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Post by svart on Mar 13, 2019 14:21:04 GMT -6
You mean digitally controlled analog matrices? I do. You pretty much need bussing for each input to go to each output and switching for every input to possibly go everywhere. Integrated crosspoint switches used to be more common for low speed but high amplitude signals. They're starting to get more rare as more devices are switching (pun intended) to digital conversion and bussing within software. Analog still makes a few crosspoint switches, like the AD8113, which still work on +/-12V. Most are moving towards lower power rails and higher bandwidths for digital switching that aren't suitable for analog audio at all. Makes me wonder what they're doing in this product because surely they aren't using relay-based switching.. There's no way to fit enough relays in a 1u rack box! |
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Post by Quint on Mar 13, 2019 16:21:40 GMT -6
You mean digitally controlled analog matrices? I do. You pretty much need bussing for each input to go to each output and switching for every input to possibly go everywhere. There was a discussion about this with the Flock guy over on the other site, and he seemed to kind of want to gloss over the obvious limitations of this device. If I remember correctly, you CAN bus from any input to any output within one single box, but once you need two or more boxes for larger setups, you start chewing up I/O in a hurry because you have to use that same I/O to interconnect those boxes. The idea is nice and all. It just doesn't have a lot of flexibility and the capability to carry the amount of I/O that a lot of people would need, especially considering the price. |
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Post by Blackdawg on Mar 13, 2019 17:40:33 GMT -6
We just dropped 2500 i think on 8 40' DB25 Mogami cables. Shit is expensive for sure.
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Post by drbill on Mar 13, 2019 17:46:15 GMT -6
We just dropped 2500 i think on 8 40' DB25 Mogami cables. Shit is expensive for sure. Wire and integration costs alone are enough to make people stay ITB.  |
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Post by Blackdawg on Mar 13, 2019 17:49:17 GMT -6
We just dropped 2500 i think on 8 40' DB25 Mogami cables. Shit is expensive for sure. Wire and integration costs alone are enough to make people stay ITB. No doubt. But they don't know what they are missing! This Flock thing looks cool I have to say. But too expensive and Id fear for longitivtiy. Its not a major company so support of the app could dry up in 10 years. Then when OSX11 finally drops..bam. Screwed. Can't really screw up a physical plug...well I guess if you wired it wrong haha but a real patch bay and patch cables..will last forever. And if you in integrate your IO right with your gear(as in basically normalize things) it'll come out cheaper and easier to use and just as fast if not faster. |
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Post by sam on Mar 13, 2019 19:39:49 GMT -6
I like the idea of this thing, even though I think there are a few problems with it. It’s for small dudes with a few pieces of gear who want a fast setup. That’s not a bad market to have by any means. When you consider the middle guys with their small spaces (big enough for drums but we’re using reverb pretty heavily), it’s pretty sweet to switch so fast on the fly with your choice pieces.
All that said it’s juuuust too small for me. And Jesus, why the built in 48v? No one needs that.
Edit: oh yeah. My biggest problem with it was friggin why can’t I configure ins to be outs too? I’m leaving IO I don’t need to be leaving empty. That’s the thing that sucks.
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Post by javamad on Mar 15, 2019 2:02:30 GMT -6
I And Jesus, why the built in 48v? No one needs that. I suggested in their thread on the other site that they build a separate model with no 48v ... it could be a little bit cheaper ... and safer! |
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Post by Johnkenn on Dec 19, 2020 9:22:56 GMT -6
Wondering if this isn't a great solution for me...I won't ever expand past it's capabilities...
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Post by drbill on Dec 19, 2020 11:23:27 GMT -6
I won't ever expand past it's capabilities... Hahaaaa!! Which of us hasn't said something like that? Famous last words. |
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Post by Johnkenn on Dec 19, 2020 14:18:53 GMT -6
I won't ever expand past it's capabilities... Hahaaaa!! Which of us hasn't said something like that? Famous last words. Nah, I won’t be recording more than stereo where I am. |
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Post by sam on Dec 19, 2020 21:45:18 GMT -6
Hahaaaa!! Which of us hasn't said something like that? Famous last words. Nah, I won’t be recording more than stereo where I am. I still come back to it from time to time. As I get older I realize that I'm using less and less, and just having fewer cables to swap would be nice. But I'm still cheesed about the 48v thing a year and a half later. |
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Post by Ward on Dec 20, 2020 9:08:53 GMT -6
Hahaaaa!! Which of us hasn't said something like that? Famous last words. Nah, I won’t be recording more than stereo where I am. Suppose you threw a snake over the railing outside your suite and had a few friends over to do an old-timey or bluegrass session with you? You could record 8 tracks at a time live off the floor. i only say this, because many of us had been there with the 'stereo max' mentality and later slowly grew to 4 5 6, 8 12 tracks at a time. Yew can DOOO EEET |
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Post by Bat Lanyard on Dec 20, 2020 19:02:20 GMT -6
I've had the x64 version for a couple of months now (Sweetwater demo unit). There are things I dig about it but overall I think it's a lot to pay for what it does. There was also a noticeable increase in overall dbs when I took everything off of the Redco patchbay I was using and plugged it into the Flock instead. Overall, it's been great though.
