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Wordclock Paris-Reaper question [message #105602] Mon, 13 September 2010 18:52 Go to next message
mani1147 is currently offline  mani1147   CANADA
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I'm pretty green on the external clock deal but here it goes.
I will be getting an RME 9652 HDSP soon that will be installed in the same i7 box as my 3 card Paris sys.

Can/should I use the RME as master clock out to my 2 MECs? Would I gain anything sonically?

Can I still use Paris as the transport master while slaving Reaper via ADAT 9pin sync?

Thanks
Cheers
Rob
Re: Wordclock Paris-Reaper question [message #105603 is a reply to message #105602] Mon, 13 September 2010 22:32 Go to previous messageGo to next message
kerryg is currently offline  kerryg   CANADA
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Excellent card - you'll be pretty happy with that RME.

You can use the WC out of the RME to clock the MECs, that's what I do. I don't know if I gained anything sonically, but I certainly gained financially since I saved myself the price of a WC generator for the time being Very Happy - I certainly haven't lost anything sonically. Just set your RME to be sync "master" and PARIS to use house sync. I terminated the WC on the second MEC to be on the safe side, you can pick up a terminator at any local electronic supplier.

As to the second, absolutely - using the C16 to drive the whole thing works great. PARIS has to be the master sync anyway - the ADAT sync on PARIS is one way only, "out".

Dunno how long you've been using Reaper now - but if you haven't seen these already, there are both general and PARIS-specific goodies to be had for free.

General:
The SWS extensions are a "must have"
This thread is a great resource for the "best of" skins.
This skin is extremely cool.

PARIS-specific:
Xenakios' libsndfile wrapper lets you use PARIS PAFs directly in Reaper without conversion. This combined with Reaper's batch file processing and it's a PARIS "Swiss Army Knife" (and Reaper's ability to write "PARIS-friendly" WAVs makes the batch converter "StripWav" on uber-mega-steroids).
This script I wrote is a partial workaround for PARIS' lack of support for timestamping. Still a beta (and it will probably stay that way, since I use AATranslator for things like that now) but easily modified to your own needs without need for coding ability.


"... being bitter is like swallowing poison and waiting for the other guy to die..." - anon

[Updated on: Mon, 13 September 2010 22:37]

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Re: Wordclock Paris-Reaper question [message #105605 is a reply to message #105603] Tue, 14 September 2010 13:52 Go to previous messageGo to next message
mani1147 is currently offline  mani1147   CANADA
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Wow Kerry, you rock brother...!! Thanks so much for all the info.
Yes, I just jumped into Reaper and man, I'm completely blown away by it, way solid and very intuitive I find. All I have done so far has been slaving it to Paris , then using it as a VSTi host/midi sequencer and bussing 12 tracks back to Paris via adat, its working great.
How does Reaper fit into your Paris setup, midi only, audio mixdown, editor...etc?
I have been using my Pulsar Core II card, its OK but buggy I find, its not a "turn it on and make music" card, there always seems to be something you gotta di*k with to get her goin and by then, well the idea is kinda stale.
I've been hearing great things about the 9652 and I'm sure it will be a great addition to my Paris/Reaper setup.

I may have a few more config Qs for you when I get her setup, hopefully before too long.

Cheers
Rob

PS:Another big thumbs up for all your efforts keeping our "Paris Home Base" up and running Kerry, very appreciated.
Re: Wordclock Paris-Reaper question [message #105607 is a reply to message #105605] Wed, 15 September 2010 07:47 Go to previous messageGo to next message
drfrankencopter is currently offline  drfrankencopter   CANADA
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Rob,

Did you get the PCI or PCI-E version of the 9652?

I'm curious about the workflow too....

Cheers

Kris
Re: Wordclock Paris-Reaper question [message #105612 is a reply to message #105607] Wed, 15 September 2010 08:31 Go to previous messageGo to next message
kerryg is currently offline  kerryg   CANADA
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Workflow varies between projects - really depends on what I'm up to. I'll mix and match portions of workflows too.

PARIS is "always on" here, acting as my studio's main mixer.

- for straightahead audio-only sessions: record into PARIS, mix in PARIS; nice and simple - the traditional stronghold of PARIS "it just works".

- for virtual-instrument-only productions: Reaper, flowing through PARIS for monitoring only (not sync'd).

