Send 8 channels of audio in one stream from xNode and receive with IP Driver

Scope

This document will go over a workflow where the xNode sends a multichannel stream, and a Windows PC with IP Driver receives that stream and records the 8 independent channels

Description

The Axia xNode has the ability to send multichannel audio in a single Livewire channel/AES67 stream using Surround or 8-Channel Stream Mode. Utilizing the xNode cross-point mixer, its possible to mux other 1 or 2 channel streams into a new single 8 channel stream. This can be useful for multitrack session where local xNode inputs needs to be packed into a single multichannel stream for better source to source time alignment.  

Prerequisites

  • xNode running firmware 2.4.7 or higher

  • xNode must be AES or Analog model. Not Mic, xSelector

  • xNode with Source #5 thru 8 NOT in use

  • Axia IP Driver for Windows running version 2.11.0.10 or higher (latest release version recommended)

  • Audio editing/recording software that can support sound devices with 8 Channels, 16bit, 48000Hz format

  • An editing workstation that can keep up with near real-time audio processing and network processing tasks

Step by step example

This example is using an AES xNode.  The routing is flexible, and we take advantage of that:

AES Input #1 will be muxed into Multichannel Channel 1,2

Stereo Destination 2 will be muxed into Multichannel Channel 3,4

Destination 3, LEFT channel will be muxed into Multichannel Channel 5

Destination 4, LEFT channel will be muxed into Multichannel Channel 6

Stereo Destination 5 will be muxed into Multichannel Channel 7,8

Step 1:

Enable custom mix mode

Go to the Mixer Page and select "Enable Custom Mode"

Step 2:

Enable Source 5 to send Surround audio

Step 3:

Make any Destination configuration changes if needed

Here, I have AES 3 and AES 4 (also Destination 3 and 4) set to receive two different phone hybrids

Step 4:

Adjust the Mixer to route Inputs and Destinations to the desired surround channels

We start with the xNode mixer like this, without any changes

We make adjustments and end up with the xNode mixer looking like this:

Step 5:

Receive the multichannel Livewire channel into IP Driver

Here we receive Livewire channel 805, but we change the receive mode from the default "From Source" to "8-Channel"

Step 6:

Adjust Windows Recording Device for multichannel support

Go into Windows Sounds, go to the Recording Tab

Since we are receiving the multichannel on Livewire In 1, select that and click Properties

Go to the Advanced tab, and change the Default Format to 8 Channel, 16 bit, 48000Hz.  This option is ONLY selectable if Livewire Drive has its corresponding destination set to 8-Channel mode

Step 7a:

Configure Audacity for multichannel recording support

Audacity 3.2.1 was used at the time of making this helpdoc

Select WASAPI as the audio host

Select Livewire In 01 as the Recording Device

Select Recording Channels as 8

Start Recording

Tracks 1 and 2 are silent because AES 1 input was silent at the time of recording

All 8 tracks are represented indepently in the recording

Step 7b:

Configure Adobe Audition for multichannel recording support with Axia ASIO support

Go into the multitrack editor

Click on the Input selector for the first track, select Audio Hardware

Select ASIO as device class.  Select Axia ASIO as Device.   You may need to increase I/O Buffer Size if recording has dropouts

For the Track 1, Click on the Input Selector Again

Under Mono you can access all 8 channels (01M thru 08M)

Add 8 Mono Tracks and set them to Record 01M to 08M

Alternatively you can use Stereo Inputs 01S thru 09S.  These will gang the two channels together as left and right.

Press Record: