Omni with 192 Issues/Questions

[seanmccoy]

Originally Posted by Matt Hepworth

What are you trying to do? It is not easy to get 192 routed to the ADAT on the Omni, since both require ProTools to be running. There is no way to use Omni, exclusively, while being fed signals from the 192 outside of ProTools, where there is no reason to do so.

No, I'm not trying to use the hardware standalone. Always with Pro Tools. But I have several outside sound sources that I need permanently available just for monitoring while using Pro Tools. Theoretically, at least, I should be able to plug those into the 192's analog inputs and route them to the Omni's ADAT inputs. Then on the rare occasion where I need more than four recording channels I can alter the routings to have access to as many as 12. I think.

[seanmccoy]

Okay, I'm getting audio to PT just fine through the 192 analog inputs, but can't get anything via the ADAT connections. Everything's connected properly, and I've tried everything I can think of with the hardware routing, but no go on anything via ADAT. Is there some setup trick I'm missing?

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by seanmccoy

No, I'm not trying to use the hardware standalone. Always with Pro Tools. But I have several outside sound sources that I need permanently available just for monitoring while using Pro Tools. Theoretically, at least, I should be able to plug those into the 192's analog inputs and route them to the Omni's ADAT inputs. Then on the rare occasion where I need more than four recording channels I can alter the routings to have access to as many as 12. I think.

It's still not clear what you are trying to do or why.

If you are using something with Pro Tools it's not "stand alone"

And "everything is connected properly" does no help. What exactly is connected to what? The Omni and 192 IO TOSLINK are both set to ADAT not S/PDIF? You using chassis or digital card TOSLINK in the 192. Clear details of exactly what you are doing would help, as might screenshots showing the IO setup and hardware pages.

As already mentioned, the 192 has no internal monitoring mixer. It has no way of taking Analog inputs and putting them out on ADAT output.

Pro Tools itself do whatever you want it to in terms of routing inputs to outputs. But you say analog input to ADAT input... you mean you want analog input to ADAT output on the Omni? Again Pro Tools can do that, the hardware itself can't.

Maybe you need to describe what you are trying to achieve at a high level, get analog inputs from what exactly out to ADAT to what device for what purpose... and folks here will have more of a chance of helping you.

Or are you trying to use Pro Tools to go out the ADAT output on the 192 and then into the Omni ADAT input in stand alone mode? Uh why exactly?

You might be much better off with a stand alone monitor controller.

[seanmccoy]

Sorry if I wasn't clear. Nothing is standalone, Pro Tools is always open. For expanded recording, I'm all set. 192 is recognized and working, and I can choose and route any of its eight inputs.

The reason I want to access the ADAT signals is just for monitoring—not recording— additional signals through the OMNI mixer. But beyond its four analog inputs, the OMNI mixer will only pass S/PDIF and ADAT signals to the monitor path. Because Avid won't write a multi-client driver, I have a secondary sound card to audition audio from Sound Forge, Basehead and any other audio program I might have open simultaneously with Pro Tools. I also have Logic on a separate Mac, and sometimes need to reference audio from there during sessions. All of this needs input channels, and I don't want to have to create multiple aux channels in PT just to hear stuff. Does that make sense?

Regarding the ADAT signal from the 192, I've set the first eight outputs to Optical in the hardware setup and connected the dedicated, labelled ADAT out from the digital card to the OMNI ADAT in. Other than that I see nowhere else to specify digital format or routing settings. My Apogee Rosetta 800 can route analog inputs directly to ADAT outputs. Is it possible the 192 can't do this even when Pro Tools is running?

