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Realtime Rack
User Manual
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Table of contents
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Universal Audio Realtime Rack User Manual

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Realtime Rack Manual
Software Version 1.0
Manual Version 140211
Technical Support

Table Of Contents

page number to jump directly to that page.
Chapter 1: Introduction ....................................................................... 12
Welcome Soundcraft Realtime Rack! ................................................................. 12
Realtime Rack Features .................................................................................... 13
System Requirements ...................................................................................... 14
Package Contents ............................................................................................ 14
Realtime Rack System Overview ........................................................................ 15
UAD Meter ................................................................................................................... 17
UAD Control Panels ....................................................................................................... 17
Tip: Click any section or
Documentation Overview .................................................................................. 18
Technical Support ............................................................................................ 19
Soundcraft Tech Support (UK)........................................................................................ 19
Soundcraft Tech support (USA) ...................................................................................... 19
UA Support Hours ......................................................................................................... 20
Telephone .................................................................................................................... 20
Online Support ............................................................................................................. 20
Realtime Rack Support Page .......................................................................................... 20
Chapter 2: Hardware ........................................................................... 21
Hardware Overview ........................................................................................... 21
Front Panel ..................................................................................................... 21
PSU Indicator notes: ..................................................................................................... 22
Realtime Rack Manual Table Of Contents2
(4) MADI IN Indicator ................................................................................................... 22
(5) MADI OUT Indicator ................................................................................................ 22
Rear Panel ...................................................................................................... 23
(8) MADI OUT .............................................................................................................. 25
(9) MADI IN ................................................................................................................. 25
Standalone Behavior ........................................................................................ 26
Chapter 3: System Setup ..................................................................... 27
System Setup Overview .................................................................................... 27
System Connections ......................................................................................... 28
Software Installation ........................................................................................ 31
About Firmware Updates ............................................................................................... 31
Device Registration & Authorization ................................................................... 32
Operating System Software Configuration ........................................................... 35
Energy Saver Panel ....................................................................................................... 35
Computer Sleep ............................................................................................................ 35
Display Sleep ............................................................................................................... 35
Wake for Wi-Fi network access .......................................................................................36
Power Adapter Tab ........................................................................................................ 36
Battery Tab ................................................................................................................... 36
Realtime Rack Software Configuration ............................................................... 37
Sample Rate................................................................................................................. 37
Realtime Rack Manual Table Of Contents3
Clock Source ................................................................................................................ 37
MADI Bank................................................................................................................... 37
Chapter 4: Realtime Rack Application .................................................. 38
Application Overview ........................................................................................ 38
View Screens ................................................................................................................ 38
Global Displays ............................................................................................................. 39
Navigation .................................................................................................................... 39
Keyboard Focus ............................................................................................................ 39
Edit & Safe Modes ........................................................................................................ 39
Offline Configuration ..................................................................................................... 39
Launch ........................................................................................................................ 40
Full Screen Display ....................................................................................................... 40
Hide/Switch.................................................................................................................. 40
Quit ............................................................................................................................. 40
Navigation Overview ......................................................................................... 42
Inserts ......................................................................................................................... 42
Gains ........................................................................................................................... 42
Delay Groups ................................................................................................................ 42
Channel ....................................................................................................................... 42
Snapshots .................................................................................................................... 42
Settings ....................................................................................................................... 42
View Menu ...................................................................................................................44
View Options ................................................................................................................44
Bank Views ...................................................................................................................44
Channel Select Buttons ................................................................................................. 44
Current Bank ................................................................................................................ 45
Bank Size..................................................................................................................... 45
Bank Bar ...................................................................................................................... 45
Bank Bar Navigation...................................................................................................... 45
Bank Concept ............................................................................................................... 46
Input Meters................................................................................................................. 46
Meter Bridge Navigation ................................................................................................ 47
Focus Indication ........................................................................................................... 48
Realtime Rack Manual Table Of Contents4
Focus Navigation ......................................................................................................... 48
Global Screen Elements ................................................................................... 50
View Menu ...................................................................................................................51
View Options ................................................................................................................51
Bank Views ...................................................................................................................51
Quit ............................................................................................................................. 51
Column Placement ........................................................................................................ 51
Input Meters................................................................................................................. 52
Bank Bar ...................................................................................................................... 52
Meter Bridge Navigation ................................................................................................ 52
Current Bank ................................................................................................................ 53
Bank Size..................................................................................................................... 53
Channel Select Buttons ................................................................................................. 53
Bank Bar ...................................................................................................................... 54
Info Bar Placement ....................................................................................................... 55
Info Bar Elements ......................................................................................................... 55
Operating Mode ............................................................................................................ 56
EDIT Mode ................................................................................................................... 56
SAFE Mode .................................................................................................................. 56
Safe Mode Constraints ................................................................................................... 57
Snapshot Display .......................................................................................................... 57
Clock Display ................................................................................................................ 58
Tempo Display .............................................................................................................. 59
Changing tempo values within the tempo dialog ............................................................... 59
Changing tempo values via MIDI ..................................................................................... 60
About external MIDI tap tempo control ............................................................................ 60
Resource Display .......................................................................................................... 61
UAD Resource Loads ..................................................................................................... 61
DSP ............................................................................................................................. 62
Program ....................................................................................................................... 62
Memory ........................................................................................................................ 62
Inserts View .................................................................................................... 63
Bank Size..................................................................................................................... 63
Insert Slots................................................................................................................... 64
Channel Signal Flow ...................................................................................................... 64
State Indication ............................................................................................................ 64
Realtime Rack Manual Table Of Contents5
Option Latch ................................................................................................................ 65
Option Unlatch ............................................................................................................. 65
Timeout Length ............................................................................................................. 65
Modifiers ...................................................................................................................... 65
Modifier Swipe Shortcuts ............................................................................................... 65
Power .......................................................................................................................... 67
Remove ........................................................................................................................ 67
Move ........................................................................................................................... 67
Copy ............................................................................................................................ 68
Paste ........................................................................................................................... 68
Isolate ......................................................................................................................... 69
Gains View ...................................................................................................... 70
Bank View .................................................................................................................... 70
Channel Column ........................................................................................................... 70
Bank Channels ............................................................................................................. 70
I/O Type ....................................................................................................................... 71
Gain Value ....................................................................................................................71
Gain Fader ................................................................................................................... 71
Fader Handle ................................................................................................................ 72
Channel Number & Name .............................................................................................. 72
Link/Unlink .................................................................................................................. 72
Inputs .......................................................................................................................... 74
Outputs........................................................................................................................ 74
Both ............................................................................................................................ 74
Default ........................................................................................................................ 74
Isolate ......................................................................................................................... 74
Delay Groups View ........................................................................................... 75
Bank View .................................................................................................................... 75
Channel Column ........................................................................................................... 75
Bank Channels ............................................................................................................. 75
Upsampled UAD plug-ins ............................................................................................... 76
How Delay Groups work ................................................................................................. 76
When To Use Delay Groups ............................................................................................ 76
System Latency ............................................................................................................ 76
Delay Group Button Selectors ......................................................................................... 77
Compensation Menu ...................................................................................................... 77
Active Delay Group Display ............................................................................................ 78
Delay Group Buttons ..................................................................................................... 78
Samples Display ........................................................................................................... 78
Realtime Rack Manual Table Of Contents6
Output Meter ................................................................................................................ 79
Channel View .................................................................................................. 82
View Mode Elements .....................................................................................................83
Switching View Modes ................................................................................................... 83
Common Elements ........................................................................................................ 83
Channel Name Button .................................................................................................. 84
Channel Name Field ...................................................................................................... 84
Channel Link/Unlink ...................................................................................................... 84
Insert Button Behavior ................................................................................................... 85
Channel Signal Flow ...................................................................................................... 86
Insert Reordering .......................................................................................................... 86
Insert State Indications ................................................................................................. 86
Channel Strip Button ..................................................................................................... 87
Remove Plug-In Shortcut ............................................................................................... 87
General Use ................................................................................................................. 88
Specific Controls ........................................................................................................... 88
Channel Strip View ........................................................................................................ 89
Status Bar .................................................................................................................... 90
Power Button ................................................................................................................ 91
Zoom Slider .................................................................................................................. 91
Presets Defined............................................................................................................. 92
Channel Strip Defined ................................................................................................... 93
PRESETS Tab Columns ................................................................................................. 94
FILE Column ................................................................................................................ 94
PRESETS Column ......................................................................................................... 95
SUB-FOLDER Column ................................................................................................... 95
CATEGORY Buttons ....................................................................................................... 96
Plug-In Categories ......................................................................................................... 97
Assign Insert ................................................................................................................ 97
Reassign Insert ............................................................................................................. 98
De-assign Insert ............................................................................................................ 98
Snapshots View ............................................................................................... 99
Realtime Rack Manual Table Of Contents7
Snapshots Folder Location ............................................................................................. 99
Snapshot Versus System Contents ................................................................................100
Base Snapshot Workflow .............................................................................................. 101
To Select a Folder: ...................................................................................................... 104
MIDI Bank & Program Change Recall ............................................................................ 106
Save Button ............................................................................................................... 106
Save As Button ........................................................................................................... 107
New Button ................................................................................................................ 107
FOLDER/SNAPSHOT Options ....................................................................................... 107
Rename Button........................................................................................................... 107
Delete Button ............................................................................................................. 108
Move Button ............................................................................................................... 108
Move Shuffle .............................................................................................................. 109
Export All ................................................................................................................... 109
Import All................................................................................................................... 110
Active Snapshot Display .............................................................................................. 111
Primed Snapshot Display ............................................................................................. 111
Recall Snapshot Button ............................................................................................... 111
Up/Down Buttons ........................................................................................................ 111
Plug-In State Buttons .................................................................................................. 112
Navigating with Universe View ...................................................................................... 112
Settings View ................................................................................................ 113
Settings Tab Names .................................................................................................... 113
Sample Rate Menu...................................................................................................... 114
Clock Source Menu ..................................................................................................... 114
MADI Channels Menu .................................................................................................. 114
Device Buttons ........................................................................................................... 115
Bank Size Menu.......................................................................................................... 115
Realtime Rack Manual Table Of Contents8
Column Location Menu ................................................................................................ 116
Info Location Menu ..................................................................................................... 116
Monitors Menu ........................................................................................................... 116
Timeout Length Menu .................................................................................................. 116
MIDI Device Menu ...................................................................................................... 117
MIDI Channel Field ..................................................................................................... 117
MIDI Tap Tempo ......................................................................................................... 117
Hide Button ............................................................................................................... 118
Info Button................................................................................................................. 118
Buy Button ................................................................................................................. 118
Status Column ............................................................................................................ 119
Controls Mode Menu ................................................................................................... 119
Soundcraft Snapshot Recall ............................................................................ 120
Chapter 5: UAD Meter & Control Panel ............................................... 121
Overview ....................................................................................................... 121
Launching the Application .............................................................................. 121
Using the UAD Meter ..................................................................................... 122
UAD Meter Elements ...................................................................................... 122
Averaged Loads ...........................................................................................................123
Individual Loads ......................................................................................................... 123
UAD Control Panels ....................................................................................... 125
Drop Menu ................................................................................................................. 125
Title Buttons ............................................................................................................... 125
System Information Panel ............................................................................... 125
Version String ............................................................................................................. 125
Check for Updates ...................................................................................................... 126
Device Status ............................................................................................................. 127
Realtime Rack Manual Table Of Contents9
Device Enabled ........................................................................................................... 127
DSP Load ................................................................................................................... 127
Save Detailed System Profile ........................................................................................ 127
Plug-Ins Panel ............................................................................................... 128
Authorized for devices ................................................................................................. 129
Start Demo ................................................................................................................. 129
Demo Active (days remaining) ...................................................................................... 129
Demo Expired ............................................................................................................. 129
Configuration Panel ........................................................................................ 130
DSP Load Limiting Overview ........................................................................................ 130
Limit DSP Load .......................................................................................................... 131
DSP LoadLock ............................................................................................................ 131
Controls Mode ............................................................................................................ 131
Use Host Mode ........................................................................................................... 132
Toggle initial value modifier.......................................................................................... 132
Help & Support Panel .................................................................................... 133
Chapter 6: Using UAD Powered Plug-Ins ............................................. 134
The UAD Plug-In Window ............................................................................... 134
Adjusting Parameters ..................................................................................... 135
Shortcuts ...................................................................................................... 136
DSP Loading Information ................................................................................ 137
Operating Levels ............................................................................................ 137
Tempo Sync .................................................................................................. 138
Arrow Keys ................................................................................................................. 140
Text Entry ................................................................................................................... 140
Realtime Rack Manual Table Of Contents10
Out of range ............................................................................................................... 140
Chapter 7: My.uaudio.com ................................................................. 142
Optional Plug-Ins ........................................................................................... 142
Authorization Overview ................................................................................... 143
Demo Mode ................................................................................................... 145
UA Online Store ............................................................................................ 146
Creation ..................................................................................................................... 147
Login ......................................................................................................................... 147
Buying UAD Plug-Ins ..................................................................................... 147
Transferring UAD devices and licenses ............................................................. 148
Chapter 8: Specifications .................................................................. 149
Chapter 9: Notices ............................................................................ 151
Products Under Warranty .............................................................................................151
Out-Of-Warranty Products ............................................................................................151
Realtime Rack Manual Table Of Contents11

