Hi Trevor.
It seems my response was too technical for you. Fair enough.
However, with the new LAN-based technologies, it's crucial to understand how they work to avoid running into issues down the line.
I already pointed out the critical points, but unfortunately, you didn’t address any of them.
One example: regarding clock synchronization, see this comment from MC which is related to audio over networks (AVB and Dante): https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.ph … 89#p195989
My advice: Take the time to familiarize yourself with these topics gradually, or stick to technologies that don’t require this additional knowledge to make things easier for yourself and to invest into a technology which fully satisfies your demands and makes fun to operate without hurdles.
Herbert Records wrote:My intention is to connect the RME M1620 directly to an Apple M4 mini mac, not to the internet.
Then take individual audio outs from the M1620 and cable in to my Mackie Onxy desk.
Will replacing my two FF800s with one RME M1620 Pro connected to the ethernet socket in the Apple Mini mac work?
I apologise for my ignorance, but I'm essentially a musician and not a music technologist.
Trevor
The usual LAN setup is that your computer will have Internet access so that you can check Mail or to communicate with other people quickly on demand.
EDIT: Side comment, and you don't intend to keep plugging your Mac back and forth between LAN (for office work, Internet) and M-1620. Who would like to work like that?
In rare cases or with bigger studios, they might have the luxury to have a dedicated/isolated LAN for audio,
so that audio and internet traffic do not mix on the underlying LAN infrastructure.
As you didn't provide any details, I assumed your LAN setup is something like this, simplified with only one LAN switch:
Internet
|
| WAN connection
|
Internet Router
|
*****One or more LAN Switch(es), possible multiple routed VLANs****
| | | | |
Apple M-1620 Pro Printer NAS Other
Computer Backup Network
Devices
Every LAN device is connected to one or more switches.
For LAN-based technologies like
- AVB: you need AVB capable switches, which are expensive
- Dante: you need switches where you can configure QoS (Quality of Service)
You understood me wrong, I didn't assume that you wanted "to connect the M1620 Pro to the internet".
But if you want to use Dante, then you need to use LAN.
There I wanted to make you aware of, that the delay sensitive audio traffic will mix with other traffic types
in your LAN (Backup Jobs to NAS storage, Streaming TV, E-Mail/Software download, Telephony, Video Conferences).
As nice as Dante is, it can only work reliable, if the delay sensitive Audio traffic can be prioritized over all other traffic.
Not all switches offer QoS configuration.
The other thing which you really need to know is the point, that in an AVB or Dante network the audio streams have to be configured manually on each device. This can become a real burden if you have to switch between different audio projects with different sample rates. AVB and Dante are IMHO only feasible for such a setup if you do not change sample rates.
In addition, Dante needs something like a Dante Controller. Here I do not remember the gory details. I only remember that it has been mentioned here in the forum, that the RME Digiface Dante delivers/installed needed components to make operation a little easier. I also remember that Apple did some additions in later (!) OS versions that would make it possible to set it up without a Dante Recording interface, but that the setup and operation is much harder.
You mentioned you have an older Apple, so you might need to update to the latest Apple OS or you need anyway to better invest into an RME Dante recording interface.
Further needed investments might be a LAN switch where you can configure QoS.
If this all appears to be too complicated (and yes, it is not so easy like working with ADAT, AES, MADI), then you should IMHO think about implementing a different technology, which is from the beginning designed to be dedicated for your audio setup and which also support change of sample rates (clock synch by master/slave).
BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub14