MTRX Studio and Carbon stack

[alexproshak]

Hi everyone

I have a chance to get Carbon for a bit f less price. There`s HDX DSP in it. My question is - if I get MTRX Studio interface later on, will I be able to use them in tandem and enjoy the HDX acceleration provided by DSPs in carbon when working in PT, if I don`t have PCIe HDX card?
In other words, I won`t be planning to get the HDX card, just the MTRX studio. So will the software let me use the HDX Acceleration from Carbon and won`t limit the functions of MTRX Studio?
I am just looking for a way not to move from my Mac Studio as it doesn`t support any PCIe cards
Thanks

[BScout]

No.
MTRX Studio will be limited to the 16 channels between Carbon and MTRX Studio if you want to use the DSP on the Carbon (assuming if connected by ADAT.) If you want to use the DSP on the Carbon, you have to choose it as the playback engine. That ends everything else.

Everyone else gets a chassis for HDX cards. And the Carbon + MTRX Studio wasn't an "expanded" design planned by Avid (especially since they aren't even made by the same companies.)

[alexproshak]

Originally Posted by BScout

No.
Everyone else gets a chassis for HDX cards. And the Carbon + MTRX Studio wasn't an "expanded" design planned by Avid (especially since they aren't even made by the same companies.)

Ooh.... They even look the same))) I mean MTRX and Carbon

So it`s not an expansion.... Bad, I thought it would be kind of integration between them. Now I know, thank you

[alexproshak]

Originally Posted by BScout

No.
MTRX Studio will be limited to the 16 channels between Carbon and MTRX Studio if you want to use the DSP on the Carbon (assuming if connected by ADAT.) If you want to use the DSP on the Carbon, you have to choose it as the playback engine. That ends everything else.

So if I have both MTRX Studio and Carbon purchased and selected Carbon as playback engine, I will just have additional outputs from MTRX? What about if I get chassis and add HDX cards in there? I can set my MTRX as playback device, will have I/O from MTRX and Carbon and will use the HDX cards as additional DSP (and no internal DSP acceleration provided by Carbon)?

Am I right in my thinking?

[Darryl Ramm]

These boxes really come from such different families, built by different companies/teams, with significant differences, I would not be mixing them up.

Originally Posted by alexproshak

So if I have both MTRX Studio and Carbon purchased and selected Carbon as playback engine, I will just have additional outputs from MTRX?

Well you've got to have this stuff connected, how are you doing that? You want to run the MTRX Studio as an ADAT preamp for the Carbon? Sure connect it up, DadMan can do the routing to make that happen.

What about if I get chassis and add HDX cards in there? I can set my MTRX as playback device,

Yes. But pay attention to the problems getting those card and driver workings. You can also just use the MTRX Studio now via Thunderbolt 3 if you don't want HDX/HDN.

will have I/O from MTRX and Carbon and will use the HDX cards as additional DSP (and no internal DSP acceleration provided by Carbon)?

The MTRX is connected to DigiLink here, you can't connect the Carbon to DigiLink, you can use it as an ADAT preamp into the MTRX. And yes you can't combine the Carbon DSP with the HDX DSP. (I mean this is an awfully silly way to use a Carbon, just go buy a ADAP preamp from elsewhere).

Am I right in my thinking?

Somewhat. The thing you are not right about is wanting to mix this stuff up together to start with. I'd be running hard and fast the other way. If you need HDX and lots of I/O then get HDX and MTRX Studio or MTRX II. If you don't need HDX and Thunderbolt can cut it for you then I would go Thunderbolt 3 to MTRX Studio or MTRX II. And HDX may not be enough for you, you might need multiple HDX cards, you can run hybrid, but then be prepared for some problems with ADC. If you go Carbon, be prepared for potential latency/ADC issues there as well. And if you go HDX in a Thunderbolt Chassis be prepared for installation problems/pay careful attention/read threads and KB articles on that.

To me DadMan is such a nice thing, you don't get any of that with Carbon. And the whole Carbon AVB thing just seems a bad idea... still no Windows support.

You should of course be reading all the product guides.

[alexproshak]

Great, man! Thanks for clearing it out. I was going to get the Carbon mainly because it comes with PT Ultimate perpetual license. I hate the AVB way of work.... Like - if you have a name of AVID on it - why would you exclude the Digilink support? It has been there for ages, and now you are getting just an interface over Ethernet?

It may just be a good solution for someone who stays on Mac (I currently have Win) and as you said doesn`t care about latency. I will probably go with MTRX and get the Studio Perpetual, don`t think I`ll need more than 64 tracks.
Hope MTRX Studio works with PT Studio?

[BScout]

Originally Posted by alexproshak

Hope MTRX Studio works with PT Studio?

No. It does not. You need Ultimate to run any digilink audio hardware.
All this info is on Avid's website and information FAQ.
I would not be "guessing" or hoping pre-purchase about these questions unless you want to waste a lot of money.

[its2loud]

Hope MTRX Studio works with PT Studio?

It does if you get it with the TB3 option card. As stated, you cannot use HDX with anything other than PT Ultimate.

In addition, if you really wanted both MTRX and Carbon (not really sure why) you could use the MTRX via thunderbolt with Aux IO and Carbon for your DSP processing, etc. not sure of anyone actually utilizing these devices this way though. YMMV.

[alexproshak]

Yea, got you. I was going to get Carbon cause it comes with PT Ultimate perpetual for free, and then adding MTRX to a system, but better I just get the MTRX Studio and the license instead