HDx TDM Record/Playback Option For VENUE Systems Digidesign 2001 Junipero Serra Boulevard Daly City, CA 94014-3886 USA Technical Support (USA) Visit the Digidesign Online Support Center at www.digidesign.com/support Product Information For company and product information, visit us on the web at www.digidesign.
Legal Notices Communication Statement This guide is copyrighted ©2009 by Avid Technology, Inc., with all rights reserved. Under copyright laws, this guide may not be duplicated in whole or in part without the written consent of Avid Technology, Inc. NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation.
Contents Chapter 1. Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 HDx Capabilities and Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 HDx Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
iv HDx TDM Option Guide
Chapter 1: Overview Welcome to the HDx TDMRecord/Playback Option for VENUE systems. The HDx Option lets you integrate a Digidesign® Pro Tools|HD® system with your VENUE system, allowing you to record and archive live performances, and to integrate pre-recorded Pro Tools tracks with live inputs. By combining HDx’s recording and playback features, you can also perform Virtual Soundchecks: play back the tracks you recorded the night before and adjust the mix before a performance or rehearsal.
Conventions Used in This Guide Our guides use the following conventions to indicate menu choices and key commands: Convention Action File > Save Choose Save from the File menu Control+N Hold down the Control key and press the N key Control-click Hold down the Control key and click the mouse button Right-click Click with the right mouse button The names of Commands, Options, and Settings that appear on-screen are in a different font.
Chapter 2: Installing HDx f you are using an FOH Rack with your VENUE system, see “FOH Rack HDx Card Installation” on page 3. If you are using a Mix Rack, see “Mix Rack HDx Card Installation” on page 5. 6 On the back panel of the FOH Rack, remove the faceplate on any available expansion slot by removing the screws holding it in place. Keep the screws nearby for securing the HDx card to the FOH Rack later. FOH Rack HDx Card Installation This section shows how to install an HDx card in an FOH Rack.
9 When the card is seated in its slot, secure it to the FOH chas- 12 If you are connecting a second HDx card, attach its ribbon sis with the mounting screw at the end of the HDx mounting bracket (accessible from the open front panel of the FOH Rack). cable from the ribbon connector on the HDx card to the connector labeled “FireWire” on the second Mix Engine card from the back. The HDx card connected to this second Mix Engine card will appear as HDx2 in on-screen.
Mix Rack HDx Card Installation This section shows how to install an HDx card into a Mix Rack. One HDx card can be installed in a Mix Rack, and the FWx card and the HDx card cannot be used simultaneously. 5 On the Mix Rack’s back panel, remove the top expansion slot cover by unscrewing its mounting screws. Keep the screws nearby in order to secure the HDx card to the Mix Rack. For FOH Rack installation instructions, see “FOH Rack HDx Card Installation” on page 3.
7 Gently slide the card into the expansion slot. Make sure it is oriented right-side up. 10 Cut the zip tie that secures the expansion card power cable to the chassis, being careful not to cut the wires. Installing the HDx card in the back of the Mix Rack Cutting the expansion card power cable zip tie 8 Secure the HDx to the back of the Mix Rack using the screws that secured the expansion slot cover.
12 Attach the included ribbon cable to the ribbon connector socket labelled “FireWire” on the first Mix Engine card (the rear most card when viewed from the open front panel). Make sure that the ribbon cable connector’s notch is facing you when attaching the cable. Confirming Mix Rack HDx Card Installation After you have installed the HDx card in your Mix Rack, you should confirm that you have successfully installed it. To confirm HDx card installation, do the following: 1 Go to the Options > Devices page.
Connecting Pro Tools|HD to HDx Pro Tools with HDx supports up to two HDx cards, each with two 32-channel DigiLink connectors, for a total of 128 channels of input or output to your VENUE system. Each HDx port is connected with a DigiLink cable (available separately from Digidesign) to an HD Core, Process, or Accel card in the Pro Tools computer or Expansion Chassis. All DigiLink cables connecting the HDx cards to the Pro Tools|HD cards must be the same length.
Stage Rack DigiLink cables Primary Snake Redundant Snake Computer Digital Snake cables FOH Link cable (to VENUE console) FOH Rack Figure 1.
Expansion Chassis cable (to Pro Tools computer) USB cable (to Pro Tools computer) MIDI Interface (optional) Stage Rack 1 MIDI cables DigiLink cables Digital Snake cables Expansion Chassis DigiLink cables FOH Link cable (to VENUE console) DigiLink cable Digital Snake cables FOH Rack HD Audio Interface (optional) Word Clock cable Output to remote Pro Tools monitoring system Mic Preamp Stage Rack 2 Audience mics Primary Snake Redundant Snake Figure 2.