Chapter 1: Introduction

Welcome Soundcraft Realtime Rack!

The result of a unique collaboration between live sound mixing experts Soundcraft and renowned plug-in manufacturer, Universal Audio, the Soundcraft Realtime Rack brings industry-standard UAD studio plug-ins to the Soundcraft platform. The Realtime Rack hardware and software delivers tight integration of Soundcraft Vi consoles and UAD Pow­ered Plug-Ins, with (48 kHz) sub-2 millisecond latency and full snapshot store and recall with Soundcraft’s CUE/Snapshot system. Realtime Rack’s robust SHARC-based proces­sors run audio over standard Optical MADI connections and dual-redundant internal power supplies ensure that audio signals keep running, even in the event of a power sup­ply failure. Soundcraft Realtime Rack brings the stability of DSP and the sound quality that Soundcraft and Universal Audio are known for in a scalable, low-latency processing environment.
Combining the intuitive Vistonics operator interface with pristine sound quality and pow­erful mixing features, the Soundcraft Vi Series is already established as the first-choice live sound mixing console for touring and installed applications worldwide.
And now, the Soundcraft Realtime Rack provides access to Universal Audio’s acclaimed analogue audio processing emulations and award-winning UAD plug-ins. Realtime Rack software gives Vi console operators all the control they need to insert UAD plug-ins on individual channels, auxiliary channels, and master busses — just as easily as real hard­ware. A comprehensive snapshot system allows total recall of all plug-ins and their set­tings, while tight network integration with the Vi Series ensures that all settings of the application are stored and recalled with the Vi console.
The UAD Powered Plug-Ins platform offers the world’s most authentic analogue hardware emulations and award-winning audio plug-ins. Powered by Universal Audio’s DSP Accel­erator hardware, UAD Powered Plug-Ins deliver rich, analogue sound quality that would be difficult or impossible to achieve with native recording systems.
From rare compressors and equalizers, to vintage reverb processors and tape machines, UAD Powered Plug-Ins inject three-dimensional ‘out-of-the-box’ analogue sound to your mixes.
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 1: Introduction 12

Realtime Rack Features

Hardware

• Durable 1U Rack enclosure
• 4 SHARC DSPs on-board
• Dual-redundant internal power supplies with failover detection
• Each Realtime Rack unit processes up to 16 channels of a MADI stream (add additional
units for 32, 48, or 64 channels)
• Runs a huge library of UAD Powered Plug-Ins & UAD Direct Developer Plug-Ins
• Dual-Thunderbolt host connectivity
• One set of MADI optical I/O (64 channels @ 48 kHz)
• Word Clock I/O (BNC) and input termination
• Sample Rate support from 44.1 kHz to 96 kHz
• Clock Support for the following formats: Internal, MADI, Word Clock

Software

• Purpose-built Realtime Rack application for inserting UAD Powered Plug-Ins
• Networked integration with select Soundcraft Vi consoles – allows full remote snapshot
triggering and storing
• Create, store, and recall channel strip presets
• Create, store, and recall snapshots
• Up to eight UAD Powered Plug-Ins per-channel
• Meter bridge always displays signal levels on all channels
• Plug-ins are categorized by type for quick assignments
• Large text and graphics for high visibility in live sound environments
• SAFE Mode ensures destructive changes do not occur during a live scenario
• Edit Mode ensures changes can be made as quickly as possible
• Intuitive drag/drop functionality for copy/paste, navigation, and moving plug-ins between
inserts and/or tracks
• Most functions can be navigated and executed without a mouse (via computer keyboard)
• Full screen application minimizes visual clutter
• Delay compensation group channels for maintaining phase alignment (critical for drums)
• Application and Snapshots can be configured without connected hardware for offline
setup and/or sharing with other operators
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 1: Introduction 13

System Requirements

• Realtime Rack hardware unit
• Apple Mac computer with available Thunderbolt 1 or 2 port
• Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks
• 2 gigabytes available disk space
• Internet connection to download software and authorize UAD plug-ins
• Apple Thunderbolt cable for each Realtime Rack (not included)
• (2) single MADI Optical SC cables or (1) Duplex MADI optical SC cable
for each Realtime Rack (cables not included)
• Cat 5 Ethernet cable (not included)
• Apple Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter (not included)

Package Contents

• Realtime Rack hardware unit
• Power/AC Mains cables: (1) USA, (1) Europe
• Set of four rack screw with washers
• Getting Started sheet
• For installation software, visit www.uaudio.com/realtimerack/start
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 1: Introduction 14

Realtime Rack System Overview

Realtime Rack has several components that comprise the complete Realtime Rack sys­tem. A brief description of each component is provided below, along with a link to com­plete details about the component.

Soundcraft Vi Series Consoles

Soundcraft Vi Series consoles (Vi1, Vi2, Vi4, and Vi6) are digital mixing/processing sys­tems designed for use in a live sound environment.
Realtime Rack is designed for Vi console integration. Vi consoles integrate with Realtime Rack via two simultaneous control protocols:
MADI – Digital audio streams are routed between Vi consoles and the Realtime Rack hardware unit for signal processing via MADI optical I/O (all UAD plug-in signals are processed in the Realtime Rack hardware unit, not in the Vi console). Use the Vi Con­sole’s powerful Insert and patching system to route signals to and from the Vi console via MADI.
Ethernet – Digital control signals, for saving and loading Realtime Rack configuration snapshots, are routed between Vi consoles and the Mac computer running Realtime Rack software via Ethernet.

