Hi Steve,
As always you deliver a great great research result! It's been a pleasure to have you on board in this community project!
This is a great starting point for a discussion and to achieve a preliminary design of a prototype. There are still a couple of things that we still need to uncover, I'll shoot some that come to mind:
- How does work the interface with a console with no ultimation? Is the VCA interface the same as in the Ultimation? (the need for different cards on the old computer gives the clue that we might need to have some differences in the logic)
- This leads me to another question. Will we need different cards for VCA and Ultimation systems, or will we be able to develop a card 2-in-1 with only a little more logic/magic on the board? What's the easiest and most productive path?
- I imagine that we should start by messing first with the VCA systems, because these are simpler to grasp, when comparing with the ultimation ones. Users like myself with ultimation, can I use the VCA SSLMixed Computer card to drive the console with ultimation in VCA mode? This would be great, because we could focus on the VCA systems, and I could directly test it if the cards were compatible.
- There might be some differences between consoles 4000/5000/6000 and E/G/G+? Can someone say if the old computer would work in any of these consoles (with exception for the software)? Or did it need different cards with different/incompatible logic involved?
- Also, at some point (not now) we'll also have to deal with different channel strips. We have the 4000/5000/6000 channel strips that vary very slightly. If I'm not mistaken, and please correct me if I'm wrong, the only part that varies is not relevant to Automation, but to Total Recall. Some things I recall are: routing matrixes that are different, and BUS routing that are also different. I also see the we eventually might need to support stereo channels too.
I imagine that on the old computer this was configured on a software basis (such as a fader map, or channel strip configuration map). Can someone confirm this? Or maybe is there any type of channel strip detection feature that allowed the computer to detect what type of channel strip was installed?
Regarding the diagram. I see that the Analog Inputs vary from 0v/5v and outputs from -5v/5v. Is this correct or a typo?
Regarding VCAs I think these go from 5v (fader down) to 0v (fader totally up). Shouldn't these be the same between Input/Output or do they need to be somehow converted because of the ultimation system? Also, I think the fader when CUT the VCA value is 10v. When cut are these routed to the VCA output or they are routed some where else?
Andy can you help on clarifying this?
Lets keep talking! I will dive more into the system.
EDIT: By the way, does anyone have the Ultimation Retrofit Manual? This might help uncover the differences and details that might be hidden under the hood.
Cheers,
Artur