MTRX Studio Incoming. Some questions.

[Marsdy]

I have an MTRX Studio arriving tomorrow. Super excited!

A few questions I hope someone can help me with (Jeff @Avid?)
1. The MTRX will be replacing a Dangerous Music DBox+ monitor controller. I piped Mac audio into this via it’s USB interface. Obviously I can’t do this with the MTRX Studio. I’ve been watching some Avid videos and seen mention of Dante Virtual Soundcard being used to route Mac sound into the MTRX Studio where it can be used as a monitor source. This seems like a good solution. I was wondering if Mac sound can can also be routed to Pro Tools whilst also being an MTRX monitor source if I wanted to pipe Mac audio into PT?

2. Following on from point one... I also want to pipe audio from Logic Pro X into Pro Tools via Dante. Probably 30 to 40 channels. I was going to try doing this with Dante Virtual Soundcard but can I do this if I’m already using DVS to pipe Mac Sound into the MTRX? I suspect latency might be an issue using DVS so may well end up with a Dante PCIe card - the Focusrite RedNet PCIeR. Can I use this simultaneously with DVS for Mac audio. In other words - can DVS and the RedNet PCIeR core audio driver feed the same Dante network feeding into the MTRX Studio

3. The room I’m in now is acoustically problematic! It’s too small to treat fully with bass traps and I’ve gone as far as I can go there. So... the SPQ feature of the MTRX Studio looks very appealing. I’m already very familiar with Fuzzmeasure and successfully used it to measure the room and optimally position bass traps. I’m wondering if there are any resources/instruction available for doing room correction with SPQ? I presume it’s a case of analysing the room, apply corrective EQ with SPQ, measure again and so on? This is all I’ve found so far... https://youtu.be/3NK7g0me50E
Just wondering if anyone has used SPQ for room correction and has any wisdom to share?

[lucienpalmer]

On #1, yes on both questions. I use DVS to output Mac sound (RX, Basehead, YouTube, etc) into the MTRX to the monitors. Once in there, you can redirect to PT for recording. I’ve done it a bunch. If you are on a 7,1 MacPro, you will need a separate TB to Network adapter, because DVS doesn’t work via the built-in 10GB ports on Mac (yet).

You are right on #2. There is a delay. So only use for Logic if you can record into PT and move manually. You are better off adding the Rednet PCI Dante card like you suggested.

#3, can’t help. Haven’t used the SPQ card. I use Q-Sys for room tuning.

[Marsdy]

Originally Posted by lucienpalmer

On #1, yes on both questions. I use DVS to output Mac sound (RX, Basehead, YouTube, etc) into the MTRX to the monitors. Once in there, you can redirect to PT for recording. I’ve done it a bunch. If you are on a 7,1 MacPro, you will need a separate TB to Network adapter, because DVS doesn’t work via the built-in 10GB ports on Mac (yet).

You are right on #2. There is a delay. So only use for Logic if you can record into PT and move manually. You are better off adding the Rednet PCI Dante card like you suggested.

#3, can’t help. Haven’t used the SPQ card. I use Q-Sys for room tuning.

Thanks Lucien very helpful. On a 7.1 Mac Pro so TB to network adapter ordered! I’ll be monitoring Logic live in PT whilst it’s sync'd so it looks like I’ll be needing the RedNet PCIe card.

[creativecontrol]

Just to add on to Lucien's response... DVS is super handy for monitoring of any individual or multiple outputs flowing out of any Mac application or any other workstations containing applications on your Dante network. Although DVS is incredibly useful for monitoring and playback, there are some limitations with recording applications where you desire lower latency. The lowest latency buffer in DVS starts at 4ms where the Focusrite PCIe card can be set as low as 1/4 ms - just like the KLANG quelle or the MTRX or MTRX Studio interfaces.


Any inputs (including DVS -> patched via Dante Controller) can not only be used in your Monitor Profile, but also patched to -> DigiLink inputs for re-recording in Pro Tools. You can even do some clever stuff where you take the output of Pro Tools DigiLink and patch it back into DVS to re-record as discussed in this video:
https://youtu.be/EZzMEbKW_fU

DVS can be up to 64 channels @ 48k with the 4ms buffer - so you likely have enough channels to use this engine in Logic - however you will certainly enjoy the latency specifications of a dedicated PCIe based solution over the virtual software driver of DVS. Yes, DVS and the PCIe-R can be configured to both live on the same Dante network and both be addressable, patchable and accessible via Dante Controller.

SPQ is incredibly powerful and very capable. Many folks have tuned their Dolby Atmos rooms with it from simple 7.1.4 all the way up to larger HE based rooms pushing 22 speakers. (MTRX Studio can tune up to a 9.1.6 for example since it supports 16 channels) Let me see if I can find you some additional resources that would be useful.

best,


Jeff

[uptheoctave]

Some perhaps helpful information on point 2- if you have the PCIE-R card then you may not need to use DVS.

I use a Focusrite Red 16Line, rather than the PCIE-R card as it was my previous interface to the MTRX (in my case the full fat version but the principle is the same).
I just connect 32 Dante channels between the Red 16Line and the MTRX.

