DirectOut Prodigy chosen for Jonas Brothers world tour

The Jonas Brothers’ FOH Engineer Adam Robinson and Systems Engineer Cameron Manes discuss choosing DirectOut’s PRODIGY.MP for the band’s latest world tour.

Selected as part of an upgrade to the tour system, the team credit the PRODIGY.MP for notable improvements to both the audio quality and their workflow, as well as meeting their requirements for format conversion, SRC and redundancy. Adam Robinson, Front of House Engineer, and Cameron Manes, Systems Engineer, explain…

 

Future-proof, scalable and expandable

“In the past we were using different system processors, but it felt like it was colouring our sound,” Manes recalls. “We wanted a new solution that gave us the flexibility we were looking for without affecting the signal. We also needed a way to future-proof our system and respond to the growing demands of the production throughout the tour, whilst retaining the clarity we were looking for.”

Self-confessed geeks, both Robinson and Manes were excited by the opportunity to expand control of their audio system, and to experiment with the level of control offered by DirectOut and their globcon control software.

Working hand-in-hand with long-term vendor partner, Clair Global, their investigations proved a complete success: the rental company was happy to help them try different cards, which can easily swapped thanks to the PRODIGY Series’ modular design.

Manes is using globcon and a Stream Deck interface to control multiple PRODIGY devices and his playback system, as well as using the PRODIGY.MP to control their Smaart acoustic test and measurement software.

“PRODIGY has become my Smaart interface,” he says. “I no longer have a separate Smaart computer, and that means that I can route all my wireless mics wherever I want. We’re running quite a few wireless mics for system measurement and tuning – with the PRODIGY I can route that to our Front of House console, which makes it visible to Adam at the console, and on Smaart.”

 

The DirectOut PRODIGY Series are cutting-edge, modular 2U audio devices with modular I/O slots.

 

Analogue, MADI & AVB

When doing one off performances or fly-ins, the team sometimes find the supplied sound systems to be somewhat lacking, with not enough energy in the front fills or stage thrust loudspeakers than the team needs. To counter this, an extra feed MADI can be easily sent from the PRODIGY to the Front of House (FOH) console – this then gets passed to the stage rack, where it can be split between additional, strategically placed speakers.

“We have two additional PRODIGY.MP, one on either side of the stage,” expands Manes. “They send AES signals directly from the FOH PRODIGY.MP to our d&b amplifiers.”

“Should there be any issues, I also have the signal in analogue, whilst our primary transport is AVB. A lot of manufacturers are integrating AVB into their products now, so we have transitioned to that format for our networking.”

 

“When I first started playing with automation, I was a little apprehensive, but PRODIGY has quickly become the most reliable part of the entire audio system. Whatever I ask it to do, it does it, and exactly how I want it to.”

Cameron Manes (Jonas Brothers´ systems engineer)

 

Adding custom interfaces with globcon software

With the PRODIGY acting as a central hub, the team can easily incorporate hardware, software and loudspeaker systems from a number of different brands in a reliable and flexible manner, with a range of format conversion options and on-board sample rate conversion (SRC).

The user interface is also entirely customizable: once programed, it can show as much or as little information as required by the user.

DirectOut’s globcon software provides further customisation, with both Robinson and Manes able to view and edit any part of their system simultaneously, which has vastly improved the show’s workflow. Manes’ interface layout is streamlined to displays only what he needs, while Robinson’s screen just has the system EQ visible as a quick reference.

“Cameron has given me an ‘All’ page, so I can just make a quick EQ change to the whole system if needed,” Robinson says. “It’s great that we can both interact with the system, making changes at the same time, even to the same EQ. If I add a filter and Cameron adds a filter, we’ll both see them, it’s really flexible.”

 “I’m the type of person that only wants to see the things that are relevant to me at any given time,” Manes continues. “With globcon, you can create floating objects and configure a page where everything that’s relevant to you can be right at your fingertips. I have also integrated a Stream Deck for tactile control of my scripts.”

 

 

Manes has written scripts that send OSC commands to automate functions throughout the show, including switching from work-mode, to being ready for the audience to enter. With a single push of a button on his Stream Deck, Manes can switch to the correct music playlist, start the audio, un-mute the correct loudspeakers in the system, and bring music to the correct level with a gentle fade-up – functionality that has really made using the PRODIGY interface accessible and useful to his workflow.

“My scripts are executed seamlessly,” Manes concludes. “When I first started playing with automation, I was a little apprehensive, but PRODIGY has quickly become the most reliable part of the entire audio system. Whatever I ask it to do, it does it, and exactly how I want it to.”

See the full range of DirectOut pro audio devices

DirectOut Prodigy Series – Modular Approach, Maximum Flexibility

Introducing the DirectOut Prodigy Series – powerful, flexible audio conversion and processing.

DirectOut specialise in developing pro audio connectivity, networking and bridging solutions for a wide range of applications. Their team are all active sound engineers, so the company is always focused on developing products that handle the real-world demands of pro audio. Offering bridge-building solutions between different audio worlds, DirectOut make audio systems and formats more flexible. This flexibility is something that DirectOut have put front-and-centre of their new product line the Prodigy series.

