Strange Avid Omni Channel Order Issues

[LDS]

I've really been struggling to find some kind of consistency with channel orders with my Avid Omni setup. Today I recalibrated things, and notice some strangeness with the monitoring channel order, meters and audio midi setup.

- My Avid Omni is configured for SMPTE 5.1 - L, R, C, LFE, LS, RS.
- My monitors are patched to match - L, R, C, LFE, LS, RS, 1 through 6.
- Playing test tone through each channel in Pro Tools confirms the correct configuration.

- The output meters on the Omni, however, always indicate a 5.1 FILM setup, L, C, R, LS, RS, LFE. I've tried adjusting the meter output I/O configuration in Pro Tools, but it has no effect. The metering always remains the same FILM order.

- Setting up the channel order within the "configure speakers" menu of Audio Midi Setup in OSX also doesn't match. To match the SMPTE configuration of my monitor tab setup for the Omni, and the physical wiring of my speakers it should look like the default:

L = 1
R = 2
C = 3
LFE = 4
LS = 5
RS = 6

But to get the test tones within the configure speakers panel to match the appropriate speakers, I need to set it to the FILM standard.

L = 1
R = 3
C = 2
LFE = 6
LS = 4
RS = 5



That doesn't make a lot of sense to me at all, given that my left and right speaker never actually move from physical outputs 1&2. Yet on the meters, it shows as output 1&3. It is really messing with my head.

Can anyone else with an Omni and a 5.1 setup confirm that they are seeing similar behaviour? It seems like the output meters and the core audio implementation for the Omni are defaulting to FILM, rather than following the monitoring setup channel order, or defaulting to the standard SMPTE channel order that Apple seem to use within their 'configure speakers' panel. iTunes uses output 1&2 for stereo, just like the 'configure speakers' default panel would suggest. Changing the channel order in that panel has zero effect on what speakers itunes is playing from.

Running 2020.5 here - and I'm sure the meter weirdness is a new thing.

[Tim R.]

I can confirm this. I have puzzled over this since I did my 5.1 setup (right when the OMNI came out). I've spent entirely too much time trying to figure it out and have just resolved to accept that the hardware meters are wrong.