D-rack ADDA?

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ward

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 4, 2004
Messages
348
Location
Belgium
Hello,

I got this Digico D-rack, its a stagebox 32in, 16out,
that talks to a console over Cat5e.
As far as I can read from the internet it's a proprietary protocol, since I don't have a digico SD9 console I have no use for it.
But of course I had to open it up.
It's modular,
2 switching power supplies,
4x 8-channel ADinput pcbs, PGA2500digi controlled preamps, TI PCM4204 chips
2x 8-ch DA, AKM4393VF, THAT1646line drivers
and a mainboard pcb: Xilinx spartan FPGA, ADSP21371 (mainboard seems to have water damage)

I'm wondering if I can do something with this, if it could be a basis for an ADDA converter?
Maybe over ADAT since for the moment I have an fireface400 interface with Adat ports.
Do we have projects here that could work?
I'm a noob when it comes to digital audio, and have no experience with programming except for some tinkering with an arduino.
 
You should have a MADI out in the Digico D-rack, no?

As far as I know Digico uses the MADI protocol.

Taking the MADI out and using a RME MADI card you can connect it and record to a computer I just don't know how you could control the Mic Preamps gain
 
Hi,

The protocol on the RJ45 is an implementation of Madi.

It can do 28x AD + 16x DA at 96K or 32x AD + 16x DA at 48K.

Control of gain/phantom is received via madi channel 57. These parameters can normally only be changed from a DiGiCo console.

Good luck!

Rogy
 
If you email DiGiCo, they will send you a "secret" windows program that will let you control gain/pad/phantom as well as some other parameters from a computer via USB.
 
jazzcrisis said:
If you email DiGiCo, they will send you a "secret" windows program that will let you control gain/pad/phantom as well as some other parameters from a computer via USB.

thats great, nice to you

Have you ever used it?
 
Whoops said:
You should have a MADI out in the Digico D-rack, no?

As far as I know Digico uses the MADI protocol.

Taking the MADI out and using a RME MADI card you can connect it and record to a computer I just don't know how you could control the Mic Preamps gain

I could bypass the mic preamps?
But I'll have to lend or hire a madi face to confirm if they can talk to each other.
 
ward said:
I could bypass the mic preamps?

I don't see How. It's a live sound rack it's purpose is to receive Mic level signals in a XLR connector
in live sound on a stage all the signals that reach the sub-boxes and then the stage box are balanced "Mic Level" with an XLR connector
Balanced or Unbalanced Line level signals (outputs from Keyboards, samplers drum machines) are converted to Balanced Mic Level in an XLR  with DI Boxes
Hi-Z unbalanced Instrument level signals are converted to Balanced Mic Level in an XLR  with DI Boxes, the same for speaker level signals (like taking the signal between the guitar/bass amp head and the Speaker)

So it's standard practice and convention that all the input signals that reach a stage box on Stage are Balanced Mic Level in an XLR

So there's no provision to bypass the Mic Preamps, it's something not needed in a Live Sound scenario


ward said:
But I'll have to lend or hire a madi face to confirm if they can talk to each other.

They "talk to each other" easily when the rack is connected to the console,
I recorded a lot of live multitracks that way, actually is a common thing to do when recording a live multitrack with digico SD or older D systems
 
Whoops said:
I don't see How.

So it's standard practice and convention that all the input signals that reach a stage box on Stage are Balanced Mic Level in an XLR

So there's no provision to bypass the Mic Preamps, it's something not needed in a Live Sound scenario

They "talk to each other" easily when the rack is connected to the console,
I recorded a lot of live multitracks that way, actually is a common thing to do when recording a live multitrack with digico SD or older D systems

To bypass the pga2500 preamps I would hack it physically.
It's never gonna see any more live use ... and the digico console it once belonged to has been run over with a bulldozer.  For some economic reason that is a little beyond me.  ::)
So I need to check if the D-rack and Madiface can talk on their own.
Which madi solution did you use ?  I don't find RJ45 Madi in the RME range.
 
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