Chapter 3: Using HDx Overview Each HDx card allows up to 64 channels of audio to be recorded into Pro Tools. You can also playback your recorded tracks through your VENUE system so you can, for example, perform a Virtual Soundcheck. Two HDx cards can be installed into an FOH Rack, allowing up to 128 record or playback channels. Signal routing for recording or playback is configured in both the VENUE system and Pro Tools.
Signal Routing for HDx Recording Each HDx card provides 48 fixed outputs and 16 assignable outputs for recording VENUE system channels into Pro Tools. The HDx fixed output channels take a direct split from the Stage Rack or the Mix Rack inputs. The input signal is split immediately after the input stage, and these input signals output directly to Pro Tools. The fixed output channels do not appear separately in the Patchbay.
4 In the Inputs section of the System Config page, next to Inputs 1–48, select Stage 1. Selecting Fixed Outputs for the Second Stage Rack When Stage Rack Inputs 49–96 are made available, they can then be selected to enable recording of live input from the corresponding channels into Pro Tools. To select HDx fixed outputs for the second Stage Rack (49–96): 1 Do one of the following to put your system into Config Selecting Stage 1 inputs Mode: 5 Click Apply.
4 In the Inputs section of the System Configuration page, 2 Go to the Options page and click the System tab to access next to Inputs 1–48, select Stage. the System Configuration page. 3 Click Edit. 4 Select Enable HDx2. Selecting Stage inputs 5 Click Apply. The system restarts with the Stage inputs active. Inputs 1–48 on the first HDx card appear in the Inputs page of the Pro Tools I/O Setup dialog as Inputs “HDx1 1–48.
4 (Direct Outputs Only) Activate and set the level for each Di- rect Output by clicking its In button and dragging its on-screen encoder in the Direct Out section.
Signal Routing for HDx Playback Each HDx card provides 48 fixed inputs and 16 assignable inputs, allowing playback of multiple Pro Tools tracks directly through your VENUE system. When enabled, the HDx fixed inputs replace the corresponding Stage Rack or Mix Rack inputs one-for-one, and appear in place of those Stage Inputs in the Patchbay. Mix Rack inputs are referred to as “Stage” inputs, while Stage Rack inputs are referred to as “Stage 1” and “Stage 2” inputs.
4 In the Inputs section of the System Configuration page, next to Inputs 1–48, select HDx1. 5 Click Apply. The system restarts with the second HDx card enabled. Selecting Fixed Inputs for the Second HDx Card (FOH Rack Only) Selecting HDx1 input 5 Click Apply. The system restarts with the HDx1 inputs ac- tive. When HDx Inputs 49–96 are made available, they can then be selected to enable playback of the corresponding channels from Pro Tools.
HDx Assignable Inputs HDx assignable input channels (HDx1 Assignable 1–16, HDx2 Assignable 1–16) can be used to route tracks from Pro Tools to VENUE system Input Channels and FX Returns. Routing Assignable HDx Inputs To route an HDx assignable input to a VENUE channel: 1 Go to the Patchbay and click the Inputs tab.
Example Recording and Playback Configurations The following sections provides some examples of recording and playback configurations. For Pro Tools operational instructions, see the Pro Tools Reference Guide. Simultaneous Recording and Playback Using HDx You can simultaneously record and playback Pro Tools tracks using your HDx equipped VENUE system. The number of available record and playback tracks depends on your system configuration.
Recording the Main L/R Mix or a Submix VENUE Managing VENUE Settings During HDx Playback In the Patchbay, do any of the following: Gain Compensation in HDx Playback Mode To route the main mix, go to the Outputs page, click the Pro Tools tab, and route the Mains to available HDx assignable outputs. To route a submix, go to the Directs page, and route from the Top of Channel Pickoff point on Auxes, Groups, Matrixes, or PQ bus outputs to available Direct Outputs.
While in HDx mode, if you increase the digital gain by 6 dB (to a displayed setting of +8.2 dB), and then switch back to Stage Rack inputs, you can do one of the following: Monitoring HDx Recordings • Apply the gain change, yielding a Stage Rack gain increase of 6 dB, or a final setting of (30+6) or +36 dB.
22 HDx TDM Option Guide
