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Dog Boots · 2nd December 2009

I replaced my Ethersound based system with a Rocknet one in September.

This is my live sound rig (I'm mostly a live sound engineer). It's just a small system (2 x Rocknet100 16/8io boxes and 2 Rocknet MY-cards for Yamaha mixers).

My experience with it contra the Yamaha Ethersound based solution (AD8HR preamps and DME24N engine) so far has been:

Sound Quality: Very nice!

So far it seems to be very good sounding inputs (and outputs!), with a very low noise floor. I haven't recorded anything with them yet and taken it to the studio for more careful listening, but compared to the preamps in my Yamaha LS9, they are much quieter and also compared to the AD8HR pres. They also sound nice and open. The PA (d&b Q) is dead quiet when the band is not playing using both Rocknet ins and outs.

Convenience: Ace!

I realize my system is probably a lot smaller/simpler than the one Jim talks about (the one that had some issues), but in my experience - coming from Ethersound - it has been extraordinarily easy to set up and robust as heck! I figured out how to set it up and did it within 30 minutes and I haven't really touched anything since then.

Everything just works. It says nothing when unplugging and plugging things (Rocknet links, I mean) which is a great advantage in live sound with a PA connected at full blast. My old Ethersound system would sometimes emit a squeal that could damage your hearing when unplugging the "multicore"/Cat5-cable. Rocknet is very well-behaved in this manner.

It really feels like it was designed by people who know what at least I want. Once setup in September, everything has remained the same. All units have remembered their settings. They don't care in which order I connect them - neither chronologically or link-wise. Everything just works and keeps working. The ring-redundancy works beautifully - not a glitch in sight. When testing it initially, I sometimes found myself having problems INTERRUPTING the signal - it became a task in itself to figure out which cable I had to yank to break the damn thing!

Interrupting links, reconnecting them, removing others. The system quietly enumerates in the background and just feels trustworthy.

Also the Yamaha Remote Gain protocol has worked flawlessly. Much easier to setup than Ethersound. Never think about it anymore - it too just works.

The software-side of things is also very well thought out. All units have a USB-port. Take a regular USB A-B cable and a laptop, connect to any unit in the chain, download the very light and small program of the web, run it and voila! Instant access to the network. No complicated driver install or server/client something or host/editor what-have-you required. Just a small self-contained utility that instantly recognizes the USB connected unit and hooks up. It just works! Hurrah! This is how it's supposed to be, folks! These guys got it right. Coming from Ethersound where you have to connect the computer at the upstream-most point and install several utilities before connecting, this is just a breeze!

Size/Weight: Ridiculous.

My Ethersound/Yamaha setup was a very deep 12U rack that weighed about 60-70 kgs. My Rocknet setup (using Rocknet100) is about the size of a regular toolbox. 32 channels down / 16 up in one extremely easy one-hand pickup. About 10 kgs.

After having written all this I realize that I should probably make it clear that I have no affiliation with Riedel or Rocknet!

2nd December 2009	#9
Dog Boots Gear maniac Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Copenhagen, Denmark Posts: 204	I replaced my Ethersound based system with a Rocknet one in September. This is my live sound rig (I'm mostly a live sound engineer). It's just a small system (2 x Rocknet100 16/8io boxes and 2 Rocknet MY-cards for Yamaha mixers). My experience with it contra the Yamaha Ethersound based solution (AD8HR preamps and DME24N engine) so far has been: Sound Quality: Very nice! So far it seems to be very good sounding inputs (and outputs!), with a very low noise floor. I haven't recorded anything with them yet and taken it to the studio for more careful listening, but compared to the preamps in my Yamaha LS9, they are much quieter and also compared to the AD8HR pres. They also sound nice and open. The PA (d&b Q) is dead quiet when the band is not playing using both Rocknet ins and outs. Convenience: Ace! I realize my system is probably a lot smaller/simpler than the one Jim talks about (the one that had some issues), but in my experience - coming from Ethersound - it has been extraordinarily easy to set up and robust as heck! I figured out how to set it up and did it within 30 minutes and I haven't really touched anything since then. Everything just works. It says nothing when unplugging and plugging things (Rocknet links, I mean) which is a great advantage in live sound with a PA connected at full blast. My old Ethersound system would sometimes emit a squeal that could damage your hearing when unplugging the "multicore"/Cat5-cable. Rocknet is very well-behaved in this manner. It really feels like it was designed by people who know what at least I want. Once setup in September, everything has remained the same. All units have remembered their settings. They don't care in which order I connect them - neither chronologically or link-wise. Everything just works and keeps working. The ring-redundancy works beautifully - not a glitch in sight. When testing it initially, I sometimes found myself having problems INTERRUPTING the signal - it became a task in itself to figure out which cable I had to yank to break the damn thing! Interrupting links, reconnecting them, removing others. The system quietly enumerates in the background and just feels trustworthy. Also the Yamaha Remote Gain protocol has worked flawlessly. Much easier to setup than Ethersound. Never think about it anymore - it too just works. The software-side of things is also very well thought out. All units have a USB-port. Take a regular USB A-B cable and a laptop, connect to any unit in the chain, download the very light and small program of the web, run it and voila! Instant access to the network. No complicated driver install or server/client something or host/editor what-have-you required. Just a small self-contained utility that instantly recognizes the USB connected unit and hooks up. It just works! Hurrah! This is how it's supposed to be, folks! These guys got it right. Coming from Ethersound where you have to connect the computer at the upstream-most point and install several utilities before connecting, this is just a breeze! Size/Weight: Ridiculous. My Ethersound/Yamaha setup was a very deep 12U rack that weighed about 60-70 kgs. My Rocknet setup (using Rocknet100) is about the size of a regular toolbox. 32 channels down / 16 up in one extremely easy one-hand pickup. About 10 kgs. After having written all this I realize that I should probably make it clear that I have no affiliation with Riedel or Rocknet!