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can you connect two different audio interfaces

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MikeDC

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can you connect two different audio interfaces

PostThu Apr 02, 2015 8:18 pm

Can you daisy chain two audio interfaces, of different brands, together via firewire? I imagine you would need to sync them via word clock. Anyone doing this?

I believe you could also simply connect each separately to your PC, but as I understand it, only one will use ASIO drivers, the other will use DirectSound. This is not the solution I want to implement.

Thanks,
Mike
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mdyde

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Re: can you connect two different audio interfaces

PostFri Apr 03, 2015 3:54 am

Hello Mike,

It shouldn't (in theory) make any difference whether you connect them directly, or daisy-chain them. They would still both be seen by the PC as separate devices and need separate drivers, and thus unfortunately you would still only be able to use one of them in ASIO mode (a limitation of the ASIO driver architecture).
Best regards, Martin.
Hauptwerk software designer/developer, Milan Digital Audio.
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mnailor

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Re: can you connect two different audio interfaces

PostFri Apr 03, 2015 11:22 am

One way to use 2 audio interfaces is to connect ADAT out of the first into the second. Hauptwerk sees my RME UFX through ASIO, and the RME sends the ADAT channels through to a Motu audio interface for some expansion analog outputs. Both are on USB, but the Motu is only configured by the computer, not used for ASIO by Hauptwerk.

Try searching for ADAT in this forum if interested.
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organtechnology

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Re: can you connect two different audio interfaces

PostFri Apr 03, 2015 11:59 am

mnailor wrote:One way to use 2 audio interfaces is to connect ADAT out of the first into the second. Hauptwerk sees my RME UFX through ASIO, and the RME sends the ADAT channels through to a Motu audio interface for some expansion analog outputs. Both are on USB, but the Motu is only configured by the computer, not used for ASIO by Hauptwerk.

Try searching for ADAT in this forum if interested.


That is an interesting concept. Have you actually tried it in an ASIO setup?
If so, do you have an idea of which two audio boxes would work in this manner.

Thanks for the tip.

Best regards,

Thomas
Complete Hauptwerk™ systems using real wood consoles, PC Sound Engines, Dante Audio for Home or Church. info (at) organtechnology.com http://www.organtechnology.com
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MikeDC

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Re: can you connect two different audio interfaces

PostFri Apr 03, 2015 2:09 pm

mnailor wrote:One way to use 2 audio interfaces is to connect ADAT out of the first into the second. Hauptwerk sees my RME UFX through ASIO, and the RME sends the ADAT channels through to a Motu audio interface for some expansion analog outputs. Both are on USB, but the Motu is only configured by the computer, not used for ASIO by Hauptwerk.

Try searching for ADAT in this forum if interested.


But are the additional analog outputs available to HW?
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Re: can you connect two different audio interfaces

PostFri Apr 03, 2015 3:40 pm

This makes perfect sense and I congratulate our colleague for thinking outside the box. Of course the RME ADAT outputs would be visible to HW. Not much different from feeding any other ADAT device. As an example I can feed 8 extra ADAT outputs from my old EMU 1820 to a standalone ADAT expander, to my digital mixer, or to my Alesis multichannel hard disk recorder. Feeding another audio interface is the same thing, it's just the fact that the MOTU interface is connected and configured via USB that makes the approach seem flawed at first glance. Good innovation!
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mnailor

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Re: can you connect two different audio interfaces

PostFri Apr 03, 2015 4:00 pm

Right, sorry, I was away. Yes, Hauptwerk sends to 8 ADAT channels on the RME, whose mixer passes them to the Motu 828 mk3, which could have been a plain DAC for this application. All works fine.

The ASIO channels are all the RME. I'm using 18 analog channels from HW and doing a subwoofer mixdown in the RME, along with reverb for dryish sets. Could use the second ADAT for another 8 outputs if I moved to a bigger house. ☺
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MikeDC

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Re: can you connect two different audio interfaces

PostFri Apr 03, 2015 4:25 pm

mnailor wrote:Right, sorry, I was away. Yes, Hauptwerk sends to 8 ADAT channels on the RME, whose mixer passes them to the Motu 828 mk3, which could have been a plain DAC for this application. All works fine.

