OMNI USERS HELP - Can not get digital IN to pass to Analog OUT

[JBQIII]

Hi all. I was using a Waves Soundgrid DLS until recently with my HD IO analog. I switched to a HD native card but did not realize I'd lose my windows/spotify audio in the process.

So I bought a used Omni to run digital optical from my windows soundcard into the digital in on the Omni via a optical cable. The Omni sees the Digital signal and it shows up on the OMNI meters. That part is good.

The problem is the output. I cannot get the signal to send through to my db25 analog out signals unless I use the 'Mixer' section of the Hardware Setup with its "monitor" button.

But the poorly mixer automatically mutes the signal at startup and the omni is in another room, so I don't need a mixer but a simple signal pass through directly to the analog out from the digital in.

What am I missing? I feel like I keep hitting roadblocks with this. Bought the Native card simply to get rid of the DLS that I didn't use, and now it won't do Windows sounds. So I bought the Omni for windows sounds and now I can't figure out how to get it to pass audio like I bought it for.

Please help. This has been a nightmare. I love the HD IO I bought new but everythign else has been a nightmare. Coming from Waves Soundgrid that's saying a LOT.

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by JBQIII

Hi all. I was using a Waves Soundgrid DLS until recently with my HD IO analog. I switched to a HD native card but did not realize I'd lose my windows/spotify audio in the process.

So I bought a used Omni to run digital optical from my windows soundcard into the digital in on the Omni via a optical cable. The Omni sees the Digital signal and it shows up on the OMNI meters. That part is good.

The problem is the output. I cannot get the signal to send through to my db25 analog out signals unless I use the 'Mixer' section of the Hardware Setup with its "monitor" button.

Well that's the whole point of the mixer. There is no other way to do this with an Omni.

But the poorly mixer automatically mutes the signal at startup and the omni is in another room, so I don't need a mixer but a simple signal pass through directly to the analog out from the digital in.

What am I missing? I feel like I keep hitting roadblocks with this. Bought the Native card simply to get rid of the DLS that I didn't use, and now it won't do Windows sounds. So I bought the Omni for windows sounds and now I can't figure out how to get it to pass audio like I bought it for.

Please help. This has been a nightmare. I love the HD IO I bought new but everythign else has been a nightmare. Coming from Waves Soundgrid that's saying a LOT.

IIRC the "temporary mute" on power on turned into a permanent mute you have to disable at some time in the distant past. A well known irritant that has been discussed on DUC before. (You can find all that by searching with Google using site:duc.avid.com qualifier).

Maybe it's time to get off DigiLink HD Native systems, there are just so many good USB and Firewire audio interfaces out there.

[JBQIII]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

Well that's the whole point of the mixer. There is no other way to do this with an Omni.



IIRC the "temporary mute" on power on turned into a permanent mute you have to disable at some time in the distant past. A well known irritant that has been discussed on DUC before. (You can find all that by searching with Google using site:duc.avid.com qualifier).

Maybe it's time to get off DigiLink HD Native systems, there are just so many good USB and Firewire audio interfaces out there.

Yeah I may have to do that. Any suggestions? I really like my HD IO converters but no longer use PT.

So to clarify, the mute used to be temporary/time delayed but now it’s permanent?

And the mixer “monitor” buttons are the only way to pass audio through outside of PT?

[Darryl Ramm]

You'll have to search and read those past posts. I just recall it changed at some time. It's been forever since I used an Omni and I never owned one.

I'm a biased fan of RME gear, their (Windows and Mac) drivers and support are just *so* good. And TotalMix is a great hardware mixer, and it has loopback in TotalMix... but all the messing around you are doing now just goes away.

It all depends on what you need/want to do (how much I/O and/or preamps you need, what digital I/O you need... eg. ADAT, MADI, AVB, Dante... If you are not using Pro Tools you've got to put up with faffing around with the HD Native ASIO drivers with other DAWs... a reason itself I'd run the other way.

