Adjust MSx Device Volumes in EPIC
Quick Reference QR-AE-011 · Audio Enhancement EPIC · Rev 1.3 · Oct 2026
Three ways to change classroom volume, from every device at once down to one room, and which one to use.
📄 View or download this guide as a PDF
Click the PDF icon below to open it right here in your browser. In the viewer, use Download (top right) to save a copy, or the printer icon to print it.
A typical call: teachers say the office announcements are too quiet. If most rooms say the same thing, fix it for every device with Configure. If it's one room, use Classroom Volumes.
| Where | Changes | Use it for | Survives a Configure push? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Configure (device-type template) | All devices of one type | Building-wide complaints; setting the project baseline | It is the push |
| 2. Edit Device (pencil icon) | One device's template values | Rarely; see the warning in step 3 | No, unless that device is unticked at push time |
| 3. Classroom Volumes | One device's live mixer (inputs, EQ, outputs) | One loud or quiet room; troubleshooting | Yes |
1️⃣ First, check Include Audio (EPIC 3.x)
In Settings › Configure, open the device type's tab and look at Audio Settings › Include Audio before you change any volume.
MS-700 template with Include Audio set to No: no volume sliders are shown.
2️⃣ Configure all devices of a type
- Log into EPIC and click Settings, then the blue Configure tile.
- Pick the tab for the device type (MS-500, MS-500A, MS-700 …). An MS-600 uses the MS-500A tab.
- Under Audio Settings, set Include Audio to Yes so the volume sliders appear.
- Raise Main Volume and/or Intercom and Paging Volume (and check Bells and Notifications Volume further down).
- Click Save and Push settings. When EPIC asks whether to push, click Yes, tick the devices to update, and click Push Settings.
- Walk a few rooms and test a page, an intercom call and a bell.
EPIC 3.2.5: Settings (1) › Configure (2) › device tab (3). Include Audio Yes (4), Main Volume (5), Intercom and Paging Volume (6), then Save and Push settings (7). Values shown weren't saved.
3️⃣ Edit one device (use sparingly)
- In Settings, find the device in Known Devices and click its blue pencil.
- Scroll to Audio Settings. The sliders are the same as the Configure template.
- Change the value and click Save.
Known Devices: Devices tab (1); the pencil (2) opens that device's settings.
Configure Device for one MS-700 (1): Intercom and Paging Volume (2), Bells and Notifications Volume (3), Save (4). Nothing was saved.
4️⃣ Adjust one room live: Classroom Volumes
- Go to Settings › Classroom Volumes (the tab after System Settings).
- Pick the device from the drop-down. Only online devices are listed.
- Move the sliders. Changes apply live, and a Configure push doesn't undo them.
- Click a speaker icon to mute/unmute that input or output. Muting one input at a time is a quick way to find a noise source.
- Reset to Defaults returns this device's mixer to AE's defaults.
Classroom Volumes on an MS-700: tab (1), device (2), Intercom / Paging / Bells input (3), Speakers output (4), mute icon (5).
| MS-700 control (EPIC 3.2.5) | What it is |
|---|---|
| Classroom Microphones | The teacher/student mics into the room system |
| Remote Port 1 / 2 / 3 | Accessories on the RMT CTRL 1 to 3 ports (on older devices, the phoenix connectors) |
| Line Input 5 / 6 | The 3.5 mm aux inputs on the device |
| Intercom / Paging / Bells | Everything EPIC sends to the room. AE's 2.5 manual calls this Input 6. |
| Equalizer (5 bands) | 250 Hz to 8 kHz. Bypass Equalizer is ticked by default. |
| Speakers · Remote Port outs · ALD Output | Room speakers, accessory outputs, assistive listening |
Input names and counts differ by model. AE's 2.5 manual describes the older layout (Inputs 2 to 5 as aux, Input 6 as intercom/paging). Each input ranges from 0 dB (max) down to −72 dB.
What the settings do
| Setting | What it controls | AE default |
|---|---|---|
| Main Volume | Overall speaker output. VSC practice: keep it at or under 80% except in extreme cases. | Varies by model; 80% on the demo MS-500A template |
| Intercom and Paging Volume | Live SIP audio: pages and intercom calls | 60% (0 to 100%) |
| Bells and Notifications Volume | Bells and notifications such as Lockdown or Severe Weather | 60% (0 to 100%) |
| Priority | Which wins in a conflict: Bells and Notifications, or Paging and Intercom | Bells and Notifications |
| Microphone Gain / Ambient Mic Volume | How sensitive the classroom mic is. Higher helps the office hear the room. 3.x labels it Ambient Mic Volume (A/D Amplifier Gain) on some models. | 39 dB mic gain (2.5 manual) |
| Background Music Volume | Music streamed from the office device (e.g. CLAUDIA). Set higher so the source controls the level. | 80% |
| Background Music Buffer / IP / Port | Stream buffer, allowed source and port. EPIC 3.x shows IP and port as one address, e.g. rtp://0.0.0.0:5555. | 600 ms · 0.0.0.0 (any source) · 5555 |
Field tips
- Pushed new volumes but nothing changed? Include Audio was No on that template. Set it to Yes and push again.
- One room went back to the old level? It was set with Edit Device and a later Configure push reset it. Set it in Classroom Volumes instead.
- Main and Intercom/Paging were too low? Check Bells and Notifications Volume too. That's how loud emergency notifications play.
- Hum or noise in one room? In Classroom Volumes, mute one input at a time until it stops.
📚 Sources & credits
- Compiled by Brad Roy, VSC Director of Operations (from his original VSC Knowledgebase article)
- Audio Enhancement, EPIC 2.5 Admin Manual DC-40654.0924: Configure, Save and Push Settings (pp. 28 to 30); Adjust Classroom Volumes (p. 103); Settings Definitions (pp. 111 to 114)
- Checked on VSC's EPIC 3.2.5 demo server (VSC High School), 10/1/2026; nothing saved or pushed for the screenshots. Items marked VSC practice are VSC field guidance.