HD driver MTRX studio

[uptheoctave]

Originally Posted by originalscottyg

Are you using a MTRX or MTRX Studio connected to the HDX card for monitoring? How do you run the native interface back into the MTRX for monitoring?

I have the MTRX but the process is pretty much the same for the Studio.

My studio is pretty complex as I have a couple of native interfaces.

1. Focusrite Red 16 Line
2. Focusrite Rednet PCIER
3. UA Apollo X8

The Red 16 Line and Rednet PCIER card simple serve their native audio up to the Dante network and are monitored in Dadman.

The Apollo X8 presented a challenge.
Did I really want to chew up a stereo pair of outputs on the MTRX in order to monitor the signal?
No, I did not.
So I bought a 2 input Audinate Dante adapter and it takes the stereo output from the UA, which can be operating at any sample rate that I like and serves it to the Dante network at 48khz.
I found myself using the Apollo at various sample rates and having it switch freely to whatever sample rate it needs to but convert to the Dante network which never really diverges from 48khz to be the best approach.

[basehead617]

The fact that the accepted way of having native audio work with MTRX is dante virtual soundcard is absurd.. sounds like one of those windows workarounds from the bad old days of iffy jerry rigging things together..

[originalscottyg]

Originally Posted by basehead617

The fact that the accepted way of having native audio work with MTRX is dante virtual soundcard is absurd.. sounds like one of those windows workarounds from the bad old days of iffy jerry rigging things together..

As far as I know, that's how Avid HD hardware (HDX, HD Native, and I think even TDM) has always worked. There was never a multi client driver, that I can recall, that would let you pipe system audio through that hardware while running Pro Tools. People have always used workarounds for this purpose, like sending the optical output of their Macs to an optical input on their 192/HD|IOs. You can use MTRX and MTRX Studio via HDX/HD Native as a playback device for system sound while Pro Tools isn't running, just like you can with any other digilink converters.

Dante is also just one way to do it with MTRX/Studio. You can also send system audio out analog, connect it to some AD's on the MTRX, and use those as a monitor source in DADman.

[uptheoctave]

Originally Posted by basehead617

The fact that the accepted way of having native audio work with MTRX is dante virtual soundcard is absurd.. sounds like one of those windows workarounds from the bad old days of iffy jerry rigging things together..

It would be fine if the MTRX could SRC those DVS channels.
But it can't so it doesn't really work, I agree.

The way I think of it is the MTRX is two products in one (at least).
The monitor controller side of things is brilliant.
I just use the Focusrite PCIER card for most of my nature audio, it connected into the MTRX monitor section and does its thing.

I am using HDX and Pro Tools less and less these days, Nuendo with the PCIER card + MTRX as a monitor controller is really excellent, although I could have saved myself a load of money by going for the DAD AX32.

[LukeHoward]

Originally Posted by uptheoctave

It would be fine if the MTRX could SRC those DVS channels.
But it can't so it doesn't really work, I agree.

The way I think of it is the MTRX is two products in one (at least).
The monitor controller side of things is brilliant.
I just use the Focusrite PCIER card for most of my nature audio, it connected into the MTRX monitor section and does its thing.

I am using HDX and Pro Tools less and less these days, Nuendo with the PCIER card + MTRX as a monitor controller is really excellent, although I could have saved myself a load of money by going for the DAD AX32.

Or if DVS could follow the sample rate of the MTRX, as then you could leave CoreAudio to SRC. Expensive alternative is the Dante card for the MTRX which I believe includes a SRC.

[uptheoctave]

Originally Posted by LukeHoward

Or if DVS could follow the sample rate of the MTRX, as then you could leave CoreAudio to SRC. Expensive alternative is the Dante card for the MTRX which I believe includes a SRC.

I have that card but it is globally changeable, not channel by channel, so you'd be spending £2k for a 128 channels of Dante to SRC just for native audio.

[Johnny Hulst]

Originally Posted by LukeHoward

Or if DVS could follow the sample rate of the MTRX, as then you could leave CoreAudio to SRC. Expensive alternative is the Dante card for the MTRX which I believe includes a SRC.

Thats why I didnt go the Dante route, I bought an RME AES/EBU pcie-card for my macpro which looks at the incomming signal from the Mtrx and switches the word-clock accordingly (see picture).
So my macpro core audio goes from RME-card to Mtrx always in the same sample-rate as the Mtrx is operating in. (which in my case always looks at PT primary port)
Works like a charm.

So for Soundworks UK who started this thread, because of the missing AES/EBU ports on the Mtrx-studio, I would try one of these RME pcie HDSPe cards: RayDAT or AIO-pro or the 9652, cards which all have the Adat-protocol, and use this as core-audio I/O.