ADAT Lightpipe

[Rhap2]

Hi to all Lightpipe users:

I want to use two computers to run GPO: a Mac Powerbook, G4 1.5 GB, 1 GB RAM running DP 4 and a Toshiba 2.8 GB lalptop, 1.5 GB RAM

How can I set it up to use two computers, the Mac for sequencing and the PC for GPO with ADAT Lightpipe?

Since this is an involved subject, references for reading and helpful equipment hints will be appreciated. Also, if anyone has an ongoing setup of this kind, I would appreciate an email address or phone number so I can save space posting to the list on this subject.

Please include NECESSARY equipment for this project realizing that I will be using two laptops: one Mac and one PC. also, if there are any tutorials on using lightpipe, I would love to study them.

Thanks,

John

[DPDAN]

Hi John, I think I can help you. I use a Mac G4 dual 2 ghz desktop with 2 of gigs ram running DP. I use a Dell PC 3.06 ghz machine with one gig of ram running GPO (I should have more). I use a MOTU 828 MKII audio interface connected via firewire to the MAC. I installed an RME Hammerfall HDSP 9652 soundcard in the Dell PC. I guess you probably already know what ADAT lightpipe is, but just in case you don't, it is 8 discrete digital audio channels on a single fiber optic cable, not to be confused with S/PDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interface) which is two channels of audio, sometimes referred to as TOSLINK. I use an inexpensive BNC-BNC coax cable for WORD clock sync from the 828 to the RME card. Anyway, the RME soundcard has...
three ADAT lightpipe inputs
three ADAT lightpipe outputs
SPDIF in
SPDIF out
two midi inputs
two midi outputs
Word clock in and out
I use V-STack by Steinberg ($60.00 a steal) on the Dell, which allows me to load a ton of players and specify all the different midi channels from DP via a Motu Midi Micro Express connected via USB.
Since the 828 is limited to only one ADAT lightpipe input, I can only run eight channels of audio at a time to the MAC. If I had a MOTU 2408 with a 424 card (installed in the desktop, not laptop) I could run three lightpipes for a total of 12 stereo simultaneous channels of prestine digital audio, but I just run everything live until I have met my RAM limit, then I start printing the (assumed) finished midi tracks to audio in DP. Once I am all done editing midi notes, I finish printing to audio all the rest of the sounds and then mix.
I bought my RME card on Ebay for about $350.00 it sells new for around 6 bills.
This is the link for the RME HDSP 9652 soundcard

[Martin Hines]

John,

If you wanted to have ADAT output from your PC laptop, you would need a slightly different RME setup.

Many of the RME systems have two "parts" -- an interface card and a "breakout box". In your case, you would need:

- HDSP CardBus (a PCMIA card)
- Digiface or Multiface (breakout box)

http://www.rme-audio.com/english/products.htm

http://www.rme-audio.com/english/hdsp/cardpci.htm
http://www.rme-audio.com/english/hdsp/digifa.htm
http://www.rme-audio.com/english/hdsp/multifa.htm

I don't know much about RME systems except they are very popular for Gigastudio systems.

Another alternative would be to use your LAN connections and a "virtual audio" product like FX Teleport:
http://www.fx-max.com/fxt/product.html

( I don't know much about this either...actually about everything!!)

[Houston Haynes]

DPDAN - I think the search is for lightpipe solutions for laptops, so PCI cards are likely out of the question. Even though I use two PC desktops, I have chosen two FireWire based interfaces that **could** be used with a laptop if needed (presuming that the laptop has the proper 1394 interface). For performance, data throughput, portability and reliability, I think it's the best thing going.

I interconnect a TASCAM FW-1884 and a M-Audio FW-1814 with ADAT lightpipe, with wordclock sync running on a separate BNC coax cable. For your purposes you could use the ADAT connection to set up a master/slave relationship to keep things in good timing.

I also use VST System Link through the ADAT connection for synch between Nuendo and Cubase on my two systems, but previously I've had good success with Cubase on one machine with V-Stack as a VSTi host on the other - and running virtual MIDI connections through the digital audio pipe.

For running GPO, this would work well, but it would require that you have Cubase SX or Nuendo in order to VST System Link. There may be other cross-platform virtual MIDI cable solutions out there - but they've not been high on my radar. Hopefully someone else can pitch in on that front.

[DPDAN]

DPDAN - I think the search is for lightpipe solutions for laptops, so PCI cards are likely out of the question.

I can't believe after all that time I spent posting all that awesome information that I failed to realize that his PC is a laptop. I even mentioned "(if I had a 424 card (but not for a laptop)" , dummy me sorry guys, thanks for setting him straight, Houston
sorrrrrrry
goofysleepydpdan

[Houston Haynes]

I can't believe after all that time I spent posting all that awesome information that I failed to realize that his PC is a laptop. I even mentioned "(if I had a 424 card (but not for a laptop)" , dummy me sorry guys, thanks for setting him straight, Houston
sorrrrrrry
goofysleepydpdan

It happens to all of us (still fighting off cold medicine "medicine-head" over here) but I didn't know that Hammerfall had a PCMCIA option. That would be a good one too - their stuff is as good as it gets. So, all's well that ends well.

[DPDAN]

Thanks Houston!

[Rhap2]

Thanks Houston, DPDan, and Martin. Actually, I am a newbie to the world of ADAT lightpipe. I would like some recommendations for learning more about this method of audio communication.

Any sites, reading materials that you all have used to get "up-to-speed" on this subject or is it all "hands-on" learning with friends, other musicians, etc?

I sure wish I could see a set-up with ADAT lightpipe and ask questions. Then, I would be better equipped to actually know what I would need. If anyone knows of a "basic" tutorial/reader on the subject, I would appreciate it.

Thanks again,

John

[DPDAN]

Well John, feel free to ask anything here, I am certainly willing to help out as well as others too as you have seen. I only got into Midi stuff this past April, but I've been an audio engineer for 30 years, yikes!
I promise to be more awake when I respond to a post. I am so glad you didn't go out and buy the stuff I was talking about, not that it's bad stuff, just the wrong stuff for laptops.
Ask away.
DPDan

[Rhap2]

Well John, feel free to ask anything here, I am certainly willing to help out as well as others too as you have seen. I only got into Midi stuff this past April, but I've been an audio engineer for 30 years, yikes!
I promise to be more awake when I respond to a post. I am so glad you didn't go out and buy the stuff I was talking about, not that it's bad stuff, just the wrong stuff for laptops.
Ask away.
DPDan

Thanks DPDan. Thirty years--WOW; you must really know this stuff inside out. I will call on you for help and I appreciate the offer. For now, I'm going to bug all the "mixer" folks I know from the local Guitar Center and see if I can get a better knowledge of ADAT Lightpipe.

I went on line for a Google search on ADAT Lightpipe (articles, etc.), but didn't find much.

By the way, I love DP 4 after being a Logic guy for 12 years.

John