One MixRack with two surfaces

[SteffenR]

Will it be possible in the future?
Is it possible now, without audio transfers to the second surface?

Somebody asked me to build up a 32 Channel FOH and monitor setup with two surfaces and just one MixRack…

And yes, I know all other options to control the second part.

SRV-AVB
R-72, iDR-16, xDR-16

[Stix]

Not Possible at the moment. You need two mixracks if you want two surfaces. Minimum would be to add an IDR0. Without the second Mixrack or IDR0 you are limited to using a Laptop or a Mixpad for monitors – you could however add a midi control surface to Editor if you want tactile control of some of the functions (faders/Mutes/PAFL/Pan/Gain/HPF freq are supported)

However: This has been talked about here before and Carey said this in an old post:

quote
The request for two surfaces working with one MixRack is usually for the two engineer FOH/Monitors situation. Two surfaces, one brain. Here you would need independent channel selection. As Andy says this is not supported yet but on the list for future release.
end quote

So – um – it might be possible in the future.

Cheers

Richard Howey
Audio Dynamite Ltd
IDR48/IDR16/T112/R72

[SteffenR]

Thanx Richard, didn’t find the old post by Carey, so I asked again.
Maybe Carey can comment on this too, to get actual information on the topic.
Otherwise there are only 10 days until Musikmesse…[]

SRV-AVB
R-72, iDR-16, xDR-16

[benmannell]

Hi,

I’m interested in this setup of two surfaces with one mixrack for another application – a dual operator setup in a theatre situation. I can understand that another mix engine would be required for the FOH/Monitors situation, where the two surfaces are accessing all the same channels but mixing them differently and sending them to completely separate outputs, but is it possible to sync two surfaces to one mixrack to create in effect one big surface? All outputs are mixed to Left, Center, Right, or matrix outputs, but one surface could display orchestra channels, and the other display vocal channels? I understand that you would be limited to the processing power of the one mixrack.

[CareyD]

Running two Surfaces with one MixRack is not currently possible. Although it is on the list for future update it is a complex task requiring major restructure of the iLive architecure. Besides that, there is only one PAFL bus. Ideally each Surface would need its own PAFL system.

Some digital desks can work with two surfaces and one rack. However these are the ones that have their DSP brain built into the surface and the rack is simply remote I/O. iLive has its DSP in the rack with the surface simply a controller. Combining two iLive surfaces with, say, an iDR10 rack (includes I/O) and an iDR0 (DSP only) achieves exactly the same and has the same basic building blocks and overall cost.

Our choice to put the DSP in the rack gives iLive its capability to operate with no surface, but means you do need to add an external DSP rack if you want to work with two surfaces as requested here. But the extra rack can be tiny and low cost, for example the iDR0 or iDR-16.

The closest iLive comes to two surfaces and one rack is using one iLive Surface and a laptop running Editor. The laptop provides the second ‘virtual’ surface, although it does not have its own PAFL system. And, adding more laptops or iPads or even using these in place of the iLive surface can provide a multiple control environment.

I hope that makes it clearer.
All the best,
Carey

[SteffenR]

Thanx Carey, all is much clearer now.
And it’s good to hear that you planned it for future release, to implement the two surface solution.

SRV-AVB
R-72, iDR-16, xDR-16

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