Input Count
 

Hello everybody,
I have a question regarding the number of simultaneously usable inputs of Carbon. According to AVID it is 25@48, 17@96 and 13@192 kHz. However, the hardware has 8 Mic pres, 8 Line ins and 2 ADAT light pipes, which would make a total of 32, 24 and 20 inputs respectively, not counting the talk back mic.
So, 1) does anyone know, why the total no. of inputs is lower and 2) which combinations of inputs are possible? In particular: Can the mic and line inputs be used simultaneously or just alternatively? I hope the former but fear the latter.
I am currently working with an Antelope Studio Rev 2017 using 22 ins@96kHz (12 mic, 8 ADAT and 2 SPDIF ins) and consider switching, as I cannot use their PlugIns in this configuration, which makes its on-board DSPs obsolete. However, I need at least 20 inputs I can use at the same time.
Thanks in advance.
Best regards, Stefan

Re: Input Count
 

You need 24 inputs at what sample rate? At 48K(where 98% of my work happens), you would have 8 analog ins and 16 ADAT ins for 24(plus the talkback mic). If you need to track at higher sample rates, then I doubt Carbon is your best bet. The analog inputs allow for 8 total(any combination of mic, line or front panel instrument inputs). I also wish that the DB25 inputs were separate from the mic/line inputs, but sadly, Avid didn't allow that(and maybe they have a logical reason:rolleyes:). Its not unlike the OMNI that has 14 actual inputs, but can only route 8 into PT.

Re: Input Count
 

Hello,

ADAT channels are halved with each doubling of the sample rate. So, the question about which sample rate is being used is important. Here's a breakdown of inputs per sample rate:

44.1/48 - 25 inputs
8 analog
16 ADAT
1 talkback

88.2/96 - 17 inputs
8 analog
8 ADAT
1 talkback

176.4/192 - 13 inputs
8 analog
4 ADAT
1 talkback

Also, the mic and line inputs are shared because they're the same circuit (8 analog inputs total). We didn't add another 8 line inputs (for 16 total) primarily due to increased cost and heat.

Hope that helps.

Re: Input Count
 

Thanks for the answers. That makes it clear. So it is not related to the bandwidth of AVB.

Just one more: Does the DSP button in the new version of Pro Tools only work with Carbon or can it also be used to activate external FPGAs from other manufacturers (e.g. Antelope)?

Re: Input Count
 

Sure thing. There is an AVB consideration to make which is the selected channel configuration in Audio MIDI Setup. This allows you to scale up or scale down the overall AVB channel count depending on how many physical channels you need, tracks widths, routing complexity, and number of tracks using DSP Mode. But, most of these configs available allow all physical I/O to be used. The idea is to select the smallest config that meets your needs as this will have a lower CPU impact on the Mac.

The DSP button is specific to Pro Tools | Carbon and HDX (future feature). It doesn't work with any third party products.

Re: Input Count
 

Which seems to be pretty typical, however the Pro Tools Carbon Data Sheet on the Avid website states:

"Digital inputs ADAT: 16 channels @ 44.1–96 kHz
ADAT: 8 channels @ 176.4–192 kHz"

While the Pro Tools Carbon Manual states:

ADAT I/O
• 16 channels at 44.1/48 kHz
• 8 channels at 88.2/96 kHz
• 4 channels at 176.4/192 kHz

I have also seen a couple of dealer demos that seemed to have quoted directly from the data sheet, apparently, stating up to 16 inputs @44.1-96kHz. Not a deal breaker, I just want to be sure of what I am about to purchase. Misleading or erroneous information can kill an otherwise exciting launch.

Thanks

Re: Input Count
 

Hey Bob,

This is accurate:
• 16 channels at 44.1/48 kHz
• 8 channels at 88.2/96 kHz
• 4 channels at 176.4/192 kHz

Will you link to the information which states otherwise? We'll clean that up. Thanks.

Re: Input Count
 

Thanks Kyle. That was what I thought, pretty typical, but I wanted to be sure since there was conflicting "official" information.

Here is the link https://cdn-www.avid.com/-/media/avi...et-english.pdf

Re: Input Count
 

Thanks, Bob! We'll fix that.