Interesting Dante experiment (not directly QLab, but still…)

[Craig K]

I've been looking at ways to do some training sessions using playback from multiple "student" macs into one speaker system in a room. Up to now, we would just share files across a lan to the one machine that was physically connected to the I/O box.

What I was thinking initially was using a Dante enabled hardware device (like a Yamaha Rio) to connect to as the output, and then just have presets stored in Dante Controller to swap patches for each student computer.

However, even just a Rio is a bit pricy for this application, when there is existing hardware. Also, loading presets in Dante controller is a bit cumbersome.

What I discovered next was Dante Via. This looked very promising. It allows piping audio across the lan to any computer also running Via. No extra hardware.

The only real problem is at present it only sends stereo pairs. I was looking at something to send more channels.

It has an interesting feature that you can set any local input or out put to "Enable Dante" which makes it available across a Dante network, and makes Via a Dante endpoint or node. Having my trusty old MOTU 828 connected to one machine, Via shows it in the destinations pane and it is now able to receive stereo send from another computer on the network running Via. Using Dante Controller, it is possible to route it to different outputs of the 828.

But still only 2 channels.

However, since Via is acting as a Dante network node, any other computer on the network running Dante Virtual Soundcard will show up as a Dante Device in the Source pane of Via and can be dragged onto the 828 in the destinations panr. This immediately patches the remote computer into the 828 (with out needing Controller), allowing up to 48 channels.

The practical upshot of this for teaching is that any computer on the network running DVS can be routed instantly through one computer running Via and out to speakers, for everyone to hear.

This also works the other way with inputs into the 828 showing up as available to any/all computers (although this requires Controller patching)

The only theatre application I can think of so far is that a designer at the production table can have his/her edited version of a QLab sequence played through the system with out effecting the show computer, with only a lan connection.

(which I think is pretty nice) 

Craig K.

[John Evans]

Dante Via also has a few useful problem solving uses: earlier this year we were waiting on a Dante card for a non-Yamaha console to be overnighted to us, so I temporarily used my laptop as a Dante to USB soundcard converter to get the signals into the console another way...

Thanks,

John

[Jack Crombie]

Dante is awesome.

I would recommend putting a mixer on the outputs of your 828 and select student machines with that instead of re-patching Dante. It would let you switch quicker between the two and use PFL to monitor their outputs without putting it to speakers.

Also, using Dante via on the student computers will let you patch 2chs of each application to Dante and default to a local output for them to monitor and work with independently. This gives you a digital split, instead of taking their only output with DVS or making them repatch their output to DVS. So at any point you can listen in without interrupting them. :)

I use Dante Via on two machines (because I ran out of Thunderbolt ports to directly connect my Motu UltraLite mk3 via FW and still don't have a power) to play Spotify on my speakers and edit in Premiere / program and test Qlab on my headphones. As you can see below, everything in via defaults to the built in output, but spotify is muted there and I patch it straight to the main out on my UltraLite. I also send the 2 mic pre's back to my 15" MBP Retina for temp VO recordings.

Cheers,

Jack.

[Craig K]

Thanks for the suggestions, but if you read my whole post, you'll realize thane of the reasons that I made use of Via and DVS together in the network was so that I could have each student send more than just 2 channels of audio at a time through the 828. They only need to send from one app at any given time, but I wanted each of them to be able to test their projects on a multi channel system with more than just computer speakers. 

I can see where having all the computers running Via will have some advantages, and I believe that the folks at Audinate are working a making Via usable for more than just stereo channels. 

For now, I am quite impressed with what they have come up with. And for my application - this should work very nicely.

Also, as I mentioned, for a designer to be able to insert his/her computer in place of the show computer momentarily like this (quickly, easily) could make quite a nice work flow.

Craig K.

[Dominic Bilkey]

I've done a similar thing before but using an instance of QLab with mic inputs to do the live routing for me from multiple DVS systems into one multichannel surround set of speakers connected to said system. 

8 computers of 8 channels each mixed into one 8 channel speaker system. 

D

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