It sounds like the HD24 can do double channel mode via it's lightpipe connecters at 4 tracks per. Now the only question is can your sound card do that. In theory when clocked at 88.2 or 96K the driver SHOULD persent only half as many ins and outs to Sonar or gray out the others. I will try to test for this when I get home. I don't have a way to hear what comes out (yet) but I can see what happens with the driver / Sonar on the track I/O. Sonar will have no way of knowing I'm not hearing the output the RME is a digital card so Sonar will just trust it that the audio is going somewhere

ORIGINAL: Guitarmech111

Where can I get a primer on the lightpipe/ADAT recording procedures. I can already tell I need to download the manual and read it first before buying anything.

Conley -

You can download a PDF of the HD24 manual at the Alesis website (www.alesis.com). Note that this version is no longer 100% accurate because of some of the OS updates I've alluded to. You can get a feel for those changes by also making your way to the part of their site where you download those OS updates and grabbing the ReadMe files they put out for them (you probably just need the latest one as they tend to make them cumulative,)

Twin Paradox

ORIGINAL: Guitarmech111

Where can I get a primer on the lightpipe/ADAT recording procedures. I can already tell I need to download the manual and read it first before buying anything.

It's just a digital interface. If you have ever used SPDIF where only one device can be the master clock it's just like that only it has more then two channels on it. A lot of soundcards have it now. My QS8 keyboard even has one.

Where did you get it for that price if I can ask?

Brian

ORIGINAL: Guitarmech111

Conley -

You can download a PDF of the HD24 manual at the Alesis website (www.alesis.com).

I don't have to now.

I got the HD24 and Firewire interface for $1350 out the door. Time to have fun now.

Good deal, Conley, have fun. Be sure to check to see what OS version is on it, and update to the latest if it came loaded with an earlier version.

Please post if you have any questions -- not that I have all the answers -- but I will take shot at it if I can.

Twin Paradox

(ps -- Flowers and a nice dinner out for your wife might be in order. Maybe jewelry.)

Be sure to check to see what OS version is on it, and update to the latest if it came loaded with an earlier version

Ok, I am having trouble doing this..

I have gone through all the util screens and nowhere does it say how to get the firmware revision #. Do I have to hook up to the HD24 as an FTP, or use a browser?

Can ya help please?

Check this out,

I think this is a way to get 88.2 and 96kHz from the HD24XR to Sonar:

HD24XR ----> (2) Alesis AI-4 boxes that convert Lightpipe to AES/EBU 8 - channels each ----> Lynx Studio (1) AES16 Audio Cards.

This system would be able to do 16 channel conversion except for the fact that the HD24xr only does 12 channels. Add another HD24xr and another AI-4 interface and another AES16 for 24 Channels.

Anybody know of a less expensive way?

See, Sonar should support b/mux and s/mux natively. I don't expect to see it though.


Brian

ORIGINAL: ohhey

It sounds like the HD24 can do double channel mode via it's lightpipe connecters at 4 tracks per. Now the only question is can your sound card do that. In theory when clocked at 88.2 or 96K the driver SHOULD persent only half as many ins and outs to Sonar or gray out the others. I will try to test for this when I get home. I don't have a way to hear what comes out (yet) but I can see what happens with the driver / Sonar on the track I/O. Sonar will have no way of knowing I'm not hearing the output the RME is a digital card so Sonar will just trust it that the audio is going somewhere

Email me at FJL3rd@aol.com

I was thinking the same thing. Thanks for the offer.

E-mail on it's way

I see what you are getting at. The sound card driver would take the two lightpipe streams and convert them into a single 88.2 or 96Khz audio stream. That would be easier and cheaper.

Do you know of any audio cards that do this? I haven't seen or heard of any.

Brian

ORIGINAL: ohhey

I think all the RME cards do this, I'm going to try it with mine to see what the I/O looks like in Sonar when I get time.

Yep, I just checked at the RME site all their cards do it. This was on their feature list...

* S/MUX poured in hardware: 12 channels 96 kHz/24 bit for record and playback on ADAT optical

I can confirm. The Apogee converters I'm using use optical ADAT lightpipe connections in and out of the units.

I'm using an RME Digiface to interface the converters into my DAW through the RME PCI host card. The RME Digiface accepts 3 optical ADAT interfaces for up to 24 channels at 44.1/48kkhz operation.

Because of optical lightpipe technology limitations, S/Mux protocol must be enabled to interface at 88.2/96khz requiring flipping a dip switch on the back of the AD-16 (stupid), using twice the lightpipe cables, and adding another RME Digiface if I want all 16 simultaneous channels.

I can get 12 simultaneous channels (half the RME Digiface limit of 24) with one RME Digiface operating in S/Mux mode. It works fine. It's just a drag getting to the dip switch on the AD-16. I sure wish that thing was on the front panel with all the other buttons.

The point, for the purposes of this thread is... S/MUX must be supported by the external converters AND the digital interface. Sonar doesn't care or see any of that. The RME Digiface gives Sonar a standard (not split) signal at 88.2/96khz via the host audio wire into the PCI card.

ORIGINAL: ohhey

So when you go to select an input or output in Sonar what does it look like ? Are there just less avaiable or are some greyed out ?

Less inputs are available to Sonar when the external converters are in S/MUX mode.

Thanks Steve. I appeciate the info too.

Brian

Conley,
How you liken the HD24 so far?:)
nm

Conley,
Sounds like your getting the right plan together then, its always good to get comfortable with stuff first:) I tell man when I first set out to by a computer companion that would be letting me get back to tape style recording where I could just arm the track and roll; so that things that were taking to long in the computer were quick and painless again, and then they could be dumped over and edited and mixed in the computer. I looked at all the machines out there. Mackie, Tascam, I even revisited the idea of Roland 2480 as a possibility, but they all had virtual tracks and editing and all the hooey that already takes you away from just a good old performance plain and simple. And when I looked at the architecture of the HD24 I said yup, you screw up a take you roll over it, there was no undo on a 24 track, and that made you concentrate and give it your all the first time instead of knowing you could just keep editing till it fit. Well you understand, when you know you can fix it, you are bound to screw up!:) hihi and of course you can use the foot switch and punch on a dime so all is not lost if you are really on to a good track and just need to touch it up, but man I tell you, I love tracking to my drum track out of the computer onto a couple of HD24 tracks, and forgetting about computer time again till its happening on tape er hard drive hihi, so go forth and kick some guitar butt my friend with your new tape mach… er HD24:)
nm