Avid Pro Audio Community

Avid Pro Audio Community

How to Join & Post  •  Community Terms of Use  •  Help Us Help You

Knowledge Base Search  •  Community Search  •  Learn & Support


Avid Home Page

Go Back   Avid Pro Audio Community > Pro Tools Hardware > Pro Tools HDX & HD Native Systems (Mac)

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old 07-03-2021, 01:05 PM
nst7 nst7 is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Cincinnati OH
Posts: 9,864
Default Really basic HDX question

Since I never considered HDX all these years until now (due to the cost of more than one card), I've never looked into this.

If you are using HDX with any DAW other than Protools, such as Logic or Studio One, do you still get the benefit of no latency recording when you put a track in record? Or does it just function as any other native based interface, based on buffer size, etc.?

I ask this because with Protools Carbon, they specifically state in the various marketing that you don't get this benefit with other DAW's. So I am assuming the same thing with HDX, but I could be wrong.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 07-03-2021, 01:15 PM
uptheoctave uptheoctave is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 719
Default Re: Really basic HDX question

You can use HDX as a core audio device but you won't want to.

It's latency is pretty terrible and you don' get any of the low latency advantage/DSP when using it as a core audio device.

I have a HDX card plus a MTRX.
I use a Focurite Rednet card for native, sending the MTRX's inputs to the Rednet card and it works great.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 07-03-2021, 02:35 PM
BScout BScout is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 4,136
Default Re: Really basic HDX question

Quote:
Originally Posted by nst7 View Post
do you still get the benefit of no latency recording when you put a track in record?
No
Quote:
Originally Posted by nst7 View Post
Or does it just function as any other native based interface, based on buffer size, etc.?
Yes

It's pretty terrible as an audio interface for third party DAWs. It gives you input and output (based on the playback engine buffer set -- not "no latency"). It becomes just a pass through to whatever audio interface is hooked to the digilink ports.
__________________
Pro Tools Ult 2024.3, HDX 2, MTRX/SPQ, RME BBF Pro + MADIface ProS1 x 2, Fire HD10 + Max11, Dock, iPad Air5 Mac Mini 14,12, 12 core, macOS 13.6.5RAM 32GB, SSD 4TB, GPU 19 coreQNAP TVS-872XT 148TB TB3
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 07-03-2021, 02:40 PM
uptheoctave uptheoctave is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 719
Default Re: Really basic HDX question

By way of comparison, latency at 48khz with 64 sample buffer in Logic Pro:

Rednet PCIE-R: 1.8ms Output, 3.7ms Roundtrip
HDX: 6.7ms Output, 13.3ms Roundtrip

HDX is actually worse than the software only Dante Virtual Soundcard.
Frankly, that is embarrassingly bad.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 07-03-2021, 02:49 PM
nst7 nst7 is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Cincinnati OH
Posts: 9,864
Default Re: Really basic HDX question

Thank you both for the info!

Uptheoctave, when using the MTRX into the Rednet card like you mentioned, are you doing audio recording, or just using that for virtual instruments?
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 07-03-2021, 02:54 PM
uptheoctave uptheoctave is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 719
Default Re: Really basic HDX question

Quote:
Originally Posted by nst7 View Post
Thank you both for the info!

Uptheoctave, when using the MTRX into the Rednet card like you mentioned, are you doing audio recording, or just using that for virtual instruments?
I don't really use virtual instruments.
I'm using a lot of hardware synths, especially modular, as well as acoustic instruments.

