HD IO options to expand an Omni rig.

[tiagodutra]

Hi there people,

So I'm looking for options to expand my rig, I currently have HD Native with the Omni interface, so for now I'm stuck at up to 8 inputs, I was hoping to get 8 more. I have a few options in mind, please I'd be very happy to hear some experiences and suggestions. I'm only looking for increasing my inputs, I'm ok with the 8 outs available in the Omni.

So my first idea was to simply add a HD IO with 1 AD Module (8 ins), that would leave me some room for easily adding more inputs in the future, but that doesn't seem to be available anywhere. Are the HD IO's only available in those standard configurations (8x8x8, 16x16's)? This is actually my main concern because any of these standard configurations would be a huge waste.

What about those digital connections on the enclosure (AES/EBU, Optical and S/PDIF), do they work simultaneously with the installed modules? I mean, if I had a 16x16 Digital, I would actually end up with the 16x16 + 8 Optical + 2 AES/EBU + 2 S/PDIF? From what I read on the manual it appears so but I don't want any surprises, could someone confirm please?

Now, on the other hand I could simply sell my HD Native + Omni rig, go for something else... and the strongest contender have been so far: RME RayDat PCIe + 2 Audient ASP880 + a monitor manager with digital input.

Another serious contender is the UA Apollo Quad, but I'm still trying to figure out the details on its connections and multi-unit cascading. Also I'm not sure if I wanna spend on DSP, if its workflow is what I want and I still need to figure out the costs and benefits of RME+Audient vs Apollo(s).

Anyways, is it possible to get a minimalist HD IO? Does anyone else suggest alternatives to the limited inputs of the Omni?

Cheers!

[LukeHoward]

Originally Posted by tiagodutra

What about those digital connections on the enclosure (AES/EBU, Optical and S/PDIF), do they work simultaneously with the installed modules? I mean, if I had a 16x16 Digital, I would actually end up with the 16x16 + 8 Optical + 2 AES/EBU + 2 S/PDIF? From what I read on the manual it appears so but I don't want any surprises, could someone confirm please?

You can mix it up whichever way you like in I/O setup, but you can only have 16 I/O at once per unit (with the exception that you can assign a logical output to multiple physical outputs).

[Craig F]

call your dealer and ask about a custom HD I/O load
Some dealers will brake stuff apart if they think they can resell it

or you can custom load a Mothership
http://www.burlaudio.com/products/b80-mothership

or look at one of the other 3rd party options

[tiagodutra]

Originally Posted by LukeHoward

You can mix it up whichever way you like in I/O setup, but you can only have 16 I/O at once per unit (with the exception that you can assign a logical output to multiple physical outputs).

You mean "only have 16 inputs and 16 outputs at once", so on a 16x16 unit I'd be unable to use the connections on the enclosure, right? And, sorry, but what do you mean by assigning a logical output do multiple physical outputs?

Originally Posted by Craig F

call your dealer and ask about a custom HD I/O load
Some dealers will brake stuff apart if they think they can resell it

It was Chris Bolitho from Vintage King that sold me the Omni, I have sent him an email but it's been almost a week now and haven't heard from him. Anywhere else you'd recommend in the US?

Cheers

[albee1952]

AltoMusic, Dale Pro Audio and Parsons Audio are a few good Avid dealers to look into. Back to the HD IO, yes, they are limited to 16 IO at any given time. The 8x8x8 is the least I would consider in the HD IO lineup. Its 8 analog in, 8 analog out and 8 digital in AND out. The digital connections would not get used(in your setup) without some external gear(more on that in a moment), but the analog IO would get you 8 more inputs(assuming you have preamps) and the 8 outputs could come in handy for stuff like 4 stereo headphone mixes(fed by AUX sends on all your tracks). If all you need is digital IO, buy a 192 digital. Its a cheap option, and the fact that you are feeding it via digital, means that it will have zero sonic impact as it is simply passing one's and zero's into PT.

The digital IO comes in handy if you add something like the Focusrite OctoPre Dynamic(8 preamps going into PT, plus 8 more outputs). I use one as my preamps for less critical inputs, and the outputs feed my headphone amp.

You do have other options to consider if cash is tight, a Used 192 IO or 96 IO can expand your rig on a budget. The 96 IO is sonically not comparable to the OMNI/ HD IO boxes, but may still be adequate for your needs. The 192 is a solid performer and does the same as the HD IO, albeit with slightly lower sound quality(but again, many won't care, or even hear the difference). 192's are available all over(I even have one for sale as I just purchased a second HD IO for my rig).

[Craig F]

Originally Posted by tiagodutra

You mean "only have 16 inputs and 16 outputs at once", so on a 16x16 unit I'd be unable to use the connections on the enclosure, right? And, sorry, but what do you mean by assigning a logical output do multiple physical outputs?



It was Chris Bolitho from Vintage King that sold me the Omni, I have sent him an email but it's been almost a week now and haven't heard from him. Anywhere else you'd recommend in the US?

Cheers

AES just ended and VK was active running a shuttle from the convention center to their LA showroom so give them a few days more to catch up

16 logical outs: lest say your mix is on analog 1-2, you can also send the same signal to the chassis ports to go to say a DAT via the SPDIF and a CD burrner from the AES but you still have 14 available logical paths for analog 3-8 and analog 9-16 or the Digital card 1-8 for cue mixes, hardware reverbs, and/or hardware inserts

[nst7]

Technically, if you really don't need the extra analog inputs or outputs, the cheapest option would be to get the HD IO Digital version, which is $2500, and then add the $1300 expansion card for either 8 analog ins or 8 analog outs.

But that is almost as much as just getting the HD IO 8x8 preconfigured with 8 analog ins and 8 analog outs, which would be a better value.


Also, if you're looking to save money, there are lots of these HD IO's on Ebay being sold, because people are buying the systems to get the cards and software and do not need the interfaces but are forced to buy them as a package. So you might look around there.

[tiagodutra]

So VK responded and it seems that HD IO's are only sold (officially) as 8x8x8 or 16x16 (analog or digital). So much for flexibility... Oh, and I'm not considering a 192 because I wanna be able to move forward with the software at some point.
Actually I did see an empty enclosure on eBay, but I was hoping to get full warranty and all. I'll get in touch with the stores albee mentioned, let's see how it goes with them.

[albee1952]

2 more cents(and please take it that way). An empty chassis may not be a bargain as the cards are not cheap($1295 for 8 inputs?) and AFAIK, an empty chassis doesn't work without at least 1 card installed. A 192 might well work for several years(Avid is not doing anything to "break" it, just not supporting it). $2500 for the digital HD IO doesn't make a lot of sense(to me anyway) as it has no converters and(in theory) no effect on sound(which is why I mentioned the 192 Digital). The 192 Digital cannot(to the best of my knowledge) have an analog card added(not sure about the newer HD digital). A used HD IO 8x8x8 can be had for under $2K, making it quite a fair deal(Alto had a few on eBay for $1895 or so). Used 192(8x8x8) often sell in the $450-600 range, making them a great budget option. Heck, you could throw it away if/when it doesn't work anymore(I had zero issues integrating a 192 with a new HD IO on my HDN rig(only reason I bought the second HD IO was because I was offered a deal that was too good to pass up). Food for thought

[Darryl Ramm]

If you really want a warranty etc. then the HD 8x8x8 is the way to go. And for what you get in an expandable HD IO enthronement is still pretty nice. Otherwise as mentioned the used market has lots of goodies available.