Realtime Rack Hardware

The Realtime Rack unit is the 1U rack hardware that performs audio signal processing on digital audio streams via MADI. The hardware unit contains four SHARC DSPs that process the UAD Powered Plug-In algorithms. Each unit can process up to 16 MADI streams, and up to four units can be combined to process a total of 64 MADI streams.
The Realtime Rack hardware is configured and controlled by the Realtime Rack software application.
For complete hardware details, see “Chapter 2: Hardware” beginning on page 21.

Realtime Rack Software Application

The Realtime Rack application is the software interface for the Realtime Rack hardware unit. The software configures and controls the hardware unit(s) and UAD Powered Plug­Ins. The application runs on select Mac computers and it interfaces to the Realtime Rack hardware via Thunderbolt.
Note: Although UAD Powered Plug-Ins are operated via the Realtime Rack soft­ware, the signal processing is performed on the hardware unit’s SHARC DSP, not the computer’s CPU.
For complete details about the software application, see “Chapter 4: Realtime Rack Ap-
plication” beginning on page 38.
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 1: Introduction 15

UAD Powered Plug-Ins

UAD Powered Plug-Ins are software plug-in titles containing DSP algorithms. UAD plug­ins are loaded and controlled within the Realtime Rack software for signal processing on the four SHARC DSPs in the Realtime Rack hardware. Each UAD plug-in contains a graphical user interface (GUI) and various control parameters that can be manipulated to achieve the desired sonic results.
Typical UAD plug-in interface
UAD Powered Plug-Ins are developed by Universal Audio and also by Direct Developer (3rd-party) partners. A wide range of titles are available that are suitable for nearly every application. The UAD Powered Plug-In titles that are included with Realtime Rack de­pends on the bundle included with the retail product package:
Core Live – The Core Live bundle includes 17 UAD plug-in titles that were selected as a fundamental base set for live sound applications.
Ultimate – The Ultimate bundle includes 74 UA-developed titles. Note that Direct Devel­oper titles are not included.
UAD plug-ins that are not included in the retail bundle are optional and purchased sepa­rately. Optional UAD plug-ins can be individually evaluated without functional limitations for 14 days in demo mode, and can be purchased anytime at the UA online store at www.
uaudio.com.
For complete details about how UAD Powered Plug-Ins are used within Realtime Rack, see “Chapter 6: Using UAD Powered Plug-Ins” beginning on page 134. For complete details about individual UAD Powered Plug-Ins, see the UAD Plug-Ins Manual which is placed on the startup disk during software installation.
Note: Realtime Rack, like other UAD devices, can only use UAD Powered Plug-Ins which are developed specifically for the UAD DSP accelerator platform. Plug-ins developed for other hosts and platforms (VST, RTAS, AAX, Audio Units, native, etcetera) cannot be used with the Realtime Rack system.

UAD Meter & Control Panel Software Application

The UAD Meter & Control Panel is used to authorize licensed UAD plug-ins and configure global functionality that pertains to all UAD devices in the same system (the application is used for all UAD products).
The application consists of two components: The UAD Meter and the UAD Control Pan­els. Complete documentation for the UAD Meter & Control Panel application is in “Chap-
ter 5: UAD Meter & Control Panel” beginning on page 121.
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 1: Introduction 16
UAD Meter
The UAD Meter window (shown at right) dis­plays the current DSP, memory, and FireWire status of all active Realtime Rack hardware (including multiple devices).
Note: These meters are also represented in the Realtime Rack application.
UAD Control Panels
The UAD Control Panel window has multiple panels that display, and enable control of, various UAD system, plug-in, and global con­figuration parameters.
The screenshot at right shows the System Info panel, one of four control panel windows in the UAD Meter & Control Panel applica­tion.

UA Online Store

The UA online store at www.uaudio.com is where optional UAD plug-in licenses can be purchased. Promotional coupons are also redeemed here. All UAD device registrations and plug-in authorizations are managed here as well.
For complete details, see “Chapter 7:
My.uaudio.com” beginning on page 142.
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 1: Introduction 17

Documentation Overview

Realtime Rack instructions are separated by areas of functionality, as detailed below. Documentation is copied to the computer during software installation (documentation can also be downloaded here).
All manuals are available in PDF format only. PDF files require a free PDF reader applica­tion such as Preview (included with Mac OS X) or Adobe Reader.
After software installation, all Realtime Rack documentation can be found on the com­puter at the following location:
• Macintosh HD/Applications/Universal Audio/
Tip: Documentation can also be accessed by clicking the “View Documentation” button in the Help panel within the UAD Meter & Control Panel application.

Realtime Rack Manual

The Realtime Rack Manual (this document) contains complete information about the hardware unit and how to configure and operate the Realtime Rack software. Included are detailed descriptions for all connections, features, and control functions.
This manual also contains details about the UAD Meter & Control Panel application, ob­taining optional UAD plug-in licenses at the UA online store, and more.

UAD Plug-Ins Manual

The features and functionality of all individual UAD Powered Plug-Ins is detailed in the UAD Plug-Ins Manual. Refer to that document to learn about the operation, controls, and user interface of each plug-in that is developed by Universal Audio.

Direct Developer Plug-Ins

UAD Powered Plug-Ins includes plug-ins from Direct Developer partners. Documentation for these 3rd-party plug-ins are separate files that are written and provided by the plug-in developers themselves. The filenames for these plug-ins are the same as the plug-in title names.

Soundcraft Vi Series Consoles

Operating instructions for Vi Series consoles is beyond the scope of Realtime Rack docu­mentation. Refer to Soundcraft documentation for all Vi system operating details.

Hyperlinks

Hyperlinks to other pages in the same file and web pages are highlighted in blue text. Click a hyperlink to jump directly to the linked item.
Tip: Use the “back” button in the PDF reader application to return to the previous page after clicking a hyperlink.
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 1: Introduction 18

Updated Information & Software

The latest technical information and software for Realtime Rack is posted on the Uni­versal Audio website. Realtime Rack support pages may contain updated, late-breaking information that is not available in other publications. Please visit the Realtime Rack support page:
• www.uaudio.com/support/realtime-rack-support

Technical Support

Technical support for Realtime Rack is separated by areas of functionality. Support for Realtime Rack hardware and Vi Series console integration is provided by Soundcraft, while support for Realtime Rack software is provided by Universal Audio.
Soundcraft support contact info is below. UA support contact info is here.

Soundcraft: Support for Vi Series Consoles and Realtime Rack Hardware

Contact Soundcraft to obtain technical support for configuration and operation of Vi Se­ries consoles, including how to setup and operate Vi Series consoles with Realtime Rack.
Soundcraft Tech Support (UK)
• Phone: +44 (0) 1707 665000
• Email: csd@soundcraft.com
• Web: Soundcraft Support
Soundcraft Tech support (USA)
• Phone: 1-818-920-3292
• Email: support@soundcraft.com
• Web: Soundcraft Support
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 1: Introduction 19

Universal Audio: Support for Realtime Rack Software

Universal Audio provides free technical support for Realtime Rack software (including UAD Powered Plug-Ins) to all registered users. Universal Audio does not provide techni­cal support for configuration and operation of Soundcraft Vi Series consoles nor how to use Vi consoles with Realtime Rack (for hardware and Vi support, click here).
UA Support Hours
Universal Audio support specialists are available to assist you with Realtime Rack soft­ware via email and telephone during our normal business hours, which are from 9am to 5pm, Monday through Friday, Pacific Standard Time.
Telephone
USA toll-free: +1-877-698-2834 International: +1-831-440-1176 FAX: +1-831-461-1550
Online Support
To request online support via email, click the link below for a direct link to the help ticket form:
• www.uaudio.com/my/support/index.php?pg=request
Realtime Rack Support Page
The latest technical information and software for Realtime Rack is posted on the Uni­versal Audio website. Realtime Rack support pages may contain updated, late-breaking information that is not available in other publications. Please visit the Realtime Rack support page:
• www.uaudio.com/support/realtime-rack-support
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 1: Introduction 20

Chapter 2: Hardware

Hardware Overview

The Realtime Rack hardware is the 1U rack device that performs audio signal processing on digital audio streams via MADI optical I/O. The hardware unit contains four SHARC DSPs that process the UAD Powered Plug-In algorithms. Each unit can process up to 16 MADI streams, and up to four units can be combined to process a total of 64 MADI streams. Additionally, each unit has dual-redundant internal power supplies and auto­matic failover protection.
Each Realtime Rack hardware unit is configured and controlled by the Realtime Rack software application. The MADI channels being processed by each hardware unit is specified in the Settings tab in the Realtime Rack software.

Front Panel

This section describes the function of all visual indicators and controls on the Realtime Rack front panel. There are five visual-only elements and one (recessed) hardware RE­SET button.
1 2 3 4 5 6
RESET
powered by

(1) HOST Indicator

The HOST indicator displays the status of the rear panel Thunderbolt connection to the host computer system. The indicator is lit when Realtime Rack is connected to, and properly communicating with, the Mac computer that is running Realtime Rack software.
The Realtime Rack software must be properly installed and configured on the host com­puter to enable driver connectivity, and the HOST indicator must be illuminated to use Realtime Rack with all computer and Vi console operations.
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 2: Hardware 21

(2) PSU Indicators

These indicators display the status of the rear panel dual redundant internal power sup­plies. There is one indicator for each power supply unit (PSU 1 and PSU 2). The color of each indicator displays the status of the PSU as follows:
White – The PSU is operating normally. The PSU is connected to AC power, and the power switch for the PSU (rear panel) is in the ON position.
Red – The PSU is not delivering power. This state is caused by one or more of the follow­ing conditions:
• The PSU is not connected to AC power
• The power switch for the PSU is in the OFF position
• The PSU has malfunctioned
PSU Indicator notes:
• If one internal power supply unit fails, Realtime Rack will continue to process audio signals.
• It is normal for the PSU indicator to flash red upon power up of the hardware

(3) POWER Indicator

The Soundcraft Realtime Rack logo is lit when the hardware unit is receiving proper op­erating voltages from one or both internal power supply units.

