There is plenty of user customization custom shortcuts, color-coding, custom menus, and complete control of MIDI mappings are all core functions of Ableton Live. There are very few external windows that bog down your view of the session, and most of what you need can be quickly accessed in a list. Let’s compare some of the strengths and drawbacks of each program, and then figure out which DAW will best suit your needs.Ībleton Live is widely praised for its minimal visual layout, plug-and-play ability, and unique interface. No matter the DAW, it is your skill, expertise and musical ear that have the biggest impact on the quality of the files that you export from your computer. That said, both programs are extremely effective tools for audio engineers and musicians. This also means that there are some functions that are a breeze in one program, but very frustrating or impossible in the other. However, while both Pro Tools and Ableton can essentially do the same thing, there are certain tasks each program was specifically designed to do well.
Once all software components are installed and authorized and all hardware components have been connected according to the SoundGrid System diagram, it’s time to launch the Waves MultiRack Application. You can authorize a USB key to move licenses around between different computers or you can authorize the computer hard drive running MultiRack-whichever is more convenient for your workflow. Waves Central also allows you to manage your Waves licenses. Select following components from the ‘Products to Install’ section:.Login to your Waves account and select ‘Install Products’ from the Waves Central home menu.
Assuming that you have to set up the SoundGrid system from scratch and the hardware components are connected following the system diagram, you will need to install Waves Central on your Computer: Lets have a more detailed look at setting up the Waves MultiRack software on the computer. SoundGrid system components communicate over Ethernet, so the SoundGrid Server, the DigiGrid MGB and the computer running Waves MultiRack software speak to each other through this Ethernet switch. The SoundGrid Switch is an Ethernet switch. This computer servers as the user interface or GUI for Waves Plug-ins. Computer requirements are listed on the Waves website. The Digigrid MGB uses four BNC connections to allow for 64 channels of MADI 96 KHz.Ĭomputer running Waves MultiRack software The DigiGrid MGB is a MADI interface that allows you to send MADI streams back and forth between the SoundGrid server and the VENUE MADI-192 Option card. There are comprehensive charts available on the Waves website so I won’t get into the differences between each system, but it basically comes down to processing power and the number of plug-ins you can run on each of these servers. Waves currently offers a choice of three different SoundGrid servers: the Extreme Server, the Server One, and the Impact Server. To run a Waves SoundGrid system compliant for integration with S6L you will need the following components: On the VENUE | S6L side, the E6L Engine needs to have a MADI-192 MADI Option Card.
So lets have a look at the requirements for this integration and how to set it up. It is this flexibility that allows the S6L to fully integrate and communicate with a Waves SoundGrid system over MADI. These streams are 100% flexible and patchable as inputs, outputs and hardware inserts. Four BNC connectors enable two 96 kHz MADI streams into and out of the VENUE | S6L system. The MADI-192 enables the user to send and receive up to 64 channels of audio per card between S6L and any MADI audio device.
The Avid VENUE 5.3 update for VENUE | S6L was not only a software update-it also added support for the high channel count VENUE MADI-192 MADI Option Card which can be added to S6L’s E6L Engine.