Getting Started

This guide walks you through installing the Zonal controller, activating your license, and provisioning your first Raspberry Pi monitor, from zero to live SPL monitoring.

Prerequisites

A Q-SYS Core on your LAN with a named gain component configured
A Windows or Linux machine to run the controller (or Docker)
A Raspberry Pi 3B+ or newer, connected to your LAN
A UMIK-1 USB calibration microphone
A valid Steeplestack license key — get one here

Step 1 — Install the controller

Download the latest installer from the customer portal for your platform:

Windows — run Steeplestack-Zonal-Controller.exe
Linux binary — chmod +x and run directly
Linux DEB — sudo dpkg -i steeplestack-zonal-controller_*.deb
Docker — see the Docker Deployment guide

On first run, a setup wizard asks for your Q-SYS IP address. After setup completes, the dashboard is available at http://localhost:8080.

Step 2 — Activate your license

Open the dashboard, click your username in the top-right corner, and select License. Paste your license key and click Activate.

For Docker or headless deployments, set the environment variable instead:

SPL_LICENSE_KEY=SS-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX

Step 3 — Add a monitor

In the dashboard, click Add Monitor.
Enter your Pi's SSH address (e.g. [email protected]) and a display name.
Optionally upload your UMIK-1 .cal calibration file.
Click Download Package. You'll get a ZIP containing the monitor app, mTLS certificates, and a pre-configured provisioning script.
Unzip and run:

# macOS / Linux
bash provision-pi.sh

# Windows (PowerShell — no WSL required)
.\provision-pi.ps1

The script copies everything to the Pi and installs a systemd service. The monitor card appears in your dashboard within 30 seconds.

Step 4 — Configure your zone

Click the zone card to open its settings panel:

SPL ceiling — the target maximum, e.g. 85 dB
Gain floor / ceiling — safety limits on how much gain Zonal can apply
Q-SYS component — the named gain block in your Q-SYS design

Click Save. Zonal immediately begins monitoring and will apply gain corrections whenever SPL exceeds the ceiling.

Step 5 — Add a schedule (optional)

Open the Schedule tab on the zone card to define different SPL thresholds per day and time — ideal for services with different volume expectations.