Interfaces considered a "step up" from the Avid I|O?

[Eric Lambert]

Originally Posted by uptheoctave

It was for me too.

I wrote this shortly after buying the MTRX back in 2020.
It is still one of the best purchases I've made.

https://www.pro-tools-expert.com/hom...y-to-avid-mtrx

You *could* add a Rednet D16R to the MTRX Studio if you need AES, but I am still glad I went for the full fat MTRX.

Nice write-up, James! You said:

"Another issue is a lack of Native/Thunderbolt support for the MTRX (and the MTRX Studio for that matter)"

I use HD Native. Are you saying that the MTRX doesn't work with the Native Thunderbolt hardware?

[uptheoctave]

Originally Posted by Eric Lambert

Nice write-up, James! You said:

"Another issue is a lack of Native/Thunderbolt support for the MTRX (and the MTRX Studio for that matter)"

I use HD Native. Are you saying that the MTRX doesn't work with the Native Thunderbolt hardware?

No, that isn't what I was saying.
It works with The Avid Native Thunderbolt device.

I was saying that it isn't a Thunderbolt device in terms of having a Thunderbolt port on the MTRX, as with the Focusrite Red 16 Line.

The Red 16 Line acts as either a Digilink interface (with some caveats such as sample accuracy on inserts) OR as a native (core audio) interface, because the Red 16 Line has a Thunderbolt port as well as Digilink.

You can't do that with the MTRX- there is no direct connection to the computer, you need some sort of interconnection device between it and the computer such as

1) Digilink: such as Avid HDX, Avid Native Thunderbolt
2) Dante: such as Focusrite Rednet PCIER card or RME's Digiface Dante
3) AES: such as RME HDSPe AES
4) MADI: such as MADIface USB
5) Dante Virtual Soundcard (with a significant latency penalty)

The MTRX Studio is in the same boat- you can use them without using digilink at all, but you can't plug them directly to your computer's thunderbolt ports because they don't have them.

The only downside with the MTRX I've found is with sample rate switching.
If you are working in Pro Tools all the time then it won't be an issue because the MTRX will follow what sample rate you set in Pro Tools.

I use it in about 5 different DAW's, for instance with a REDNET PCIER card in Logic. Because the MTRX is the clock master, if I change the sample rate in Logic it will not automatically change in the MTRX. I have to manually change it, which can knock other things out. My solution is to basically stay at 48khz for everything except for the odd session where something comes in at 44.1 and needs to stay there. In that instance I use a UA Apollo for that project, which is always connected. I just use SRC to convert the Apollo output from 44.1 to 48khz so I don't have to mess about with changing sample rate in the MTRX.

Previously, with the RED16 Line and other Rednet Dante expanders, I was able to change sample rate in any DAW and the whole system would adjust- but that is because the Red 16 Line has a direct connection over Thunderbolt or via Digilink.
It is slightly more fiddly the more devices you get with the MTRX, depending on what you are doing.

One huge advantage of the MTRX (and Dante more generally) is being able to pass an input source to multiple destinations.
For instance, I have a number of hardware synths, about 32 channels of them.
They stay connected at all times with their own channels on the Dante network.

I can have them set up in Pro Tools (Digilink) and Logic (Rednet PCIER) with the same channel numbers, but sent to different devices.
Think of it as digital multing.
It is really excellent, because I spent less time pissing about patching things.

Having said all that, I am close to dropping HDX- I mostly work natively now, so the MTRX is mostly used as you would with a DAD AX32.
So I am looking at the DAD AX64 to replace it once they are readily available.

[Eric Lambert]

Thanks for clearing that up James!

Though a former DSP loyalist, today (and in the foreseeable future) I'm enjoying as much plugin horsepower as I could need with Native, so DSP isn't even on my radar these days.

[Eric Lambert]

MTRX options start at $5k, which isn't making sense at the moment. I can upgrade the current Avid I|O via the Black Lion mods for $2K. I'm not seeing evidence that the MTRX would sound better, though some have called the Black Lion the "best upgrade they've ever made" in their studio. And the current interface has the other digital options for which I'm currently configured.

I think I'll need to check the MTRX off the list, but I'm not convinced that the Black Lion mod is the winner either.

So, the Apogee is still in play. And I like what I'd heard from a friend's Antelope, but those are so problematic for PT (another story) that I don't want to open that box.

If what I ultimately want are a couple of improved inputs for main mics and guitar, maybe I simply look at a great 4-channel A/D and feed it into the current Avid I|O digitally...

[uptheoctave]

Originally Posted by Eric Lambert

Thanks for clearing that up James!

Though a former DSP loyalist, today (and in the foreseeable future) I'm enjoying as much plugin horsepower as I could need with Native, so DSP isn't even on my radar these days.

Do you need to stay with Digilink?

You can get more channels with something like the Rednet PCIER card and an AX32, or the new AX64 than you can with HD Native.

Edit: Saw you replied before I pressed send.

What about a Focusrite Red 16 Line?
They are really terrific if you don't need more than 64 IO.

[JFreak]

Umm, no. HDN is 64 i/o and CoreAudio maxes at 64 i/o. Only way to get past 64 i/o is HDX

[uptheoctave]

Originally Posted by JFreak

Umm, no. HDN is 64 i/o and CoreAudio maxes at 64 i/o. Only way to get past 64 i/o is HDX

Pro Tools Ultimate/Flex allows up to 256 channels of IO natively.

https://www.avid.com/resource-center...o-tools-lineup

https://www.pro-tools-expert.com/hom...u-need-to-know

'Among the new features in this latest version of Ultimate is a raising of the native IO limit from 64 to 256 channels making it very interesting to Dolby Atmos mixers'

[JFreak]

i stand corrected

[BScout]

Originally Posted by JFreak

Umm, no. HDN is 64 i/o and CoreAudio maxes at 64 i/o. Only way to get past 64 i/o is HDX

HDN is still limited
CoreAudio is not. 256 now.

[Eric Lambert]

Originally Posted by uptheoctave

What about a Focusrite Red 16 Line?
They are really terrific if you don't need more than 64 IO.

This is for my home studio so I wouldn't need more than 64.

Would the Red 16 be considered a sonic upgrade over the Avid HD I|O? I have no experience whatsoever with the Focusrite.