TMT Cologne - TMC-1 Analog/Digital Monitoring

The TMC-1 controller for the XMon is now shipping. We will have a S6 version early next year.

Whilst at the Tonmeister Tagung we agreed with Digital Audio Denmark to produce a version of the TMC-1 which provided multi-channel digital monitoring using their Digital interfaces. One advantage of the digital version is that the number of channels is only limited by the DAW so that formats like 7.1+4, 10.2,, 22.1 or larger are all possible.

I still believe that the PD-1 provides the best stem monitoring control by keeping the stems within the DAW (Currently only on Protools or Pyramix but open to others).  One of the major advantages of this approach is that the track and stem names are read from the DAW and do not need to be entered again on the mixer.  We will include this function in the digital monitoring solution so that track and stem names are copied from the DAW to the DAD network.

The PD-1 is currently limited to 8 stems each with only 8 tracks. The next s/w update will increase this to 16 stems each with 16 tracks over two pages. Let me know if you need more!

Film Archive - TC-5, BS-1 Biphase Generator - Lock to Wordclock

It may be news that we still make the BS-1 bi-phase generator, however there is a small archive market that we still supply.

Archiving often requires the transfer of many small segments of audio, it is inefficient to transfer these individually.  Multiple segments can be spliced together using an editing table. The TC-5 can be connected to the bi-phase output of the editing table and be used to mark the timecode or feet and frames position of each join.

The BS-1 controls the film machine to transfer the film accurately to audio files with timecode. It is important that the film speed is locked to the audio wordclock or the join locations will not be accurate. In the past video syncs were used to lock wordclock, timecode, and film speed to video syncs.

Many audio transfer setups do not have a video sync reference, only wordclock.  We have modified the External reference input on the BS-1 to provide a 24/48Hz reference from 48/96KHz wordclock. This modification is available as an upgrade on existing BS-1's or MC-1's.

PD-1 and Protools 11.2.1

Bill Ritter from Electric Entertainment reported some problems when using the PD-1 with Protools !!.2.1which were not present on Protools 10 as follows

After going into record and then dropping out of record there is no output when switching to Input!

As I am in LA after the AES I went to investigate. The protools screen indicated that the PD-1 was switching the tracks to input but the only way to hear the input was to switch between playback and input on protools.

After some investigation I found that the following sequence of commands from the PD-1 will solve the problem

1) Switch to record
2) Switch to input monitor
3) Switch out of record
4) Switch back to playback monitor

A unexpected benifit of this command sequence was that  some monitor glitching on Protools was reduced.

I will add a option to the PD-1 software for this with a variable delay between steps 3) and 4), when available I will update both the PD-1 web page and this blog.

It has been over two years since the last PD-1 software update, if there are any other requests now would be a good time to make them as it will take some time to get back into thr software and test it.

I did get one request at the AES show - to switch any channel not in Record Safe to Input Monitor when stopped, I can implement this as a option at the same time.

Optimising XMon Performance

This week I have been setting up our new Monitor Remote (Now called the TMC-1) on the XMon.  I have heard some bad reports about XMon so I wanted to be sure that I knew how to optimise the setup. 

XMon cannot be considered in isolation but as part of a monitor system that consists of the XMon, Power amps and Speakers.

The main gain section of XMon uses digital gain control to provide a gain range of +31dB to -95db.  As can be seen on the chart below to optimise the signal to noise it is important that XMon is run at between 0dB and +10dB gain for normal levels.

The Speaker trim section of the XMon provides a gain range of 0dB to -63.5dB in 0.5db steps. As can be seen in the chart below the signal to noise remains the same for the first 4dB of attenuation but then the noise floor levels out so that the signal to noise degrades as attenuation is increased.

The factory default settings of the TMC-1 XMon controller are as follows 

Main Gain Section +4dB gain.

Speaker Trim -4dB

Overall gain 0dB

Speaker trim range is restricted to +/- 4dB

Input makeup gain +20dB to -10dB

The default setting provides 5dB of analogue headroom above the digital clip point when set in this mode (XMon clips at approximately +25dBm).

