HD Native TB and Apollo 8p

[flopsi]

Hello everybody,

i have built a new PC (w/ Asus Prime X299 Deluxe II, two Thunderbolt ports on-board) and i wanted to connect both Avid HD Native and an UAD Apollo 8p, each on a separate TB port (the 8p directly, the Native HD via Apple TB3 to TB2 adapter).
After some BIOS fiddling i got Apollo running, also the Native TB, as long as only one of them is connected to the PC.

Now the strange thing:
Apollo TB and HD Native TB do not work simultaneously, only either HD or Apollo. Switching on Apollo throws out HD Native from Device Manager.
Switching off the Apollo and rebooting brings back the HD Native :O

I found this document:
https://help.uaudio.com/hc/en-us/art...ools-HD-System
but it was written for HD Native PCIe, not Thunderbolt.

Does anyone use this kind of setup and had this before?
Thanks in advance, best regards
Flo

[nst7]

You will not be able to use both at the same time. This is by design from Avid. The fact that it's thunderbolt vs. PCIe will not change anything. HD systems in general have never been able to aggregate with other interfaces.

[flopsi]

Hi,
thanks for writing first...
So you think the UAD articles

https://help.uaudio.com/hc/en-us/art...ools-HD-System
(for the Silverfaces) and
https://help.uaudio.com/hc/en-us/art...ools-HD-System
(for the black ones)

are some kind of misinformation?
Best regards
Flo

[Southsidemusic]

Those are for Mac computers only.

[nst7]

Those articles are not what you were trying to do. Those articles simply refer to using the Apollo as a standalone a/d and d/a converter via adat into an HD interface. The Apollo is only hooked up by thunderbolt in that case to access its configuration software, NOT to pass audio through. The HD interface is still the only device to get audio to and from the computer in that scenario.

[flopsi]

Okay, i see... i thought this would maybe be possible for Win too as a Mac/PC difference is not explicitly mentioned in texts.
Anyway, i have to work around this then...
Thanks and regards
Flo

[nst7]

You should be able to do what it says in the article regardless of whether you're on Windows or Mac. It's just that you were trying to do something different than what the article says.

[flopsi]

Hmmm...
excerpts from the articles:

"First, install and connect your Avid HD OMNI and Avid HD Native / HDX hardware as you normally would. Next, connect the Apollo directly to your host computer either via FireWire or Thunderbolt"
In the picture there also simultaneously connection is shown. No word that only one can be switched on / used at the same time.

Further:
"Alternatively, you can use the Console Recall plug-in within your Pro Tools session to have the Console session automatically recall with the PT session."
=> That would not make sense if not both units were connected at the same time right?

The difference is my system being PC/Native TB instead of Mac/Native PCIe. So that could be the reason (as Southsidemusic said). Or i still don't get it, sorry...
Best regards
Flo

[nst7]

I may have misunderstood your initial post. It sounded like you were trying to have both interfaces pass audio to and from the computer, to expand the number of inputs and outputs you could have. That's what I was saying was not possible.

However, you may not have meant that.

Keep in mind that I know very little about Windows, being a Mac guy.

But in looking through the article you linked to, as well as checking out other articles, I do not see anywhere that states that this only works on a Mac, in the Apollo system requirements or anything else, so I don't see why this shouldn't work on Windows.

If you have not already done so, I would try things in this order:

1. Make sure you have adat cables hooked up between devices the way the article describes.

2. Open Protools, and select HD Native as your playback engine.

3. Then, make sure Apollo is hooked up, and see if you can open the Console application.


I am also assuming your version of Protools is Protools Ultimate, not standard, as this would be the first requirement to use HD Native in any capacity.

[flopsi]

Hello again,
yes, we may have talked on cross-purposes

I actually want to do exactly what is described in the articles: send the audio from Apollo into HD IO via ADAT and from HD into PC...
But it might grow pretty nerve-racking when every time i change a little thing in Apollo Console i have to connect the Apollo to the PC, make the change, disconnect the Apollo and finally reboot the PC to get the HD up again.

I am also not a fan of plugging things in and out with devices running, so there would even be more steps here to avoid this.
I'll have a try on your suggestions later, i think especially connecting ADAT could help (i did not do til now cos i thought there is no correlation, but who knows)...

Thanks a lot so far!
Flo