MADI questions for Sheldon

[JoshRose]

I just got done watching the madi webinar to gain some info, but I have a few questions.

I'm currently running a venue profile with an fwx card. Occasionally I will record program material via PTLE. However, oftentimes I am using PTLE to trigger some samples with drumagog, and send them back to the console. I have to use a 128 buffer in PTLE to accomplish this with acceptable latency. Of course, with a 128 buffer I am unable to record my program material, due to buffer issues. Aside from that, RTAS can't be enabled while recording anyways.

It has now become necessary to record multi-track sessions of every service, and possibly even deliver audio to a studio location for a live broadcast mix as well. With MADI, can I continue to use an FWX card? Or does it replace the FWX card? What is the process of linking MADI with PTHD? Does it require an HD interface or accel cards, etc?

To simplify... How can I continue to use PT to provide low-latency drum samples, and also provide multi-track audio to a studio location with a separate PT rig? Can the coax provide multitrack to one system, while the optical provides it to another?

Thanks for any advice, this will help inform some purchases.

[Craig F]

MADI to HD: SSL Delta Link http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/DeltaLinkMHD

[Sheldon Radford]

Hi Josh,

Craig's pointed you to one solution for interfacing MADI with Pro Tools.

To answer your question directly:

With MADI, can I continue to use an FWX card?

No, the MADI card can not be used at the same time as FWx.

Can the coax provide multitrack to one system, while the optical provides it to another?

Yes, the optical and coax outputs are always active, and carry the exact same signals. So in theory the outputs can be sent to two different systems. When feeding MADI into the console, you do need to choose either the coax or optical port.

So if I understand the workflow, you could send one MADI output to the recorder, and the other to the drum replacer. The outputs of the drum replacer could then be fed via MADI back into the console via the 16 assignable inputs, and routed to input channels.

Sheldon

[JoshRose]

Ok cool. It's more straightforward than I thought. The only problem is it's gonna be at least $10,000, it would seem. I would need two MADI->HD converters plus the MADI card. A sweetwater rep told me that he thought that I would be able to use MADI and HDX in a future update. Any truth to that? Are there enough slots for this at FOH?

Perhaps a cheaper solution would be to upgrade to HDX, and run that up to my studio (it's less than 200 ft) and then buy a midi drum interface to trigger my samples and use trs at FOH to get triggers to the console.

hmm. I guess I'll have to think about this.

If anyone has any other solutions feel free to share. Thanks.

[Kenmillerjr]

Sheldon,

I understand the MADI interface for the most part. At our church we are redoing some things, and I want to ensure our upgrade process is actually going to work before we make the purchase. We have a Venue Profile system with FOH and Stage rack. Currently we have an HDx card to which we multitrack services. We are wanting to take a "Digital split" to another console.

I want to ensure that 1) the process works and 2) a little clarification on some interfacing. Just want to make sure the HDx card and MADI card will simultaneously work together.

Now, HDx will split 1:1 from the stage inputs with 16 assignables. With the MADI card, as long as it is not set to input mode, it should do the same 1:1 stage split without the assignables? Am I correct in that understanding? Thanks for the help.