Audio/MIDI over Firewire? Ethernet?

mirage · Post by **mirage** » Tue May 02, 2006 1:23 pm

I've the opportunity to add several 1.5 GHz G4 Powerbooks to my studio. Since Digital Performer is unlikely to support distributed processing nodes similarly to Logic, at least per my last last conversation with MOTU support, it seems the best use for extra machines would be as outboard virtual instrument hosts, most likely for EastWest Quantum Leap stuff.

The most obvious connection scheme, adding 828-style firewire interfaces to each Powerbook and then linking everything via MIDI and lightpipe cables back to a similar control box on my host system, seems like an awful lot of unneccessary intermediate steps for just going DP -> VI -> DP. Not to mention a lot of extra hardware.

Is there any way to control and get sound back from outboard VIs via firewire or ethernet direct connections? It seems like it should be a really basic applet, but I'm kind of new to outboard systems, so if I'm overlooking something obvious please smack me upside the head and educate me.

mirage · Post by **mirage** » Tue May 02, 2006 6:09 pm

At least regarding audio, this afternoon's research has netted a promising lead:

http://netjack.sourceforge.net/
http://www.jackosx.com/

Any other solutions or recommendations? Unless I use the Powerbooks strictly for effects, I guess I'll still need to find a way to transport MIDI communications over the network...

Frodo · Post by **Frodo** » Wed May 03, 2006 9:33 pm

Mirage:

This is tricky on towers. I've only recently discovered a way of doing this between two G5's with no latency and no thrid-party software.

Powerbooks? The latency issue remains a problem, as does stability in some cases. Hmm.

Have you tried choosing a Network in Audio-MIDI and connecting the PB's with an Ethernet cross-over cable?

mirage · Post by **mirage** » Thu May 04, 2006 12:30 am

Have you tried choosing a Network in Audio-MIDI and connecting the PB's with an Ethernet cross-over cable?

Not yet, no. Just got the first Powerbook yesterday and I've yet to set it up to supplement my G5 tower; no compelling need just yet.

Mostly this is just me planning for the future, trying to work out if I'll have to budget in a plethora of external interfaces and connections or can manage to keep things simple without the redundant intermediate translation steps.

Frodo · Post by **Frodo** » Thu May 04, 2006 2:41 am

From what I'm understanding, as far as MIDI is concerned, you can do the MIDI network on your slave computer by choosing Network in Audio-MIDI there-- and then using the USB-MIDI on your master computer.

The linking of 2 G5 towers was done with only two optical lightpipe cables and one ethernet cable. It doesn't sound as if you'll need more than one MIDI interface unless your needs exceed what any one interface would offer you under a one-computer setup normally.

I've found a tutorial on how to do this with Logic (without using "nodes" or something like Wormhole to network). But once I can nail down a tutorial on doing this with a DP host--- AND with PB's, I'll post it here.

mirage · Post by **mirage** » Thu May 04, 2006 8:28 am

The linking of 2 G5 towers was done with only two optical lightpipe cables and one ethernet cable.

Were you able to get your G5s' onboard optical interfaces to establish a multichannel Lightpipe connection? Apple's specs are a bit ambiguous, but I've gathered is that it's strictly consumer-format SPDIF stereo/DD/DTS Toslink. Standard eight-channel ADAT Lightpipe would open up a huge variety of A/Ds for direct connection to my G5 - just about the only SPDIF Toslink A/D I've found so far is ART's Digital MPA.

Unfortunately, the Powerbook in question is a 12" G4. No optical out, but that's a fair tradeoff in my mind for the ability to keep processor performance at maximum - the newer 15" and 17" G4s may have optical connections but they're permanently set to automatic clockspeed throttling!

So something akin to NetJack seems my best option for audio - let me know if that Logic tutorial pans out for DP. And thanks for the network MIDI pointer; like I said, I'm new to all this.

Frodo · Post by **Frodo** » Thu May 04, 2006 12:17 pm

For the moment, I'll copy in the twin G5/Logic tutorial to see if any of this can apply. I know the some of this is moot because of the PB issue, but perhaps it might help with getting the MIDI working...

This is from:
http://vsl.co.at/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8450

Hope it's not more confusing than helpful. As I said, once I run across something more directly PB related, I'll put it here.

~~~~~~~
Rigging a 2nd MAC G5 without having to buy anything......tutorial

I will outline how to use a 2nd G5 for more memory, and pipe it into the main G5 without the need for a MIDI-inteface, or audio interface.

1) You will need: 1 ethernet cross-over cable ( or an ethernet hub and 2 cables)

2)You will need: 2 fiber-optic cables (out to in / in to out between the G5s.

3) Open Audio MIDI Setup on the Main G5 and create an "aggregate device". In it the first device is your main Audio i/o....the 2nd device select "Built-In"

4) Open Audio MIDI-Setup and under "MIDI", select "Network".....establish an ethernet MidiConnection between the 2 G5's

5) On the 2nd G5 open "System Preferences"...Click on "Sound" ....set both in and out to "Digital"

6) On the Main G5 open "Logic Audio" or your DAW of choice......In the Audio Driver's Page set the driver to "Aggregate Device".......create an AUX Input the last inputs available will be the Digital LightPipes we set up earlier)....

7) In environment create a multi-instrument and set it's midiport to "session1" (this is the ethernet MIDI connection). Now IF you have a MIDI-loop happening in Logic, simply create a transformer object.......now from "Physical Input" take a cable from "Session1" to that transormer object.....double click transformer object and set it to "Filter Matching Events"....now take a cable from transormer object to "Sequencer Input".

that is it works flawlessly and is a really elegant solution.

Now on 2nd G5, use Bidule Plogue to setup another 24 VI's

What I have happening is

G5 1: All Violins / Violas (this computer runs Logic7)
G5 2: All Celli / Basses (this computer runs Bidule Plogue

I know this sounds complex, but it really isn't, takes about an hour to set up.
~~~~~

Frodo · Post by **Frodo** » Thu May 04, 2006 9:20 pm

Today I was wondering if two PBs had two-way lightpipe cards, that this should serve the same purpose as the lightpipe I/O ports on the two G5s. I just don't know of anyone who has done it, though... still looking...