The ASIO channels are all the RME. I'm using 18 analog channels from HW and doing a subwoofer mixdown in the RME, along with reverb for dryish sets. Could use the second ADAT for another 8 outputs if I moved to a bigger house. ☺



Excellent. If I can get this to work, you just saved me a ton of money. I'm going to try to connect my RME FF400 to my MOTU 828. Is there anything I have to do besides connect a fiber cable between the ADAT connections of the two devices?

Thank you!
Michael
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mnailor

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Re: can you connect two different audio interfaces

PostFri Apr 03, 2015 6:20 pm

I had to set the Motu to sync on the ADAT input. Don't remember anything else, but it's been a year and a half since I hooked it up. Motu manual was useful.
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MikeDC

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ADAT - Very Close!

PostSun Apr 05, 2015 6:22 pm

I have my RME Fireface400 connected to my MOTU 828 via ADAT optical. The RME is set up as Master and the out from the RME ADAT OUT is going to the ADAT IN on the 828 and vice versa (that way they can talk back and forth if they get bored. Actually I did this because I thought if affected synchronization).

The RME is set to ADAT for the Clock Source and the 828 is set to ADAT Optical. The RME indicates that the clock signal is "synch." If I switch the Clock Source on the RME to Internal, the status changes to "locked," however there is no change in outcome.

HW sees the ADAT channels and I've set the headphone mixdown to go to Channels 1/2 of the ADAT (RME Channels 10 and 11). The RME mixer indicates that there is output on the RME Analog 1/2 (Main) and output on ADAT 1/2 (Headphone mixdown).

Only problem? No sound. :(
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jkinkennon

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Re: can you connect two different audio interfaces

PostSun Apr 05, 2015 6:55 pm

Having trouble posting so will keep this short. RME clock should be internal. Only the ADAT Out on RME to ADAT In on MOTU is needed. MOTU should clock off the ADAT input. Look for new ADAT tracks in the MOTU config and add SENDS to each track with the MOTU physical outputs as the SEND destinations.

EDIT: Just loaded up Chrome on the Mac mini and it appears to solve my issue of hanging up as I use this site. Well, I run the OS X public beta releases and deserve to have these kinds of issues. Anyway, I hope the above info makes sense. I can't see why the RME would have quit outputting the audio -- I assume it had been working. Perhaps it's the change of the clock source which shouldn't change so far as I can tell.

Let us know how things work out as this is really a good way to get some mileage out of the existing equipment.
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mnailor

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Re: can you connect two different audio interfaces

PostSun Apr 05, 2015 7:33 pm

Only one ADAT cable is required. RME clock internal, Motu slaved to ADAT is correct. Did you set the RME ADAT software inputs in TotalMix to send to the corresponding ADAT outputs?

Are the Motu ports unmuted in CueMix?
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MikeDC

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Re: can you connect two different audio interfaces

PostSun Apr 05, 2015 7:47 pm

mnailor wrote:Only one ADAT cable is required. RME clock internal, Motu slaved to ADAT is correct. Did you set the ADAT software inputs in TotalMix to send to the corresponding ADAT outputs?


Thanks so much for that, MNailor! It occurred to me that maybe that was the missing piece. But then I thought that HW was handling that since it seemed to know they (the ADAT outputs) were there.

Can you give me the basics of how to do that in TotalMix? I can't even see those upper output channels (anything beyond Ch. 8).

Mike
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mnailor

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Re: can you connect two different audio interfaces

PostSun Apr 05, 2015 7:56 pm

Sorry, you should get the RME users guide and read it. There's a chapter on using TotalMix. This isn't something you can learn from a post.
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Re: can you connect two different audio interfaces

PostSun Apr 05, 2015 8:54 pm

I apologize for short answers. Typing on a tablet with one finger makes this beyond my ability to explain.

TotalMix has settings for which channels you want to display.

Also please see Motu manual to learn CueMix setup. Same thing there, you have to send inputs to outputs in the mixer.
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