Can TB3 be the only connection to the Mac?

[shawnhonsberger]

Hi Everyone,

If my TB3 card ever arrives (I ordered it in April and still no word on progress) for my MTRX Studio, can the TB3 card be the only connection to the Mac as well as my Playback Engine? Or do I still have to connect Ethernet for DADman?

While DADman is very powerful, I find having to stay tethered (via Dante Ethernet connection as well as the Dante and Dadman apps) to it constantly cumbersome and would like to use it purely as a TB3 interface. I would like to natively control monitoring and other main functions in Pro Tools as well.

Thank you!

[its2loud]

It will need to be connected via Ethernet as well for any Eucon functionality with the DADMan software

[shawnhonsberger]

Nevermind, I just found this new video. TB3 can be the sole connection to the computer, including Dadman:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhYFIaRJc34

Thanks!

[its2loud]

Ahh. I stand corrected. Very nice. That’s a new configuration I did not know about.

[gives]

Not sure it totally pertains to your setup, but for me with my MTRX II it's going to help me immensely.

HERE IS a new Video release two days ago. I can finally share it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUwp6m2cjOk


G

[shawnhonsberger]

Yes, it is interesting. And the MTRX II video was also helpful. Underneath the MTRX Studio video, there is an answer from Avid to a question in the comments that really scared me:

"Hello, Does this Thunderbolt card for the MTRX studio include the automatic delay compensation capabilities for pro tools that you would get with the previous HD Native Thunderbolt box?"

@avid.protools
"Hello there.... There is actually no ADC for any MTRX interface, even over HDX or HDN."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhYFIaRJc34

Does this mean that there is no delay compensation for the MTRX Studio when used as an interface? Does Pro Tools not know the inherent latency of the MTRX Studio (.7ms, 1.7ms TB3) and can it not compensate for it when you're tracking in Pro Tools?

I was hoping to use the high quality preamps and instrument inputs for tracking myself, but if Pro Tools Ultimate doesn't apply delay compensation how will I be able to monitor myself without undue latency? I am very senstive to latency when tracking, and while I am okay with the 1.7ms that the TB3 connection will give me, I'm not sure if I could handle more. I ask because I can't test it as the TB3 card hasn't arrived. Thank you, for any assistance anyone can provide!

[its2loud]

Originally Posted by shawnhonsberger

Yes, it is interesting. And the MTRX II video was also helpful. Underneath the MTRX Studio video, there is an answer from Avid to a question in the comments that really scared me:

"Hello, Does this Thunderbolt card for the MTRX studio include the automatic delay compensation capabilities for pro tools that you would get with the previous HD Native Thunderbolt box?"

@avid.protools
"Hello there.... There is actually no ADC for any MTRX interface, even over HDX or HDN."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhYFIaRJc34

Does this mean that there is no delay compensation for the MTRX Studio when used as an interface? Does Pro Tools not know the inherent latency of the MTRX Studio (.7ms, 1.7ms TB3) and can it not compensate for it when you're tracking in Pro Tools?

I was hoping to use the high quality preamps and instrument inputs for tracking myself, but if Pro Tools Ultimate doesn't apply delay compensation how will I be able to monitor myself without undue latency? I am very senstive to latency when tracking, and while I am okay with the 1.7ms that the TB3 connection will give me, I'm not sure if I could handle more. I ask because I can't test it as the TB3 card hasn't arrived. Thank you, for any assistance anyone can provide!

I think you're misunderstanding ADC. HDX ( and HD Native) offers low latency processing through the DSP mixer, not the interface. The same is for Carbon.

Pro Tools ADC is for compensating plugin induced latency. Also, the latency you experience will depend on your buffer settings.

With the MTRX Studio, MTRX, or any other third party low latency hardware device you are stuck with whatever built in hardware latency of that device. In the case of MTRX, MTRX Studio, and any other DAD made device, this is near zero latency. You will experience near zero latency when your cue sends are made within the DADMan monitoring profile. Not within Pro Tools.

You still get ADC in Pro Tools with this interface connected via thunderbolt.

[shawnhonsberger]

I see, thank you for correcting my misunderstanding.

So as long as I build my cue in Dadman, I'll be monitoring at near zero latency when tracking as I'll be monitoring at the hardware level and not the software output level?

Can you also clarify that the buffer size would not affect the latency of say, a vocal, since the cue mix will be in Dadman in the hardware and not monitored in Pro Tools?

I was hoping to track and monitor in the same app and get away from the two app paradigm e.g. UA Console + Pro Tools, etc. But if I can get near zero latency of what I'm tracking in Dadman to the headphones (especially hopefully with the short delay setting) then I'm game to try. If my TB3 card ever arrives, that is. :)

Thanks, again

[uptheoctave]

Edit: Its2loud got there in before me. :)

[Darryl Ramm]

In addition to what its2loud says… there is nothing super special about HD Native latency compared to many good Core Audio or ASIO interfaces. Many of which will also give you less problems than some of the stuff going on with HD Native recently.

Latency while monitoring is one thing, time alignment of what is recorded is a different thing. Pro Tools and all DAWs correct for that input and output latency by shifting the played back and recorded signals. This happened on all systems, HDX, HD Native, CoreAudio, ASIO, etc. All DAWs have to do this or they would have horrific time alignment/phase problems. This has nothing to do with ADC, which as mentioned above is for inserts only… plugins and HW inserts.

And be aware there are several unfixed bugs related to this stuff, including a simple one of if you enable ignore errors you can see the input latency correction become incorrect. Pro Tools seems to have more bugs related to timing, input latency correction, ADC, etc. than other leaving DAWs. I hope the next release of Pro Tools fixes some of those problems and is not just all about copying Ableton.