- for mostly audio/some virtual instruments: record on PARIS with Reaper sync'd up and flowing its added tracks through PARIS via ADAT

- for overdubbing single instruments on existing Reaper sessions: track through PARIS' convertors into Reaper, using PARIS like a big mixer for monitoring and routing. I have MEC A's SP/DIF physically hardwired to the RME's SP/DIF specifically for this so I get the same ultra-low latency of PARIS' digital throughput (1 sample) but I don't have to mess with my ADAT routing in the middle of a session (plus SP/DIF is 24 bits as opposed to the ADAT's 20, although I honestly can't hear any difference). To track, I go into the patchbay and take whichever cable in MEC MODULES A represents the particular PARIS hardware input I want to use (I have different preamps normalled to different hardware inputs on my 8i cards) and drag it directly to MEC MASTER A's SP/DIF OUT L (L/R if I'm tracking something stereo). No muss, no fuss, and I monitor my input via PARIS.

- for sessions started in PARIS that I later decide I want to edit in Reaper, I export them as OMFs, open them in AATranslator, turn them into Reaper songs (RPP) and either open them directly or "insert" that whole RPP into another one.

- for sessions started in Reaper that I want to mix in PARIS, I can export "PARIS-friendly" WAVs [Project Settings > uncheck write BWF ("bext") chunk and hit save as default project settings] or just route the tracks live to PARIS on up to 24 separate ADAT channels.

Unbelievable range of options now. Also I now automatically export OMFs of all PARIS sessions at the end of the process nowadays; great safety precaution - if the rig ever goes down, AATranslator will allow me to open those.


"... being bitter is like swallowing poison and waiting for the other guy to die..." - anon

[Updated on: Wed, 15 September 2010 09:29]

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Re: Wordclock Paris-Reaper question [message #105613 is a reply to message #105607] Thu, 16 September 2010 15:20 Go to previous messageGo to next message
mani1147 is currently offline  mani1147   CANADA
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Hey Kriss, I got the PCI version, $250 off Gearslutz.

Re: Wordclock Paris-Reaper question [message #105614 is a reply to message #105613] Fri, 17 September 2010 02:45 Go to previous messageGo to next message
dnafe is currently offline  dnafe   CANADA
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Hey Kerry

I've never used OMF so I was wondering what's the advantage of converting things to OMF then using AAtranslator to create Reaper songs vs just exporting wav files and starting fresh?

Are the Paris project and settings transferred as well...if so I'm definitely going to check this out

Re: Wordclock Paris-Reaper question [message #105617 is a reply to message #105613] Fri, 17 September 2010 10:26 Go to previous messageGo to next message
drfrankencopter is currently offline  drfrankencopter   CANADA
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mani1147 wrote on Thu, 16 September 2010 15:20
Hey Kris, I got the PCI version, $250 off Gearslutz.




Great price. Does it fit easily into your Mobo? Are you still running a 3 EDS card config on the Gigabyte mobo? I forget the model, but I think it's the same one I have.

I'm *this* close to searching Gearslutz for one (and another Adat card)....

Cheers

KRis
Re: Wordclock Paris-Reaper question [message #105618 is a reply to message #105614] Fri, 17 September 2010 10:42 Go to previous messageGo to next message
kerryg is currently offline  kerryg   CANADA
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Heya Don. Basically OMF exports all visible tracks and all the regions they contain, in all Edit Windows, for all submixes, along with their associated fades and crossfades, with region and track names intact. You can then choose a destination format from a pretty comprehensive list that allows import into pretty much any other DAW. It doesn't export tracks 17 and 18 (which of course aren't really "tracks" at all) or the contents of "jails", but if you want their contents too you can just make a new submix and drag them into the edit window. It makes no difference whether it's a "card" or "virtual" or "native" submix.

The only hiccup remaining is IMO pretty minimal - all your fades or crossfades will be in the right places but they'll default to "linear". This may or may not be an issue for you (it isn't for me, but if it were critical I've figured out a not-too-taxing workaround). I use PARIS OMF via AAT pretty regularly and I've yet to see a failure beyond that.

At one time it was supposed by many that PARIS probably exported OMFs with perhaps, say, subframe accuracy. During the process of investigation we discovered PARIS exports the positions and lengths of all regions/fades/crossfades in terms of samples elapsed since song start which means they're actually exported with sample accuracy.

Mix information - say automation or EQ and plugin settings - isn't included. In fact PARIS OMF export actually does support track based automation (ie all the pan and automation data from your Automation Editor Window is recognizably exported and has been located) but Michael Rooney from AATranslator is pretty much a one-man shop and he'd need to see some level of interest from the PARIS community (ie licenses bought) to do the gruntwork of translating it too.

One *huge* advantage in this method is that your regions and edits stay intact (I haven't yet checked to see how long the "tails" are on either side of a clip) which means you don't have to commit to your edits like you have to with rendering. Another advantage is that AAT automatically converts everything to WAV as part of the conversion process, so you bypass all that tedious crap about track renders and having to check timings to make sure none have gone wrong - a single mouse click in PARIS and your exporting is done, a couple more in AAT and it's translated and openable straightaway in dozens of other DAWs (I can't think of an important one that's been omitted). And one hidden perk: you can save your OMFs as a disaster backup in case PARIS goes down (you might have to remix a track - but it's a heck of a lot better than starting with a great big folder of PAFs punched in God knows where).