I think the biggest drawback on the unit is that it's expensive and expansion eats I/O. I'm sure they had reasons, but the absence some alternate chaining method really takes away from this thing. Nice that they have an x16 unit which will save some dough, but shit, that gets me another 8 channels. Just not a good solution.
Still use both my Redco bays for various duties and the Flock is nice to have when mixing, but overall I agree with the headscratcher of needing 48V and have no desire to connect a mic to the thing and try to record that way. (In fact, just picked up a Radial Cherrypicker which should work great.)
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Post by drbill on Dec 20, 2020 20:18:51 GMT -6
later slowly grew to 4 5 6, 8 12... ...24, 48, 64, 77, 96, 120....etc.. OK, OK, OK....I've never done 77 I/o. |
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Post by mrholmes on Dec 21, 2020 8:55:20 GMT -6
It looks impressive. Am I understanding correctly, that you can not add any plugin compressors or EQs to the paths? It's only working with outboard gear.
That's what I miss with RME they have such a great digital routing and internal DSPs, but I can't load a third party plug in.
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Post by drastic on Dec 30, 2022 20:31:53 GMT -6
Now that we’re a few years later down the road.... :-) Anyone else here take the plunge into Flock world?
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Post by Bat Lanyard on Dec 30, 2022 21:11:16 GMT -6
Now that we’re a few years later down the road.... :-) Anyone else here take the plunge into Flock world? I've got two x64 units at this point. They're super convenient but I'd still say there's other options that are less expensive if you know what you're doing with your hardware. They're great if you're still trying to figure stuff out though, LOL. That said, it's been super helpful on vocals as we're finishing this record. Drop four compressors down and pick, choose and listen. And, I probably wouldn't have discovered how valuable the Moog The Ladder has been on snare without the Flock. You could get the same from a patchbay or the Dangerous Liaison though, just not as much real-time interaction with the pb. I still have two analog pb's in play though. |
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Post by seawell on Dec 30, 2022 21:36:21 GMT -6
Now that we’re a few years later down the road.... :-) Anyone else here take the plunge into Flock world? I've got two x64 units at this point. They're super convenient but I'd still say there's other options that are less expensive if you know what you're doing with your hardware. They're great if you're still trying to figure stuff out though, LOL. That said, it's been super helpful on vocals as we're finishing this record. Drop four compressors down and pick, choose and listen. And, I probably wouldn't have discovered how valuable the Moog The Ladder has been on snare without the Flock. You could get the same from a patchbay or the Dangerous Liaison though, just not as much real-time interaction with the pb. I still have two analog pb's in play though. Thanks for sharing! That sounds like exactly what I’d like to do eventually. |
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Post by drastic on Jan 2, 2023 19:03:53 GMT -6
Now that we’re a few years later down the road.... :-) Anyone else here take the plunge into Flock world? I've got two x64 units at this point. They're super convenient but I'd still say there's other options that are less expensive if you know what you're doing with your hardware. They're great if you're still trying to figure stuff out though, LOL. That said, it's been super helpful on vocals as we're finishing this record. Drop four compressors down and pick, choose and listen. And, I probably wouldn't have discovered how valuable the Moog The Ladder has been on snare without the Flock. You could get the same from a patchbay or the Dangerous Liaison though, just not as much real-time interaction with the pb. I still have two analog pb's in play though. I think it’s a rad idea, just not sure how I’d work it into my workflow with a console, etc. I’d probably still need to have a few physical bays as well. |
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Post by Bat Lanyard on Jan 2, 2023 20:38:23 GMT -6
I've got two x64 units at this point. They're super convenient but I'd still say there's other options that are less expensive if you know what you're doing with your hardware. They're great if you're still trying to figure stuff out though, LOL. That said, it's been super helpful on vocals as we're finishing this record. Drop four compressors down and pick, choose and listen. And, I probably wouldn't have discovered how valuable the Moog The Ladder has been on snare without the Flock. You could get the same from a patchbay or the Dangerous Liaison though, just not as much real-time interaction with the pb. I still have two analog pb's in play though. I think it’s a rad idea, just not sure how I’d work it into my workflow with a console, etc. I’d probably still need to have a few physical bays as well. Other than auditioning effects sends or 2-bus routing I'm not sure it would be worth it with a console at the center of the setup. For a hybrid setup though it's super useful. |
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