Vitual soundcheck with MaxAir

[wavem]

Hi all, I will working in a TV show using a MaxAir console. I got a lot of experience using Venue consoles but I want to know if it's possible to record using a Madi interface like RME (Madiface) with a MB Pro for virtual soundcheck.

[DigiTechSupt]

wavem,


A few methods of doing this come to mind. The following two seem the best. A working knowledge of PatchNet is assumed.

Method 1:
• Mult the output of the Mic Preamps or other sources (Patch -> Sources) into both the Channel “A” inputs of the Max Air (Patch -> Console I/O -> A&B Inputs) and the inputs of the attached recorder/DAW (Patch -> Destinations).
• Patch the output of the DAW (Patch -> Sources -> DAW Out) to the Channel “B” inputs of the Max Air (Patch -> Console I/O -> A&B Inputs).
• Create two snapshots: one with the relevant channels’ inputs selected to “A” and one with them selected to “B”. NOTE: Unlike the System 5, the Max Air’s Input functions (switches and knobs) cannot be “snapshotted” individually; they snapshot as a group containing all input section objects. For example, where you can take a snapshot of just the A/B Select switch on the System 5, you cannot do this on the Max Air. The entire input section (Mic Gain, Phantom, Trim, etc.) is included with the A/B snapshot. For that reason, make sure you have committed to your settings on the input section (Gain, Phantom, Trim, etc.) before making these snapshots, or you may end up inadvertently changing Gain or other functions when you recall these snapshots. Due to this limitation, you may want to try...

Method 2:
This eliminates the the limitations of the method above, but uses twice as many DSP channels. Let’s assume this is a 48 channel project.
• Patch your Mics and other sources into the “A” input of channels 1-48. These are our MAIN channels that the show will be mixed on.
• Take the Insert Sends of Channels 1-48 and patch (mult) them to the “A” inputs of channels 49-96 (we’ll use these as “SWITCH” channels) as well as the input of the DAW.
• Patch the output of the DAW to the “B” input of SWITCH channels 49-96.
• Patch the Insert Send from the SWITCH channels to the Insert Return of the MAIN channels. Engage all Insert switches on the MAIN channels.
• Make two snapshots of the Input sections of the SWITCH channels: One with channels 49-96 in “A” input, one with them in “B” input mode. Once these snapshots are made, you won’t need these channels on the surface again. Alternating those two snapshots will give you a direct signal (A) or a playback/through Pro Tools signal (B).

Obviously, make sure that 49-96 are not assigned to any Mix, Group, or Aux busses, as we are using these channels purely for their ability to switch between A & B. On these channels, the fader should be down and the channel on/off switch set to off, just to be safe.

I’ll add one last way of doing it, with the caveat that this is not a safe thing to do in a critical/live situation. If you put the I/O of the DAW simply across the inserts of the Max Air’s channels and engage all the inserts, then the Tape/Input switching is left up to the DAW. This is by far the simplest way, but you are now counting on the reliability of the DAW for live audio and adding whatever latency the DAW has to your live signal path.

Let us know if one of these solutions is successful for you.