Beolink® Master Control Link MCL30 & MCL82

Master Control Link (abbreviated MCL or Link) was a unit which made it possible to control and enjoy a music system from any room in the house that had a Link unit installed. It was operated by infra-red remote control.

The two systems - MCL30 and MCL82 were introduced in 1982. The '82' of MCL82 signified the year of its introduction. Both Link systems were predecessors to MCL2 (introduced in 1987) and MasterLink from the early 1990s.

Which Link system for which product?

Which Remote Control Units could be used?

This chart indicates which remote control units - Master Control Panel or Terminal - may be used in the Link room together with the various music systems:

Master Control Panels:

Terminals:

Outline of the two Master Control Link Systems:

The two Link systems consisted of two parts:

1. Transceiver (infra-red transmitter-receiver with some direct control buttons)

Dimensions 130 x 39 x 22mm

2. Relay box (containing control electronics and connections)

Dimensions: 160 x 110 x 35mm

The two parts were connected and, together with a set of speakers and a control cable, the parts constituted an extra "remote control terminal" for the music system. The control cable was an 8 mm cable run from the music system to the Link unit.
Extra rooms may be added on; all that was required was to install a Master Control Link and a set of speakers in each room and run a control cable from another Link or from a connection box.
The functions available on the music system remote control unit could be operated from Link rooms.

How did Master Control Link work?

The advantage of the Master Control Link is that it was possible to both operate and listen to music in another room. It was possible to listen to radio programmes, records and tapes, adjust volume and to switch the whole music system on and off from any room that had an MCL-unit installed. Operation was effected by means of the Master Control Panel or Terminal available for the music system (such as BeoSystem 5000).
The technical function of the Master Control Link was to pass a control signal to and from a BeoMaster or BeoCenter and to control switching of the speaker set connected.

MCL together with a music system with which a Master Control Panel could be used

When a Master Control Panel button was actuated, an infra-red signal was transmitted to the Transceiver which received the signal and transformed it into a digital code. This digital code was passed on through the relay box to the music system where the desired function was executed and confirmation that the function had been executed was sent back through the same lead. The Transceiver then fed back information to the Master Control Panel which indicated the function achieved on the display.
If the whole system was on stand-by and P1 was actuated on the Master Control Panel, then the following would happen:

• digital signals were transmitted through the Transceiver and the relay box to the Music System and started it on radio program 1
• digital signals were also passed to the microcomputer in the relay box and as the speakers were not switched on, this would be effected by the relay

If the next order concerned change of programme or a sound adjustment of the Music System the microcomputer checked the digital code prior to accepting it and passing it on to the Music System, and this is all that will happen in the relay box
The MUTE function, however, applied only to the room from which the system was being operated:

Only the speakers in this room were switched and the order was not passed on to the music system. A stand-by order from the Music System or from another Transceiver in a different room caused all speakers to be switched off.
After installation of a Master Control Link system with which a Master Control Panel was, testing had to be executed with the latter. This was in order to ensure that transmission both to and from the Music System was unimpeded. (Confirmation from the Music System is indicated on the Control Panel display.)

MCL together with music systems with which only Terminal could be used

When a switch on the Terminal is actuated an infra-red signal is transmitted to the Transceiver which receives the signal and transforms it into a digital code. This digital code is passed on through the relay box to the Music System where the desired function is executed.
Speaker control can only be carried out manually by pressing the speaker button on the Transceiver.
An exception to this is BeoCenter 7000/7002 where switching on is carried out automatically when operated with a Terminal, but switching off must be carried out by actuating the Transceiver speaker button.

What may be controlled from the Link room?

Chart of the functions which could be controlled from other rooms through the Master Control Link system by using a Master Control Panel (MCP) or a Terminal:

Operation from Transceiver

MCL82, Type 2041

If no Master Control Panel or Terminal was at hand in the Link room, operation may be executed, to a limited extent, from the Transceiver box itself. Below are the functions for speaker control and stand-by:

The TIMER was an extension of the time programming feature of BeoCenter 7007, 7700 and BeoMaster 5000.  This button was used to determine whether or not the speakers in this room should be coupled: e.g. when the music system had been programmed to switch on say, radio programme 2 at 17:30

MCL30, Type 2050

This transceiver did not allow actual music system operation. By means of only the speakers were switched on (did not switch on the music system).

Speaker functions in Main Room:

Index