I work in Logic and Pro Tools, more the former than the latter, although I mostly mix in PT.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 07-03-2021, 03:09 PM
nst7 nst7 is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Cincinnati OH
Posts: 9,864
Default Re: Really basic HDX question

I see. What about if you need to record into a native non DSP amp sim like Amplitube. Do you switch over to the Rednet card, or just lower the buffer while using the HDX card?
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 07-03-2021, 05:45 PM
LukeHoward LukeHoward is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 1,233
Default Re: Really basic HDX question

Quote:
Originally Posted by uptheoctave View Post
By way of comparison, latency at 48khz with 64 sample buffer in Logic Pro:

Rednet PCIE-R: 1.8ms Output, 3.7ms Roundtrip
HDX: 6.7ms Output, 13.3ms Roundtrip

HDX is actually worse than the software only Dante Virtual Soundcard.
Frankly, that is embarrassingly bad.
Yeah, I just disable the Avid Audio Server: CoreAudio hasn't even been super useful with HDX. If you need to use CoreAudio music production applications then, a separate interface piped into your MTRX via Dante or MADI is the way to go. For listening to Spotify, etc, DVS is fine.
__________________
https://lukehoward.com/
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 07-04-2021, 04:56 AM
uptheoctave uptheoctave is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 719
Default Re: Really basic HDX question

Quote:
Originally Posted by LukeHoward View Post
Yeah, I just disable the Avid Audio Server: CoreAudio hasn't even been super useful with HDX. If you need to use CoreAudio music production applications then, a separate interface piped into your MTRX via Dante or MADI is the way to go. For listening to Spotify, etc, DVS is fine.
Agree.

I find DVS a real pain if you are switching sample rates.
Actually that is a pain with Dante too- say you load up a 44.1k sample in Wavelab to edit but your MTRX is at 48k- no sound.

I actually have a dedicated UA Apollo for this.
It outputs analogue signal that goes to an Audinate 2 input Dante converter that clocks of the MTRX sample rate.
This was cheaper than, say, getting an AES card for the MTRX that does on the fly SRC and using an AES PCIE card in the Mac Pro.

I know there might be technical limitations why HDX can't be multi client but it is a real pain in the ass to work this way.

I've considered making the Rednet card the clock master and having everything clock off that which will solve the 'different sample rate in Wavelab' issue but will probably complicate recording over Digilink.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 07-04-2021, 06:06 AM
LukeHoward LukeHoward is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 1,233
Default Re: Really basic HDX question

Quote:
Originally Posted by uptheoctave View Post
I find DVS a real pain if you are switching sample rates.
Actually that is a pain with Dante too- say you load up a 44.1k sample in Wavelab to edit but your MTRX is at 48k- no sound.
I feel your pain. It's even worse with the Sync X, because it doesn't reliably output WC when a session is closed, so if my session isn't at 48k (or whatever rate DVS is set to), I have to open an explicit "listening" session, rather than just closing the session and setting the new rate in Hardware Setup.

It would be great if DVS could be configured to follow the sample rate of another Dante device, but that's something for Audinate to fix. (I do have an old Z-Sys sample rate converter lying around, I suppose I could press that into service with a cheap USB to SPDIF adapter but... not really a solution for multichannel CoreAudio use.)

Quote:
I actually have a dedicated UA Apollo for this. It outputs analogue signal that goes to an Audinate 2 input Dante converter that clocks of the MTRX sample rate. This was cheaper than, say, getting an AES card for the MTRX that does on the fly SRC and using an AES PCIE card in the Mac Pro.
A hack, but it works.

Quote:
I've considered making the Rednet card the clock master and having everything clock off that which will solve the 'different sample rate in Wavelab' issue but will probably complicate recording over Digilink.
Probably. :)
__________________
https://lukehoward.com/
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Basic, basic recording question enigami MIDI 1 06-08-2009 06:27 PM
LCR mix in PT LE - basic question bkee Post - Surround - Video 0 05-18-2006 12:56 PM
a basic question budinski 003, Mbox 2, Digi 002, original Mbox, Digi 001 (Mac) 6 02-29-2004 09:51 AM
basic PT question gregfrey Pro Tools TDM Systems (Mac) 3 03-15-2003 07:55 AM
Basic Pro Tools use. Really Basic question. Shizznik_McRuube 003, Mbox 2, Digi 002, original Mbox, Digi 001 (Win) 1 09-14-2002 11:41 AM


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 01:22 AM.


Powered by: vBulletin, Copyright ©2000 - 2008, Jelsoft Enterprises Limited. Forum Hosted By: URLJet.com