Feeding Madi from Soundcraft VI-6 to a Venue D-Show

[Henning Svoren]

A festival have hired me to do a multitrack recording and a mix for picture.
The latter is going to be streamed live on the internet.

I am most comfortable with Digidesign/Avid mixers so I have hired
one of these and a Macbook with a RME Madiface and
Cubase Software for the recording part.

The problem is that the rental company that is providing the
PA-system just have a passive two way split for the FOH
and monitor console. And there arent any active splits for hire that weekend.

So in collaboration with the monitor engineer, we've decided to try to
feed madi from the monitor console(Soundcraft VI-6) and into the D-Show,
I trust the monitor guy to set good levels.

I have to take the D-Shows Madi card out of the FOH were it
currently resides and install it in the stage rack so it can be
close to the VI-6(we don't have long madi-cables).

So my first question is:
The Madi card will work in either rack, right?

My next question is:
Should we use a master clock to clock both mixers from?

And have any of you tried feeding Madi from a
different console into a D-Show?

Also
I will be using the RME Madiface for the multitrack recording,
but since we don't have any Madi multi cables, the macbook
will be on the stage.
I think I will have another Macbook in the backstage area
by the D-Show running screen sharing so I can control it remotely.

Do you think this setup will work, any obvious flaws?

We can't try the complete system until the evening before
the festival when the monitor mix arrives, so any help in
advance is much appreciated.

[mariojorgeandrade]

Hello.
I'm afraid you'll have to change your planned setup, either getting a long cable set (either optical or coaxial) or moving the FOH rack closer to your computer, because the Venue MADI card can only be installed in the FOH rack, or in a Mixrack, in case that system is going to be used.
Good luck.
Regards,
MJ

[Kenmillerjr]

I second what MJ said.

Where are you planning to route the outputs?

[Sheldon Radford]

Hi,

As others have pointed out the MADI card installs in the FOH Rack, so the recording system will need to be within cable length of the rack (which can be a great distance if using fibre).

Also, a common clock is required between the two consoles. This can be achieved in any of the following ways:
- by using a dedicated word clock device (e.g., Big Ben) and connecting its outputs to both consoles
- by connecting the word clock out of the VENUE console to the word clock in of the Soundcraft console
- by connecting the word clock out of the Soundcraft console to the word clock in of the VENUE console
- by setting the Soundcraft console to synch to the incoming MADI stream from VENUE (if this facility is provided)

Sheldon

[Henning Svoren]

Thank you guys for helping me avoid a disaster.
I was under the impression the Madi-card could also go in the Stage Racks.
I think I will hire an active split from and get it shipped in for this occation.

Kenmillerjr:
My 2bus mix will go through analog cable to an OB-van from where it goes online.

As for the multitrack recording I will route the direct outs on each channel through the Madi card and into the RME Madiface.

[Kenmillerjr]

Heads up on the MADI option...it automatically splits the first 1-48 direct from the pre's on the stage rack (or Mix rack). In addition to that, you have 16 assignables. Which is awesome because you can still direct out each channel somewhere else =)