Back at NAMM 2020, we spoke to Luca Giaroli from DirectOut to go through some of the great features of the Prodigy series, as well as their controller software, GlobCon.

Modular design

The Prodigy series takes a modular approach to connectivity and features a vast list of available I/O options. Modules can be swapped to accommodate the changing requirements of pro audio setups, meaning the Prodigy series is not only powerful and capable, but also adaptable by design.

The expansive list of modules includes everything from mic and line analogue options to AES 3, MADI and networking options from Dante and RAVENNA. Also available is a module that gives you access to Waves SoundGrid.

What’s more, the Prodigy series units offer all this power and connectivity in only 2U of rack space each.

Prodigy.MC – Modular Audio Converter

Building on the foundations of the high-end ANDIAMO converter family, the Prodigy.MC is a powerful, adaptable audio converter that is at home in many audio applications. Featuring eight local I/O slots, it can provide up to 64 channels of local input and output.

Additionally, the Prodigy.MC also includes two MADI slots which can be equipped with a choice of BNC, SC optical or SFP modules. Its two network slots support Dante, RAVENNA and Waves SoundGrid, pushing the channel count to 320 inputs and 324 outputs.

The Prodigy.MC offers bidirectional conversion between analogue and digital signals, signal distribution, streaming audio, conversion between audio networks and MADI environments, and conversion of different MADI signals. The multitude of options and capability of the Prodigy.MC make it the perfect product for many applications in pro audio, broadcast, installation and studio applications, using a single hardware frame.

Find out more about the Prodigy.MC

Prodigy.MP – Multi Function Audio Processor

Like its sister product, the Prodigy.MP provides flexible I/O and networked audio. Its four customisable modules allow for 32 channels of local inputs and outputs, whilst also offering two MADI module slots. Unlike the Prodigy.MC, the Prodigy.MP features dual network ports, which not only makes the Prodigy.MP a bridge between network standards, but also increases the channel capacity to 416 inputs and 420 outputs.

The Prodigy.MP features incredible sample rate conversion which allow it to be the central point of a larger audio system. For example, multiple consoles can be connected using the Prodigy.MP, regardless of their format and clocking. This makes the Prodigy.MP an incredibly capable device for live audio setups. You can even set a prioritised list of clock reference options which allows for maximum redundancy.

But its real power lies in its audio processing capabilities, allowing it to be the core of any sound setup.

A powerful Matrix Mixer built into the Prodigy.MP allows for flexible and comprehensive control and routing of every input and output signal. 32 Summing busses enable the summing of any hardware inputs and DSP blocks, giving huge processing power across all signals.

The Prodigy.MP features 96 built-in DSP plugins. In addition to 32 EQs, 32 delays and 32 dynamic processors, 128 external plugins are available via the hardware I/O, including access to the Waves SoundGrid world. SoundGrid also offers extremely low latency audio transport and allows for connection to Waves servers for plug-in inserts. Virtual soundcards for macOS and Windows can directly interface with any DAW for multitrack recording and virtual sound-checking.

Find out more about the Prodigy.MP

Enhanced Automatic Redundancy Switching

The Prodigy series offers the highest level of redundancy to ensure smooth operation. For example, each device feature two redundant power supplies, each with their own IEC inlets and power switches. What’s more, each I/O module is assignable to be redundant to a second.

DirectOut’s automatic redudancy system – found in their popular EXBOX.BLDS MADI switch – is present in the Prodigy.MP, providing enhanced fail-over system security.

Powered by DirectOut’s Enhanced Automatic Redundancy Switching (EARS), their Buffer Loop Detection System (BLDS) helps detect silence or a corrupted input signal, which allows for rapid signal switch-over within one sample.

GlobCon – Maximum Control

Whilst the large touchscreen is ideal for rapid access to simple functions, the Prodigy series works with GlobCon to handle complex routing and mixing duties.

GlobCon is a free to download software controller for Mac, Windows and Linux. It unlocks all the mixing and DSP capabilities of the Prodigy series, giving you the ability to freely route and mix any input and output signal.

Additionally, GlobCon also allows for more detailed changes to DSP plugins, as well as being able to customise and move channel strips and effects to anywhere on the software screen. This can help in keeping an eye on certain levels, or in creating an individual mix snapshot. GlobCon also manages these snapshots, allowing for the recall of all your settings and routings at the touch of a button.

Finally, a browser-based GUI allows immediate remote access without the need to install software. The management network port is independent of the audio network and can use a built-in switch for in-band management of the device.

The Prodigy Series – Built For Any Challenge

The Prodigy series takes the powerful, flexible audio conversion that DirectOut have become known for and adds the ability to customise each device to fit a variety of uses. With the Prodigy.MP offering incredible DSP capabilities, dual network connectivity and powerful control software in GlobCon, the Prodigy series is fit and ready for even the most complex and demanding audio applications.

Find out more about the Prodigy.MC and Prodigy.MP.

 

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