone is hard-muted. Click to disable.

Step 2 — Check the Zone Has a Source Routed to It

On the Stereo Zones tab, find the Current Sources field for the affected zone. If it reads "None" or is blank, no input has been routed to this zone. Click the field to open the source selection list and choose the appropriate input.

Step 3 — Check the Volume Level

On the Stereo Zones tab, check the volume slider for the affected zone. Also check the Master Volume in the top section of the sidebar — if this is very low, it will affect all zones.

Step 4 — Check the Input Gain

Navigate to the Stereo Input tab and locate the input routed to the affected zone. Check the Gain setting. If it is set close to -24dB or muted, the source signal will be too low to hear. Adjust and test.

Step 5 — Check the Output Gain

Return to the Stereo Zones tab for the affected zone and check the Output Gain field. If set very low (close to -24dB), raise it to 0dB as a starting point and test.

Step 6 — Check for Zone Locking Conflicts

If this zone is locked to another zone, it may be following the routing or mute state of the controlling zone. Check the padlock icon on the Stereo Zones tab. If a lock is active, unlock it temporarily to test the zone independently.

Step 7 — Test the Physical Connection

• Check that the speaker or amplifier connected to this zone output is powered on and functional.
• Try connecting a known-working speaker or amplifier directly to the zone output to rule out a fault with the connected equipment.
• If using a ProAmp with this zone, check it is powered and the input is correctly connected from the ProAudio output.

Step 8 — Check Error Codes

In the Config Tool's Command History, look for any messages prefixed with ^!. Common errors that can cause a zone to produce no audio:

• Error 102 / 103 — DSP communication failure. This indicates a hardware-level issue. Contact Pulse-Eight support.
• Error 8 — Command issued while the unit is turned off. Ensure the matrix is powered on.

See the full ProAudio Error Codes article for a complete reference.