Midi controlled audio Patchbay

monobass · Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2006 4:46 pm Post subject: Midi controlled audio Patchbay

Can anyone suggest a midi controlled audio patchbay/router?

I have found a few, which are either exactly what I need but very hard to find..

i.e. Isotrack Smartpatch - 16 I/O. Ten years old. £400.

CMlabs PM216 - Discontinued, hard to find info or second hand. $800 approx

Incredibly expensive / overspec:

CMlabs Sixty-Four - $3K

Not enough I/O:

Akai MB76

Does anyone have any other suggestions?

Thanks

Steve

jksuperstar · Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2006 10:31 am Post subject:

I've had the same problem. Since I already use a laptop/soundcard, I use software to control the mixing. I just use templates in audiomulch to handle midi controls.

monobass · Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2006 11:21 am Post subject:

Yeah normally I do this stuff in software myself.. but my card has only 8 I/O and I'd like to be able to do quick patching changes on the road triggerd by my G2.

jksuperstar · Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2006 11:50 am Post subject:

Yeah, that's exactly what I do. I have an E-mu 1616m, which really *should* have MIDI control itself. But it doesn't, so I use audiomulch (which is somewhat modular itself) as a flexible mixer/patcher. It can load things based on MIDI Program Change, or MIDI CC#, and I use the G2 CC#'s to control mixing/routing.

I wish this could be done in hardware, but the only hardware I know of that does these functions is the MOTU Traveler, but that requires some Mackie Control Surface standard, which simply doesn't come in a portable/affordable product as far as I know. You should look into that interface, maybe it has changed since I last looked into it. Maybe the software it uses can take advantage of MIDI CC#s to control it's CueMIX stuff.

monobass · Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2006 11:54 am Post subject:

Yeah I have the Motu 828.. however cuemix only works with a laptop plugged in.. I have a Logic/Mackie control but it still doesn't get over the issue of the number of Ins and outs... or using live without a laptop.

Calude Voiot · Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2006 7:33 am Post subject:

I own the fantastic switchblade gl 16 in 16 out
all analog audiophile path
75 presets
etc etc....
not cheap but what you'll plug in isnt either...
check http://www.soundsculpture.com/products/default.htm

Calude

mosc · Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2006 8:22 am Post subject:

There is a lot of stuff that goes into something like this. It would be hard to make this cheap and keep the quality good.

elektro80 · Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2006 8:57 am Post subject:

Calude Voiot · Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2006 3:11 am Post subject:

G2 in a modular environment Smile

instant reconfiguration with pg changes

Calude

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monobass · Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2006 3:26 am Post subject:

Wow.. that does look good. The price is just out of my league though.

I've had another idea though going back to my MOTU.. which would be a software only solution. It has an ADAT sync in port.. which seems to offer up another 8 I/O.

Is it possible to buy a piece of gear which would essentially make this into 8 extra IO? I can't quite work out exactly what this port is.. the adat inputs and outputs appear in the software meters for the MOTU. Does the sync in literally just provide sync info and metering levels or something? The manual is very unclear on the actual purpose of this port..

jksuperstar · Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2006 9:29 am Post subject:

You could also expand via the AES/EBU optical port to external 8channel I/O. THis would be limited to 48kHz, although the optical will also do 4 channels @ 96kHz, or 2 channels @ 192kHz.

Along the lines of the switchblade, There is one VERY affordable solution. You could get a SoundBlaster or E-Mu card that's based on their 10k1 or 10k2 DSP chip. Get one with AES/EBU optical (so you can have very nice converters), then use the drivers from the kX Project. This is very powerful modular system, and comes with a free SDK to develop DSP code, so there are plug-ins available for it as well! Might not be a solution for _Steve_, but someone else might find this perfect. Some of those Soundblasters actually have 1/2 way decent converters to boot, especially if you avoid the A/D end of things.

http://kxproject.lugosoft.com/

List of supported cards here:
http://kxproject.lugosoft.com/faq.php?language=en#cards

mosc · Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2006 11:38 am Post subject:

Behringer ULTRAGAIN PRO-8 DIGITAL ADA8000
High-End 8-Channel A/D & D/A Converter with Premium Mic Preamplifiers and ADAT® Interface

http://www.behringer.com/ADA8000/index.cfm?lang=ENG

This makes a great addition to your MOTU...