Quote:
Originally Posted by JFreak
Of course it is, mentioned multiple times already. But hey, one more time: only way to get +32 i/o is to use HDN or HDX hardware, anything else and you are only seeing first 32 i/o
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There's a workaround with UAD. It's one of Apollo's best points with pro tools. I hate UAD overall but this is good.
Console at the moment can monitor up to 4 linked apollos. So, 64 inputs.
Because console is it's own mixer and has a pro tools specific mode, you can actually make setups to tell pro tools WHICH 32 inputs to see, rather than just the first 32.
So what you can do is, have all your stuff still being monitored in Apollo console with up to 64 ins simultaneously, but you just flip the inputs pro tools sees at recording time for the second pass. So you make 2 passes of recording of 32 channels each.. not a big deal at all.. I am monitoring 42 inputs in console at present, no issue at all. I just record the ones I want to record with the "pro tools mode".
Console is basically the digital version of an analog mixer. It's the same thing in practise.. in a 32 into 8 analog mixer, even if you are listening to 32 channels, you can only record 8 at a time. Same principle. But with Console you can record 32 at a time, and the limitation is from PT's end (as you already stated), rather than the mixer's.
This really is a *very* silly decision on Avid's part.. other things I can understand.. For example, int he ultimate software, they put the features that people wanting to just make stereo music don't really need. But to hard limit the synthesiser inputs to 32, is really annoying to the target market OF the pro tools vanilla software.. and I guarantee you, those who can't make do with 32, are NOT going to spend thousand of dollars extra to go to Pt ultimate and HD i/o, they are just going to go to a different DAW instead. This is why it's just a very, very poor business decision on Avid's part, trying to force those who could never afford it into HD or HDX with noisy HD i/o. At the very least they should make it 64 like Logic allows. (cubase is a lot more, as are most DAWs).
If I wasn't using Apollos, i wouldn't have put up with it, I only do so cause of the "pro tools mode" workaround.
That said, i AM going to go to HDX...
but I am going to do it in a different way than Avid would want.
The main reason is to have 64 inputs with room to go to 100 which is my ultimate goal, and to get automation trim but most importantly, sidechain delay compensation and proper integration. I can get rid of my analog mixers which I have in addition to the Apollos.. and literally run everything directly into pro tools itself and never actually have to track to audio like I do with Apollos. I would be able to keep all my outboard synths entirely in the midi domain, which is crazy.. and have all the full benefits of the pro tools mixer with delay compensation. Nothing can beat this integration.
But I am going to do it in a way that benefits Avid very little. I am going to buy a used HDX card for half price, and a sonnet chassis that holds two cards which I will put in a box in the furthest corner of the room.
I will then buy the only two HD interfaces I know of without noisy hideous fans, the antelope Orion HD.. 32 analog inputs built in on each.. and getting two of them is the same price as just *16* analog inputs of Avid HD i/o. The only thing that Avid gets from me is the upgrade to ultimate software and digilink license.
This is because of their ridiculous prices and noisy i/o.. the HD i/o is NOT better quality than the converters in the antelope.. and there's another bonus.. antelope also has DSP effects of it's own that you can use in conjunction with HDX (need to double check this but I saw something on their page showing how you could monitor through their own effects and have sample accurate compatibility with PT HD).
Antelope do scare me as a company, but this is one of their more popular interfaces that have a more decent reliability reputation, and won't rely on a core audio driver as they are simply interfaces for Avid's own HD driver. So.. yeah, this is the only way that makes sense to me to do it.
A year later, i'll get a second HDX card to put in the chassis once I have saved again, and another antelope. Just have a completely uniform system with all the same inputs. Since they don't have mic pres, I'll use a couple high quality pres with adat out (the antelope has full hi res adat in) for when I need to do a vocal or acoustic. Simple.
if avid stopped the noise and made their interfaces and cards the price they should be, I'd be happy to support them directly.
But to give an example.. i'd need over 30 THOUSAND australian dollars to match a similar setup I have now but with official avid i/o and brand new HDX cards.. vs about 14 I spent on 3 apollos, 3 octopre adats and 85 paid UA plugins.
OH, this info benefits OP as well.. cause he does NOT need noisy avid interfaces to have more than 32 inputs.
he could go PT native HD, not HDX, and use 2 of the antelope orion HD, and monitor entirely through their DSP and not worry about taxing the native CPU at 32 buffer to get similar latency :)