5.1 surround audio out of MAC PRO

[C.H.Haskell]

Is this possible...I know we got that optical out pot but I am getting different information wether one can get true 5.1 surround output from the MP or do I need to buy a card? THanks for any help in advance. cheers.

Haskell

 

[David W. Jones]

By 5.1 surround, do you mean an encoded signal, or 6 discrete channels?

 

[C.H.Haskell]

As long as its a true 5.1 and not just faking it to sound like...would like to monitor sounds moving from front to back etc the way it was mixed.

 

[Dave Blackham]

As long as its a true 5.1 and not just faking it to sound like...would like to monitor sounds moving from front to back etc the way it was mixed.

What device are you connecting the MP to ? Is it an Amplifier of some sorts or an audio desk or ?

 

[C.H.Haskell]

Actually I am building this now so at the moment nothing...I am assuming I need an amp that can encode this 5.1 signal coming from the MP optical out...thats also assuming that its capable of outputting that. TOo much assumption.

 

[Jason Diamond]

All the channels should be coming out the optical port if they were originally discreet and encoded that way, but you need a surround decoder to take the optical output fro the MacPro and strip out the channels to the speakers.

 

[C.H.Haskell]

Thanks folks...you suggest one in particular Jason...something low profile, not trying to spend 10 grand is what I mean.

 

[Dave Blackham]

Thanks folks...you suggest one in particular Jason...something low profile, not trying to spend 10 grand is what I mean.

A domestic type surround amp should do this fine. I don't know about the mac optical port but would guess this would work. May be a case of reading the apple manual.

 

[Hrvoje Simic]

Is this possible...I know we got that optical out pot but I am getting different information wether one can get true 5.1 surround output from the MP or do I need to buy a card? THanks for any help in advance. cheers.

Haskell

What do you need it for ? Strictly for playing encoded DVD's or mixing/monitoring your own 5.1 ? For the latter you'll need a card.

 

[Brian Ferguson]

You can get 5.1 on a MacPro with a AJA Kona card and FCP you have to have 6 soundtracks in your timeline and then route them out the AES ports on the kona. You might need to have a D-A converter if your speakers can't take a digital input. Remember that each digital output on the Kona is 2 tracks.

 

[Zack Birlew]

Top of the line 5.1 Logitech speakers plugged into digital out port is the most basic way of getting 5.1 for a Mac.

The only other option is to do as others have suggested and buy a Kona, Decklink, MOTU V4-HD, Matrox MXO2, whatever etc. and use those.

If you're using Pro Tools LE there is a $200-ish plug-in that converts any Pro Tools LE's hardware settings to utilize the 5.1 Logitech setup and voila, 5.1 Pro Tools system without spending $8,000+ for Pro Tools HD!

 

[Rick Burnett]

The optical port on the back of the Mac Pro is two-channel, period. Believe me, when I figured this out with my G5 years ago, I was quite disappointed, but it makes sense to me now (they've had the same port for awhile).

It is true that you can pass encoded 5.1 data through that port just like what happens when you play DVD content, but what is important to realize is that to do this, you need something that will:
(1) encode 5.1 into the stereo channel
(2) you're monitoring situation will need to decode into the speakers be it Dolby or DTS.

In ProTools LE there are some plugins that exist that allow you to fake 5.1, or, you can purchase the DV Creator Toolkit 2 I think it is called (one of the extra packages) that allows you to mix in 5.1. Both Digital Performer, Soundtrack Pro (which I hate) and Logic do 5.1 out of the box.

I could never find a solution using encoded 5.1 that made sense from a mixing standpoint. Instead, I use 6 descrete outputs out of either my Digirack 003 or my MOTU 896HD Firewire interfaces. All you need is a soundcard with 6 outs to do this.

BUT

If you want to control those outputs outside the computer, it gets tricky. If you don't mind not being able to adjust the volume of your monitors together, you can set them all to the same level and then control the volume with the computer. I have done this, it is a pain

The second option is that many logitech speaker 5.1 systems have actually 6 discrete inputs, however, the quality of the audio out of them isn't the best. If you are looking for an easy solution and don't do a lot of sound mixing, this is what I would recommend. These sets of speakers can be had for not too much, here is an example:

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/speakers_audio/home_pc_speakers/devices/224&cl=us,en

And with a sound card that has 6 outs you'd be good to go (either internal or external, doesn't matter).

Since I mix and master both music, foley, adr etc, I had to have good speakers, so I use ADAM A7s with an ADAM SUB8 and I mix everything through the Dangerous Music 5.1 controller. Works beautiful.

Hope some of this helps,

 

[Bob Bayless]

I think your problem will be to encode the 5.1 as there aren't many available, actually none that work in real time that I know of. If you have a DVD or some encoded source, any consumer surround system can decode it, but they won't take separate inputs (more than stereo) and mix them. The standard practice is to stay in discrete channels, monitor with three stereo amps driving your five speakers and sub, mix that in Pro Tools (or similar program) in surround configuration, and that will output the encoded final file. I'm sure the Mac optical out will pass the surround channels, but only if it is encoded, otherwise, it's only stereo.

 

[Rick Burnett]

ProTools does not come with a surround encoder. You can mix in 5.1, but all that means is that you are controlling 6 discrete outs with a virtual joystick in PT.

If you really want to go the plug-in route real time, plugins do exist to do this, like this one:

http://www.minnetonkaaudio.com/products/surcode04.html

I don't see AU listed, but will do Standalone, VST or RTAS on Mac or a Win PC. The cost looks to be about $795.

Of course, I am sure this encoder is going to suck some processor power!

(They have other encoder/decoder packages as well).

This will take 5.1 discrete channels inside PT for example and output them on the stereo out as an encoded signal. I am sure if some more searching was done, there may be other plugins, maybe even free ones to try it out.