Urgent! Trying to use Digimax FS to lightpipe to two recorders?!

[gareth.h.rees]

Hey guys,

So I have a friend over as I'm testing out my rig for the first time and I have the following:

Macbook Pro (new one)
M-Audio Lightbridge
HD24
Presonus Digimax FS

I want to use the dual ADAT outputs of the digimax to send to both recorders independently but I can only seem to get it to send to one at a time?

I was sure that you could use SMUX outputs as two 44.1 outputs as this seems to be what most of you do?

I have the digimax as the master clock, with the maudio and hd24 clocked optically, at 44.1khz

Any ideas?! Trying to get this done today as I have my first paid gig on saturday!

Cheers!
Gareth

[drumdunn]

have you tried calling digimax yet? I've found them to have a very helpful support line. I don't think you'll be able to do it though....I have a digimax 96k. I use the lightpipe to go to my 002 and I use the analog outs to go to my da-38 for backup. good luck

[gareth.h.rees]

Good idea, I will give them a call!

I agree, I could just use the line outs but I only have one digimax fs, and on saturday (the paid gig) I'll be using two MOTU 8pre's. I figured using the SMUX as a dual 44.1 output would be the same on all units? Just cant seem to get it to work at the moment! :(

Cheers!
Gareth

[gareth.h.rees]

Hmm still no luck.

Called Source distribution but they weren't really sure, so they emailed Presonus but said they may take a while to get back...


Anyone have any ideas/experience of the digimax fs or 8Pre?

Cheers
Gareth

[Murton]

I know on my M-Audio ProFire 2626 I can configure the audio routing via a firewire connection to access the driver panel and it will change the mode for the AD/DA's. I can have it so pass the 9 inputs to the 8 analogue outputs, and both sets of optical ports, so you can pass along the signal from the preamps to a seperate converter or desk and you can pass the optical to two other places aswell as two firewire places.

The routing possible with the interface makes it one step above a normal 8 Channel Pre/ADDA.

I presume this is because It is labelled Optical Port A and Optical Port B, where as the Presonus may have it as 44.1/48kHz and then 96kHz for each port. You should be able to pass the signal through the HD24 anyway without it being affected. Go from the Presonus to the HD24 and then to the M-Audio like a daisy chain, the synch will carry fine and you should have a decent two stage recording of 24 channels.

[mixedupsteve]

I have a Firestudio which may be different than a digimax FS but on mine you can use the two ADAt outs as 8 channel 96K SMUX or ADAT 1 channels 1-8 and ADAT2 9-16 at 48K ea. Read the manual and it will tell you the different output capabilities and how to set them.

[Jungle Jazz]

I don't think the ADAT outputs on the Digimax FS mirror channels at 44.1/48. I've have two of these units, and while they can put out analog and digital signals, I'm pretty sure they don't put out dual digital. The dual outputs are only for 88.2/96 so that you can still get the same number of total channels (8) over the ADAT interface, but by sending channels 1-4 through one ADAT output and 5-8 through the other (SMUX).

In your case, if you want to send signal to two separate recording devices, I'd send the Digimax's analog outs to the HD24 and the digital outs to the Profire Lightbridge.

[gareth.h.rees]

Just had the official word from Presonus - the Digimax FS is not able to duplicate channels 1-8 on the second lightpipe output.

However, the guy I'm borrowing the MOTU 8Pre's off has confirmed that you can use the lightpipe outputs to send channels 1-8 from both lightpipe outputs.

Something to watch out for!

Gareth


Here's the official response, for reference:

Hi Gareth, I had a reply back from Presonus (took a day’s delay because they and I misunderstood each other in initial email exchanges about what you’re trying to do) but I’m afraid you won’t like it:

Sorry, hope you can find another way to solve the problem,

[Murton]

just daisy chain, digimax and motu digital outputs to the hd 24 and then the digital out of the hd24 to the maudio. Or you can run lineouts and used the hd24 converters so you dont have to word clock synch them all.

[gareth.h.rees]

Originally Posted by Murton

just daisy chain, digimax and motu digital outputs to the hd 24 and then the digital out of the hd24 to the maudio. Or you can run lineouts and used the hd24 converters so you dont have to word clock synch them all.

Yeah, thats what I'll have to do.

Well, with the gig I'm doing today I have the MOTU's, which do replicate the ADAT signal on both outputs, so I can just use lightpipe to each recorder independently.

The digimax however, would need to be daisy chained or split between analog and digital, as you suggest.

Cheers for the help guys!
Gareth

[cioto]

some years ago I buoght an optical splitter... something like 5€... a passive optical device... it really worked!!!

[Gerax]

Originally Posted by cioto

some years ago I buoght an optical splitter... something like 5€... a passive optical device... it really worked!!!

Yes, but usually it is for 2 channel Optical Spdif, not for 8ch ADAT, the kind of devices that can split 8ch ADAT (like Z-sys or similar) cost much much more...

Anyway, that's toooo baaaad that the FS version of the Digimax cannot act as a digital splitter. I use my Focusrite Octopre and ISA428 in the same fashion, sending parallel ADAT signals to both the Lightbridge and the Mackie SDR2496 recorder. I found that wordclocking everything to a single master is crucial for the system to work propertly. I chose the ISA digital card as my master and locked everything to it. Works like a charm, very convenient as an instant backup.

Hope this helps

L.G.

[gareth.h.rees]

Anyway, that's toooo baaaad that the FS version of the Digimax cannot act as a digital splitter. I use my Focusrite Octopre and ISA428 in the same fashion, sending parallel ADAT signals to both the Lightbridge and the Mackie SDR2496 recorder. I found that wordclocking everything to a single master is crucial for the system to work propertly. I chose the ISA digital card as my master and locked everything to it. Works like a charm, very convenient as an instant backup.

Guess the Digimax is going on ebay and a rack full of octopre's will need to be bought!

Yeah - I'll wordclock everything with BNC wordclock (rather than optical) - seems like the best option. Unfortunately my 'good' preamps dont have digital (DAV BG2), but I have a yamaha 01v96 for monitoring that I can use as a master.