Using D8B with Protools 9

[deanf]

Hello All,
After much deliberation, I have finally decided to change my recording set up to include a Mackie D8B with protools 9 using Windows 7, I am new to both the Mackie board and the protools platform so please excuse my ignorance if I'm asking any silly questions. Im sure that the questions I have are likely due to basic set-up issues however, thought this forum may fast track me throught the inital set up phase and get me recording sooner rather than later.

Currently I have the Mackie D8B communicating with protools via the midi breakout and profire lightbridge aswell I have conntected optical cables to one of the AES cards in the Mackie.( I have three cards installed)

Here are a few minor issues which I've encountered and need to work around.

1) Im operating the D8B in HUI mode however,note that only 8 faders seem to be assigned. (17-24).. Thought protools 9 sorted this out and now accepted any perriphrial device as a controller?
a) Is this limitation occuring because I need to connect more optical cables to my other cards?
b) )Do I really need to operate the Mackie in HUI mode with protools?

2) The trasport controls appear to work so I know the board is communicating with protools however, I dont seem to have my audio paths assigned correctly and Im not receiving any signal into protools when I arm tracks. Nor do I get any audio out of the monitors

How is this done between the Mackie and protools.. What interface selection do I use on each track in protool?

[Petersueco]

Welcome to the forum, deanf.

What cards do you have in the Tape slots?
Any Apogee clock card in the Sync slot?
What output are the monitors connected to?

You don't HAVE TO operate the HUI with Protools. It is easier to learn the program using a mouse.

[FrankH]

1) Im operating the D8B in HUI mode however,note that only 8 faders seem to be assigned. (17-24).. Thought protools 9 sorted this out and now accepted any perriphrial device as a controller?

Eight faders at a time is the HUI mode....however, they represent a "bank" that can be scrolled...ie: 1-8, 9-16, 17-24, 25-32...etc.

a) Is this limitation occuring because I need to connect more optical cables to my other cards?

Not necessarily, because HUI mode makes the D8B act as an "eight-channel-at-a-time" virtual controller to the corresponding ProTools channel controls. You could have every ProTools track assigned to a single stereo bus or split out out to multiple busses...which brings us to:

b) )Do I really need to operate the Mackie in HUI mode with protools?

In a word: no. In a couple: Not necessarily.

When you say "I have conntected optical cables to one of the AES cards in the Mackie" I'm going to assume you have one of the Profire's 4 optical output sets connected to the D8B via what I can only guess is one of 3 DIO8 cards.

If true, you could connect lightpipes to the other 2 cards and have 24 discreet channels of digital I/O between Protools and the D8B....as well as a digital SPDIF 2 monitor mix via the Profire's breakout cable. And if you had a 4th digital card (either DIO8 or OPT8) that could be connected via the D8Bs Alt I/O slot...but without dynamics or eq.

And this brings us to what Peter's post is all about: without really knowing how your D8B is outfitted, it's just a guessing game for the moment.

Look on the back of the D8B and tell us what cards are present. The slots and cards all have names silkscreened on them. Be thorough. The more info, the easier it is to help.

[deanf]

Peter/ Frank
Thanks for your replies,

Heres the scoop on my set-up

I have 3 Apogee digital I/Ocards in the tape slots
No card is the sync slot-
No card in the Alt slot
1 AES/EBU in the Dig I/O

At the moment I have had the monitors patched into the Lightbridge. However, I've had them out the board before and they worked fine when I tested all my channels for signal. Again, I was simply using the board without protools.

Frank, you are correct, I have optical cables running through one of the 3 cards into the profire lightbridge. Just ordered more cables to furnish the other 2 cards with optical I/O's as I suspected this may have been part of my issue.

Any assistance is greatly apprciated!
Regards
Dean

[Petersueco]

You should open the Sync slot a look inside to find out if there is the stock clock card.

[deanf]

will do. I'll take the blocking plate off tonight and let you know what I find.

[deanf]

Hello Peter,
Had a look inside the sync slot and it does have the stock card inside

[FrankH]

If I remember correctly, the D8b won't even operate without a sync card in the slot. OK, you have a stock sync card....which means you'll have to depend on the Profire to grab WordClock from the D8B (which is forced to be the master) via the lightpipe connections.

You also have 3 DIO8 cards. The only card usually referred to as "Apogee", around here, is the Apogee Sync card. And that you don't have.

If your present hookup seems to working without "tick and pop" issues after recording into ProTools...then you may be OK. If you bump into sync related noise issues, you would be well advised to search the internet for a used D8B Apogee Sync card. They aren't cheap....running from $250 to upwards of $450.

Aside from anything weird...like sync related issues, you should be able to run 24 channels of discreet I/O between your DAW, the Profire and the D8b...as soon as you get some more lightpipe cables. And don't forget, you can run a 2mix back and forth between the Profire's SPDIF connectors and the D8Bs SPDIF connectors on the Digi I/O card.

[deanf]

Hi Frank,
Yeah, I did some investigating on the apogee cards and I noted that they cost significantly more than any of the other cards for the D8B.. law of supply and demand I guess.. In any case, If required, I will get one.. Think I may know where to find one for a decent price.

Thanks for the spdif tip.. I'll run out and grab a few more of cables tomorrow.. I assume that 75ohm is what im looking for?

[FrankH]

Thanks for the spdif tip.. I'll run out and grab a few more of cables tomorrow.. I assume that 75ohm is what im looking for?

Since I have no idea how the Profire's breakout cable presents SPDIF output I'll just assume it's a pair of RCA type female connectors. If true, you only need a standard stereo male to male RCA cable.