MTRX connection issue

[LukeHoward]

Originally Posted by BScout

What metering looks like (one of my MTRXs). I've marked the green light that signals an active output (configured) which lights even when there is no signal.

Some nice monitors you've got there :)

[DHS]

Thanks for this again. Helping me out a lot here. I'm noticing you don't have a Dante card installed. I'm starting to think all of my issues are related to the Dante card and my lack of understanding of how it clocks. I'm using the internal clock on the MTRX and have my Dante controller set to "sync to external" thinking it would sync to whatever the MTRX is working at. I work at 48K but happened to open an old session tonight that was in 44.1. When I opened the sessions and set the mtrx to 44.1 and it broke all of my dante routing but the DADman GUI started working as expected. Had meters at inputs and control room sources. When I switched back to 48K and the meters stopped but the dante devices came back online. I think I need to set it to "Preferred Master" and check the MTRX as the Master if possible.

[BScout]

This one doesn't have a Dante module (it is a small standalone setup.)

You should set the Dante module to follow and as preferred master on the Sync tab if the MTRX is to be the master clock (meanwhile the MTRX top area of the sync tab should be set to internal and the "adapt to" to Digilink 1 to follow pro tools)

From the Dante Controller software, it should be set to Preferred Master AND enable sync to external (which means sync to the external host device -- in this case the MTRX.) You should have only one device on the Dante network to be set to both or "sync to externa" (unless the sync to external devices both get their external clock from the same source.) Preferred Master overrides "sync to external" dante devices unless they are one and the same (if not, the external sync device becomes muted since the preferred master clock overrides it)

[DHS]

These settings worked as long as I stay at 48K. If I open a session at 44.1 everything breaks. If I have digilink selected and protools isnt open, (for example Im just using maschine stand alone as a dante source) The SR defaults to 192k and dante wont sync. Seen here I can then change the setting from digilink to internal and get my system audio back online. Not a major issue as I work in 48K mainly. Still would like to understand why this is happening. The only use for Dante is mac system audio, and Im running 1 AM2 as a headphone amplifier on my cue send. Currently everything is connected directly to the trash can.

If the sample rate moves from 48K to other setting, its quite a pain to get the AM2 back online. Dante Controller sync tab

I haven't really battle tested the system at 48k but just hitting record on a mono track and letting it run for about 3 minutes produced an sync error and aborted recording so even with your suggested settings it seemed quite unstable. I saw another user at gearslutz say he had some weird issues that were hard to chase and ended up replacing the dante card which solved them.

In your opinion What is the most stable way to run a MTRX with s6? Is a external clock the best case? I assumed with just one I/O device clocking internally would be fine for stability. Again thanks for your help on this.

[LukeHoward]

If the MTRX is following the Pro Tools sample rate the simplest thing to do when listening to sources at other rates is to leave Pro Tools open and change the sample rate from it. Of course the other sources need to be correctly locked. I run my MTRX with its internal clock, it’s a Dante master with the Dante module synced to “external” clock as BScout described. If I change sample rates then yes, you also need to change them on other Dante devices, usually from Dante Controller. This is a pain, I wish there was sample rate follow in Dante (IIRC this is possible in a homogeneous RedNet system, no use here though).

Edit: you can change the sample rate from PT without having a session open from the Hardware or Playback Engine dialog boxes.

[ntp-jl]

Originally Posted by DHS

These settings worked as long as I stay at 48K. If I open a session at 44.1 everything breaks. If I have digilink selected and protools isnt open, (for example Im just using maschine stand alone as a dante source) The SR defaults to 192k and dante wont sync. Seen here I can then change the setting from digilink to internal and get my system audio back online. Not a major issue as I work in 48K mainly. Still would like to understand why this is happening. The only use for Dante is mac system audio, and Im running 1 AM2 as a headphone amplifier on my cue send. Currently everything is connected directly to the trash can.

If the sample rate moves from 48K to other setting, its quite a pain to get the AM2 back online. Dante Controller sync tab

I haven't really battle tested the system at 48k but just hitting record on a mono track and letting it run for about 3 minutes produced an sync error and aborted recording so even with your suggested settings it seemed quite unstable. I saw another user at gearslutz say he had some weird issues that were hard to chase and ended up replacing the dante card which solved them.

