Digital Audio Networking For Music Production

1
Digital Audio NetworkingFor Music Production

• John Narus
• Local Area Networking
• April 16, 2002

2
Introduction

• Current networking technology not adequate
• Needs specific to audio tasks
• Real-time streaming necessary
• Very recent technology less than 5 years old

3
Benefits

• Transfer to and from various digital storage
  devices
• Sample accurate synchronization
• Remote control capabilities
• Reduced Equipment and materials cost
• Increased work efficiency and speed
• Allows off-loading of computer processing power
  to remote machines

4
Competing Standards

• Five In Use Today
• Steinberg VST System Link
• Fairlight MediaLink
• Yamaha mLAN
• Digigram EtherSound
• SADiE SADiENet
• Some more versatile than others
• There are aspects similar to traditional
  networking

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Steinberg VST System LinkDigital Audio
Workstation Networking

• Application Specific (two choices)
• Medium Uses current digital audio cable
  technology (all digital formats)
• Audio, MIDI, Control Information carried down
  same pipeline
• ASIO Audio Protocol only
• Cross Platform Compatible
• Remote Control Synchronization

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Fairlight MediaLinkDigital Audio Networking
Technology

• Proprietary Win NT Server (for compatibility
  with Fairlight workstations)
• Industry standard client/server
  topology(100BaseT Ethernet)
• Direct File Exchange software
• Fairlight MFX3plus audio engine
• Full Duplex Capability
• 80 Tracks 48kHz 24bit per MFX3plus card
• Mac/Win, Cross-Application Support

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Fairlight Digital Audio Dubber(handles all file
conversion)

• Digidesign Pro Tools
• OMF
• Lightworks

• WAV
• AKAI
• WaveframeS

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Media Link Maintenance

• Automatic Data Archiving, DLT 7000
• Centralized data storage
• File protection and security(encryption
  password protection)
• RAID 5

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Yamaha mLAN

• Medium IEEE 1394 Standard
• Requires Additional Hardware
• Technology licensed to pro audio hardware
  manufacturers
• 1st components found only in Yamaha hardware
• 100 Ch DA or 256(x16) Ch of MIDI
• ASIO/OMS Dependent
• Mac/Win Compatible

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mLAN Software Interface

• mLAN Software Mixing Console
• mLAN Software Virtual Patchbay
• Current supported softwareMOTU Digital
  PerformerOpcode VisionEmagic Logic
  AudioSteinberg Cubase VSTAnd other ASIO/OMS
  compliant software

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Digigram and Peak AudioCobraNet EtherSound
Module

• 100BaseTx/Fx Ethernet IEEE 802.3x standard
• Hardware, Software, Protocol solution
• 64 Ch 24Bit Digital Audio per module
• Full Duplex Mode
• Star, Bus, Mesh Topology
• 1.2 us latency per module

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SADiE - SADiENet

• Rackmount hardware interface
• Software included with SADiE v4.0
• 155Mb/s ATM
• 100 Ch of digital audio
• SCSI plus 100BaseTx/Fx or OC3 Fiber
• Serial port setup and configuration
• Centralized project database

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Summary

• New technologies still need time to develop
• No current standard is all inclusive
• Industry dependent on vendor support
• Those with most software users will win
• Current far reaching software may win the market
  if a protocol is released
• Other major vendors have failed to release such a
  protocol thus far

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Conclusions

• Steinberg VST emerges as the most powerful of the
  competing standards
• Versatility
• Most Capable
• Less Costly
• Complies with most current standards
• Ability to off-load processing tasks

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END