Sound over HDMI

[lightz]

At the theatre where I am currently working...

The sound crew thinks it is a good idea to run all their sound Q's from QLab to the console via HDMI which then gets stripped by an AMX Video Matrix and sent to the Yamaha LS9-32 and not an External Sound card.Their claim is that digital HDMI is better because 1. Digital 2. They only have to use one cable for video and sound Q's.

Is this a good Idea??

 

[cpf]

As long as the delay is satisfactory, I see nothing wrong. I too would prefer a signal path with fewer points of failure, but if that's what they want to do...

 

[lightz]

As long as the delay is satisfactory, I see nothing wrong. I too would prefer a signal path with fewer points of failure, but if that's what they want to do...

Does HDMI have a higher failure rate?

 

[cpf]

Does HDMI have a higher failure rate?

Maybe, maybe not, but I'd rather go OS->USB->Interface->Audio than OS->GPU->HDMI->HDCP->Decoder->Switcher->Audio - the latter has much more opportunity for someone to push the wrong button at the wrong time and interrupt playback.

Even if you're running video cues simultaneously, if you have the option for your audio to not go down with your video, I'd take it.

 

[howlingwolf487]

Why not use the S/PDIF input? That way there's no D/A conversion between the Qlab and LS9-32?

 

[Chris15]

Why not use the S/PDIF input? That way there's no D/A conversion between the Qlab and LS9-32?

Just a D/D SRC conversion that may add more latency than going D/A and A/D...

 

[museav]

I do that kind of thing to get program audio into a system quite often but I believe the analog outputs of the AMX are downmixed two channel, so as long as you aren't dealing with more than stereo.