MTRX hookup question, Dante vs Digilink

[BScout]

Originally Posted by SomeOtherGuy

If a standard converter without conversion is used, does it mean that iTunes or 44.1K system audio would play back at a different pitch when feeding a 48K PT session?

The iTunes engine will sample rate convert what it's playing to whatever the output device sample rate is set at (you just need to set system sounds to 48k.)

However clocking in-built digital audio becomes an issue and so system sounds becomes the master (though the MTRX has a clever "adapt to" function so it can still run on its internal clock but reference an input for what clock it should be at.)

The bigger problem is applications like RX7 which will go by the sample rate of the file it is playing and will do the different pitch thing for a few seconds before it switches to the correct sample rate of the digital output (so it starts to actively sample rate convert.) And this will happen every single time the transport goes into play (it's fairly annoying) and makes shuttling around near impossible while cleaning up a file.

[BScout]

I should also add that Pro Tools does not like if the MTRX sample rate clock changes while a Pro Tools session is open. If you do it, Pro Tools will complain that the audio hardware has changed (it reads the sample rate changing as the whole physical hardware interface changing) and will ask to shutdown which you have to do and then reopen Pro Tools. I have been stung by this more than once when I allowed "adapt to" to be set to something other than one of the digilink/Pro Tools inputs. Now I leave it with Pro Tools always in charge of the MTRX clock.

(You can, though, open different sample rate sessions as a session isn't open when the change happens)

If you work at one sample rate almost all the time, a lot of these idiosyncrasies will never show up.

[SomeOtherGuy]

Thanks, I didn't know how the iTunes engine works. Most of the time all I'll need to do is play iTunes and Quicktime movies, and Safari audio. There also may be times when I'll want to use something like Ircam Lab Timestretch. I only work at 48K, so I hope I can find a way where this is all manageable. With Apogee hardware, it's been a non-issue.

[lucienpalmer]

Originally Posted by SomeOtherGuy

Thanks, I didn't know how the iTunes engine works. Most of the time all I'll need to do is play iTunes and Quicktime movies, and Safari audio. There also may be times when I'll want to use something like Ircam Lab Timestretch. I only work at 48K, so I hope I can find a way where this is all manageable. With Apogee hardware, it's been a non-issue.

I can’t attest for the AES input, but using DVS and Dante, I have the Mac set to be a slave to whatever the master sample rate is (which is always 48). The mac slaves to 48, and iTunes, RX, safari, all play back at proper speed. Even if iTunes is playing back 44k files.

[SomeOtherGuy]

Thanks, how do you set the Mac as the slave (in DVS?).

[lucienpalmer]

Originally Posted by SomeOtherGuy

Thanks, how do you set the Mac as the slave (in DVS?).

It’s not in DVS, but once DVS is running, you can set up master and slave options in the Dante Controller software. The controller software doesn’t have to be running all the time. You use it to change settings and routing, then each Dante device remembers their settings after you close the software.

[SomeOtherGuy]

Great, thanks.