• From: Hannover
  • Registered: 2013-10-24
  • Posts: 32

Topic: professional recoding / live transmission setup with MADI Premium line

I am running Octamic XTC, Micstasy, Fireface UFX+ via MADI.

So far, I am mixing via Fireface UFX and USB 2.0/3.0 to Totalmix and record via Globalrecord and DUREC.I un derstand that Totalmix is a live / headphone mixer, but not typical for recording / live radio or TV. I also need a mixing console (hardware, tactile).

What is a good setup for professional recording and live TV shows?
a)    Can I use my Cubase 7.5 or ProTools 11 to mix the MADI and Fireface channels via USB? I do not see the MADI channels in Cubase.
b)    Are there any mixing consoles that understand MADI?
c)    I am aware that Totalmix understands the Mackie protocol, but not sure whether by I can / should set up a complete physical hardware mixing console with all effects (EQ, Effects).

Regards
Tobias

  • Registered: 2016-05-08
  • Posts: 46

Re: professional recoding / live transmission setup with MADI Premium line

Tobias T wrote:

a)    Can I use my Cubase 7.5 or ProTools 11 to mix the MADI and Fireface channels via USB? I do not see the MADI channels in Cubase.

You won't be able to access the MADI channels in Pro Tools as Pro Tools is restricted to max 32 I/O on ASIO. As RME's driver doesn't allow you to flexibly map which I/O are presented via ASIO, the MADI interface is basically unusable (except perhaps the first two channels or so) in Pro Tools. This is a Pro Tools limitation, not a RME limitation, but RME could provide a workaround which ain't there (yet?).

Tobias T wrote:

b)    Are there any mixing consoles that understand MADI?

Pretty much every mid-level / high end digital desk has at least optional interface cards for MADI, either optical or coax or both. You can get MADI even for Behringer X32 line (tried + tested with RME MADIface USB here). A desk I know which has MADI already built-in is e.g. DiGiCo SD9, where I use MADI with the MADIface USB regularily to record live shows multitrack to Pro Tools (max 32 channels) and do virtual soundcheck with.

Best regards,
Daniel

3 Reply by Tobias T (edited by Tobias T 2016-11-30 14:59:41)

  • From: Hannover
  • Registered: 2013-10-24
  • Posts: 32

Re: professional recoding / live transmission setup with MADI Premium line

Thanks for the kind reply. Live mixing and DAW recording in parallel is my requirement indeed.

"You won't be able to access the MADI channels in Pro Tools" vs. "I use MADI with the MADIface USB regularily to record live shows multitrack to Pro Tools "
So how is your Pro Tools connected to the mixing console? Does the mixing console act as a DAW controller?

Thx
Tobias

4 Reply by dabbler (edited by dabbler 2016-11-30 15:45:54)

  • Registered: 2016-05-08
  • Posts: 46

Re: professional recoding / live transmission setup with MADI Premium line

See the "(max 32 channels)" comment. RME MADIface USB exposes all 64 MADI channels to ASIO, but you won't get any signal from the channels 33 and higher in Pro Tools. So what I do is map the relevant signals into the first 32 MADI channels on the DiGiCo (it has a matrix for that - exactly what I'm looking for in the RME driver :-)) so I can access them all in Pro Tools.

Pro Tools <-32I/O-> Laptop ASIO <-64I/O-> RME MADIface USB <-64I/O-> DiGiCo SD9

Current RME UFX (non-Plus) already has 30 Inputs / 28 Outputs. I guess the added MADI interface of the UFX+ with its 64 I/O are added AFTER the other I/O in ASIO I/O list, so I guess you will be able to only access MADI inputs 1-2 and MADI outputs 1-4 as those will be within Pro Tools' "max 32 I/O via ASIO" limit. All further MADI I/O will be "seen" in Pro Tools I/O config, but not pass audio (and you won't even get a warning why...)