(4 & 5) MADI Indicators

These indicators represent whether or not MADI digital audio signals are present at the rear panel MADI I/O connectors. There is one indicator for MADI input and one for MADI output. The state of each indicator represents the MADI signals as follows:
White (bright) – The audio level of any channel in the MADI stream is above -60 dB.
White (dim) – The MADI stream is detected but no channels are above -60 dB.
Black (off) – No audio signals are present in the MADI stream.
(4) MADI IN Indicator
Indicates the state of digital audio signals at the rear panel MADI input connector.
(5) MADI OUT Indicator
Indicates the state of digital audio signals at the rear panel MADI output connector.

(6) RESET Button

This recessed button executes a hardware reset and initializes the unit. Reset should only be performed if there is an unrecoverable failure and all other troubleshooting tech­niques are exhausted.
Note: Pressing this switch interrupts power to the Realtime Rack hardware unit. It performs the same function as manually turning off the unit with the rear panel PSU switches.
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 2: Hardware 22

Rear Panel

DESIGNED IN CALIFORNIA • MADE IN CHINA
This section describes the function of all switches and connectors on the Realtime Rack front panel.
1
PSU 1
100V-240V
0.30A 50-60 Hz
PSU 2 100V-240V
0.30A 50-60 Hz
SOUNDCRAFT
REALTIME RACK
2

(1) AC Power Inputs

Connect standard detachable IEC power cables to the dual redundant internal power sup­ply units here.
Each PSU accepts 100VAC – 240VAC, 50-60 Hz. The Realtime Rack hardware unit draws a total maximum of 30 Watts of power.
Note: One PSU and power cable can be used if failover operation is not desired.

(2) Power Switches

Each PSU has its own integrated power switch. AC power is passed to the PSU when the switch is in the in (“I”) position.

Automatic Failover

Realtime Rack’s integrated failover circuitry automatically maintains power to the Real­time Rack hardware. In the event that one of the internal power supplies malfunctions or if power to one of the PSUs is interrupted, Realtime Rack will continue to process audio.
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 2: Hardware 23
Rear Panel (continued)
7 8 9
3
( )
PORT 1
UNIVERSAL AUDIO, INC.
PORT 2
( )
4
1394b 1 1394b 2
5 6
IN
ON
OFF
MADI IN
.

(3) Thunderbolt Ports

Connect a Thunderbolt cable (not included) between one of these ports and the Thunder­bolt port on the Mac host computer that is running the Realtime Rack software applica­tion. The HOST indicator on the front panel is lit when the connection is established.
Either port can be used for the host computer connection (the port numbers are inconse­quential). The other port remains available for other Thunderbolt connections, for exam­ple additional Realtime Rack units or the Apple Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter.

(4) Word Clock Out

This BNC connector transmits a standard (1x) word clock when Realtime Rack is set to use its internal clock. The clock rate sent by this port matches the current system sam­ple rate, as specified in the Hardware tab within the Realtime Rack software application.
When Realtime Rack is set to use external word clock as its clock, Realtime Rack is a word clock slave. If the incoming external word clock is within ±0.5% of a supported sample rate (44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz), Word Clock Out will mirror Word Clock In with a slight phase delay of about 40 nanoseconds.

(5) Word Clock In

Realtime Rack’s internal clock can be synchronized (slaved) to an external master word clock. This is accomplished by setting Realtime Rack’s clock source to Word Clock in the Hardware tab within the Realtime Rack software’s Settings view, connecting the external word clock’s BNC connector to Realtime Rack’s word clock input, and setting the exter­nal device to transmit word clock. If Realtime Rack is the last device in the clock chain, the Termination switch (6) should be engaged.
Note: Realtime Rack can be synchronized to an external “1x” clock signal only. Superclock, overclocking, and subclocking are not supported.
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 2: Hardware 24

(6) Word Clock Termination Switch

This pushbutton switch provides internal 75-ohm word clock input signal termination when required. Word clock termination is active when the switch is engaged (depressed).
Realtime Rack’s termination switch should only be engaged when Realtime Rack is set to sync to external word clock and it is the last device at the receiving end of a word clock cable. For example, if Realtime Rack is the last “slave” unit at the end of a clock chain (when Realtime Rack’s word clock out port is not used), termination should be active.

(7) 1394b Ports

The 1394b ports are for development and manufacturing purposes only. The have no functionality within the Realtime Rack system.
Important: Do not attach any devices to the 1394b ports, and do not connect the
FireWire ports to a host computer.

(8 & 9) MADI I/O Ports

The MADI I/O ports are used for digital audio interconnections between the Realtime Rack hardware unit and the Soundcraft Vi-series consoles. Dual Optical SC-Plug (ISO/ IEC 9314-3) connectors are provided.
(8) MADI OUT
Connect this port to the MADI optical input on the Soundcraft Vi console.
(9) MADI IN
Connect this port to the MADI optical output on the Soundcraft Vi console.
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 2: Hardware 25

Standalone Behavior

Realtime Rack supports limited standalone functionality in the event that the Thunder­bolt connection to the Mac host computer is lost, or if the Realtime Rack hardware unit is power cycled and no host computer is found upon re-powering the hardware.
Thunderbolt connection lost – In the event that the Thunderbolt cable is removed at one or both ends, or if the Mac host computer is otherwise no longer detected, Realtime Rack will continue to process audio in the same state as when the connection was lost, includ­ing UAD plug-in processing. If/when the host connection is reestablished, the Realtime Rack software will be updated to reflect the current state of the hardware, and software control is resumed.
Important: Reestablishing the Thunderbolt host-to-hardware connection will cause
a temporary mute of the audio streams as channels and plug-ins are re-allocated. In the event of a mid-show failure, wait until it is acceptable to hear a mute in the audio path (e.g., not in the middle of a song).
Power cycled, no host found – In the event that power to the Realtime Rack hardware unit is completely interrupted then reestablished and/or the unit is manually power cy­cled or reset, and the host computer cannot be detected after re-powering the hardware, Realtime Rack will function in “all MADI inputs to all MADI outputs” mode without UAD plug-in processing. This ensures that audio can still be routed by the Vi console, even if the Realtime Rack software connection cannot be established.
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 2: Hardware 26

Chapter 3: System Setup

System Setup Overview

Realtime Rack system setup requires these primary procedures, all of which are detailed in this chapter:
• System connections (device wiring)
• Realtime Rack software installation
• Hardware device registration and UAD plug-in authorization
• Computer operating system software configuration
• Realtime Rack software configuration

System Requirements

All system requirements must be met for the Realtime Rack system to operate properly. Before proceeding, confirm the System Requirements on page 14 are met.

About Registration and Authorization

The Realtime Rack hardware unit must be registered and authorized at my.uaudio.com to unlock UAD Powered Plug-Ins that were bundled with the product. Registration only needs to be completed once, however authorization must be completed each time the Realtime Rack software is updated.
Note: Registration is not a separate procedure; it's part of the initial authorization process and only occurs once.
The Realtime Rack hardware stores its authorization and UAD licenses in the device itself, so the unit can be connected to a different computer without repeating the autho­rization process. UAD plug-ins that were not bundled with the product can be evaluated without functional restriction during a demonstration mode that expires after 14 days.
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 3: System Setup 27

System Connections

Interconnect the Realtime Rack hardware unit, the Realtime Rack software host com­puter, and the Soundcraft Vi console using the illustrations in this section.

About Realtime Rack system connections

• Connect Realtime Rack to the host computer via Thunderbolt only (do not connect to the host computer via 1394b ports).
• Although the Thunderbolt ports are numbered, the numbers are inconsequential and either port can be used.
• If available, the host computer’s built-in Ethernet port can be used to connect to the Soundcraft Vi console instead of via the Apple Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter (Apple part number MD463ZM/A).
• Alternately, the Apple USB Ethernet Adapter (Apple part number MC704ZM/A) can be used at the computer for the Ethernet connection (instead of the Thunder­bolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter).
• The MADI channels to be processed by Realtime Rack are specified in the Hard­ware panel of the Settings page within the Realtime Rack software application.
• When synchronizing to external Word Clock, the first unit (MADI channels 1 – 16) must receive the Word Clock, then pass the clock to the second unit and so on (via daisy-chaining), for up to four units.

