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Watchout 5 and successful surround/multichannel audio setup


macman

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Are there any successful multichannel audio setups for Watchout 5?

 

I´d like to use RME fireface UC to run 6 channel audio from Watchout 5.

http://www.rme-audio.de/en_products_fireface_uc.php

 

 

I´d be really happy to know if there are any known problems i should know of regarding this.

As far as I can see here at this forum there are users having problems doing multichannel audio in Watchout 5,

but there might be issues that are solved already. Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

 

 

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  • 2 months later...

Hey guys. I´m very new to Watchout but i´m standing in front of a problem right from the start. My Playback-PCs are being constructed at the moment, but I already have to order the supported audio-equipement.

 

Is there a way to play out a multi-channel-audio track (5.1) via S/PDIF or with the provided 5.1 jacks?

 

The problem is, that my content has a 5.1 audio embedded. I´d like to play it out via S/PDIF (Toslink optical) in to an A/V Receiver with optical In.

Or do i have to dis-embed the digital Audio from my content to 6 WAV Files, play them out via Fireface to 6 seperate Channels and play them in to an A/V Receiver with 5 Multi-Channel-In´s?

 

 

I hope that the solution isn´t that complicated as I think.

 

Looking forward hearing from you.

 

Greetings from Germany, Jo

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I picked up 2 Delta 66 (6 discrete output) cards as my client specifically requested them for a project. They assured me they were the best solution for multi-channel playback in WO and insisted on using them. I unfortunately found out on site that their experience with the cards was limited to WO v4/ Win XP. Of course, all my systems are WO v5/ Win 7 64b.

 

So... I have discovered the following :

 

1. The Delta 66 cards will play back multi-channel audio files ONLY in Windows Media Player (outside of WO) with "multi-channel" selected in the Control Panel >Sound

 

2. WO reports an Operating System error (614) & Direct Show Error (-2147220890) when attempting to use a multi-channel audio file. This error is reported by both production and display machines, regardless of which Delta 66 configuration is selected in Control Panel >Sound.

 

3. WO reports an Operating System error (614) & Direct Show Error (-2147220890) when attempting to use ANY sound file (including stereo) if "multi-channel" is selected in Control Panel >Sound with the Delta 66 card. I have to choose "Line 1/2" instead, in order to not get the error in WO with non-multi-channel files.

 

My guess is that the issue relates to the Delta 66 drivers not supporting the proper Direct X config that WO uses?

 

If the drivers for the Delta cards are not the issue, and it is something else... what are the chances that it becomes rectified in a later release of WO? I'm trying to determine whether I should hold onto these cards or get rid of them. They are nice, because the cards themselves are PCI, instead of plug n' play... so it would be nice to use them down the road. If the drivers are the issue, then I guess I would be at the mercy of M-Audio...

 

JJ

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For the sound un-initiated, if our display machine has built in multi-channel out are there any negatives to utilizing that instead of an external interface?

 

Jim

 

No, other than the obvious. i.e.

The motherboard audio connections are unbalanced analog connections, typically at -10 dB.

 

The external audio interfaces are usually balanced analog connections at +3 dB

more common to professional environments,

although those are usually switchable for either -10 dB or +3 dB output

and can be used either balanced or unbalanced.

 

The external interfaces also move the digital to analog conversion circuitry

outside of the computer case, more isolated from the potential noise sources like the cpu, memory, etc.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 2 weeks later...

We are in final testing with several multi-channel cards under Windows 7, we will be back with more on that.

 

I am trying to have a 4 channel audio load into watchout but it fails. I am using LCRS bounce from Pro Tools 9 in wav format at 16 bits 44100Hz.

 

Can You help me?

 

Thank You

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After reading the earlier posts:

When using multichannel output devices such as the Echo AudioFire12 and RME Fireface UC are you able to assign different Watchout Layers to seperate channels of audio outputs? Or is there a way to specify which tracks will come out certain outputs?

 

I'm looking to output 2 channels of music, 2 channels of voice, 2 effects channels, a Click track, and a Timecode track (for other gear to follow along). Of course we want it synced with a video track. We want the seperate tracks so that our audio guy can adjust the mix live as needed.

We are currently trying to set this up as a video encoded with 7.1 surround sound. We've got a 7.1 .wav file that works (we are trying to make a video file that works the same - any suggestions?).

The trick to get the 7.1 to work was that both controller machine and output machine had to have 7.1 cards that were set to 7.1 plus something plugged into the all the output jacks of both machines so windows would activate all outputs and allow 7.1 decoding. Obviously this uses the onboard analog card and isn't the best sound quality or gain.

 

I'm hoping there's a better way to do it with, especially if we have to edit any of the audio tracks... We have considered an external audio player with 8 channels of output or an HD video player with 16ch of embedded audio, but we really don't want to rely on slaved equipment especially if it has to synce with a video (we want it all to crash at the same time ;)

 

So we're open to suggestions to multitrack cards that are assignable in Watchout, or reliable ways for Watchout to play 7.1 Surround sound Video with all channels output seperatly.

 

Thanks!

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>Jonas: "We are in final testing with several multi-channel cards under Windows 7, we will be back with more on that."

 

Hi Jonas. We are needing to move to a surround multi-channel arrangement pretty soon. Any results yet?

 

Thanks!

 

Lloyd Stewart

WO 5.1 Windows 7, 64 bit

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Yes,

ECHO Audiofire8 works well with WATCHOUT, Windows 7 up to 8 channels. This seems to be the maximum number of channels achievable in Win7, at the moment.

WATCHOUT relies on the soundcards DirectSound/WDM-driver for this, not ASIO.

 

 

/jonas

 

Great news, and reasonably priced too.

 

Thanks Jonas!

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  • 3 weeks later...
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I have had great success with the Echo AudioFire cards and Windows 7 64 bit. I am not near my server at the moment so I'm not completely sure on the model we have but I think its the AudioFire8. If its not I will post and update tomorrow.

 

It would be nice if WO could use ASIO drivers but we can't have everything can we? Is it possible with more 64 bit machines and less support for the WDM drivers WO needs that there will be a change or expansion to what audio drivers WO can use? Seems odd that Windows can play 8 channel audio on my MOTU MK3 Hybrid but WO can't... I know I've asked this before and been told no but I can keep hoping right??

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Hi Brian,

MOTU does NOT support DirectSound (part of the DirectX framework WATCHOUT uses to precisely sync audio & video),
on more than stereo 2 channels in their drivers for Windows 7 or Vist.

So for more than 2 channels in WATCHOUT, one have to choose other solutions.

Tested by us, and found working, is:
ECHO AudioFire 12 (up to 12 analog channels in XP, up to 8 in Windows 7), Firewire interface
ECHO AudioFire 8 (up to 8 analog channels in XP and Windows 7), same hardware as above
ESI 1010e, (up to 8 analog channels in XP and Windows 7). PCIe interface

/jonas

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Here is an installation where AudioFire 8 has been installed and working with Watchout, though the article does not actually state so. But if I read it correctly, 'the video end of things' refers to Watchout and the AudioFire 8 would likely be installed in the same server -

 

http://livedesignonline.com/theatre/0412_magic_bird_show_control/index.html

 

ThomasL

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi Chaps,

 

The MOTU UltraLite-mk3 Hybrid works great under Windows 7 (32/64bit) as Multi Channel Audio Device with up to 8 channels.

 

Just uncheck the "Use Stereo Pairs for Windows Audio" box.

You will find the box in MOTO Audio configuration.

 

Posted Image

 

 

Best regards,

 

Nic

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