The RTW TouchControl 5 is a Dante-based immersive monitor controller featuring extensive metering options. Drawing from RTW’s extensive history in the broadcast industry as market leaders in metering, this device offers a comprehensive range of features. Mix engineer Mark Gittins, owner of Sensound, the first certified Dolby Atmos studio in the UK Midlands, checked it out…

The Hardware
The TouchControl 5 is a sleek yet robust desktop device. It features a 5” touch screen, a single chunky and satisfying rotary control/push button, and an integrated calibrated microphone for talkback and SPL measurement.

On the rear of the device, there is an Ethercon network port which is PoE (Power over Ethernet) enabled, meaning as long as you connect to a PoE-enabled switch or use a power injector dongle, no additional power supply is needed. Additionally, there is a studio-grade microphone XLR input with software-switchable 48V, a studio-grade headphone output, and an analogue line out for external speakers.


Setting Up the TouchControl 5
Upon connecting the TC5 to my network switch, it was automatically assigned a network-compatible IP address via DHCP and was visible as a 32-channel Dante device in Dante Controller. Happy days!
 
The TC5 is fully user-configurable. For this review, I built a little Atmos controller with metering. At Sensound, I use the DAD MOM controller to switch between 9.1.4, 7.1.4, 5.1, 2.0 re-renders, and a stereo master reference source. However, since the TC5 can only access 32 channels of I/O via Dante, I had to streamline this to 9.1.4, 7.1, 5.1, and stereo reference.

To begin, I created a preset. Each preset has a defined channel width; in this case, it’s 9.1.4 to match my monitoring setup. I then routed my 9.1.4 outputs to my monitors connected to my Avid MTRX Studio, which is conveniently Dante-enabled. The first issue I encountered was that this Dante routing bypassed my speaker calibration set up within the MTRX Studio. However, the TouchControl 5 offers level, polarity, delay, and 4-band EQ options per speaker, allowing for internal calibration. Although I didn’t attempt calibration due to time constraints, RTW plans to implement more EQ bands via a future firmware update and add the ability to import calibration data from external programs.

Once the output was configured and tested via a demo song, I set up input sources (9.1.4, 7.1, 5.1, and stereo). These re-renders are routed directly from the Dolby Renderer via Dante. A cool feature of the TC5 is the ability to customise the touch display on both the monitoring and metering pages using “instruments”—a collection of meters, buttons, speaker layout visualisations, etc. This customisation allows for creating personalised view pages for the touch screen. Very cool!
 
All setup, routing, and layout design are managed through a convenient web GUI. By typing the device’s IP address into your browser, you gain complete access to tailor the TouchControl 5 to your needs.


The Landing Page
The landing page features three tabs: System, Presets, and Info.

System: This tab allows you to import and export settings, alter the display brightness, set reference levels, and update firmware. It also includes features to lock the device, limiting operation to avoid unintentional use.


Presets: Here, you create your setups, saved as presets. A new feature links to a web resource where you can download pre-made presets from RTW’s Preset Collection. Clicking the edit button provides access to the preset’s I/O routing matrix—sources and destinations.

Applications: This section sets the layout of both the Monitoring and Metering screens using resizable buttons and meters. The level of control here is fantastic. Let’s explore some options:

• SPL Meter: Shows the measured sound pressure level in your room as a bar graph, number, or both.
• Downmix Instrument: Outputs your surround or immersive mix in stereo and mono, which can be monitored on speakers or headphones or sent to any destination in your audio network.
• Speaker Controls: Each speaker can be muted or soloed, and polarity can be inverted. LF Boost increases LFE channels by 10 dB, and Surround Attenuation reduces surround channels by 3 dB.
• Fader Instrument: Allows level control of any Dante channel in your network, with customisable fader configurations. Multiple faders can be combined to control groups of channels, with relative levels controlled using the TC5’s knob or touch screen. Up to four faders can be created for single channels or various formats.
• Toolbox Instruments: Include a Talkback feature allowing communication with any audio channel in your network, using the built-in mic, external XLR input, or any network channel, essentially creating an intercom device.

Conclusion
The TouchControl 5 offers an overwhelming range of features, many relevant to broadcast use. However, it also serves as a great toolbox for large-scale corporate and live events with extensive Dante networks. For those seeking an all-encompassing immersive monitor controller for their studio that also excels in metering, this device stands out for its flexibility and RTW’s renowned quality. It’s fantastic to see RTW’s passion for the product and their commitment to continual improvement with new features. Bravo, RTW—the TouchControl 5 is a hit with me.

Mark Gittins is an in-demand mix engineer and the owner of Sensound - the first certified Dolby Atmos studio in the Midlands and one of few approved immersive audio music studios outside of London. His regular clients include TED Talks, The Premier League, UEFA, Sky and the BBC. Mark has also worked on prestigious events such as the Euros at Wembley, the Commonwealth Games, Download festival, Glastonbury festival, and many more.