[albee1952]

I've read this twice and am still confused on what and why this is important. If all the 192 inputs work, then you can monitor them just as any input in any session(sorry, but I don't understand the need to fee outputs to the OMNI). Maybe you would be better off with a more "socked" Monitor/source switcher? Presonus Central Station is one option that works well here and allows me to listen to:
Pro Tools Main outs(analog)
non-PT audio via optical SPDIF(from computer)
Secondary computer station via Mbox2 Pro(RCA SPDIF out)
iPhones(clients) via a mini TRS cable that is patched and ready
I also feed a separate analog output that allows me to listen to tracks on a separate set of speakers(pre-fade send on every track, all muted and used instead of the solo button while tracking)

[seanmccoy]

Originally Posted by albee1952

I've read this twice and am still confused on what and why this is important. If all the 192 inputs work, then you can monitor them just as any input in any session(sorry, but I don't understand the need to fee outputs to the OMNI). Maybe you would be better off with a more "socked" Monitor/source switcher? Presonus Central Station is one option that works well here and allows me to listen to:
Pro Tools Main outs(analog)
non-PT audio via optical SPDIF(from computer)
Secondary computer station via Mbox2 Pro(RCA SPDIF out)
iPhones(clients) via a mini TRS cable that is patched and ready
I also feed a separate analog output that allows me to listen to tracks on a separate set of speakers(pre-fade send on every track, all muted and used instead of the solo button while tracking)

You have a bunch of reference sources available for monitoring through your Central Station without having to feed them to Pro Tools inputs, and I need exactly the same thing. Acting as a mini-mixer, the OMNI allows for monitoring sources without having to route them through Pro Tools (though it does have to be open), and with the Rosetta I was able to do just that via its ADAT outputs. I added the 192 because I sometimes need more actual Pro Tools inputs, but I don't want to also have to buy additional hardware just to be able to audition sound effects. But I fear the 192 is incapable of routing analog signals directly to its ADAT outputs.

[albee1952]

I see. Just my opinion, but I think you maybe using the wrong tool for the job. Might it be easier to feed the various sources into a small mixer and send a single stereo signal to the OMNI for monitoring?

Just to maybe confuse you even more, here is how I "SOLO" things while tracking(because using the SOLO buttons will affect aux sends and headphone mixes while talent is tracking);
Every track in my session has (in the last send slot) a muted Pre-Fade send at -0. Those all feed a single stereo output and show up as a source on my Central station(which would also work on an OMNI input, either analog or digital from your 192). I can select that input to be monitored, and by Ctrl-click on any send, I will hear that track(or combination of tracks). The side benefit of this is that I can also "solo" effect returns without worrying about Solo-Safe)

[Darryl Ramm]

I'm with Dave here, find the right hammer to hit the screw with.

I'm not sure why you still seem to be asking the question--the 192 has no onboard mixing/monitoring capability, it cannot route anything itself. It is pure IO for a DAW.

[seanmccoy]

Originally Posted by albee1952

I see. Just my opinion, but I think you maybe using the wrong tool for the job. Might it be easier to feed the various sources into a small mixer and send a single stereo signal to the OMNI for monitoring?

Just to maybe confuse you even more, here is how I "SOLO" things while tracking(because using the SOLO buttons will affect aux sends and headphone mixes while talent is tracking);
Every track in my session has (in the last send slot) a muted Pre-Fade send at -0. Those all feed a single stereo output and show up as a source on my Central station(which would also work on an OMNI input, either analog or digital from your 192). I can select that input to be monitored, and by Ctrl-click on any send, I will hear that track(or combination of tracks). The side benefit of this is that I can also "solo" effect returns without worrying about Solo-Safe)

Yes, a mixer would make more sense for simple monitoring purposes—though having everything running into the Omni has the added avantage of direct recording into Pro Tools if that were ever needed. In any event, I'm tapped out on new purchases for now and will make do with the setup I have. It's really a fairly minor inconvenience to create a monitoring track in Pro Tools when I need it.

Your soloing system is very tricky and creative. Definitely worth looking at more closely. Thanks for all your input.

[seanmccoy]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

I'm with Dave here, find the right hammer to hit the screw with.

I'm not sure why you still seem to be asking the question--the 192 has no onboard mixing/monitoring capability, it cannot route anything itself. It is pure IO for a DAW.

I made the incorrect assumption that, as an A/D, it could route its analog inputs directly to its ADAT outputs since I have other units that can do that. My bad.