Pro Tools Setup:

On the Pro Tools Hardware Setup page (click Setup > Hardware), select each RedNet 5/HD32R interface in turn and click the Set to Default button. This ensures the RedNet 5/HD32R is correctly configured for use with Pro Tools. You don't need to do this when using RedNet 5/HD32R for the first time, as the interface was correctly pre-configured at the time of manufacture.

Sample Rate:

RedNet 5/HD32R interfaces use the same sample rate the Pro Tools session is running at. It is important any devices routed to or from RedNet 5/HD32R are also set to the same sample rate.

In systems where the entire network is running at the same sample rate, RedNet Control can be used to globally change the sample rate of all interfaces (see this article).

If your system is more complex and different interfaces are running at different sample rates, please ensure the sample rate is set correctly for each interface using Dante Controller.

Using RedNet 5/HD32R with other Pro Tools | HD interfaces

RedNet 5/HD32R interfaces may be mixed with other Pro Tools | HD I/O audio interfaces. However, it is important to remember that each Pro Tools | HD I/O audio interface allows for 16 channels bi-directionally, whereas a RedNet 5/HD32R allows for 32 channels.

In most situations, you'll connect a RedNet 5/HD32R directly to a DigiLink port on the Pro Tools | HD or HDX card and use it in Primary Mode (full 32-channel operation). However, if a free port is not available then you can use RedNet 5/HD32R in Expansion Mode. This mode reduces the available channels in RedNet 5/HD32R to 16 and allows the connection of an existing 16-channel Pro Tools | HD interface to its EXPANSION port; providing a combined total of 32 channels at the HD or HDX card’s port.

To achieve this, select 'Expansion Mode' in RedNet Control. See the RedNet 5/HD32R user guide for more information about Expansion Mode.

When connecting devices in Expansion Mode, connect the Pro Tools | HD card to the PRIMARY port of the first interface. Its Expansion port should then connect to the PRIMARY port of the second interface. See below:

Setting the clock source:

The diagrams in the previous section only show the DigiLink interconnections between devices. However, you must also consider the word clock source and routing. It is very important to arrange word clock routing correctly when using multiple I/O devices. The rules for setting the clock source depend on the complexity of your system. In the following four examples, we'll cover almost every likely situation. 

Situation 1 - Single Pro Tools system with RedNet 5/HD32Rs only:

In this situation, one or more RedNet 5/HD32R interfaces are the only audio interfaces on the Pro Tools system.

1. Any of the RedNet interfaces may be selected in RedNet Control as the network leader, but we recommend you choose one of the RedNet 5/HD32Rs.
2. In Pro Tools, any of the RedNet 5/HD32Rs may be selected to be the clock source, but we recommend the interface set as the RedNet network leader in Step 1 should also be the Pro Tools clock source.

Situation 2 – Single Pro Tools system with both RedNet 5/HD32Rs and other Pro Tools interfaces:

Pro Tools|HD I/O audio interfaces may be used as an audio I/O on the same Pro Tools system as RedNet 5/HD32Rs. Choose the audio interface you wish to be the clock source. This may be either a RedNet 5 or a Pro Tools audio interface.

If a RedNet 5/HD32R is to be the clock source:

1. We recommend the same RedNet 5/HD32R is set in RedNet Control as the RedNet network leader.
2. Connect a BNC cable between the LOOP SYNC OUT of any of the RedNet 5/HD32Rs to the LOOP SYNC IN of one of the Pro Tools audio interfaces.
3. Connect additional BNC cables between the LOOP SYNC OUT of the ‘first’ Pro Tools|HD I/O audio interface and the other Pro Tools interfaces, in the usual ‘daisy-chain’ manner.

If a Pro Tools|HD I/O audio interface is to be the clock source:

1. Connect a BNC cable between the LOOP SYNC OUT of one of the Pro Tools interfaces to the LOOP SYNC IN of one RedNet 5. No daisy-chaining is needed, as any other RedNet 5s will be synchronised via their Ethernet connections.
2. In RedNet Control, set the RedNet 5/HD32R in Step 1 as the network leader.
3. Also in RedNet Control, set the clock source for this same interface to “Loop Sync”.

Situation 3 – Single Pro Tools system with RedNet 5/HD32Rs (other Pro Tools interfaces optional), where another RedNet interface is the clock leader:

In this system, another RedNet interface on the RedNet network is the clock leader (i.e., not a RedNet 5/HD32R). For example, this situation might happen if there is also a RedNet 3 getting clock from audio, or word clock, input.

1. In RedNet Control, set the relevant RedNet interface as the clock leader in the Tools menu.
2. Select a RedNet 5/HD32R as your Pro Tools clock source. In the Pro Tools Hardware Setup window, set Clock Source to Internal for one RedNet 5.
3. If there are non-RedNet 5/HD32R Pro Tools interfaces in the system, connect LOOP SYNC OUT on one RedNet 5/HD32R to LOOP SYNC IN of a Pro Tools interface, and daisy-chain any other interfaces in the usual manner.

Situation 4 – Multiple Pro Tools systems, each with RedNet 5/HD32Rs:

The guiding rule here is:

• One of the Pro Tools systems may be configured as described for any of Situations 1, 2 or 3
  above;
• All other Pro Tools systems must be set up as described in Situation 2, with one of the RedNet 5/HD32Rs on each being assigned as the clock leader.

It is important to note when more than one Pro Tools system is connected to the RedNet network, all audio routing must be conducted using Dante Controller instead of RedNet Control. For audio to be transferred between Pro Tools systems, all the systems must be set to run at the same sample rate.