Quote:
Originally Posted by
Nspace
➡️
I've been using the excellent CueMix 5 initially developed at Ultralike mk5, and regularly updated (and feature improved) for almost 5 years now.
At this 16A release, the new CueMix seems to have incorporated the feature that fills the only real lack that I've had with my mk5, that is, the ability to directly feed a multichannel bi-amped immersive sound system.
According to its specs "All inputs and output buses provide 4-band double-precision parametric EQ and a compressor. Additionally, input channels include a High-Pass Filter and Gate.".
If that is effectively the case I may crossover each of the 16 analog outs, tayloring right there each signal to each driver from the 8 bi-amped speakers. Not sure how I'd go with the +1 of a Sub if I want to complete the setup, possibly an additional daisy chained device...
This way I will feel assured connecting that sound system directly to the DAC. I understand I could do all the speaker conditioning in-the-box, just behind a combination of lesser DACs, however I wouldn't feel secure relying such quantity of nicely chosen speakers to the whims of a crossover set inside a computer.
If those High Pass filters start to act from lower Hz and actually offers higher than -24 dB of Linkwiz-Riley slope (hopefully offering a choice of filters), then this interface could well become a very convenient solution for multichannel monitoring rigs and even performance ones for pioneers.
Anyway, that level of flexibility and audio quality for $1.500 is ground shaking already.
EDIT: just after posting this, it came to me: "input channels include a High-Pass Filter"...
So, it could mean that I might not route my digital inputs into those input channels, so those filters would only be intended to the 16 TRS inputs...
In this case, the above wouldn't work.
Anyway, this release feels like a step closer.
The MOTU AVB interfaces have a full digital mixer with routable inputs and outputs. While 16A-2025 is a new, upgraded, implementation, the basic concept is very similar to the previous ones. I believe the text "input channels include a High-Pass Filter and Gate " applies to the mixer inputs, not the input preamps. Even if it applies to the preamps, I don't see how it effects this use case as you want to use the mixer channel strip EQ anyway. One can route the physical input/preamp to a mixer channel, the host, or a few other places like ADAT and AVB streams. One can route a channel from the host either to a mixer input or directly to an analog out or to those other places as well.
The mixer has 64 inputs each with a fairly full featured channel strip though the manual does say all the effects processing, e.g. EQ and dynamics etc., only works up to 96kHz. If running at 176.4/192 there is no effects processing.
For the application mentioned, one likely configures 16 mixer channels with the desired EQ and routes the inputs to those channels from the host, possible routing the same channel to more than one mixer channel, then routes each mixer channel output to its own bus and an analog out.
So yes it is flexible/powerful enough to do this, up to 96kHz, but whether it actually works wonderfully well is something one won't know without trying it. E.g. as indicated in your post, how the filters are implemented matters.
-Z-