Gui; System Card Expansion; Console Linking; Integration Of Third Party Hardware/Software - Midas PRO SERIES Owner's Manual

24

GUI

The PRO Series has two, daylight-viewable, TFT screens that provide fast zone and
channel strip status indication. Although any screen can display any information, in the
standard configuration, screen information relates to module location. So, the mix bay
screen displays the channel strip and fast zone (12 inputs and 16 outputs), while the
master bay screen displays the channel strip, input fast zone (four inputs) and all
meters. The master bay screen is also generally used for automation, effects, GEQs,
third party screens etc., although this is dependent on the current application (concerts
will probably be different to theatre) and also operator preference.
The screens are controlled from the primary navigation zone at the bottom of the
master bay via two trackballs. A USB keyboard (supplied) is used for text editing.

System card expansion

Additional digital I/O format options will be available later, for example, MADI.

Console linking

You can link two PRO Series Control Centres together. Just connect an AES50 cable
from a spare AES50 port on one router to a spare port on another, and then configure
them via the "Generic AES50" connections option in the GUI menu's Patching screen.

Integration of third party hardware/software

The PRO Series network includes the capability to interface any third party hardware
that uses AES/EBU or AES50 digital audio, or a standard analogue audio interface.
Each PRO Series AES/EBU input and output has a sample rate converter.
Synchronisation to external AES3 interfaces can be:
• Global - via inputs on the routers.
• Local to each input.
• Local to each output (synchronisation to adjacent local output).
Multiple local connections can be at different sample rates.
The use of the AES50 protocol for the transmission of digital audio means that any third
party digital audio hardware that features this connection can be connected to the
Midas network, and will transfer audio to and from the Midas hardware without any
additional interfaces or converters (provided it runs in TDM 96kHz mode). This will be
particularly useful as the protocol gains acceptance with recording and playback
devices, loudspeaker controllers, audio networking systems, digital amplifiers etc.
PC or MAC computers can use the Ethernet tunnel in the MidasNET system, and can
communicate with other computers on the network.
The PRO Series Control Centre features an external video for both screens, and the
master bay GUI screen (on the right) also has a three-way KVM switch. Control centre
views can be routed to external monitors, and external video sources can be displayed
on the control centre.
The KVM switch facilitates the control of three external computers via the screen,
trackball and keyboard of the control centre. This is hugely important and means that
third party systems can be controlled from within the PRO Series Control Centre without
having to move your head to look at screens placed off to one side. It also means that
there is no need to find somewhere to put multiple keyboards and mice. Examples are:
• Netmax (AES/EBU audio link initially and CobraNet™ when the 48kHz I/O module is
available on PRO Series).
• IRIS (for example, for RL amps).
Chapter 2: PRO Series Live Audio Systems
PRO Series Live Audio Systems
Owner's Manual