HD System for Live Event

[vinlance]

Can someone please point me in the right direction on putting a Pro Tools Live rig together to record a live event? I need 64 channels of analog input coming to the Pro Tools Rig.

I'm not quite sure what type of live system I need. From my understanding, each Digi 192 has up to 16 inputs. So do I need 4 Digi 192's to make this happen and do I need 4 different HD Cards to attach each 192?

Also, what would I do about redundancy?

Help will be greatly appreciated.

[nst7]

For HD TDM, I believe you need 2 HD cards.

You can also do this with 1 HD Native card, which handles 64 i/o (or 1 HDX card).

In either case, you can use 192's or HD IO 16x16's (or HD IO 8x8's with an additional 8 input expansion card).

They can be daisychained from the cards. In the case of HDX or HD Native, there are two ports on the cards, so you can have two units hooked up to one port and two to the other.

[Darryl Ramm]

What exact IO cards are in the 192 IOs you have/will have? The default config was 8 analog input, 8 analog output and a digital card. Do not assume the 192 have been upgraded to 16 analog input without verifying. That is assuming of course you don't have outboard DACs already.

What is the live sound system being used here, what preamp/recording/digital capability does it already have?

[vinlance]

So for TDM, I need two cards to run 64 channels of analog input into Pro Tools. I was the under the impression that you use 1 card (core, accel) for one interface. How do you daisy chain them? Light pipe?

I'm not sure what exact IO cards I'll have. Thanks for letting be know about the 8in/8out default.

The Live Sound system being used is a DigiCo SD7. I'm going to be getting a XLR feed from that console to go straight into an interface.

What interfaces do you guys recommend for 64 channels?

[Craig F]

Each HD card can do 32 cahnnels, you chain the second interface to the first via the Extension DigiLink connector (same type of cable that connects the card tot he interface)

each HDX or HDN card can do 64 channels, 32 per connector chain times 2 ports per card

If you want a full consult and/or tech support PM me.

[JFreak]

Originally Posted by vinlance

The Live Sound system being used is a DigiCo SD7. I'm going to be getting a XLR feed from that console to go straight into an interface. What interfaces do you guys recommend for 64 channels?

Umm... Doesn't this desk have MADI i/o, and in that case it would probably be easiest to connect using Avid HD MADI -- just a thought.

But if you have already arranged that XLR feed you're going to be fine with four Avid HD interfaces. Just be sure you have 16 input versions, because the basic configuration is 8 analog i/o plus 8 digital i/o.

And yes, two digilinks is enough for 64 i/o (older HD cards have one digilink per card, newer HDN/HDX cards have two).

One more thing. The old and new Digilink connectors are different physically but compatible electrically, so you might need adapters if you mix old and new stuff together.

[Darryl Ramm]

Yes why not go MADI? Investigate this carefully, the desk can copy input to MADI output for outboard recording. But check on the details. Go talk to the live sound guys and get this understood, would be much nicer to pull this Madi from the desk instead of pulling 64 analog channels from the Digirack end.

BTW what do you mean getting a 64 XLR feed from *the console* there is not 64 analog anything at the console, that is all sitting in the Digirack, which is likely not at the console... likely another reason for liking a MADI output option.

[vinlance]

nst7, Darryl Ramm, Craig F, JFreak - Thanks! Every single piece of info you guys gave me was very helpful in understanding how to do this, especially because I'm coming from Logic Pro.

So I went with the Madi Option. It's much easier, because the SD7 has preamps. Not going analog whatsoever.

I'm using an HDX 2 with two SSL Madi interfaces, an RME MADI converter, Mac Pro, Big Ben Master Clock. On the SD7 there are two engines. I'm using basically 4 Madi output and inputs on Engine A, and 1 coaxle cable going from the SD7 Clock Out port into the Big Ben. Because I'm recording the show in 24/96, it breaks the count down to 32 out of each Madi. Depending on the mode the SD7 is in, you're just going to get 28 out of each MADI. That's why I have 4 plugged in at that sample rate.

Runs great, but the only problem that I am running into is that the Monitor guy can't adjust my levels correctly, coming into Pro Tools because he claims that it will mess up the stage mix. So I have to figure out how to turn down my hot levels on input. (If any of you guys know how I can do this please let me know- should I create an aux before it hits the print track, for example. Would a trim plugin help on an insert, etc)

Let me know if you guys want me to post pictures and do a summary of how I hooked this stuff up. Maybe it could help the next person who attempts to pull out his/her hair because of this stuff.

Thanks.

[Darryl Ramm]

But the levels running into Pro Tools don't matter. Its already digital in the MADI live system. If its not clipping/being a problem for them it should not matter to you. You can do whatever you want with it at mix time to pull levels down. You have 32 bits of floating point goodness to play with.

If it is really clipping/being a problem with the analog inputs then its a problem for live as well, you can't fix that, they have to.

Darryl

[vinlance]

Yes, I am trying to record their inputs. So you're saying, even if I am in the RED on some tracks like "the snare" for example and I'm recording too low -60db, in the analog world, it's still okay because it's MADI? If so that's great.

Makes me a bit nervous when I don't see the correct levels as I am used to.

So there are no pad options or anything that I can do to minimize the signal when it comes in, your saying... I would just have to rely on them giving me my signal?