Los Angeles, CA (November 3, 2022)—When an audio converter failed at the teaching facilities at The University of Lethbridge, in Alberta, Canada, the school renovated the entire I/O infrastructure with Focusrite’s RedNet Dante-networked products.
“The failure of that I/O converter in Studio One is what prompted what became a total infrastructure overhaul. And we’re glad it did,” says Chris Morris, technical specialist and coordinator for technical services for the school’s Faculty of Fine Arts.
The school’s Bachelor of Music program has between 200 and 250 students participating at any time, with over 65 to 90 of them taking the four-year digital audio arts major. They learn in the school’s two well-equipped production studios, which are also linked to the 240-seat Recital Hall.
The BMus-Digital Audio Arts program’s studios now have three RedNet A16R 16-channel analogue I/O interfaces, three RedNet HD32R 32-channel Pro Tools HD Dante network bridges, a RedNet 1 eight-channel A-D/D-A interface and a RedNet X2P 2×2 Dante audio interface, and the computer lab was further fitted with 35 Scarlett Solo interfaces, providing higher audio quality via a higher sampling rate. The gear was sourced through Erikson Audio (an Exertis | JAM business), the exclusive distributor of Focusrite Pro in Canada.
“We’re using three RedNet A16Rs and two HD32Rs to get our SSL Duality console into the box and onto the Dante network,” Morris elaborates. “The A16Rs allow for 48 analog I/O to be normalled to the channel outputs and monitor inputs of the 48-channel SSL Duality console. This leaves 16 extra Pro Tools I/O open for other Dante-enabled devices, such as guest artist laptops or other DAWs, to be routed as needed.
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“We also use an HD32R to provide access to a wide range of outboard gear in Studio Two, from anywhere in the facility. The two HD32Rs provide a 64-I/O Dante bridge into our Avid Pro Tools HDX system. In its default setup, the 48 I/O from the console are routed to the first 48 I/O of the Pro Tools I/O.
He adds, “Studio Two also had a simple addition to its primarily analog setup: A single HD32R was added and clocked via loop sync from the two existing Avid HD 16×16 IOs. In this configuration, 16 I/O can be routed to/from the HD32R. This can be particularly useful when wanting to route tracks from Studio One through outboard gear located in Studio Two or recording from other locations.”
In addition, the facility’s Pyramix Suite, attached to the Recital Hall, is outfitted with an X2P interface for monitoring and talkback. A stagebox in the Recital Hall is outfitted with Grace M108 remote preamplifiers and a RedNet 1 for line I/O, all routed via the new distributed Dante network.