Kris: to me, the RME plus an ADAT card is a big part of the "missing link" that completes PARIS. I can't recommend them highly enough.


"... being bitter is like swallowing poison and waiting for the other guy to die..." - anon

[Updated on: Fri, 17 September 2010 10:56]

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Re: Wordclock Paris-Reaper question [message #105620 is a reply to message #105617] Fri, 17 September 2010 15:25 Go to previous messageGo to next message
mani1147 is currently offline  mani1147   CANADA
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drfrankencopter wrote on Fri, 17 September 2010 10:26
mani1147 wrote on Thu, 16 September 2010 15:20
Hey Kris, I got the PCI version, $250 off Gearslutz.




Great price. Does it fit easily into your Mobo? Are you still running a 3 EDS card config on the Gigabyte mobo? I forget the model, but I think it's the same one I have.

I'm *this* close to searching Gearslutz for one (and another Adat card)....

Cheers

KRis


Hey Kriss, yea the RME fit nicely in the same spot as the Pulsar was in and I had the Pulsar sync card as well so that spot is now taken by the RME wordclock board. Then I have the 3 EDS cards, PCIe video and PCIe to PCI converter with a UAD-1 card so the old GIGABYTE GA-P55-UD3L is pretty full-up.

Cheers
Rob

Re: Wordclock Paris-Reaper question [message #105623 is a reply to message #105620] Sat, 18 September 2010 04:21 Go to previous messageGo to next message
dnafe is currently offline  dnafe   CANADA
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Thanks Kerry

Have you tired going the other way...Reaper into Paris and if so what format OMF? Wav? etc

edited to add - Will be buying a copy once the studio is up and running next week

[Updated on: Sat, 18 September 2010 04:22]

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Re: Wordclock Paris-Reaper question [message #105624 is a reply to message #105623] Sun, 19 September 2010 11:47 Go to previous messageGo to next message
kerryg is currently offline  kerryg   CANADA
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Haven't tried anything exotic. AATranslator gives us the ability to read PARIS' OMFs - but it can't (yet) improve PARIS' inability to read other folks'. As things stand the options I'm sure of are the traditional ones:

- render the WAVs out from Reaper and import them into PARIS, or
- patch Reaper tracks to separate ADAT "outs" and bring them across to PARIS' ADAT ins (either leave them "live" while mixing or record them into PARIS - ADAT sync means that multiple passes will be sample accurate).

I haven't seen any reports of PARIS successfully importing OMFs (for that matter it can't even re-import its own accurately). At first glance it'd seem "...and that's that" since a "fix" for the import would require the impossible: patching the PARIS app.

I suspect that it could be a situation like that with OMF Export: the Import function might be basically working but PARIS has implemented the OMF standard (which is a very *loose* standard that everyone interprets differently) in a particular way, perhaps keyed to the OMF "dialect" of whatever DAW they made OMFs from during testing.

So if we could find a single type of OMF that PARIS could read successfully - if we could find out which DAW's OMFs they tested with - that would tell us what PARIS wants to see. That raises the possibility that an app like AATranslator (an upcoming release of AAT will write OMF) could be induced to convert whatever input format you gave it - Digi OMF, OpenTL, Reaper PPJ, whatever - into "PARIS OMF".

Again, lots of "ifs", but it's an intriguing possibility and it would sure make mixing outside sessions easier.


"... being bitter is like swallowing poison and waiting for the other guy to die..." - anon

[Updated on: Sun, 19 September 2010 11:51]

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Re: Wordclock Paris-Reaper question [message #105659 is a reply to message #105603] Sat, 02 October 2010 07:04 Go to previous messageGo to next message
mani1147 is currently offline  mani1147   CANADA
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Hey Kerry, I did as you instructed and keep getting the No Interface to master card error. If I remove the HouseSync line from the cfg file, Paris boots no prob. Is Paris changing the order of my 3 EDS cards when using house sync and the one with no HD attached is becoming the master?


Any suggestions?
Thanks
Rob
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Re: Wordclock Paris-Reaper question [message #105661 is a reply to message #105659] Sat, 02 October 2010 11:38 Go to previous message
kerryg is currently offline  kerryg   CANADA
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Wow, peculiar. I don't know about the changing master card thing, I never saw that. Anyone?

"... being bitter is like swallowing poison and waiting for the other guy to die..." - anon

[Updated on: Sat, 02 October 2010 11:39]

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