About Vi Console HiQNet (Ethernet) connections

• Vi 1 consoles – The HiQnet port is on the rear of the control surface, adjacent to the rear USB sockets (as shown at right).
Important: The HiQnet port on early Vi
1 consoles (serial numbers lower than
30210956) is only able to drive short
cable lengths, max recommended length 1 metre (3 feet). Therefore use a network switch positioned close to the rear of the console to extend the cable length if required.
• Vi 2, 4, and 6 consoles – The HiQnet port is located on the rear of the Control Surface, adjacent to the MIDI ports (as shown at right). The port is capable of driving stan­dard Ethernet distances of up to 100 meters.
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 3: System Setup 28

Single Unit Wiring

The diagram below illustrates connections for one Realtime Rack unit for up to 16 chan­nels of UAD plug-in processing.
Cables Required (not included):
• One Thunderbolt cable between Realtime Rack and computer for software control
• Two MADI optical cables (or a single duplex cable) between Realtime Rack and Vi
console for digital audio
• One Cat 5 Ethernet cable between host Mac and Vi console for snapshot control
• One Apple Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter (Apple part number
MD463ZM/A) for Ethernet
Single Unit
Wiring
Soundcraft Vi
Console Surface
Soundcraft Vi
MADI Ports
Rear Panel
HiQnet™
Ethernet
Port
MADI Optical SC
Thunderbolt
( )
PORT 1
UNIVERSAL AUDIO, INC.
( )
PORT 2
Realtime Rack Unit
Ethernet
Adapter
Ethernet
System interconnections for a single Realtime Rack setup
Thunderbolt Mac running
Realtime Rack software
MADI IN
Thunderbolt
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 3: System Setup 29

Multi-Unit Wiring

Soundcraft Vi
MADI Ports
MADI Optical SC
Ethernet
Thunderbolt
Soundcraft Vi
Console Surface
Rear Panel
Realtime Rack Unit
UNIVERSAL AUDIO, INC.
PORT 1
( )
PORT 2
( )
MADI IN
Thunderbolt Mac running
Realtime Rack software
Thunderbolt
Ethernet
Adapter
HiQnet™
Ethernet
Port
Single Unit
Wiring
The diagram below illustrates connections for 2, 3, or 4 Realtime Rack units for up to 64 channels of UAD plug-in processing (16 MADI channels for each Realtime Rack unit).
Important: Multi-unit wiring in this section is newer than (and differs from) the
"Getting Started" sheet that is included inside the retail box with early units.
Cables Required (not included):
• One Thunderbolt cable between Realtime Rack and computer for software control
• One Thunderbolt cable for each additional Realtime Rack for unit interlink
• One MADI optical cable between Vi console and the first Realtime Rack and for
the digital audio send
• One MADI optical cable between the last Realtime Rack and Vi console for digital audio return
• One MADI optical cable for each additional Realtime Rack for unit interlink
Note: Duplex cables are not applicable with multi-unit configurations.
• One Cat 5 Ethernet cable between host Mac and Vi console for snapshot control
• One Apple Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter (Apple part number
MD463ZM/A) for Ethernet
Multi-Unit
Wiring
HiQnet™
Ethernet
Vi Surface
Rear Panel
Port
MADI Optical SC
( )
( )
PORT 2
Ethernet
PORT 1
UNIVERSAL AUDIO, INC.
( )
PORT 1
UNIVERSAL AUDIO, INC.
( )
PORT 2
1394b 1 1394b 2
MADI IN
1394b 1 1394b 2
MADI IN
( )
( )
PORT 2
PORT 1
UNIVERSAL AUDIO, INC.
( )
( )
PORT 2
PORT 1
UNIVERSAL AUDIO, INC.
Vi MADI Ports
System interconnections for a multi-unit Realtime Rack setup
1394b 1 1394b 2
1394b 1 1394b 2
MADI IN
MADI IN
Thunderbolt
Thunderbolt Mac running
Realtime Rack software
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 3: System Setup 30

Software Installation

Complete Realtime Rack software installation consists of two main steps:
• Realtime Rack software installation
• Device registration and UAD plug-in authorization

Preparation

Close all open files and applications before starting the software installation procedure (the installer requires a restart after installation).
If you are updating to a newer version of Realtime Rack software or installing additional Realtime Rack hardware units, it is not necessary to remove the previous Realtime Rack software or hardware from the system before software installation.

Software Updates

The latest Realtime Rack software version is always recommended. Please check the Realtime Rack support page for the latest software and technical bulletins:
• www.uaudio.com/support/realtime-rack-support/

Software Installation Procedure

To install the Realtime Rack software:
1. Verify the Realtime Rack hardware unit is powered and connected to the host computer via Thunderbolt.
2. Go to: www.uaudio.com/realtimerack/start
3. Download the Realtime Rack software installer from the start page.
4. After the software is downloaded, launch the installer. It will guide you through the installation process.
5. If prompted to update the Realtime Rack firmware, click "OK" then wait for confir­mation that the update is complete (see below for more firmware update details).
6. Software installation is complete. Proceed to Device Registration & Authorization
on page 32.
About Firmware Updates
• Firmware updates for the Realtime Rack hardware may be included within the software to enhance system functionality. The Realtime Rack software prompts for firmware updates automatically (if available). For optimum results, always update the firmware by clicking "OK" if prompted by the software.
• After "OK" is clicked and the firmware is installed, a notification appears. After the notification, power off the Realtime Rack hardware. The first time power is reap­plied, the hardware will take an extra 20–30 seconds to initialize, after which the firmware update process is complete.
Important: Do not interrupt system power during the firmware update routine.
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 3: System Setup 31

Device Registration & Authorization

Important: The following steps require an Internet connection to the host comput-
er. To authorize a system that is not connected to the Internet, see Offline Authori-
zation on page 34.
Before proceeding, confirm that the Realtime Rack software is has already been installed and the Realtime Rack hardware is powered and connected to the computer via Thunder­bolt (the hardware and software systems must be communicating properly).
Note: Registration is not a separate procedure; it's part of the initial authorization process and only occurs once.

Registration & Authorization Procedure

To register and authorize Realtime Rack:
1. Launch the UAD Meter & Control Panel. To open the application, click its icon (shown at right) in the Mac OS X Dock.
2. Open the Plug-Ins panel within the UAD Meter & Control Panel appli­cation. To access the panel, first click the menu button in the UAD Meter window (1), then select “Plug-Ins...” from the drop menu (2).
1. Click
2. Select
3. Click the “Authorize Plug-Ins…” button in the Plug-Ins panel. Your web browser will connect to the UA online store.
4. Our web pages will guide you through the registration process. Follow the instruc­tions on screen.
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 3: System Setup 32
5. After registration is complete, click the blue “Download Authorizations»” button at the bottom of final registration page to download the authorization file (if it does not download automatically). The auth.uad2 file is downloaded to the default location specified by the web browser.
6. Double-click the downloaded Authorization file to load it and authorize Realtime Rack. When the "Authorizations successfully updated" dialog appears, click OK.
7. Registration and authorization is complete. Proceed to Operating System Software
Configuration on page 35.
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 3: System Setup 33
Offline Authorization
To authorize a system that is not connected to the Internet, you'll need manually transfer the registration URL generated by the UAD Meter & Control Panel software into the web browser of an Internet-enabled computer.
After following the web portion of the registration/authorization process and the autho­rization file is obtained on the Internet computer, you'll need to manually move the file back to the offline computer to complete the process. These steps are detailed below.
Important: If the Realtime Rack computer is not connected to the internet, you
must manually transfer the exact registration URL into the browser of a web-en­abled computer.
To authorize a system that is not connected to the Internet:
1. Install the Realtime Rack software and hardware using the procedures detailed earlier in this chapter (the hardware and software systems must be communicat­ing properly).
2. Follow step numbers 1, 2, and 3 on page 32. The default web browser opens with the registration URL in the address bar, along with an error that the computer is not connected to the Internet.
3. Use one of the following methods to move the registration URL to the web-en­abled computer (the URL must be exactly the same): a) Drag the URL icon (at far left of browser address bar) to the Desktop to create a weblink shortcut (see illustration at end of this section), then transfer the weblink shortcut to the internet computer via a storage device or network. b) Alternately, carefully write down the complete URL exactly as it appears in the address bar.
4. Go to the URL using a web browser on an internet-connected computer. Double-click the transferred weblink shortcut, or enter the URL as it was written down.
5. Our web pages will guide you through the registration process. Follow the instructions on screen.
6. Click the blue “Download Authorizations»” button at the bottom of final registration page to download the authorization file (if it does not download auto­matically). The auth.uad2 file is downloaded to the default location specified by the web browser.
7. Transfer the authorization file to the Realtime Rack computer via a storage device or network.
8. Double-click the downloaded Authorization file to load it and authorize Realtime Rack. When the "Authorizations successfully updated" dialog appears, click OK.
9. Offline registration and authorization is complete. Proceed to Operating System
Software Configuration on page 35.
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 3: System Setup 34
Operating System Software Configuration
Before using Realtime Rack, specific settings must be made in the Mac OS X System Preferences>Energy Saver panel.