[JBQIII]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

You'll have to search and read those past posts. I just recall it changed at some time. It's been forever since I used an Omni and I never owned one.

I'm a biased fan of RME gear, their (Windows and Mac) drivers and support are just *so* good. And TotalMix is a great hardware mixer, and it has loopback in TotalMix... but all the messing around you are doing now just goes away.

It all depends on what you need/want to do (how much I/O and/or preamps you need, what digital I/O you need... eg. ADAT, MADI, AVB, Dante... If you are not using Pro Tools you've got to put up with faffing around with the HD Native ASIO drivers with other DAWs... a reason itself I'd run the other way.

Yeah, I have a simple setup really. All outboard preamps so I just need good quality conversion of 16-32 channels. No Dante, AVB, Madi needed.

Do you feel rme has comparable converter quality? I just don’t want to take a step back in quality.

But yeah. You’re probably right about timing to move on. I just don’t know where to go.

[Darryl Ramm]

Latest RME converters will beat anything you have now. But were dealing with such good stuff anyhow.

I'd pick up the phone and call a rep at Vintage King, folks there tend to be great/can help you on details/options.

RME's has a choice of several USB interferes, none have a lot of analog I/O on them... in their native environment you hang expansion off those interfaces over ADAT or MADI. But RME convertor boxes now do AVB and optionally Dante. If you think you might want Dante in future you need to buy Dante versions of their products otherwise they come with AVB (as well as ADAT and MADI).

So you might pair something like a Fireface UFX III USB 3 interface and a M-1610 Pro (for an additional 16 line inputs, 8 line outputs + extra headphone) or an M32 II A/D for 32 analog inputs (or both or multiple of those).

The M32 II A/D are ~$4k but stunning. That front panel oh so pretty/utilitarian. (I don't own one, would love one).

I use MADI optical with my RME gear... they are *the* MADI company, and long runs are easy, all their boxes have easy remote control etc.

If you want super-low (world best) latency you can skip the utility of using a USB 3 interface and put their HDSPe MADI FX PCIe card in your PC and connect it to M-1610 Pro or M-32 II A/D or M-32 II D/A boxes. You still get TotalMix mixer, remote control etc. when using the cards vs an USB interface box. But their latency on USB beats just about everybody else anyhow.

We are spoilt for incredible gear nowadays. If I needed high end Atmos mixing etc. I'd be looking at DAD's products (which the Avid MTRX is a rebadged version of). And many others, such great stuff out there.

[JBQIII]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

Latest RME converters will beat anything you have now. But were dealing with such good stuff anyhow.

I'd pick up the phone and call a rep at Vintage King, folks there tend to be great/can help you on details/options.

RME's has a choice of several USB interferes, none have a lot of analog I/O on them... in their native environment you hang expansion off those interfaces over ADAT or MADI. But RME convertor boxes now do AVB and optionally Dante. If you think you might want Dante in future you need to buy Dante versions of their products otherwise they come with AVB (as well as ADAT and MADI).

So you might pair something like a Fireface UFX III USB 3 interface and a M-1610 Pro (for an additional 16 line inputs, 8 line outputs + extra headphone) or an M32 II A/D for 32 analog inputs (or both or multiple of those).

The M32 II A/D are ~$4k but stunning. That front panel oh so pretty/utilitarian. (I don't own one, would love one).

I use MADI optical with my RME gear... they are *the* MADI company, and long runs are easy, all their boxes have easy remote control etc.

If you want super-low (world best) latency you can skip the utility of using a USB 3 interface and put their HDSPe MADI FX PCIe card in your PC and connect it to M-1610 Pro or M-32 II A/D or M-32 II D/A boxes. You still get TotalMix mixer, remote control etc. when using the cards vs an USB interface box. But their latency on USB beats just about everybody else anyhow.

We are spoilt for incredible gear nowadays. If I needed high end Atmos mixing etc. I'd be looking at DAD's products (which the Avid MTRX is a rebadged version of). And many others, such great stuff out there.

This is wonderful info. Thank you so much!!