MTRX Studio

[Philharmonic7]

Hi all,

I’m considering to purchase a mtrx studio and wanted to know if I can connect it directly using the Dante port to my computer. I’m not interested in getting an HDX card and connecting it via digilink.

If direct connection from Dante port to computer is possible, anything to be aware of? Pitfalls? Pros and cons? Thanks in advance!

[BScout]

Yes if you use Dante DVS (virtual soundcard).

Only pitfalls (atm) i know of:
DVS isn't playing nice with the 10GBe ports on the new Mac Pro. You need to get a 1GBe USB/TB ethernet dongle. Hopefully they'll fix that soon.
DVS has a latency (up to 10ms) -- it is something you set and can be lowered. How low you can set it will depend on the number of channels you want to run and your computer's performance.

Pretty much just look up Dante DVS. That becomes your "soundcard" and the MTRX Studio becomes your digital audio patch system and DAC/ADC.

(You could also get one of the Dante accelerator cards for your computer -- few makers: Focusrite, Yamaha, etc. -- that have a Dante chip on the card/ethernet port that reduces latency significantly.)

[Philharmonic7]

Originally Posted by BScout

Yes if you use Dante DVS (virtual soundcard).

Only pitfalls (atm) i know of:
DVS isn't playing nice with the 10GBe ports on the new Mac Pro. You need to get a 1GBe USB/TB ethernet dongle. Hopefully they'll fix that soon.
DVS has a latency (up to 10ms) -- it is something you set and can be lowered. How low you can set it will depend on the number of channels you want to run and your computer's performance.

Pretty much just look up Dante DVS. That becomes your "soundcard" and the MTRX Studio becomes your digital audio patch system and DAC/ADC.

(You could also get one of the Dante accelerator cards for your computer -- few makers: Focusrite, Yamaha, etc. -- that have a Dante chip on the card/ethernet port that reduces latency significantly.)

Thanks for the info! Much appreciate it.

I have an Hp z840 Workstation, so I don't have to worry about that 10GBe port for now. I'd figure the Dante DVS has to be integrated somehow. Again, thanks a bunch!

[originalscottyg]

Keep in mind that DVS does not have very good latency specs. I think it's 4ms minimum. So if you're planning on tracking through this setup, it might not be the best way forward. You can usually find used HD Native TB or PCIe for $600-800. This would be a much better bet than trying to track through DVS.

[JCBigler]

Originally Posted by originalscottyg

Keep in mind that DVS does not have very good latency specs. I think it's 4ms minimum. So if you're planning on tracking through this setup, it might not be the best way forward. You can usually find used HD Native TB or PCIe for $600-800. This would be a much better bet than trying to track through DVS.

This. DVS isn't meant for multitracking and over dubbing, etc. You're latency is going to be hell when trying to track over other things. Abd it may not be stable doing that. You are mich better off getting an HD Native box and using the MTRX Studio as your i/o unit.

[Philharmonic7]

Hi all,

So I'm planning to upgrade my studio soon'ish and one of the checklist is getting a Mtrx studio interface. The goal here is to streamline everything and keep it as simple and efficient as possible. I can definitely troubleshoot any technical issues (perhaps way longer than it should be), but home/office network is definitely my weakest link. Since I run everything myself, I need to make sure should any issues arise, I can tackle it head on and not lose valuable hours of mix time.

On that note, here's what I'm currently running.

-Digi 003 (oh yea, it's still rockin hard)
-HP z840
-2 S1
-1 iPad tablet running the Avid control app
-SPL Surround monitor controller

The Digi 003 is my interface and I connect it via firewire to my HP z840. There's two NIC ports and I have one connected to the internet. The other port from my computer goes into a router (dedicated to the S1) that has 4 ports. Two of those ports are being connected to my two S1. It's a pretty straightforward setup and hasn't let me down.

I would like to upgrade to the mtrx studio, but I'm in the middle of a project and I don't want to introduce any anomalies. Ideally, I would like the process to take a few hours to setup and start running like nothing has changed.

I realize I may need a switch to connect my eucon devices, because I believe AVID recommends a dedicated port for the mtrx studio, which will be my second port in the computer. If that's the case, do I connect the main ethernet cable to a switch, then from the switch to my main NIC port in my computer, then the other remaining ports from the switch to my eucon devices? The second NIC port will then be connect to the mtrx studio.

Ultimately, what should I be aware of and on the lookout for? Are there any booby traps to keep in mind? Any network configuration I need to apply since a switch is now being implemented? Sorry for the long post, but as you all know, any substantial investment on gear can be nerve wrecking. Thanks a bunch!

[uptheoctave]

Originally Posted by Philharmonic7

Hi all,

So I'm planning to upgrade my studio soon'ish and one of the checklist is getting a Mtrx studio interface. The goal here is to streamline everything and keep it as simple and efficient as possible. I can definitely troubleshoot any technical issues (perhaps way longer than it should be), but home/office network is definitely my weakest link. Since I run everything myself, I need to make sure should any issues arise, I can tackle it head on and not lose valuable hours of mix time.