Mac OS X System Preferences

The System Preferences application can be accessed from the Apple Menu (under the Apple icon at the upper left of the OS X Menu Bar), or from the file system at:
• Macintosh HD/Applications/Utilities/System Preferences.app
Energy Saver Panel
The required settings are in the Energy Saver Panel. To access the panel, click its icon or name in the main System Preferences window.
The required Mac OS X system settings for Realtime Rack operation
Computer Sleep
In the Power Adapter tab, set computer sleep to "Never" by dragging the slider to the far right position.
Display Sleep
In the Power Adapter tab, set display sleep to "Never" by dragging the slider to the far right position.
Although display sleep is benign to the system, disabling display sleep is recommended to prevent issuing inadvertent mouse/keyboard clicks that could send potentially destruc­tive commands to the Realtime Rack software.
Hard Disk Sleep
In the Power Adapter tab, disable the "Put hard disks to sleep when possible" option by deselecting the option checkbox to ensure consistent computer performance.
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 3: System Setup 35
Wake for Wi-Fi network access
In the Power Adapter tab, enable the "Wake for Wi-Fi network access" option by selecting the option checkbox.
Soundcraft Vi Series consoles require "Wake for Wi-Fi network access" to be enabled on Mac OS X in order to prevent losing the communication link between the Mac running Realtime Rack and the Soundcraft Vi console if/when the Mac enters Sleep mode.
Important: If this setting is disabled and the computer enters System Sleep (ei-
ther intentionally or unintentionally), the Mac will require system restart or a dis­connect/reconnect of the Thunderbolt cable to recover after waking from sleep.
Power Adapter Tab
The Energy Saver panel has "Battery" and "Power Adapter" tabs for setting different Sleep settings when the computer is running on the power adapter versus running on internal battery power.
Realtime Rack is fully qualified only when the Mac is connected to a power source. However, it is important to ensure that Sleep is deactivated (as described above) in the Battery tab in the event of an accidental power disconnect.
Important: Realtime Rack is qualified when the computer is running on AC power,
and using Realtime Rack with battery power is not a supported configuration. When using a portable notebook computer such as a MacBook Pro or MacBook Air, use the included power adapter for optimum results.
Battery Tab
In the Battery Tab, set computer sleep to "Never" by dragging the slider to the far right position.
Note: Although battery operation is not supported with Realtime Rack, make this setting in the battery tab in case the power adapter is inadvertently disconnected.
Operating system configuration is complete. Proceed to Realtime Rack Software Configu-
ration on page 37.
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 3: System Setup 36
Realtime Rack Software Configuration
To properly communicate with the hardware, software settings within the Realtime Rack application must be configured for the Realtime Rack system.
To configure the system settings:
1. Confirm that the Realtime Rack hardware is properly connected and powered.
2. Launch the Realtime Rack software. Open the application by clicking its icon (shown at right) in the Mac OS X Dock. The software opens and fills the screen.
3. Click the View menu in the upper left corner (INSERTS is displayed here by de­fault) and select SETTINGS from the drop menu. The HARDWARE tab, containing the system settings, is displayed.

Sample Rate

4. From the SAMPLE RATE drop menu, set the sample rate to 48 kHz to match the Soundcraft Vi console system sample rate.
Clock Source
5. From the CLOCK SOURCE drop menu, specify the system clock to be used for digital audio synchronization. This setting is usually set to MADI (except when us­ing external Word Clock).
MADI Bank
6. From the MADI CHANNELS drop menu, specify the 16-channel MADI bank to be processed by Realtime Rack. This setting should match the channels specified in the Soundcraft Vi console.
7. If multiple Realtime Rack units are connected concurrently, they are automatically assigned to the next set of 16 MADI channel banks. To change the order and pro­cessing bank used by Realtime Rack, drag and drop the Unit Buttons up or down until they are in the correct order. Use Identify Unit buttons to identify the current assignments of each unit.
Note: The physical MADI cable ordering must match the ordering set with the
Unit Buttons.
The Realtime Rack system is now configured and ready for use.
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 3: System Setup 37

Chapter 4: Realtime Rack Application

Application Overview

The Realtime Rack software application is the software interface for the Realtime Rack hardware. The application is used to configure the Realtime Rack hardware and control UAD Powered Plug-Ins. It can control up to four hardware units concurrently. All applica­tion operations are detailed in this chapter.
Note: In this chapter, “Realtime Rack” refers to the software application (not the hardware unit) unless specifically noted otherwise.

Concepts

Realtime Rack is optimized for operation in environments where fast navigation and op­eration are paramount.
The general concept of Realtime Rack’s navigation is a “focus channel” workflow where the operator has a birds-eye view of everything occurring in the application, with the abil­ity to quickly navigate to different channels in order to focus on a channel and edit the various parameters.
Once a channel is focused (selected), the various controls and features can be edited, such as any of the eight individual plug-in inserts per channel, plug-in assignments, in­put/output gains, track names, presets, and more. Parameters, presets, and assignments for individual plug-ins can be edited, or Channel Strip view can be used to control mul­tiple plug-ins concurrently.
Note: Although UAD plug-ins are operated within the application, all signal pro­cessing occurs on the SHARC DSPs in the hardware unit(s), not the host com­puter’s CPU.
View Screens
Realtime Rack has six primary screens called Views. Each View displays related visual and control elements. Items available within each View can vary depending on the active selection or function.
Some Views provide a broader overview of the environment (e.g., Inserts View), while oth­ers facilitate deep editing of individual functions (e.g., Channel View) and/or file manage­ment (e.g, Snapshots View). Various shortcuts exist for quickly switching between the six View screens.
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 4: Realtime Rack Application 38
Global Displays
Items that facilitate navigation and visual feedback that is crucial in performance en­vironments are always displayed in the Meter Bridge and Info Bar. Banks of channels and individual channels can be quickly navigated with the Bank Bar and Channels Bar to quickly get to a channel for editing.
Navigation
Navigation within the application possible with minimal mouse and/or keyboard mo­tions, and menus are generally only used for less common operations (e.g., global settings).
The application is designed to take extensive advantage of navigation using the com­puter’s QWERTY keyboard for precise operations and to reduce targeting errors.
Keyboard Focus
When elements on the screen have keyboard focus, they can be manipulated with the QWERTY keyboard. Keyboard focus in Realtime Rack is indicated by a yellow out­line box around the screen elements targeted for control with the QWERTY keyboard. These highlighted items can typically be manipulated by using the up/down/left/right arrow keys and/or the Return/Enter keys.
Edit & Safe Modes
To reduce the possibility of inadvertent results, Realtime Rack has two operating modes. Operations that can cause significant impact to the audio (such as level changes) can only be performed in Edit mode, while Safe mode is (typically) used during performance to prevent inadvertent changes.
Important: Realtime Rack does not have an Undo function. Operations per-
formed in Edit mode can only be reverted by loading previously-saved presets and/or Snapshots.
Offline Configuration
The application can be configured without connected rack units for offline setup and/ or sharing the hardware with other operators. Additionally, import and export func­tions are provided to simplify transporting user data between different Realtime Rack systems and/or operators.
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 4: Realtime Rack Application 39

Entering & Exiting the Application

Important: To communicate with the Realtime Rack hardware, software settings
within the computer and the application must to be properly configured. For de­tails, see “Chapter 3: System Setup” beginning on page 27.
Launch
Realtime Rack can be opened using either of these methods:
•Single-click the Realtime Rack icon that was placed in the Mac OS X Dock during software installation, or
•Double-click the Realtime Rack application that was installed to: /Applications/Universal Audio/
Full Screen Display
When Realtime Rack is launched, the application expands to fill the entire screen (it cannot be re-sized). The application does not have a standard Mac OS X Menu Bar at the top of the screen.
Note: Unlike most Mac OS X applications in full screen mode, there is no option to show a menu bar when the mouse is moved to the top of the screen.
Multiple Display Operation
Multiple display screens are supported. With multiple-display systems, when the Moni­tors preference is set to ALL, the screen on each display can have different View screen so more elements can be displayed concurrently. For details, see “Monitors Menu” on
page 116.
Hide/Switch
Realtime Rack can be used concurrently with other Mac OS X applications.
• To hide the application so other applications can be seen, use the standard Mac OS X keyboard shortcut (Command+H).
• To bring Realtime Rack back into the foreground, when it is hidden, click its icon in the OS X Dock or use the Command+Tab application switching shortcut.
• To bring other running applications to the foreground, use the standard Mac OS X keyboard shortcut for application switching (Command+Tab).
Quit
Realtime Rack can be closed using either of these methods:
• Select Quit from the application’s View menu (upper left by default), or
• Use the standard Mac OS X keyboard shortcut (Command+Q)
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 4: Realtime Rack Application 40
Realtime Rack Terms
For the purpose of describing Realtime Rack operations in this chapter, the following definitions are used.
Screen – All elements currently visible on the computer display. Some displayed ele­ments are common to all screens, while other elements depend on the active View and/or selected function.
Element – One specific item in the screen. An element can be a menu, control (button, switch, knob), or visual indicator. Some screen elements vary depending on the active view and the functions available within that view.
View – A set of related functions. Realtime Rack has six primary views, and some views have multiple screens. Items available within each view can vary depending on the active function.
Tab – A button that switches between a set of elements within a view.
Channel – A single MADI channel within the 64-channel MADI stream. Each Realtime
Rack unit can process up to 16 MADI channels.
Plug-In – The UAD plug-in files containing the DSP algorithms. Each plug-in has a unique interface containing a set of controls that adjust its audio processing features.
Insert – A slot within a single channel where plug-ins are loaded and adjusted. Each channel has eight inserts to facilitate serial processing.
Channel Strip – Two or more UAD plug-ins inserted serially in the same channel for stacked signal processing.
Bank – A group of MADI channels that are displayed concurrently. The number of chan­nels displayed in a Realtime Rack bank can range from four to 64 channels.
Group – A set of specific channels that are grouped together. Realtime Rack uses groups for latency delay compensation, which is necessary to align channels that must maintain phase coherency (such as drum kits with multiple microphones).
Linked – Two adjacent channels that are combined into a stereo pair. Linked channels operate with one set of controls and pan settings are automatically set to hard left/right.
Focus – A control element that is selected and ready to accept an operational command. Realtime Rack uses element focus extensively to enable operation with the computer’s QWERTY keyboard.
Preset – A complete set of parameter values for an individual plug-in or channel strip that are saved as a named disk file. Presets are used to recall favorite settings for indi­vidual plug-ins and/or channel strips.
Snapshot – A complete Realtime Rack configuration. Snapshots contain all parameter values within the Realtime Rack application and are used to for total session recall. Snapshots can be loaded directly from within the Soundcraft Vi console via Ethernet us­ing the Vi CUE functions.
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 4: Realtime Rack Application 41

Navigation Overview

This section provides an introduction to the various screen elements and navigational concepts. Items in this section are explained in greater detail later in this chapter.

