Offline editor for Midas Pro6 digital audio console

Midas unveiled its second networked digital audio system, the Midas PRO6 Live Audio System, at PLASA 2008 in London. Employing technologies developed from the XL8, the PRO6 offers the same exemplary sample-synchronised audio performance in a compact package. Shortly after its debut at PLASA, the Pro6 was also showcased at IBC in Amsterdam and at a special US launch event in Minneapolis. It was also highlighted at LDI, Las Vegas, at Winter NAMM show 2009, prolight + sound 2009 in Frankfurt, Germany, and again at InfoComm 2009, in Orlando, Florida. Midas announced details of the much-anticipated Offline Editor software suite for the PRO6 and the XL8 digital systems in April 2009 and introduced the much anticipated final version at InfoComm. The whole product range was also featured at Integrated Systems Europe 2010. Although the PRO6 standard system comprises a Control Centre with a footprint comparable to a 32 channel Verona and only two 7U 19” rack units, its diminutive size belies an ability to provide up to 80 simultaneous input processing channels and up to 32 (+3) discrete mixes, all of which feature EQ and dynamics processing options. By adding additional I/O hardware the PRO6’s network can be expanded up to 264 inputs and 264 outputs. These connections can be patched and routed on a scene-by-scene basis, by use of the PRO6’s snapshot automation. The PRO6’s Linux-based FX and dynamics algorithms are incorporated within the PRO6’s automatic delay management system, so that wherever they are patched, the audio will be absolutely phase-coherent when summed into the mix. The Midas microphone pre amp's current expression in the PRO6 is still built from discrete components, and based on the designs which were so successful in Midas analogue consoles such as the XL3, XL4 and Heritage. The PRO6’s dual (analogue and digital) gain stages enables users to shape the mic amps’ character according to preference. The PRO6’s Control Centre has been designed as the optimum size for its function. All controls are within easy reach, and the concept of “bringing the console to the engineer” is fully exploited, freeing the mix engineer from thinking in terms of “layers” or “pages”. The PRO6 uses configurable colour-coded VCA and POPulation groups, which are deployed onto the control surface at the push of a button, using different colours to navigate input channels in the same way that engineers have traditionally used coloured tape and fader knobs to aid in console navigation. The Midas PRO6 features a unique and comprehensive automatic latency management system which, in addition to managing all internal routing and processing delay, also includes compensation for external analogue inserts. This means that all audio samples are synchronised before summing, resulting in absolute phase coherency at all outputs. All variable controls on the console are genuine potentiometers, not encoders. These access the FPGA engine through A-D converters and Midas’ custom interpolation algorithms ensuring a linear, analogue-style, silky smooth “feel” to the mix. Reliability is a key concern with all Midas products, and all PRO6 hardware elements feature redundant power supplies as standard. The FPGA processing engine is of modular construction, with the option of a spare module which will automatically deploy in the event of an engine module failure (n+1 model). Digital audio transport uses the international AES50 standard, featuring feed-forward error correction which provides protection against lost data packets and synchronisation issues when compared to Ethernet-based systems. All links between hardware elements support redundant cables for both copper and optical options. The Control Centre houses dual-redundant Linux master control computers (MCs), both running full versions of the PRO6 Linux software. Either one is capable of running the entire system on its own, and operation can be switched between the two MCs without any loss of audio. The Pro6's modular control surface with dual input areas can easily accommodates two operators. Area A and area B are freely assignable. It features discrete dual solo systems. Up to 100 metres of dual redundant connectivity between hardware elements (copper) can optionally be extended up to 500m using optical fibre where applicable. Another option are integrated analogue microphone splits with local control and monitoring. Midas provides 24/7 global telephone support from customer service and support centres in US, UK, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore.