D-Show with MADI and Roland IEM

[sounds_good]

I'm part of a team of folks who are planning an upgrade to our church's audio system. We currently have a Yamaha PM5D and use Avioms as our IEM system, but we're wanting to move to Venue D-Show. We're also wanting a more robust and flexible IEM system. Enter the Roland IEM system with their M-48 personal mixers.

I really like the way this looks on paper, but I'm stuck on 1 problem. With this Roland system it can utilize 40 channels/outputs to slice and dice those any which way for each personal mixer. The most streamlined solution is to utilize a MADI option card out of the Venue to an S-MADI bridge which then feeds the Roland system.

My question pertains to the MADI option card. I've seen where the MADI strictly passes inputs 1-48 plus 16 assignable outputs, but I have a sales rep telling me that within Venue I can route whatever 40 channels/mixes I want out the MADI card.

Obviously I don't want to make this major purchase without knowing exactly how it will work. So, can we dictate what 40 channels/submixes go out the MADI card to Roland, or is it strictly inputs 1-48 (or really 1-40 since that is all Roland will see is up to 40)?

Thanks in advance for your help!!

[Sheldon Radford]

Hi,

THe VENUE MADI output card passes stage inputs 1-48 as MADI channels 1-48, plus 16 fully assignable outputs as MADI ch 49-64 (via the patchbay).

From looking at the Roland manual, there are configuration options to choose which range of channels are available on the REAC ports (either 1-40, or 41-64, if I read it right). This means you could use the 16 assignable channels as sources, plus stage inputs 41-48, I believe. Check out the user guide for more details, this may just do the trick:

http://lib.roland.co.jp/support/en/m...S-MADI_e01.pdf

Sheldon

[BradLyons]

Sounds Good,

Where is your church located? Have you used/seen the Venue in action in person?

[sounds_good]

Sheldon,
I was afraid of that answer. Seems there is not an easy, clear cut way to get this done. We can't simply use the 1-40 inputs, and if we use 41-64, while that does provide more options than the Aviom alternative, it doesn't come close to using the full potential of 40 inputs that Roland can handle. With the cost of Roland significantly higher than Aviom, we definitely want to use it to its full potential (if we do go that route).


Brad,
I am in Omaha, Nebraska. Yes, I've seen the Venue in action. One of our sound engineers implemented a D-Show and PT HD rig with C24 at another church, so his input has been great. But we just don't know anyone that has used the Roland system, so it has been difficult trying to piece together how to get this Roland IEM system to utilize its full potential with Venue (or really any non-Roland digital board). Looks like it would be very clean and simple if we were using a Roland console, but we're going with Venue.

Do either of you have thoughts on how we can make this work to utilize the full potential of 40 channels into Roland while giving us some flexibility to assign what 40 channels/submixes to assign?

Thanks again for your expertise.

[Jim Roach]

Originally Posted by sounds_good

But we just don't know anyone that has used the Roland system, so it has been difficult trying to piece together how to get this Roland IEM system to utilize its full potential with Venue (or really any non-Roland digital board).

Here is some info about the Roland system used with a Digico SD8. Maybe you can find some of it useful with Venue.

Personal Mixing 2.0

M-48 FAQ's

[Tragic Dog]

I too have been looking into this.

Some ideas I've come across, but have not had time to investigate are MADI matrix routers

http://www.solidstatelogic.com/music...i-x8/index.asp

http://www.directout.eu/en/products/m.1k2.html

Google Search

If you find out anything please let us know.

[Nicolas Lowman]

A lot of the RME MADI devices have a routing matrix in them as well. That may also be an option.
http://www.rme-audio.de/en_products_adi_642.php


Have you had a chance to play with the Roland system? How does it sound compared to the Aviom system?

[Tragic Dog]

personally, I'm told it sounds better (i have not heard it, but i weekly run an aviom system), on paper it is by far a more advanced system that should be considered if doing self mixed IEMs.

[sounds_good]

Same here. I've heard & read good things about how it sounds and the functionality is great (once you get the 40 channels into it ), but I haven't heard it personally.

We currently run Aviom and it is just too limiting. It seems Aviom is the standard that everyone talks about, but I can't believe they haven't come up with a solution so that everyone isn't limited to the same 16 channels. We will stick with Aviom at our satellite location. It works perfectly fine in a smaller setup, plus Roland is definitely a good bit more expensive, so it helps the budget to keep them on Aviom.

Tragic Dog, thanks for the tip on the SSL MADI-X8. That looks like it will solve our problem.

[Tragic Dog]

Originally Posted by sounds_good

Tragic Dog, thanks for the tip on the SSL MADI-X8. That looks like it will solve our problem.

Excellent, if it works please let us know.