Welcome to Metric Halo 3d!
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Single-box operation with limited channel count. Cross-platform (Windows 10, Linux, iOS & Android)
connectivity. Subject to variables in USB bus activity, host computer OS, software and hardware
support and adapter interconnects.
•
Probably Fine - MHLink and IP network connection shared through a Gigabit Ethernet Switch:
(Shown
in Red)
Performance subject to network traffic and configuration/capability of the Gigabit Ethernet switch.
May require adjustment of I/O channel count when streaming audio or video across the network.
Please Note
Only one instance of MIOConsole3d is allowed to be running under any circumstance where
more than one computer can see the same boxes, whether connected by Gigabit Ethernet or USB.
More
than one instance of MIOConsole3d would create a conflict where two computers were trying to control
the same box at the same time. While this will not damage anything, it would require quitting the offending
copy of MIOConsole3d, and might also require a power cycle of the Root box to clear the conflict.
Part 2: Operations
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MIOConsole3d
- The MIOConsole3d application is your command and control interface to all the
3d boxes visible to your computer through network and/or USB connections. When you launch
MIOConsole3d, the program scans for all MH 3d boxes and identifies and synchronizes each box
into its Domain. The MIOConsole3d application does no audio processing, it is the controller for the
audio routing and processing which is all executed in the DSP and FPGA processors in the hardware
boxes. Any processor inserts you run from within the MIOConsole3d are running on the boxes, not
on the computer.
•
the Host
- The computer which is directly connected to the MHLink Domain and runs MIOConsole3d
is called the “Host”. The Host computer sees each MHLink Domain (via AudioMIDI Setup or the
Sound Preference Pane) as a single audio device.
Future 3d updates may explore supporting specialized scenarios involving shared or split Hosting
between MHLinked computers, but for the time being there can be only one.
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Root box
- The Metric Halo 3d box which is directly connected to your Host computer is called the
“Root” box for that Domain. The “Root” box is always Box #1 in the Domain list and is responsible for
managing communications between the MIOConsole3d application on the Host computer and all
the boxes in the Domain (see the
“MIOConsole3d Domain configurations”
page).
All audio to and from the Host computer for all boxes in that Domain is routed through the
Root box.
With that in mind, as long the Root box stays connected to the Host, the MHLink architecture allows
the addition and removal of daisy-chained boxes on a live MHLink domain even while audio is run-
ning. New boxes added to the end of the chain will automatically join the domain and appear in
the MIOConsole3d mixer with new input strips ready to be routed. Boxes you remove will show as
“Offline” in the MIOConsole3d Domain Status window and can be removed by right-clicking and
selecting “Delete Offline Unit”.
•
Routing
- MHLink Domains combine many individual boxes transparently into a single unit for the
Host. Each box has an array of physical analog and digital inputs and outputs, 64 bus channels plus
the 128 channel routes from and to the Host computer, easily making hundreds of audio routes
available at any given time. The Routing window interface includes 'sorting' filters to bring this power
under control. This makes the Routing window arguably the most important single interface to be
comfortable with in the Console. All routes in the Routing windows are listed by box number in the
daisy-chain, the box model (2882, ULN8, etc.), the type of interface (Analog, ADAT, AES, Host etc.),
and the channel number of that interface on that box. In the Routing window you can click "All Units"
to show the Routing options for all of the boxes in the Domain, or just one box. You can filter your
options further using the selection categories to the left. Note that output (or return) routes can only
