improved ASIO Mykerinos drivers in v5?

[BIS]

Hello there,

I have always had a little trouble with the ASIO drivers of the Mykerinos board. We need to be able to switch between Samplitude and Pyramix on the same machine. Up to now (PMX v4.3.5) this only works with another audio interface for Samplitude and re-patching the monitor outputs in the control room as soon as you switch applications.
With the ASIO Mykerinos drivers I only get two channels of audio out of Samplitude (V8.21), but not even for stereo projects has this been working reliably: the software started acting quite sluggishly and used to crash after a few minutes. I hoped when I read about "full ASIO support up to 192 kHz" for PMX v5 that the drivers may also have been improved in other ways. It adds up to these questions:

1. Has anyone else had these problems at all?
Maybe it's just the configuration of our system, though that was a turnkey system. My local Merging Sales Partner told me he knows a guy who does multitracking in Nuendo via the Mykerinos drivers...so, Samplitude issue?

But if these are known issues, then
2. Do the ASIO Mykerinos drivers in v5 allow at least 8 physical outputs?
3. Have they become more stable?

If there are people out there who do not only work with Pyramix, would you mind telling me a little about your experiences? v5 users: Are there noticeable improvements in the ASIO drivers?

Greetings from Sweden,

Matthias

[lgabiot]

Hello Matthias,

I'm also an happy user of Samplitude/Sequoia, as well as Pyramix.
Alas, it's an old story...

-1- Since 2003 (I believe), I asked for the fixing of the Mykerinos ASIO driver, which always had been unstable, if not completely not working, with Samplitude. But until now, if it seems there was some effort put, I didn't see a real fix.

-2- I guess so. In V4 also, in the few minutes where I had something semi working, it could work more than stereo (the VS3 Mixer needs to be rebuild)

-3- not really, I have to check with the latest V5, but I doubt there was improvements since my last check...


Best regards,

Laurent.

[lgabiot]

To be fair on Merging:


I just checked on the latest V5 (and latest samp V8 ): It seems the ASIO driver is working!

I've just played a little with it but it seems fixed... Now I have to check the stability on the long run.


BTW:

To have more than stereo:
you have to rebuild the mixer, making as many in/outs you need, and then Samp will recognize it.


Best regards,

Laurent.

[Thomas Grubb]

This is good news Laurent! Please keep us posted as to how your testing goes.

I'm just putting together a Pyramix v5 machine and would love to run Sequoia using the ASIO drivers.

I'll be very happy if it does!

Cheers,
Tom

[Stephen Rinker]

Hello

I read this correspondance with some interest. We also use Sequoia alongside Pyramix. I am still waiting for information fom the UK merging agents about an upgrade to V5. No one seems to be able to give me any idea of the cost!

In the meanitime can anyone give any hints to get Sequoia working through the mykerinos card? It's listed as a optioon in the Asio section of Sequoia preferences but thats as far as I get. Just a stereo output would be great?

Thanks


Stephen

[dperry]

Stephan,

Here in the US the cost is around $825.00. You could get a key from any
Merging distributor I would think. You just download V5 from this site and the cost is for upgrading your keys.
Hope this helps.

David Perry
Opera Dog Studios

[Stephen Rinker]

David

Thanks.

By all accounts people seem to think its worth it.

Stephen

[Thomas Grubb]

Hi all!

Just an update on using Sequoia with the ASIO driver. I've only just installed V5 of Pyramix, so I haven't done any in-depth testing, but Sequoia certainly plays back and records (from DAT) fine with the Mikerinos card. There is a bit of a delay when first switching to it, but after that it is fine, and the bus/strip tools work well.

I did once change the routing with Sequoia open which promptly crashed it, but that was probably to be expected.

I'll try some hi-res stuff and see how it fairs.

Cheers,
Tom

[Stephen Rinker]

Hi there

I got sequoia working well with Pyramix v4 asio drivers. As a person who has upgraded to v5 less than 24 hours ago the new asio drivers do seem to be more stable. However, I cannot get it to work at all with high sampling frequencies (96K). On evoking the mixer settings AES preferences the tickbox "High sampling frequency" is greyed out saying that you must close all projects before you can enable it. Obviously No pyramix project is open so how do I change it?

Back in Pyramix itself I can change this easily but it still is not available as a option when working with the ASIO drivers.

Any one any ideas. Or worked OK with High Sampling frequencies?

Thanks

Stephen

[Thomas Grubb]

Hi Stephen,

High sampling rates certainly seem to be a problem with the ASIO driver. I couldn't get it to sync at all, though it is fine up to 192kHz from within Pyramix.

Sounds a bit old fashioned to me considering the current state of even the cheapest audio interface, but it can't be helped. I think I will need to use seperate systems (which is probably not a bad idea anyway!).