Views Overview

Realtime Rack has six primary screens called Views. Each View displays related visual and control elements. The currently selected View can be identified by the icon displayed at the top of the Main Column. Views can be selected from the View Menu. Each View name, its associated icon, and a brief description is below. Complete details for each View are provided later in this chapter.
Inserts
Gains
Delay Groups
Channel
Displays banks of channels and all plug-in inserts within the current bank. Inserts View is used to move, copy, and paste plug-ins and chan­nels strips, and their current settings, amongst the available inserts in the bank.
Displays channel input/output gain controls and signal I/O level meters for all channels within the Current Bank. Channels can also be stereo linked/unlinked in this view.
Displays and assigns delay (latency) compensation groups, and latency values, for all channels within the Current Bank.
Displays plug-ins and channel strips within individual channels. Chan­nel View is used for editing plug-in parameters and managing presets for individual and/or stacked plug-ins.
Snapshots
Settings
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 4: Realtime Rack Application 42
Displays a file management page to store, recall, and edit snapshots of entire Realtime Rack configurations.
Displays multiple tabs for setting various hardware, display, MIDI, and plug-in settings and preferences.

Global Navigation Elements

The Main Column, Meter Bridge, Channels Bar, and Info Bar can all be used to navigate to different View screens. The location of these elements are illustrated below.
Main
Column
Bank Bar
(blue)
Current
Bank
(Elements displayed in this area
depend on the currently selected View)
Meter
Bridge
Channels
Bar
View
Elements

Info Bar

The global elements that appear on all Realtime Rack screens
Info Bar
The Info Bar is always displayed in all screens, providing visual feedback and access to options that are important in performance environments. Navigate to Snapshots View by clicking the SNAPSHOT area.
Main

Main Column

The Main Column is used to choose the current View and navi­gate available options within the View. The Main Column con­tains the View Menu and the View Options.
In the illustration at right, Inserts View is currently active. This is indicated by the INSERTS icon and title at the top of the Main Column.
The View Options shown here are the options available in Inserts View. These options are different for each active View.
View
Menu
View
Options
Column
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View Menu
To access any View screen, click the View Menu at the top of the Main Column, and select a View from the drop menu, as shown at right.
View Options
The View Options are buttons used to activate various control func­tions within each View. The View Options displayed are contextual; the options change when a different View is selected.
Bank Views
Bank Views are Views that display multiple channels at once. In­serts, Gains, and Delay Groups are the three Bank Views. The Bank Views are grouped within the View Menu (they are not separated by a divider line).
Tip: On any screen, single-click the Meter Bridge to quickly return to the last selected Bank View.

Channels Bar

The View Menu
The Channels Bar is used for channel navigation and to quickly select channels for editing.
Current Bank
Stereo (linked) Channel
Channel
Select
Buttons
Channel Name & Number
Selected
Channel
(blue button)
(channels within the Bank Bar)
Bank Bar (blue)
Unselected
Channel
(gray buttons)
The Channels Bar elements as displayed with a Bank Size of 8 channels
Channel Select Buttons
The Channel Select buttons represent all Current Bank channels. The Channel Select buttons are displayed in all Bank Views (Inserts, Gains, and Delay Groups).
The Channel Select buttons can be used to quickly navigate any Current Bank channel into Channel View for loading, editing, and saving plug-in settings.
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Banks

A fundamental navigational concept in Realtime Rack is the Bank. A Bank is a subset of all available MADI channels. Channels contained within a Current Bank are represented by the Channel Select Buttons in the Channels Bar and the Bank Bar.
Current Bank
The Current Bank is all the channels displayed in the Channels Bar. Channels contained within the Current Bank are represented by the Channel Select buttons and the thin blue Bank Bar.
The Current Bank is changed with the Bank Bar. The number of Current Bank channels can be changed with the Bank Size setting.
Bank Size
The number of channels displayed simultaneously in the Current Bank is determined by the Bank Size setting, which is set in View Menu>Settings>Display Tab>BANK SIZE.
Bank Bar
The thin blue Bank Bar visually represents all channels in the Current Bank. The Bank Bar is used for Current Bank navigation within all View screens.
Bank Bar Navigation
The Bank Bar is used to change the Current Bank. Any of the following methods can be used to navigate available channels:
• Drag – Drag the Bank Bar, or anywhere in the Input Meters area, with the mouse to change the current bank. With this method, the current bank can be shifted by one or more channels.
• Click Input Meter – Single click any channel’s green input meter to switch directly to the bank that contains the channel. With this method, the number of channels shifted is determined by the BANK SIZE setting.
• Arrow keys – When the Bank Bar has keyboard focus, use the left/right arrow keys to shift the current bank. With this method, the number of channels shifted is determined by the BANK SIZE setting.
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 4: Realtime Rack Application 45
Bank Concept
Conceptual illustration of a Bank within Realtime Rack.
In this example, the Current Bank is channels 4 through 11.
Moving the thin blue Bank Bar changes the Current Bank channels.

Meter Bridge

The Meter Bridge is always displayed across the top of all screens. The Meter Bridge contains Input Meters for all MADI channels in the system. Several navigation shortcuts are available from the Meter Bridge.
The Meter Bridge elements as displayed with a 16-channel (single unit) system
Input Meters
Mono
Channel
Meter
Stereo
Channel
Meter
Bank Bar
(blue)
Signal
Present
(green)
No
Signal
(black)
MADI Channel
Number
Channel
Input Level
Meters
Each vertical green meter indicates input signals that are present in the associated MADI channel. The Meter Bridge contains several shortcuts to navigate Realtime Rack, as listed below.
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Meter Bridge Navigation
The Meter Bridge can be used as navigation shortcuts for the functions below:
• Jump to any channel – Double-click any channel’s Input Meter in the Meter Bridge to jump directly to Channel View and select the channel.
To return to Bank View:
• Return to Bank View – Single-click anywhere in the Input Meters area to return to the previously selected Bank View (Inserts, Gains, or Delay Groups).

Navigation Scroll Bars

Realtime Rack software displays vertical and horizontal scroll bars when needed in vari­ous views. Scroll bars are used for navigation in the following areas:
• Channel View / Single view mode – For horizontal and/or vertical scrolling of a plug-in interface that is too large for the current screen resolution to display.
• Channel View / Channel Strip view mode – For horizontal and/or vertical scrolling of a Channel Strip that is too large for the current screen resolution to display
• All list views – Plug-in presets, channel presets, assign, snapshots, and settings/ plug-ins tab – For vertical scrolling of all files/folders in the current list view.
Typical navigation scroll bars, shown here outlined in red, as they appear
with a typical plug-in interface and in the Snapshots list
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Keyboard Focus

When elements on the screen have keyboard focus, they can be manipulated with the QWERTY keyboard. Keyboard focus in Realtime Rack is indicated by a yellow outline box around the screen elements targeted for control with the QWERTY keyboard. These highlighted items can typically be manipulated by using the up/down/left/right arrow keys and/or the Return/Enter keys.
When elements on the screen have keyboard focus, they can be manipulated with the QWERTY keyboard. Focused items can typically be manipulated by using the up/down/ left/right arrow keys and/or the Return/Enter keys.
Focus Indication
Keyboard focus in is indicated by a yellow outline box around screen elements targeted for control with the QWERTY keyboard.
Typical focus indication. In this example, the PRESETS folder column on the left has
focus (yellow outline) and can be navigated with the up/down arrow keys on the keyboard.
The tab key will shift focus between this column and the SUB-FOLDER column.
Focus Navigation
Focus between elements can be changed with the computer’s TAB key, or by clicking another area of the screen with the mouse.
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Keyboard Shortcuts

In addition to keyboard focus/navigation methods, Realtime Rack supports the keyboard shortcuts listed in the table below.
Shortcut Name Keyboard Command Description
Save Snapshot COMMAND+S Saves the current snapshot in place Save Snapshot As... COMMAND+SHIFT+S Saves the current snapshot as a new snapshot
and allows renaming Hide Application COMMAND+H Hides the application from view Quit Application COMMAND+Q Quits the Realtime Rack application Show Previous View* COMMAND+LEFT ARROW Returns to the previous view Show Next View* COMMAND+RIGHT ARROW Returns to the next view Tab Focus Navigation TAB Cycles through various sections of the app that
can be focused/controlled/navigated with the
arrow keys Cancel dialog overlay ESC (escape) Used to cancel dialog functions like Save As,
Tap Tempo, enter Edit Mode, etc. Confirm dialog overlay RETURN or ENTER Used to accept dialog overlays like Save As, Tap
Tempo, enter Edit Mode, etc. Channel Navigation UP/DOWN/LEFT/RIGHT
RETURN/ENTER
*Previous/Next only shows Views displayed since application was opened
Used to navigate through all channels and func-
tions that can be focused and executed
Important: Realtime Rack does not have an Undo function. Operations performed
in Edit mode can only be reverted by loading previously-saved presets and/or Snapshots.
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 4: Realtime Rack Application 49

Global Screen Elements

The Main Column, Current Bank, Meter Bridge, Channel Bar, and Info Bar are groups of elements appear on all screens. These global elements are described in this section.
Refer to the illustration below for descriptions in this section.
Main
Column
Bank Bar
(blue)
Current
Bank
(Elements displayed in this area
depend on the currently selected View)
Meter
Bridge
Channels
Bar
View
Elements
Info Bar
The global elements that appear on all Realtime Rack screens

View Elements

The View elements that appear in the main area of each View screen (items not within the Main Column, Meter Bridge, Chan­nels Bar, or Info Bar) depend on the View that is currently se­lected. All View elements are described in the View sections later in this chapter.