The other advantage with Dante is you can send an output multiple inputs (transmitters and receivers in Dante-speak).
This means the first 32 inputs to Digilink (16 preamps, 16 channels of synths) show up with the same channel markings in Pro Tools or in Logic.
I leave those routings in place permanently.
It just means I don't need to think about routing channel or sending things to different places.
It is really slick- see picture:



As you can see I'm only sending 16 channels from within the MTRX.
The synths are connected to a Focusrite A16R- I don't route those to the Red16Line via the MTRX as it chews up Dante channels unnecessarily.
Those channels are routed to the MTRX and to Red 16 Line from within Dante Controller.

The advantage of using DVS is you can separate Mac systems sounds, Youtube, Spotiify etc from Logic. That might be advantageous in certain circumstances.

Another advantage is I am able to serve up the Red 16Line's preamps as my talk back mics.
I'm not using them otherwise so it made sense to use them for talk back.

[lucienpalmer]

Originally Posted by uptheoctave

Some perhaps helpful information on point 2- if you have the PCIE-R card then you may not need to use DVS.

Yes, with the dante PCI Card, you wouldn’t need DVS for Logic. But I still highly recommend DVS on every computer in the studio. Super handy to have monitoring of system audio and other apps, directly to you mains. And in DADMan, each DVS source gets its own volume control, etc. Finally direct monitoring of all apps without routing through Pro Tools.

I also have a knob assigned on my S6 to control the volume for all of those. Love it!

On a related note, when setting up DVS on the MacPro, you can choose 8x8 channels, then in the Mac’s AudioMIDI control panel, you can set up the system output to be 7.1. Super useful for monitoring surround files out of Basehead or Soundminer. And RX lets you configure up to 5.1.

[Marsdy]

Originally Posted by creativecontrol

Just to add on to Lucien's response... DVS is super handy for monitoring of any individual or multiple outputs flowing out of any Mac application or any other workstations containing applications on your Dante network. Although DVS is incredibly useful for monitoring and playback, there are some limitations with recording applications where you desire lower latency. The lowest latency buffer in DVS starts at 4ms where the Focusrite PCIe card can be set as low as 1/4 ms - just like the KLANG quelle or the MTRX or MTRX Studio interfaces.


Any inputs (including DVS -> patched via Dante Controller) can not only be used in your Monitor Profile, but also patched to -> DigiLink inputs for re-recording in Pro Tools. You can even do some clever stuff where you take the output of Pro Tools DigiLink and patch it back into DVS to re-record as discussed in this video:
https://youtu.be/EZzMEbKW_fU

DVS can be up to 64 channels @ 48k with the 4ms buffer - so you likely have enough channels to use this engine in Logic - however you will certainly enjoy the latency specifications of a dedicated PCIe based solution over the virtual software driver of DVS. Yes, DVS and the PCIe-R can be configured to both live on the same Dante network and both be addressable, patchable and accessible via Dante Controller.

SPQ is incredibly powerful and very capable. Many folks have tuned their Dolby Atmos rooms with it from simple 7.1.4 all the way up to larger HE based rooms pushing 22 speakers. Let me see if I can find you some additional resources that would be useful.

best,

Jeff

Thanks Jeff! And thanks uptheoctave. It’s all coming together in my head now!

I’m a Dante newbie I’m afraid. Great that DVS and a Dante PCIe card can live happily to together. But I’m now wondering if I need both DVS for Mac audio and a Dante PCIe card for Logic? Can I share the PCIe card with both Mac system audio and Logic simultaneously... Is this dependent on the Core Audio driver for the PCIe card?

I’m guessing running DVS with 30 to 40 channels at 4ms is quite CPU intensive?

@uptheoctave
Your screen grab of Dadman is interesting. I’m planning wiring today and wondering if I actually need my hardware patchbay! With the amount and flexibility of I/O on the MTRX Studio and routing flexibility of Dadman I’m thinking I can probably do it all in the box.

[Marsdy]

Originally Posted by lucienpalmer

Yes, with the dante PCI Card, you wouldn’t need DVS for Logic. But I still highly recommend DVS on every computer in the studio. Super handy to have monitoring of system audio and other apps, directly to you mains. And in DADMan, each DVS source gets its own volume control, etc. Finally direct monitoring of all apps without routing through Pro Tools.

I also have a knob assigned on my S6 to control the volume for all of those. Love it!

On a related note, when setting up DVS on the MacPro, you can choose 8x8 channels, then in the Mac’s AudioMIDI control panel, you can set up the system output to be 7.1. Super useful for monitoring surround files out of Basehead or Soundminer. And RX lets you configure up to 5.1.

OK got it! That kind of answers the question in my last post. Now I’m semi-retired I no longer have my S6 but have a Dock coming tomorrow too! I presume monitor control over sources/destinations/levels etc. is a Eucon thing so everything assigned as a source/destination in the Dadman monitor profile is controllable from the dock.

[creativecontrol]

Yes indeed. It looks like this. Sources at the top include a few DVS feeds in my example.


And the dock augments the touch controls on the iPad with a physical dedicated Control Room encoder with push mute, etc.


Jeff

[lucienpalmer]

Originally Posted by Marsdy

@uptheoctave
Your screen grab of Dadman is interesting. I’m planning wiring today and wondering if I actually need my hardware patchbay! With the amount and flexibility of I/O on the MTRX Studio and routing flexibility of Dadman I’m thinking I can probably do it all in the box.

Ditch the patchbays!

You can make anything analog tap into the Dante network.


https://www.amazon.com/Audinate-Dant...9413421&sr=8-3