george236

Can I control two Audigy 2 cards with one instance of KX driver? I'm so new at this I really don't know much, Thanks for any help. George

Russ

Yes.

Doug W

Installing multiple sound cards in kX
A-kX an Introduction

Build a second analog input for your Audigy-Intro

monsterboxx

So far so good...I get this, however I am looking at 2 Audigys and 1 Live. I was looking at the SPDIF connections from one card to another, and wondering how this would all go together in theory with my hardware.

I am looking for as many inputs as possible. I am building a sound recorder rig for some recording of live shows and if it is possible to sync up the 3 cards.

Thank you!

Maddogg6

to 'sync' them as in, using multiple ASIO devices in a DAW host, and all 3 cards having sample accurate synchronization, is not possible.

BUT... There are 2 basic ways of using multiple cards...

1) when you connect 2 cards SPDIF OUT to a 'master' or 'HOST' card (the actual recording device) - you are basically using the 2 cards as 'submixers' that are also converting analog inputs into SPDIF - and recording those SPDIF inputs with the master card. Which is really the best way to look at such a multi card setup from what you indicated - adding more inputs.


2) if you use a card as a 'SEND/RECEIVE' effects loop (Master/Host SPDIF out > Slave SPDIF IN & Slave SPDIF OUT > Master/Host SPDIF IN) The 'Slave' card would just process the SPDIF IN - affect it (reverb, delay what ever) - and send back to Master/HOST card via the SPDIF out.

So you can think of the 'additional' cards as either 'submixers with A/D converters' or as 'Effect sends' and treat as an external effect unit (or a combination of both) And synchronization is not really a problem.

1 SPDIF carries only 2 mono or 1 stereo signal. Dont expect 1 SPDIF to carry more channels of audio (in some cases there is a way, but the latency is WAY off from 'syncronized') .

monsterboxx

I see, this kind of answers everything. The only question I have is I have seen a process that sets up a "master clock" card by routing the frequency crystals through each "slave clock" card. This would force the cards to operate at the same frequency thus causing sync in time.

Or am I simply confusing the issue by re creating the same process. It seems that you explained it in your first note and calling them "submixers" so I would be using the Slave cards as inputs and outputting to stereo via SPDIF to the master in essence having 3 mixes 2 that are on the master mix. By doing that am I dealing with latency issues?

Maddogg6

Well, if you are some electronic engineer and are certain you know what you are doing... possibly that could work - I have to wonder what other problems would arise.. ?? PCI clock for instance ??? So even electronically - the idea maybe sound, reverse engineering the driver maybe helpful as well ?? meh - its much safer getting audio IO and a DAW host to use sync'd devices, and for what it really get you (assuming you are a hobby recording engineer/musician) - isn't really worth the expense or the efforts.

Well - it seems you understood - and latency is not much of an issue - there is a little, but no more than using some other external A/D converter AFAIK. ASIO latency is more to worry about from what I have seen. (I have a second card 'submixing' to my 'master' card - and the latency from that compared to another analog input on my master card is not noticeable)

Just make sure that - if you use a compressor with a 'look ahead' feature - it does add that amount of additional latency (IE, Dynamics processor allows up to 4ms of 'look ahead' - which essentially - delays the input from the output by 4ms when look ahead is set to 4ms.
And of course any other 'delay' plugin used would add that amount of latency as well... but I dont want to overstate what could be the obvious...

monsterboxx

beautiful!

so as far as recording times, what is the average time you record trackwise? do you record an entire session at say 2 hours, or would it be smarter to take breaks and bust it into tracks?

I ask because this would be used for recording live shows. I am also not always at the controls to stop and start as I am by the stage doing guitar tech work, and I would not want to put it into the hands of our sound engineer. I guess I can always just setup my laptop by me and remote in : )

Maddogg6

The smarter thing to say is to take breaks (ear fatigue)...

recording multiple inputs - and how long you can sustain recording them multiple tracks greatly depend on your PC... the only multiple input recording I have done was track length.

I would suspect using remote software would cause more resource use, so if you have the HDD space - I would try just letting it record - but you should definitly test with a dry run first... With Sonar you can actually use MIDI keys to remote control (start Stop/record etc..), a joystick too - maybe a wireless PC keyboard is something to consider.. ?? (or a keyboard extension cable??)

TravelRec.

Multitrack-Recordings of more than 2 hours are not a problem, if the system runs stable and the HD is big, fast and well defragmented before starting the session. But if you have a power failure, all is lost. If you do breaks and save the templates now and then, you are on the safer side. If you need the whole long recording time, it may be a solution, to record the master signal in parallel with a DAT-Recorder and then mix this signal with the track pieces in a later step.

__________________
Always take a look behind.