What brings Dolby Audio Bridge to HDX users?

[nedd]

It sounds great that by using Dolby Audio Bridge we can finally have accurate delay compensation, and compatibility sessions with master suite users is also welcomed. What I don’t understand is what happens with HDX cards and plugins once one use DAB as the playback engine in 2019.10?

[LDS]

I've been trying to figure it all out today. Documentation seems scant. It looks like HDX just becomes a glorified playback card for the Dolby Atmos Render. Pro Tools -> Atmos audio bridge -> Dolby Atmos Render -> HDX -> Speakers.

On one upside, it increases the voice count in Pro Tools to 384... but it does make a HDX card a little useless indeed. When using the Dolby Atmos Audio Bridge, it appears the render expects some kind of sync to function as well. Either MTC or LTC over audio, where as the send/receive plugins handle it all internally. I had to generate LTC audio online and stick it into the session, outputting it to the Render on channel 129. It seems to work fine after that.

HDX seems to be on the way out...

[Brandonx1]

Originally Posted by LDS

I've been trying to figure it all out today. Documentation seems scant. It looks like HDX just becomes a glorified playback card for the Dolby Atmos Render. Pro Tools -> Atmos audio bridge -> Dolby Atmos Render -> HDX -> Speakers.

On one upside, it increases the voice count in Pro Tools to 384... but it does make a HDX card a little useless indeed. When using the Dolby Atmos Audio Bridge, it appears the render expects some kind of sync to function as well. Either MTC or LTC over audio, where as the send/receive plugins handle it all internally. I had to generate LTC audio online and stick it into the session, outputting it to the Render on channel 129. It seems to work fine after that.

HDX seems to be on the way out...

This is all correct.

Happy to have HDX go bye bye

[paulo m]

Originally Posted by nedd

It sounds great that by using Dolby Audio Bridge we can finally have accurate delay compensation, and compatibility sessions with master suite users is also welcomed. What I don’t understand is what happens with HDX cards and plugins once one use DAB as the playback engine in 2019.10?

Was thinking about the same issue. If you´re using AAX DSP plugins on the session, changing the playback engine to DAB will probably switch those plugins to native, so they will run on the CPU along with the DAPS. Or you need to freeze/commit before mixing.

[paulo m]

Originally Posted by LDS

When using the Dolby Atmos Audio Bridge, it appears the render expects some kind of sync to function as well. Either MTC or LTC over audio, where as the send/receive plugins handle it all internally. I had to generate LTC audio online and stick it into the session, outputting it to the Render on channel 129. It seems to work fine after that.

HDX seems to be on the way out...

Meaning you need to have a track on the timeline with recorded LTC? That´s a joke right?

[bsteeve]

Originally Posted by LDS

I've been trying to figure it all out today. Either MTC or LTC over audio, where as the send/receive plugins handle it all internally. I had to generate LTC audio online and stick it into the session, outputting it to the Render on channel 129. It seems to work fine after that.

HDX seems to be on the way out...

Couldn't you use MTC through IAC bus internally with AUDIO MIDI setup like specified on this link?

https://help.prodicle.com/hc/en-us/a...Atmos-Natively

I have not tried this yet but I will set this up this Friday...
Yeah I didn't think about AAX DSP becoming unavailable through the dolby bridge setup... I guess they still need some sort of incentive for folks to invest in RMU and Mastering Suite workflow.

[LDS]

Originally Posted by paulo m

Meaning you need to have a track on the timeline with recorded LTC? That´s a joke right?

It is the only way I could get the renderer to respond in my initial testing, but that being said it is a completely fresh installation of everything (OSX, 2019.10, Atmos 3.3). There is a track/IO/bussing for the LTC track already in the DAB Pro Tools session template.

Originally Posted by bsteeve

Couldn't you use MTC through IAC bus internally with AUDIO MIDI setup like specified on this link?

https://help.prodicle.com/hc/en-us/a...Atmos-Natively

I have not tried this yet but I will set this up this Friday...
Yeah I didn't think about AAX DSP becoming unavailable through the dolby bridge setup... I guess they still need some sort of incentive for folks to invest in RMU and Mastering Suite workflow.

I tried setting up an IAC bus but couldn't get it to work. I also tried sending the midi directly through physical midi I/O using a cable and a MOTU 4x4... and I tried output LTC via audio into Lockstep, which then converts that LTC audio to MTC. Lockstep received the LTC audio... but I have mixed results with the resulting MTC making it into the renderer. I'll keep fiddling with it and see if it sorts itself out... but even then, MTC isn't frame accurate.

It is a very odd implementation from Avid. DAB means any Avid hardware, including Sync HD is redundant. I wonder what they have planned for the next year of HDX development, because as it currently stands it makes a lot more sense to install Audinate DVS and send audio from the Dolby Rendering suite straight to a Dante equipped monitor controller and call it a day!

[thierryd]

Have you tried running a complex mix with all the bed an objects sources routed to DAB then recording that to 128ch beds and objects tracks on the same computer? I suspect this will be quite hard. But probably with new computer generations, such as the upcoming Mac Pro, HDX is on the way out. For now I guess running 128 channels of MADI or Dante between a playback an recording system might be the better option...

Greetings,

Thierry

[Adam at Dolby]

Hi, I've posted a FAQ over here that discusses using the Production Suite with Pro Tool 2019.10:

https://developerkb.dolby.com/suppor...-tools-2019-10

[paulo m]

Originally Posted by Adam at Dolby

Hi, I've posted a FAQ over here that discusses using the Production Suite with Pro Tool 2019.10:

https://developerkb.dolby.com/suppor...-tools-2019-10

Thanks Adam, the FAQ was enlightening and useful to dissipate any doubts.

Although the Production Suite with Pro Tools 2019.10 with the DAB and the 130 channels with delay comp seems (and is) like a great advance in the workflow, even for HDX users, basically it added further reasons to why people really should have an HT RMU. Non use of AAX DSP, Sync HD for referencing, clocking etc is out, the list goes on.

I mean, I understand the reasons for another machine, in particular in what concerns CPU resources, even if I reckon that the differences in some functions between the mastering suite and the production suite are only based on Dolby´s product policies and not on a technical basis only, but I respect that, it´s your business and you´re here to make money.
My only concern is why Dolby insists on choosing the models and manufacturers of either Win or MAC based machines and the I/O. Why don´t you just provide minimum/recommended computer requirements and I/O and let people choose their machine, their interfaces and then buy the mastering suite version to install? The idea of the turnkey business model is an old fashioned one and prevents people to search for the better deals on the market or follow their preferences in terms of hardware. If Dolby was building their own machines to sell, that would be another question, but it´s not.