Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: AES Audio and Test Files

This is topic AES Audio and Test Files in forum Digital Cinema Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Dan Williams (Member # 10367) on 02-19-2018, 10:36 AM:

Setup is a Barco DP2K-10s, Doremi IMS-1000 in a small 100 seat multi-use facility...

We had some work done, the system was pulled apart and we made a few audio and structural upgrades. I'm having a hard time now getting 8 channels/4 pairs of AES to show up correctly at our processor. Hardware is Cat5 (pre-made to 568B) out of the IMB to a RJ-45 to DB25 pin-your-own adapter to a Focustrite AES to Dante Interface (Tascam Standard). No matter what I do I can only get audio from the first pair, pins 1/2 from Cat5.

I've gone through every possible combination of pinouts and all I ever see is audio from that first pair. I can move that first pair across the remaining inputs on the focusrite and get signal, so the issue is either the pinout or the IMB.

I'm also wondering if its simply an issue with the content I'm playing back... I've also found that the channel mapping within the IMB seems weird as I can set the channel mapping to "mute" and there's still audio passing. Is that normal?

Any assistance is appreciated, and if anyone knows of some reliable 5.1 test content please share. Thanks!

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 02-19-2018, 10:44 AM:

Normally, the word clock information comes from the first pair. Since that pair works on every input on your DA, perhaps the DA box is not configured to look for word clock on the first pair?

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 02-19-2018, 11:06 AM:

Dan - what Content do you have to test this? Is there an explicit channel test DCP available? Common ones from Dolby, with a voice naming all channels, circulate.

The IMS has different methods and routing parameters. You can even assign specific routings to individual DCPs/CPLs. Do you have a full manual available?

If that interface is a REDNET D16 AES, it has active signal indicators and should be sufficient to analyse the signal flow into the DANTE domain.

I would start with disabling routing on the IMS altogether. Routing shouldn't be neccessary for plain 5.1 setups with or without HI/VI-N. Then make sure the Dante interface does everything right. Which audio processor do you use?

- Carsten

Posted by Dan Williams (Member # 10367) on 02-19-2018, 01:04 PM:

Thanks for the replies and thank you Carsten for the link... I'll give that a shot and see what pops up.

Yes, the Rednet has indicators, I can also route that Dante signal to test and listen to... It's hard to tell exactly what it is, but I'm thinking it is L/R, most voices are missing which in film is usually routed Center. So to clarify, I can take that first working pair and move it through all the inputs in the redness and see/hear signal. What I'm not getting is anything else from the IMB... So the test file is a good place to start.

Yes, I've sifted through the IMS manual... It is very interesting how you can set globally or clip by clip, however it just seems weird that even with everything un-routed or muted I still have signal... I also tried to route different signals to that first pair, so for channels 1 and 2 I would select "Center" or "LFE" and nothing would change...

Again, I'll start with the test file, my troubleshooting with an unknown file is likely part of the issue. Again, that you for the help and any more suggestions, input, and experience is helpful. Thanks!

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 02-19-2018, 01:10 PM:

Hi Dan - can't even tell you wether the IMS needs a reboot after a global routing change. I only know the 19" servers.

- Carsten

Posted by Dave Macaulay (Member # 813) on 02-20-2018, 02:26 PM:

I wouldn't count on the IMS channel routing working, I have also seen routing list changes make no actual changes. Routing was maybe messed up when Dolby tried to make it SMPTE compatible, at one time it did work for Interop but not for SMPTE packages.
The server came with a couple of test tracks, one with voice ID on the first 8 channels and one with different frequency tones on all 16 (you could ID the channels with a frequency counter I suppose... or maybe if you have perfect pitch... but except to show that there is a connection it's not very useful). If those test clips were deleted, I believe Dolby can give you a link to them. Or their Dolby channel ID clips, but these don't have any signal on tracks beyond the 5.1 or 7.1 channels.
If you've tried swapping the pins on your AES-DB25 adapter and can get the other AES signals to work but only through your system's input 1, the server is presumably working OK? Is there some setting in your D-A that ignores all but AES #1 on the multichannel input? To avoid soldering (or fiddling with swap-a-pin adapters) I use an Odyssey RJ-45 to DB25 adapter if they have one for the pinout needed. The RJ-45 pinouts, at least, are consistent across all servers I've come across.

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 02-20-2018, 07:48 PM:

This screenshot is from a Doremi training presentation. Why can't I find that panel on a Doremi?

https://www.filmvorfuehrer.de/uploads/monthly_2017_12/Doremi_Audio_Routing.jpg.036c233f56ea09a3d11a7fdb8c83a228.jpg

- Carsten

Posted by Dan Williams (Member # 10367) on 02-22-2018, 09:26 AM:

Thank you so much guys... all is well... and my roots as an audio engineer served me well, and I’m not crazy... well maybe just a little. As it turns out my pin outs were absolutely correct, and it was a culmination of errors with the file I was listening to and the IMB needing to be reset, sometimes multiple times to take a routing change. That file was super helpful Carsten, thanks again.

My only remaining issue is that I need to add a user to the web commander lite, and when I add them in the full version, the login doesn’t work on the lite web app...? Any insight?

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 02-22-2018, 04:12 PM:

Maybe you are mixing Communicator users and webapp users. Webapp ('Communicator light') users are separate, webapp is running on the cinema controller. On our Barco, there is just a single user possible, and all you can do is change it's password.

Communicator (full) users are administrated on the application level. That's why you can access them without the projector even being powered up.

- Carsten

Posted by Dan Williams (Member # 10367) on 02-23-2018, 07:29 PM:

That makes complete sense... thanks again gents.