OMNI direct monitoring, does it exist?

[mightyduck]

Hi,
I just received an Avid Omni with a Thunderbolt Interface to check out. I am used to using Pro Tools HD [dsp cards] and not having to worry about latency [direct monitoring].

I have been told that you can actually direct monitor while recording, e.g. vocals, with the Omni, because there is a way [persistent mixer?] of assigning the inputs directly to the outputs. Apparently this is a way of using the hardware even if Pro Tools software is not active. I am not not talking about "low latency monitoring", I am looking for "no latency monitoring of tracks being recorded.

Does anyone know whether this is actually workable in some way using just the Omni and Thunderbolt devices. I would be great to not have to involve a mixer, which is how I would usually do it. I just don't have space to set up my console where I am at the moment.

Thanks,

MD

[K Roche]

I may not be totally clear on what you are asking ( i.e OMNI stand alone mode or with PT open ) but if for example PT HD is running you can access "input monitoring" from the PT software track, mixer channel. It is the little button (turns green) with the ( I ) on it, next to the record button on the track itself... hope this helps

[albee1952]

While there is a "Low Latency" option, I have never felt the need. I track full bands on HD/Native and my tracking session is loaded with plugins(chosen carefully for their near-zero latency) and feed 6 stereo headphone mixes from Pro Tools. At a buffer setting of 64 and max ADC of 11 samples(combination of softube's Console 1 and my bass amp sim), I never hear a peep from players about latency

[LukeHoward]

You could also setup a cue mix using the little mixer in Hardware Setup for the Omni. I've never used it as am also used to DSP cards.

[mightyduck]

Originally Posted by LukeHoward

You could also setup a cue mix using the little mixer in Hardware Setup for the Omni. I've never used it as am also used to DSP cards.

That is what I was referring to. But I think the signal still goes through some amount of DSP instead of being a purely analog path [direct connection between input signal and monitor out].

I just though of something else, though. Could one use the insert sends [which are apparently always active] to drive a little headphone amp? I think the inserts are wired before the AD conversion, so that might work. Or would plugging something into the sends [and not the returns] stop those channels' signals from going to Pro Tools?

Any help with this is appreciated. I may have to just buy a little mixer, but I would rather not if I can actually direct monitor without one.

Thanks,

MD

[albee1952]

Originally Posted by mightyduck

That is what I was referring to. But I think the signal still goes through some amount of DSP instead of being a purely analog path [direct connection between input signal and monitor out].

I just though of something else, though. Could one use the insert sends [which are apparently always active] to drive a little headphone amp? I think the inserts are wired before the AD conversion, so that might work. Or would plugging something into the sends [and not the returns] stop those channels' signals from going to Pro Tools?

Any help with this is appreciated. I may have to just buy a little mixer, but I would rather not if I can actually direct monitor without one.

Thanks,

MD

The problem with using a little mixer is if you want to do punch-ins. Check the manual on how to use LLM(low Latency Monitoring) as that may be a better solution(it may not be truly zero latency, but nobody should notice or feel any).

[LukeHoward]

Originally Posted by mightyduck

That is what I was referring to. But I think the signal still goes through some amount of DSP instead of being a purely analog path [direct connection between input signal and monitor out].

I doubt the DSP mixer adds much latency.

[lancemcv]

Originally Posted by mightyduck

Hi,
Does anyone know whether this is actually workable in some way using just the Omni and Thunderbolt devices.
MD

You can direct monitor with the Omni without the signal passing through the pro tools mixer / channel and without pro tools even running, but you do have to launch pro tools to setup the omni's built in mixer first. Once setup you can quit pro tools and just use the omni and it will remember these settings till you launch pro tools and change them.

Launch Pro Tools, go to setup / hardware / click on the mixer tab and if you have a mic in CH 1 on the omni, click on the HP button so it turns blue, this passes the audio directly from the mic pre out to the headphone amp without passing through pro tools, and click on mon to send it out of the assigned monitor outputs of the omni again not passing it through pro tools.
If you then go to record in pro tools with this setup and put track one in input or record you will hear both the direct monitor signal and the tracks audio that is going through pro tools which will have latency hearing both signals at the same time. But you can just mute pro tools channel and listen to the direct signal.

from page 42 of the Omni user manual
"you may want to manually mute re-
cord/Input Monitor enab
led tracks to monitor
incoming audio using the HD OMNI Mixer (di-
rect input monitoring channels), "
So long story short yes you can setup the omni for direct monitoring.

[mightyduck]

Originally Posted by albee1952

The problem with using a little mixer is if you want to do punch-ins. Check the manual on how to use LLM(low Latency Monitoring) as that may be a better solution(it may not be truly zero latency, but nobody should notice or feel any).

Just curious, how would using a little mixer be a problem for punch-ins?


MD

[mightyduck]

Originally Posted by lancemcv

You can direct monitor with the Omni without the signal passing through the pro tools mixer / channel and without pro tools even running, but you do have to launch pro tools to setup the omni's built in mixer first. Once setup you can quit pro tools and just use the omni and it will remember these settings till you launch pro tools and change them.

Launch Pro Tools, go to setup / hardware / click on the mixer tab and if you have a mic in CH 1 on the omni, click on the HP button so it turns blue, this passes the audio directly from the mic pre out to the headphone amp without passing through pro tools, and click on mon to send it out of the assigned monitor outputs of the omni again not passing it through pro tools.
If you then go to record in pro tools with this setup and put track one in input or record you will hear both the direct monitor signal and the tracks audio that is going through pro tools which will have latency hearing both signals at the same time. But you can just mute pro tools channel and listen to the direct signal.

from page 42 of the Omni user manual
"you may want to manually mute re-
cord/Input Monitor enab
led tracks to monitor
incoming audio using the HD OMNI Mixer (di-
rect input monitoring channels), "
So long story short yes you can setup the omni for direct monitoring.

Thanks, that is what I was asking about. But I seems to me that the monitor signal might still be going through some little software mixer somewhere, thus generating at least a small amount of latency. Do you know for sure about it?

Thanks again, to everyone who has been contributing to this thread.

MD