On that note, here's what I'm currently running.

-Digi 003 (oh yea, it's still rockin hard)
-HP z840
-2 S1
-1 iPad tablet running the Avid control app
-SPL Surround monitor controller

The Digi 003 is my interface and I connect it via firewire to my HP z840. There's two NIC ports and I have one connected to the internet. The other port from my computer goes into a router (dedicated to the S1) that has 4 ports. Two of those ports are being connected to my two S1. It's a pretty straightforward setup and hasn't let me down.

I would like to upgrade to the mtrx studio, but I'm in the middle of a project and I don't want to introduce any anomalies. Ideally, I would like the process to take a few hours to setup and start running like nothing has changed.

I realize I may need a switch to connect my eucon devices, because I believe AVID recommends a dedicated port for the mtrx studio, which will be my second port in the computer. If that's the case, do I connect the main ethernet cable to a switch, then from the switch to my main NIC port in my computer, then the other remaining ports from the switch to my eucon devices? The second NIC port will then be connect to the mtrx studio.

Ultimately, what should I be aware of and on the lookout for? Are there any booby traps to keep in mind? Any network configuration I need to apply since a switch is now being implemented? Sorry for the long post, but as you all know, any substantial investment on gear can be nerve wrecking. Thanks a bunch!

Don't change audio interface mid project.

I would use a Rednet PCIER card instead of DVS.

I know Avid's recommendation is to use a separate network for Eucon but I have zero problems running the Dock on the same network as Dante, and I have 192 channels of Dante in the MTRX, 128 in the Rednet PCIER card and various other devices- it is a large a complicated Dante network and works fine.

[Philharmonic7]

Originally Posted by uptheoctave

Don't change audio interface mid project.

I would use a Rednet PCIER card instead of DVS.

I know Avid's recommendation is to use a separate network for Eucon but I have zero problems running the Dock on the same network as Dante, and I have 192 channels of Dante in the MTRX, 128 in the Rednet PCIER card and various other devices- it is a large a complicated Dante network and works fine.

Thanks for your response!

So by getting a Rednet PCIER card, does that mean I can still dedicate my second NIC port for my eucon devices, and just connect the MTRX Studio directly to the Rednet PCIER? On Pro Tools playback engine, would the Rednet be an option that I would choose?

Someone here in this thread suggested the Rednet PCIER card and I noticed that its pricey. Any reason why I wouldn't just use the DVS since I'm not tracking anything?

[uptheoctave]

Originally Posted by Philharmonic7

Thanks for your response!

So by getting a Rednet PCIER card, does that mean I can still dedicate my second NIC port for my eucon devices, and just connect the MTRX Studio directly to the Rednet PCIER? On Pro Tools playback engine, would the Rednet be an option that I would choose?

Someone here in this thread suggested the Rednet PCIER card and I noticed that its pricey. Any reason why I wouldn't just use the DVS since I'm not tracking anything?

Honestly, I don't see the point in spending 5k on an audio interface with a Digilink connector only to not use it and use DVS.
It doesn't make sense to me.

You could get a Focusrite Red 16Line for half the price and get better latency, a great computer interface and excellent sound. You'd have Dante, Thunderbolt 3, Digilink (should you ever need it) and ADAT/SPDIF onboard too.

If you really want the MTRX Studio then I would get HD Native or a HDX card.
If you don't want to do that then get the Focusrite card- it will be more reliable.
DVS is, IMHO, best only used in emergencies.

I stopped using DVS even for Mac computer sound passthrough a long time ago.
The main issue you will have it DVS cannot chase a sample rate change.
Plus terrible latency.
Plus it is using your computer's processing power to pass audio- that slows down your computer (a bit), fewer plugins etc.

My strong recommendation is to find a solution that does NOT rely on DVS.

[JCBigler]

Originally Posted by uptheoctave

You could get a Focusrite Red 16Line for half the price and get better latency, a great computer interface and excellent sound. You'd have Dante, Thunderbolt 3, Digilink (should you ever need it) and ADAT/SPDIF onboard too.

If you really want the MTRX Studio then I would get HD Native or a HDX card.
If you don't want to do that then get the Focusrite card- it will be more reliable.
DVS is, IMHO, best only used in emergencies.

I mostly agree with this. I started hating DVS some years ago after I had some stability issues with it that I couldn't find a resolution to. If you're working on a Dante system, my very strong recommendation is to use a hardware based Dante device, which the Dante PCIe cards count as. They don't use DVS, they are the same as having an HD Native card in your computer and don't create a virtual sound card interface like DVS does.

However in the last few months I have found a use for DVS.

I use it was my back up recording for my second Protools system when I do live concert recordings. And because I have it connected to the switch that the rest of my Dante system runs on, I can use the Satellite Link Function that was enabled in Protools 2020.12 so I can control both systems at the same time and keep them in sync. With my primary system running HD Native via TB3 and my Focusrite Red 8 Pre.