User guide

CALREC Putting Sound in the Picture 11
Apollo, Artemis and Summa consoles
rely on the Hydra2 system for all audio
routing. A single, standalone console
uses a simple Hydra2 network with all
I/O boxes having direct connections
to the router card in the console’s
processing core. This creates a star
formation, in that all elements connect
to a central point; the router card.
FIGURE 1 - STAR FORMATION
The router card is responsible for directing
audio and data across the Hydra2
network and within the processing rack
itself. When an input port is patched to a
fader, the router card requests that the
relevant I/O box sends audio from the
selected input port and passes that audio
on to the DSP card within the processing
rack for use by the console. When an
output is patched, the router card takes
the output audio from the DSP card and
sends it to the relevant I/O box/port.
When an input to output patch is made,
the router requests the input and then
sends it directly to the I/O box output port
in question.
The comprehensive routing system and
the ability to perform point to point input
to output patching reduces the need for
I/O to be wired via physical patch points.
Any input can be used multiple times in
multiple places, simultaneously sending
audio to any/all input channels as well as
other locations on the console such as
external inputs or monitor inputs. All audio
can then be patched directly to multiple
output ports if the raw signal is required
by other equipment. Console DSP audio
outputs can also be sent to multiple
output ports / I/O boxes and be made
available to other consoles via Hydra
Patchbays.
SINGLE CONSOLE NETWORKS
Input to output patching provides routing
capability without the use of DSP or the
need for a control surface.
Multiple port patching to mixed I/O
formats along with input to output
patching reduces the need for external
audio routers, distribution amplifiers, and
convertors such as ADCs / DACs.
Router /
Processing
Rack
Audio I/O Audio I/O
Audio I/OAudio I/O
FIGURE 2 - EXAMPLE OF A SINGLE CONSOLE NETWORK
87654321
STATUS
ActConActCon
PORT2PORT1FANPSU
48V SIG
1L
48V SIG
1R
48V SIG
2L
48V SIG
2R
48V SIG
3L
48V SIG
3R
48V SIG
4L
48V SIG
4R 1L
48V SIG
5L 1R
48V SIG
5R 2L
48V SIG
6L 2R
48V SIG
6R
SIG SIG SIG SIG
RESET
R
Y
H
D
A
AN LOGA
12 4-
INPUTS OUTPUTS
87654321
STATUS
ActConActCon
PORT2PORT1FANPSU
48V SIG
1L
48V SIG
1R
48V SIG
2L
48V SIG
2R
48V SIG
3L
48V SIG
3R
48V SIG
4L
48V SIG
4R 1L
48V SIG
5L 1R
48V SIG
5R 2L
48V SIG
6L 2R
48V SIG
6R
SIG SIG SIG SIG
RESET
R
Y
H
D
A
AN LOGA
12 4-
INPUTS OUTPUTS
87654321
STATUS
ActConActCon
PORT2PORT1FANPSU
48V SIG
1L
48V SIG
1R
48V SIG
2L
48V SIG
2R
48V SIG
3L
48V SIG
3R
48V SIG
4L
48V SIG
4R 1L
48V SIG
5L 1R
48V SIG
5R 2L
48V SIG
6L 2R
48V SIG
6R
SIG SIG SIG SIG
RESET
R
Y
H
D
A
AN LOGA
12 4-
INPUTS OUTPUTS
Control Room
Equipment Room Studio Floor
Audio Inputs / Outputs
Audio Inputs / Outputs
Audio Inputs / Outputs
e.g. for playout devices, external
effects units, loudspeaker monitoring
feeds etc.
e.g. for external routers, servers,
transmission equipment etc.
e.g. for microphones, foldback /
monitor feeds etc.
Control Surface
Processing Rack
Hydra2 Connection
Control Surface Connection