New TFT Monitor Remote for XMon

I have now returned from IBC where we were showing our new TFT based remotes. The new TFT Monitor Remote generated some interest.

Designed originally as a remote for XMon CB plan to interface to other monitor systems including our own digital unit. There are 4 easily accessible main screens arranged in pairs and include: Input/output selection, Meters/Solo, Cue selection and gain, Talkback/Listen Gain.

This unit has the same profile as the PD-1 and sits conveniently on or may be sunk into a desk.

Using an embedded processor the unit communicates directly with XMon via Midi. and controls the full functionality of XMon.  No other computer is required. The remote is fitted with a talk-back microphone and headphone jack and uses the same 15 pin connector as XMon. A GPI port is provided for Hardware Mute, foot switch input and PFL/AFL switching.

The USB connector provides power and allows for software updates. The USB Midi connected to Protools or any MTC source can be used  for Auto-Talkback (or even a Timecode display).

The 4.3" TFT display is fitted with a touch screen in case required for the future, the XMon interface does not use touch.

For the future
we are designing a digital audio monitor system that will use the same remote, We are also looking at other applications using the same technology, one suggestion is as a digital microphone remote.

The photograph below is of the prototype unit and a selection of un-retouched displays.

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New TFT Remote Panel with LCD Keys for DFC Console

As promised in the last Blog here is the first picture of the new remote panel as suppled to Twickenham studios.

The main features of this panel are as follows

• TFT Display - able to display more system information.
• 21 programable keys - only the keyboard, Shift, Recall, Store are not programable.
• The lower 18 keys are LCD keys which display the key function.
• Jog Wheel, four LCD keys may be replaced by a Jog Wheel.
• Two Serial Ports and a USB serial port.
• Two or more panels may be connected in a daisy chain.
• Direct connection to CBServer via the USB port.
• Sony 9 pin Input for control from desk
• Software updates and keyboard programming via USB port.
• USB Powered  

Fully compatible with existing systems this panel is currently available as a remote to the RM-6 and existing systems as shown in the updated Twickenham block diagram (previous blog). Below is a system diagram using two DFC-TFT remotes and a RM-6.

Atmos, Twickenham and Multi-Machine Track Arming enhancements to the Sony Protocol

It took a few try's to get the system at Twickenham working properly with two 64 track recorders, but after 1 week it seems to be working well. As part of the installation I installed the prototype of our new TFT based remote control panels - see the next blog entry for a full description

If two 64 track recorders becomes normal then it will be necessary to reconfigure the communications between the console and the machines/machine control system. The DFC has 6 sony P2 ports that will support 48 tracks per port but a number of consoles only have one port.

The standard Sony protocol can only control one recorder, here are three possible solutions to track arming multiple machines from a single sony protocol port

1) Implement our xmc protocol,   a number of years ago Harrison implemented this which allows them to track arm multiple record machines. The advantages - no modification required to our systems and frame accurate timecode without video syncs, disadvantage - a major change to the console communications s/w.

2) Map the tracks over multiple ports, the maximum possible is 112 which can be mapped over multiple tracks. The advantage - no modification required to the controlling s/w, disadvantage absolute maximum number of tracks is 112, not all serial ports implement the maximum (eg. DFC 48 maximum),.

3) Enhance the Sony protocol to support multiple recorders. The advantage - can support up to 112 tracks per machine, disadvantage - The controlling s/w must be modified to support the new commands. Most of the required commands are present in the RM-6 to support the our multi-machine protocol (xmc) a subset of these can be added to the Sony protocol.

What are we doing about multiple record machines?

1) The next release of the RM-6 will include all the above solutions. Once implemented the commands will be available for any manufacture to use.

2) I am currently updating the serial control system for one mixer manufacture to increase the number of record channels to 96,  at the same time I will add the commands to support multiple record machines.