Reply To: Connecting an H9000 Dante card to a Mac Pro (2013)

[zengomi]

chriscarter wrote:

I’m still attempting to set all this up into a streamlined workflow and so far I haven’t gotten around to testing the latency – other than reading the Dante app settings. I haven’t perceived any noticeable difference between using either method but I’ll post anything significant on here in the coming weeks. I’m still trying to figure out if getting a Dante PCIe card (and expansion chassis) will noticeably improve the latency as it’s quite an investment.

My preferred method will be to adjust the routing inside the DAW, it’s more flexible and much easier to make complex live signal or recorded track-to-hardware-to-plugin configurations. But that may change if the latency is notably different.

As far as recording goes… we usually lay down vocals individually (to a ref mix) but keyboards (or modular) and drum machines are recorded simultaneously, sometime not – it depends on the project. But adjusting the timing post-recording has been a way of life forever. I’m hoping this will change somewhat with Dante. Time will tell.

I’ve removed all our ancient multicore trunking, which has been troublesome for years and having single Dante cables for all those extra channels – and available on both sides of the studio – is great. The fact that I can (if needed) run extra channels from the other side of the room without any additional cabling is wonderful – well assuming I have a big enough Dante interface. At the moment I’m aiming for 16 external channels on the far side (near our permanent array of modulars, synths and drum machines) and another 8 channels next to the DAW, for temporary external access to the network.

Thanks for sharing quite a bit of detail, and for any future updates on latency.

I’m nowhere as far along the Dante path as you. I’ve just the Dante expansion card and an RME Digiface Dante. My Mac is a 2019 iMac, attached to which is a Thunderbolt 3 dock with an ethernet port. So, I’m imagining possibilities building on all of that. Hence my interest in your situation.

Managing within a DAW routing to external gear is my preference as well. Logic has been easy to use. On the other hand, Live, which is quite new to me, is outfoxing me on routing. From your experience, can you share anything on the differences between the two in this particular area? 

What you’ve told us thus far about your working methods and your evolving studio is top-drawer community enhancement. 

‘But adjusting timing post-recording has been a way of life forever’ is down-to-earth eloquence that speaks volumes about music-making technology and our bittersweet reliance upon it. Will Dante offer significant relief? Please do continue to share your findings from your perspective as both an artist and an engineer.