1 Topic by djspearritt (edited by djspearritt 2023-02-25 00:45:47)

  • Registered: 2022-08-29
  • Posts: 15

Topic: Monitoring from MADIface USB

Greetings all,

I have a MADIface USB backing up a MADI stream to a laptop. Brilliant little box. But am finding it very difficult to arrange a monitoring solution for this stream during recording as the MADIface USB has no headphones socket.

I note the very useful facility of being able to record an AES3 input on coax. Would it be possible (in a firmware change) to do the same for output, ie set output coax to AES3 and then be able to monitor via an AES3 dac ?

Otherwise how are the rest of you MADIface USB users monitoring on site with a laptop?

Regards
David

2 Reply by ramses (edited by ramses 2023-02-26 12:10:33)

  • ramses
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Re: Monitoring from MADIface USB

Hi David,

I think the main use case for that interface is different compared to what you need.

Ideal for your work would have been a MADIface Pro: https://archiv.rme-audio.de/products/madiface_pro.php
It won't be produced anymore, maybe you can get one from used market.

Perhaps I have a workaround for you, but I am not 100% sure whether something like this would work. Simply give it a try and report back...

I see in the MADIface USB manual, that the driver settings dialog allows the creation of WDM devices.

Assumed you have a stereo pair of channels in the MADI stream containing the monitor mix.
You could create a WDM device for this stereo pair, let's assume MADI1/2.

Let's further assume you have a laptop with a sound card on board.
Would it perhaps work to start your DAW loading the driver of your sound card and next to record from the MADI1/2 WDM device and monitor to the sound card?

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub13

3 Reply by djspearritt (edited by djspearritt 2023-02-26 22:13:39)

  • Registered: 2022-08-29
  • Posts: 15

Re: Monitoring from MADIface USB

Thanks Ramses. The laptop (Reaper) is already recording the MADI stream. Don't really want to open a second DAW just to monitor. Tried using ASIO4ALL and using the Realtek soundcard on board, but it doesn't seem to work on this laptop.

It seems such a small step to offer AES3 as an output option on the coax on the MADIface USB. In fact this seems to me to be a more useful function than the already existing AES3 on coax input.

  • ramses
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Re: Monitoring from MADIface USB

Why not in the same DAW and enable "monitor" for this one stereo track?

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub13
  • Registered: 2022-08-29
  • Posts: 15

Re: Monitoring from MADIface USB

Correct me if wrong, but the RME driver WDM feature is to allow any WDM routes to come out of the RME MADI channels, not the other way round, which is the way I need it, ie to route a MADI output to a WDM device.

  • waedi
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Re: Monitoring from MADIface USB

This video may be inlightening for this topic ?
https://youtu.be/wHXyQgymoyw

You don't need to route MADI outputs to a WDM device.
By creating WDM devices, outputs becoming WDM devices and the routing is done.

M1-Sequoia, Madiface Pro, Digiface USB, Babyface silver and blue
  • Registered: 2022-08-29
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Re: Monitoring from MADIface USB

I must be missing something fundamental here. As I understand it and have tested, the RME WDM driver config is to make RME channels available as windows audio WDM output devices.

I am wanting to do the opposite. Route an RME MADI channel output into a WDM device so that I can monitor on laptop headphone jack.

8 Reply by MC

  • MC
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Re: Monitoring from MADIface USB

Google for Virtual Audio Cable, or VB Audio HiFi cable.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • Registered: 2022-08-29
  • Posts: 15

Re: Monitoring from MADIface USB

Thanks MC, this looks like it an interesting option.

Would RME ever consider putting AES3 on the coax output? A vey nice functional addition !

10 Reply by mjfe87 (edited by mjfe87 2023-04-06 08:58:52)

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Re: Monitoring from MADIface USB

djspearritt wrote:

Thanks MC, this looks like it an interesting option.

Would RME ever consider putting AES3 on the coax output? A vey nice functional addition !

A nice idea. I'd be interested to know if this is possible on other RME devices too.

My one disappointment with the 12Mic is that ADAT outputs were chosen instead of AES - is it physically possible to make the MADI coax connections work as two channels of AES3 instead?

Eastwood Records
www.eastwoodrecords.co.uk

mjfe87's Website

  • Registered: 2022-08-29
  • Posts: 15

Re: Monitoring from MADIface USB

Yes, it might be able to be retrospectively fitted through firmware/driver change, since:
1. They already have recording of AES3 on MADI coax input
2. MADI is almost identical to AES3, just with more channels.

Be good to get a comment from MC on this.