Muse Research

DanTimis · Post by **DanTimis** » Mon Jan 30, 2006 7:01 pm

Please ask your UniWire questions in this thread as opposed to the UniWire beta announcement thread.

tjodoin · Post by **tjodoin** » Mon Jan 30, 2006 8:11 pm

Rather than sync to host with SPDIF as indicated in the Uniwire manual to use Receptor as the sole audio interface, why doesn't the receptor use it's own internal clock instead of relying on the host clock since it's the only one providing the D/A conversion? I'm not sure how many laptops have an integrated SPDIF option so recommending a SPDIF source to sync requires an additional audio interface which kinda defeats the advantage of Uniwire in this scenario.

Alternatively, if there is a dependancy on the host clock, why isn't it embedded with the audio signal as in ADAT or SPDIF? Is there a bandwidth or stability issue via ethernet? Just curious.

DanTimis · Post by **DanTimis** » Mon Jan 30, 2006 9:19 pm

The S/PDIF provides hardware sync. There is no way of providing that over regular Ethernet. More expensive audio over Ethernet solutions require special Ethernet hardware because the sync is part of the "special" Ethernet connection. With off-the-shelf Ethernet that is not possible.

If you send MIDI over UniWire and use the audio outputs of Receptor, you do not need S/PDIF sync. MIDI over UniWire is similar to MIDI over a regular MIDI cable, you only get more channels, and better tempo information from the host. Receptor audio will not get any dropouts in this case.

The only sync problems may happen when you send audio over UniWire from your computer to Receptor, or if you use your Guitar or line input on Receptor to record audio on your computer from UniWire. In this case you can either increase the buffer size and latency, which will make dropouts very, very rare, or use S/PDIF sync. You can get a USB audio interface with S/PDIF for less than $100.

So if you are using Receptor as an outboard synth, you are not sending audio from your computer to Receptor, and you are not recording on your computer the Guitar or Line Input from Receptor, you don't need to use the S/PDIF sync.

tjodoin · Post by **tjodoin** » Mon Jan 30, 2006 10:15 pm

Good info. Thanks. Is there a particular USB audio interface that tested well in your lab that you can recommend?

DanTimis · Post by **DanTimis** » Tue Jan 31, 2006 5:58 am

I tested S/PDIF a lot with the Steinberg MI4 interface. It works very well.

It just happened that this interface was available in the office. It does not mean that others won't work, or that this one is better.

philosorhymes · Post by **philosorhymes** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 1:56 am

Hi I'm trying to use receptor in single channel mode
where it sends 16 MIDI channels to a single receptor channel. I have set receptor to bypass MIDI filter on channel. I load up a single instance of uniwire in cubase, in which I receive MIDI only data from receptor; In this uniwire instance I have selected receptor channel 1. All is well until I add another instance of uniwire (this time with receptor channel 2 selected). All audio ceases. I hear nothiung at all. I can see MIDI data coming in and going out of cubase, but no sound from receptor.

I have worse problems if both uniwire instances are set to receive audio + MIDI, basically i hear the sound 'trying to come out but never fully coming out, I only hear trickles; eventually cubase comes to a grinding halt and the only recover option is to reboot my computer. Any help please? particularly with the first?

Many Thanks in Advance.

DanTimis · Post by **DanTimis** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 2:18 am

Are you on Mac or PC? What is your sound card? What is the buffer size in Cubase? When you click on the Latency menu in the UniWire plug-in, what is the very first choice? When you go to the SETUP page on Receptor, what is the buffer size? Also on the Receptor's SETUP page, in the UniWire section, is the audio and MIDI card enabled?

philosorhymes · Post by **philosorhymes** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 11:32 am

Hi Dan, I'm using a PC. My Sound card is a MOTU 828 (Firewire). When you say buffer size in cubase I assume you mean the ASIO buffer setting for my sound card? If so this is set to which 1024, The first choice I see in uniwire is 2048 22.x msecs (i put x cos I can't remember the exact figure) Receptor buffer size is set to 1024. The Audio and MIDI card setting??? I think this is the one labelled Enable Receptor Audio + MIDI I/O? On one occassion I had this disabled as I wanted the sound to come through uniwire into cubase, the results were worst in this case. Another time I had it enabled, still I had no sound.
Awaiting Your response,
Many thanks.

DanTimis · Post by **DanTimis** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 6:59 pm

These settings look fine. When you open the UniWire plug-in's GUI do you see the name of your Receptor in the "Connected to" menu? Is your Receptor selected? What is you network configuration? Do you use a crossover cable or do you have a router?

philosorhymes · Post by **philosorhymes** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 9:35 pm

I'm connected directly to my mus via a crossover cable. My Receptor shows up fine in the "Connected to" menu.

DanTimis · Post by **DanTimis** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 12:02 am

Is Receptor in crossover mode? What is the IP address of the Receptor and what is the IP address of your PC?

If your Receptor is in crossover mode, its IP address is 192.168.254.253, and the IP address of your PC is 192.168.254.254, then you should try a different Ethernet cable. If it still does not work, you will need to call.

philosorhymes · Post by **philosorhymes** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 2:50 am

Ok Dan, the situation is just as you described. Muse is in crossover mode and the addresses are set as you said above. Does this mean there is an error? According to your manual this is the mode I need to be in when i am connecting directly to muse?

I've re-connected with a different cable and sitll get the same results, receptor still comes up in crosover mode with the same addresses.

RecordingArts · Post by **RecordingArts** » Sun Feb 12, 2006 3:14 am

Hi Dan,
I vote to add S/PDIF on the Receptor Rev 2 : )
-Vincent

[quote="DanTimis"]The S/PDIF provides hardware sync. There is no way of providing that over regular Ethernet. More expensive audio over Ethernet solutions require special Ethernet hardware because the sync is part of the "special" Ethernet connection. With off-the-shelf Ethernet that is not possible.

If you send MIDI over UniWire and use the audio outputs of Receptor, you do not need S/PDIF sync. MIDI over UniWire is similar to MIDI over a regular MIDI cable, you only get more channels, and better tempo information from the host. Receptor audio will not get any dropouts in this case.

The only sync problems may happen when you send audio over UniWire from your computer to Receptor, or if you use your Guitar or line input on Receptor to record audio on your computer from UniWire. In this case you can either increase the buffer size and latency, which will make dropouts very, very rare, or use S/PDIF sync. You can get a USB audio interface with S/PDIF for less than $100.

So if you are using Receptor as an outboard synth, you are not sending audio from your computer to Receptor, and you are not recording on your computer the Guitar or Line Input from Receptor, you don't need to use the S/PDIF sync.[/quote]

DanTimis · Post by **DanTimis** » Mon Feb 13, 2006 5:32 am

philosorhymes wrote:Ok Dan, the situation is just as you described. Muse is in crossover mode and the addresses are set as you said above. Does this mean there is an error? According to your manual this is the mode I need to be in when i am connecting directly to muse?

I've re-connected with a different cable and still get the same results, receptor still comes up in crossover mode with the same addresses.

Everything you describe is correct. It should work. We don't have the exact audio interface you have, but with similar setups it works for us.

If you can try with a different audio interface, different buffer sizes, a different Ethernet cable, or a different computer, please do so. If it still does not work, we will have to come up with something else.

philosorhymes · Post by **philosorhymes** » Mon Feb 13, 2006 5:19 pm

OK Dan, I have tried different sample rates, buffer settings, and ethernet cable, to no avail. The two things I have not done is to change audio interface and computer. What Audio Interface are you using?