Marc S wrote:ramses wrote:I personally would be interested into smth like
- an UFX+ and
- HDSPe MADI FX
with MADI and AVB support to be able to still use existing Octamic XTC
and to be able to make friend with AVB by integrating newer devices via AVB with the possibility to fall-back to MADI.
Our entire AVB converter range (12mic, AVB tool, M-1610 Pro, M-32 Pro) has the ability to convert from MADI to AVB and back.
This is exactly for that reason: No need to transit to AVB at once. Use MADI for existing devices or where every sample of latency counts, and move over to AVB partially.
Moreover, MADI is still a great handover point. Point-to-Point, next to no configuration needed, battle proof. Why should the OB van have access to the entire venue network?
I am personally very happy being able to connect the new AVB devices to MADI, because they offer a MADI option (SFP).
I would be interested to see an UFX+ with MADI and AVB, to have both technologies side by side, to be able to make fair comparisons and then later decide which way to go or to stay with a mixed setup.
I would call it now a transition phase to be able to draw a devision whether you want to stay with MADI or to use AVB in the future.
And such a device would help a lot especially as currently operational experience is missing for AVB.
With MADI technology you have automatic delay compensation for the up to 8 devices which are connected serially, where the delay is 3 / 6 / 12 samples per MADI device depending on sample rate (single / dual / quad).
With AVB in a small network, where recording interface and all AVB devices are connected to one switch, there you have a different situation compared to the serial connection between MADI devices. All devices are connected to the switch, there is no serial connection between AVB devices. There the implementation of delay compensation is either not needed or much easier.
Other scenario, larger AVB network with multiple switches: I am not sure whether the AVB standard has something like a delay compensation, if AVB devices are connected to different AVB switches in a larger network. I think the forwarding of packets from switch to switch also needs a little time compared to MADI between MADI devices.
Now we connect additionally one or more MADI devices behind AVB converters. Two scenarios, small AVB network with one switch or larger AVB network with multiple AVB Switches, see above. But now mixed with MADI.
In such a mixed environment with potentially multiple AVB Switches and MADI behind it, where the new AVB converter (the new products) would bridge MADI into AVB, where do we have delay compensation in place ?
I think that such mixed topologies might be challenging if you expect that audio arrives at the same time into your DAW.
For this reason I though that it might be easier to have a recording interface with MADI and AVB as I could think of that handling of delay compensation between audio coming from MADI p2p links and an AVB network would be much easier.
I hope this is not too esoteric to discuss, but based on such thoughts I think it would maybe not be a bad idea to have a new flagship interface with DURec to be able to test/use MADI and AVB side by side, possibly with such a delay compensation between these two worlds and as positive side effects
- you would even have more channels available by this
- channel routing between MADI / AVB inside of TotalMix FX could be an interesting feature
BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub13