Advice needed on HD3 rig setup
 

My new job has me setting up an HD system for the new studio. I've got things working but I don't think I've got the most efficient/completely correct configuration. It was more complicated than I expected.

G5 (single core, might be swapped with another one)
1 PCI core card
1 PCI Process card
1 PCI Accel card
PT HD 7.3.1 (for now)

192 #1:
8 analog inputs and outputs
various digital inputs and outputs

192 #2:
8 analog inputs
16 analog outputs
various digital inputs and outputs

Preamps are
2x API 3124+ (4 channel each)
2 channels of TL Audio something old
more coming

24 channels of API summing (8200x2 + 8200A)
I have just 16 connected right now
I don't know if these even make sense to use. :confused:

Presonus Central station
Joe Meek compressor
Manley Massive Passive



Live room snake goes into the 10 preamps. Outs of the preamps go into the 192 analog input -4dB jacks.

Interface cable connections:
192#1, primary connection to Core card.
192#2, primary connection to accell card.

I have the effects rack to connect (Lexicon 480L and others) and I have to get the output of the summing mixers back into Pro Tools for mixdown. And headphone mixes.

Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.

Also, with the Voice assignment, DSP allocation business, what's the best way to go? I just don't understand the options at all. why would you want to reduce the # of voices. Why use more DSP for the same # of voices?

Re: Advice needed on HD3 rig setup
 

Observe the slot order on the cards, should be Core, Accel card, Process card.

If you have a lot of outboard gear, a patchbay's not a bad idea, though more time consuming to wire/plan.

Keep in mind that regardless of how many physical I/O a 192 has with add on cards, it can only access a total of 24 at a time (i.e. 16 ins and 8 outs or 8 ins and 16 outs).

Voice count is how many simultaneous tracks can play at a time(you can have more tracks than voices if they aren't all playing at the same time). Using RTAS plugins will reduce this number. Your settings for this will likely vary depending on your session. Best bet is to start a session with as many voices as possible, then free up the DSP later if you need it.

Re: Advice needed on HD3 rig setup
 

we were hoping to have the outboard gear as hardware inserts but I think we need more cables first.

There is a patchbay available but we're avoiding it for now.

I wasn't aware of that I/O limitation

Re: Advice needed on HD3 rig setup
 

Not true. If the 192 has an analog output expander it can run 8 analog inputs, plus 8 digital inputs, plus 16 analog outputs. That's 16 ins and 16 outs.

Re: Advice needed on HD3 rig setup
 

any ideas for improving the configuration?

Re: Advice needed on HD3 rig setup
 

but the 8 digital ins limits you to 48khz. (ADAT) ff

Re: Advice needed on HD3 rig setup
 

how would you manage cue mixes in this setup?

Re: Advice needed on HD3 rig setup
 

1. Patchbay
2. Pro Tools installation engineer

Re: Advice needed on HD3 rig setup
 

Not if you use AES.

Re: Advice needed on HD3 rig setup
 

using less voices frees up DSP for plugins. Using more DSP for the same # of voices spreads the mixer across multiple DSP. Sometimes in really densely edited sessions, spreading the mixer across more DSP helps keep the session running smoothly.

For me personally, I usually try to keep the voices set to 2 DSPs 96 tracks, unless I'm doing a big session.