ShowNet
Member
I have a fairly unique situation that we first tried to solve with network-based audio (Dante, namely), that hasn't worked and I was pointed in the direction of MADI, which I'm not particularly familiar with (I'm not an audio person by trade).
The TLDR is that I need redundant digital audio multicores that can intentionally be broken and restored within a matter of seconds, while audio continues to play seamlessly.
I have a large set piece that has 100 channels of audio - 50 to it, 50 from it. This piece moves around the space in ways that requires the audio to be switched from one multicore to another multicore, live. This is currently done by connecting the (very large, analog) B multi before disconnecting the A multi. This results in an audible pop (sometimes very loudly). And of course the cables are large.
The goal is to move to a digital audio system with redundant connections. So connection point A will have cables A1 and A2 (primary and backup). Connection point B will have cables B1 and B2. The sequence would go:
- Disconnect A1 (seamless failover to A2)
- Connect B1
- Wait for B1 digital handshake to complete, once audio is going through B1...
- Disconnect A2 (seamless failover to B1)
- Connect B2
- Move scenery
This whole sequence has to happen in a matter of seconds, under 10 seconds, ideally as quickly as the cables can be physically swapped, and, I repeat, audio is playing the entire time.
I wasn't there for the Dante testing, but as I understand it the failure point was usually on the wait time for the B1 connection to be established, and/or some variation of Dante basically choking if too much changed too quickly.
I was pointed in the direction of MADI, which I have no real-world experience with. Everything I've seen so far suggests it may well work for this scenario. From what I can tell, it will seamlessly failover from A1 to A2. The one thing I'm not sure of is that connection establishment time when we connect cable B1.
Any thoughts on if this would work?
The TLDR is that I need redundant digital audio multicores that can intentionally be broken and restored within a matter of seconds, while audio continues to play seamlessly.
I have a large set piece that has 100 channels of audio - 50 to it, 50 from it. This piece moves around the space in ways that requires the audio to be switched from one multicore to another multicore, live. This is currently done by connecting the (very large, analog) B multi before disconnecting the A multi. This results in an audible pop (sometimes very loudly). And of course the cables are large.
The goal is to move to a digital audio system with redundant connections. So connection point A will have cables A1 and A2 (primary and backup). Connection point B will have cables B1 and B2. The sequence would go:
- Disconnect A1 (seamless failover to A2)
- Connect B1
- Wait for B1 digital handshake to complete, once audio is going through B1...
- Disconnect A2 (seamless failover to B1)
- Connect B2
- Move scenery
This whole sequence has to happen in a matter of seconds, under 10 seconds, ideally as quickly as the cables can be physically swapped, and, I repeat, audio is playing the entire time.
I wasn't there for the Dante testing, but as I understand it the failure point was usually on the wait time for the B1 connection to be established, and/or some variation of Dante basically choking if too much changed too quickly.
I was pointed in the direction of MADI, which I have no real-world experience with. Everything I've seen so far suggests it may well work for this scenario. From what I can tell, it will seamlessly failover from A1 to A2. The one thing I'm not sure of is that connection establishment time when we connect cable B1.
Any thoughts on if this would work?