In your opinion What is the most stable way to run a MTRX with s6? Is a external clock the best case? I assumed with just one I/O device clocking internally would be fine for stability. Again thanks for your help on this.

You have set the MTRX to follow the sample rate of the HDX card in your MAC. The sample rate of the HDX is set by Pro Tools when you open a session. However, when you close Pro Tools, Coreaudio takes over the control of the HDX card, including setting of the sample rate. So if Coreaudio is set to a sample rate of 192 kHz, the MTRX will follow that and also be set to 192 kHz. In order to prevent that, you must set the Coreaudio sample rate to 48 kHz.

[Soundadventures]

Originally Posted by BScout

Od manual not updated. There have been more additions via DADman updates and firmware updates. You have to read the update notes each time. The MTRX now supports more digilink cards (that didn't exist then -- up to 6 additional cards) which is why that was changed. They last changed the manual for the SPQ card rollout.

Old videos will be even more out of date.

We also have a MTRX Problem and think it has to do with the new firmware update of the MTRX. We use the MTRX with 2 independent Pro Tools Systems. 1 x HDX System and 1 x the HD (TDM System). Until some days ago everything worked fine and after we did the firmware update of the MTRX suddenly the old (TDM) HD Pro Tools System could not see the MTRX Interface any more (The MTRX simulated an HDIO Interface). What we also realized that after the Firmware update in the DADman Software under the Digilink/Pro Tools HD mode, where it normals gave us the option for 2 x PRI, or PRI/EXP. we always had the option of 2xHDIO (simulating an Avid Audio Interface) or HDMADI or MATRX 16x16 / 32 x32. Now this Option(s) (HDIO or HDMADI) are gone and we only have MTRX 16x16 or MTRX 32 x 32 left. So the HDIO and HDMADI Options are gone. We think that this has been removed with the firmware update and therfore the older Pro Tools HD System (10.3.10) cannot see the MATRX any more since the MTRX is not simulating an AVID Audio Interface. Interesting is still that the MATRX reacts to the old Pro Tools HD TDM System and the ports turn green when Pro Tools (TDM) 10.3.10 is running. But from the other side (from Pro Tools) no HD Interface can bee seen any more.

Anybody else using the MTRX with an TDM System and having a similar issue?
btw, the MATRX Interface works perfect even after the Firmware Update with the new HDX System, just the older TDM System cannot access it any more.

Any advise if we miss something or do something wrong?

Cheers

Thomas

[Soundadventures]

UPDATE! ...to the previous post about the MTRX Problems:

What we found out is, when you roll back to an earlier Version of MTRX Firmware (V 2.3.0.1) then the HDIO and HDMADI Selection is back under the Pro Tools Menu. This Pro Tools Menu Changes Name in the New Version of the DADman Software 5.3.4 and is now called DIGILINK and with that in the new Firmware release V 2.3.1.3 the HDIO possibility is gone and you can only choose 32x32 MTRX. It seems AVID or DAD made some changes for the new version to be able to install up to 6 DigiLink cards in the MTRX and therefore made changes in the DADman Software/Firmware. So we hope AVID will correct the newest Firmware Driver for the MTRX so it will also give you the option for 2xHDIO and HD MADI in addition to the MTRX 16x16 and MTRX 32x32 as it always used to be in the past. In the meantime a workaround is to fall back to the earlier Firmware Version 2.3.0.1 and stay away from the latest Firmware Version 2.3.1.3 if you want to use the MTRX with older Pro Tools Systems or connect other AVID Audio Interfaces to it. If you don't need this Options you can also install the latest Firmware Version 2.3.1.3.

[DHS]

The new firmware works fine like you said. The confusing part of this is the manual still reflects the old PTHD tab. As someone who was installing a system for the first time, I thought I had done something wrong and so did Avid support. Sweetwater support also logged into my machine and told me I must have done something wrong and to reinstall. If it wasn't for BScout, Id still be chasing this issue.