Cheers,
Tom

[oneartist]

My first visit here. I'm seeing a lot of familiar Samplitude names from other forums. I'm teaching at a charter school in CA and another teacher had a former business in video production. He has a video class at the school using Edius and Conopus. I'm setting up an audio class with a lot of my own equipment: Fostex D824 HDR, RME Multiface, RME AE8 converter, Samplitude Pro 8.21 etc. I would like to integrate the audio equipment into the video equipment as smoothly as possible. It seems like Pyramix is a logical choice since it has so many video formats built-in. Our school builds computers so we could customize various computers. I see that RME's FF 800 is on the recommended list by Pyramix. Is there an advantage of using the Mykerinos card w/daughter card over the FF800?
Can I work at 96K with the native bundle? I assume you guys are combining Pyramix with Samplitude/Sequoia for video purposes.

Chuck

[Graemme]

Is there an advantage of using the Mykerinos card w/daughter card over the FF800?

If you want the excellent, hardware-based timecode capabilities that Pyramix offers, then 'Yes.'

Also, you can choose from several digital I/O flavours and change that later on if you decide to*. The Native system is limited to 8 I/O; the Mykerinos system isn't.

If none of the above are important, then the native version makes more sense.

Can I work at 96K with the native bundle?

Yes, you can buy it with the option for upto 192K sampling rate.

*I've been looking for a Firewire interface that strictly has 8 or more AES I/O (and wordclock) on it - no other obnxious bells and whistles - no luck yet.

Best,

Graemme

[oneartist]

I've been looking for a Firewire interface that strictly has 8 or more AES I/O (and wordclock) on it[/color]

Thanks for the help. Here is a link to a new RME PCI card http://www.rme-audio.com/english/madi/hdspaes32.htm but it's not firewire. RME is famous for making hardware that works as stated. The owner of the company is always on the forum to help answer questions and jump on problems.

Chuck

[lgabiot]

Hello Chuck,

Glad to see you on this forum also.

I don't know much Pyramix native, and Graemme pointed quite correctly that the Mykerinos hardware enable a full use of TC sync for Pyramix (not native).

The particular strenght of Pyramix again Samp for Audiovisual Post prod are approximately:

The perfect ability of Pyramix to integrate a Rerecording Studio (Pyramix can be Slave, Master, RS 422 controlled, etc... with perfection (sample accurate chasing of LTC for instance). Samplitude is not capable of that.

A great interface for mutitrack recording (including a special enhanced sound file format, pmf, that improve the disk perf.

Thoses two things combined alone made it (in France) the favourite recorder in rerecording facilities...

Samp Track folder, and the different managers, are features well established in Pyramix, and more powerful.

Pyramix editing is very comprehensive, and only Sequoia approach it (I mean between Samp and Seq).

Pyramix has a very powerful function for Conforming, autoconforming, reconforming, that Samp/Seq totally lacks for now. It's especially designed with audiovisual post prod worflow in head (Cantar, Deva, workflow are supported for instance).

Pyramix also has a built in equivalent of EDL Convert.

the handling of Video (with virtual transport), is more advanced than the one of Samp, but I don't think there's more handling of Video files...

the only thing Pyramix doesn't have, that are sublime in Samp/Seq:
Comparisonic colors. Object based effects.


More could be said, of course,


Best regards,

Laurent.

[oneartist]

[Glad to see you on this forum

Thanks for the welcome. If memory serves me right, aren't you the guy who was trying to show us Samplitude users how to use AVID a few years ago? I remember the guy being from France.

I'm applying for a $10,000 grant related to alternative energy for our school. I used to build solar homes in another life, but I think I'm going to try include a Pyramix computer system in the project. Students will create a film documenting the entire project. We'll even create some original alternative energy songs. It's all in how you present things. This grant is due Apr 7. I have been looking up terms from your post and I have a rough idea of the possibilities of a Mykerinos system. We build computers at the school so we can use all the recommended parts and maybe even prepare for a small network system.

I need help from you guys. What is going to be the best configuration for an audio/video system? I could see spending $5,000 or so for this system. Would a Mykerinos mothercard (MYK-MB1 (144MHz, 16MB) with a AES-EBU 24 daughter card or a MADI card be best? I don't have a lot of time to sort through everything but I'm depending on your experience and suggestions. I don't like SPDIF or ADAT. I've never used MADI.

We do have an LTC monitor with the Edius/Canopus system and some good Sony cameras and other equipment. Have any of you used the higher sample rates used in Sony's Vegas software? I think it is the only inexpensive video software that uses quality audio sample rates. Of course, Nitris does also LOL.

Thanks for your help,

Chuck