Main Column

The Main Column is used to choose the current View and navi­gate available options within the View. The Main Column con­tains the View Menu and the View Options, as shown at right.
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 4: Realtime Rack Application 50
Main
Column
View
Menu
View
Options
View Menu
The six main Views can be accessed with the View Menu. To ac­cess any View, click the View Menu at the top of the Main Column, and select a View from the drop menu, as shown at right.
View Options
The View Options are buttons used to activate various control func­tions within each View. The View Options displayed are contextual; the options change when a different View is selected.
Bank Views
Bank Views are Views that display multiple channels at once. In­serts, Gains, and Delay Groups are the three Bank Views. The Bank Views are grouped within the View Menu; they are not separated by a divider line.
Tip: On any screen, click the Meter Bridge to quickly return to the last selected Bank View.
Quit
The View Menu
At the bottom of the View Menu is the QUIT option. Choose QUIT to close the application. The Command+Q keyboard shortcut can also be used to quit.
Column Placement
By default, the Main Column is at the left side of all screens. However, its place­ment can be moved to the right side of all screens, by setting the preference at View Menu>Settings>Display Tab>COLUMN LOCATION.
The Main Column as it appears when positioned on the right side of the screen
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Meter Bridge

The Meter Bridge is always displayed across the top of all screens. The Meter Bridge contains Input Meters for all MADI channels in the system and can be used for naviga­tion within Realtime Rack.
Mono
Channel
Meter
Stereo
Channel
Meter
Bank Bar
(blue)
Signal
Present
(green)
No
Signal
(black)
MADI Channel
Number
Channel
Input Level
Meters
The Meter Bridge elements as displayed with a 16-channel (single unit) system
Input Meters
Each vertical green meter indicates input signals that are present in the associated MADI channel. The Meter Bridge automatically expands to display additional MADI channels when two, three, and/or four Realtime Rack hardware units are connected to the system.
Tip: Single-click the input meters to enter the most recently selected bank view.
Additional (empty) MADI channels can be manually added to the Meter Bridge by click­ing the “+” button at View Menu>Settings>Hardware Tab. This provision is typically used to add empty MADI channels so offline setups can be configured.
Mono/Stereo
A dual/split meter indicates two channels are stereo linked. When a dual/split meter is shown, the meter represents the left and right channels of the stereo signal.
Bank Bar
The blue Bank Bar visually represents all channels in the Current Bank. The Bank Bar is used for Current Bank navigation within all View screens. For details, see page 54.
Meter Bridge Navigation
The Meter Bridge can be used as shortcuts for the functions below:
• Jump to any channel – Double click any channel’s Input Meter in the Meter Bridge to jump directly to Channel View and select the channel.
To return to Bank View:
• Return to Bank View – Single click anywhere in the Input Meters area to return to the previously selected Bank View (Inserts, Gains, or Delay Groups).
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Channels Bar

The Channels Bar is used for channel navigation and to quickly select channels for editing. Refer to the illustration below for descriptions in this section.
Current Bank
Stereo (linked) Channel
Channel
Select
Buttons
Channel Name & Number
Selected
Channel
(blue button)
(channels within the Bank Bar)
Bank Bar (blue)
Unselected
Channel
(gray buttons)
The Channels Bar elements as displayed with a Bank Size of 8 channels
Current Bank
The Current Bank is a subset of all available MADI channels. Channels contained within the Current Bank are represented by the Channel Select buttons and the thin blue Bank Bar.
The Current Bank is changed with the Bank Bar. The number of Current Bank channels can be changed via the Bank Size setting.
Bank Size
The number of channels displayed simultaneously in the Current Bank is determined by the Bank Size preference, which is set in View Menu>Settings>Display Tab>BANK SIZE.
Channel Select Buttons
The Channel Select buttons represent all Current Bank channels. The Channel Select buttons are displayed in all Bank Views (Inserts, Gains, and Delay Groups).
The Channel Select buttons can be used to quickly put any Current Bank channel into Channel View for loading, editing, and saving plug-in settings.
Tip: Single-click any bank channel select button to enter Channel View and select the channel for plug-in editing.
Channel Number & Name
The channel number and name is displayed in each Channel Select button. If no chan­nel name has been entered, only the channel number is displayed. The channel number cannot be modified.
Channels are named in Channel View by clicking the channel’s Channel Name Button within the Main Column, then entering a name in the name field that appears.
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Selected Channel
The currently selected channel within the Current Bank is highlighted by a blue Channel Select button. Functions in Channel View are always performed on the selected channel.
Bank Bar
The blue Bank Bar represents all channels in the Current Bank. The Bank Bar is used for Current Bank navigation within all View screens.
Bank Navigation
The Bank Bar is used to change the Current Bank. Any of the following methods can be used to navigate available channels:
• Drag – Drag the Bank Bar, or anywhere in the Input Meters area, with the mouse to change the current bank. With this method, the current bank can be shifted by one or more channels.
• Click Input Meter – Single click any channel’s green input meter to switch directly to the bank that contains the channel. With this method, the number of channels shifted is determined by the BANK SIZE setting.
• Arrow keys – When the Bank Bar has keyboard focus, use the left/right arrow keys to shift the current bank. With this method, the number of channels shifted is determined by the BANK SIZE setting.
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 4: Realtime Rack Application 54

Info Bar

The Info Bar is always displayed in all screens, providing visual information and access to options that are critical in performance environments.
Refer to the illustration below for all Info Bar descriptions in this section.
Active Tempo (BPM)
Display & Menu
Resource Display
(UAD plug-in gauges)
Operating Mode
(Edit or Safe)
Active Snapshot
(italics=modified)
Clock Source
Display & Menu
Elements within the Info Bar
The Tempo and Operating Mode controls can only be accessed via the Info Bar. All other controls are also available elsewhere in the application. The Resource Display has no controls (it is a visual indicator only).
Info Bar Placement
By default, the Info Bar is at the bottom of all screens. However, its placement can be moved to the top of all screens, by setting the preference at View Menu>Settings>Display Tab>INFO LOCATION.
Info Bar Elements
The Info Bar contains the five main elements below. All elements are described in greater detail later in this section.
• Operating Mode – Displays the active Operating Mode (either EDIT or SAFE). Click this area to switch modes.
• Active Snapshot – Displays the Active Snapshot name. If the snapshot has been modified since it was loaded, the name is displayed in italics. If the Snapshot was loaded via a Soundcraft Vi Console, the name is “[SOUNDCRAFT CUE].”
Tip: Click this area to switch to Snapshots View to load and/or save Snapshots.
• Clock Source – Displays the active clock source (MADI, Word Clock, or Internal). Click this area to select a different clock source from the drop menu. This area flashes red if the currently selected clock is not detected (when digital audio is not synchronized).
• Active Tempo – Displays the tempo, in beats per minute (BPM), used by UAD plug-ins that are set to use Tempo Sync. Click this area to enter or tap a different tempo.
• Resource Meters – Displays resource loads used by UAD plug-ins. This allows you to monitor UAD loads as needed, for example when deciding which UAD plug-ins to load, based upon how much DSP is available.
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 4: Realtime Rack Application 55
Operating Mode
Realtime Rack has two switched operating modes: EDIT and SAFE.
EDIT Mode
Edit mode is typically used for setup and configuration. Edit mode allows all functional­ity, no matter how potentially destructive, to be executed.
Ideally, settings that can only be modified in Edit mode are used before a live perfor­mance to minimize the risk of level changes, clicks/pops, or other audio artifacts that could occur with some operations.
SAFE Mode
Specific parameters and/or functionality are inactive or disabled in Safe mode. This mode is typically used during live performance to prevent inadvertent changes that could significantly impact the audio. See the table on page 57 for the specific Safe mode constraints.
Operating Mode Display
The active Operating Mode is displayed at the far left of the Info Bar. The appearance of each active mode is shown at right.
Note: The Info Bar is the only area within Realtime Rack where the Operating Mode can be viewed or changed.
Changing the active operating mode
To switch the active operating mode, single click anywhere in the Operating Mode display element at the left of the Info Bar. Execution occurs as follows:
• Edit mode to Safe mode – When EDIT mode is active, clicking the operating mode display instantly switches Realtime Rack into Safe mode.
• Safe mode to Edit mode – When SAFE mode is active, clicking the operating mode area presents a confirmation dialog to pre­vent inadvertent mode switching. Click OK in the dialog to confirm the change and enter Edit mode.
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 4: Realtime Rack Application 56
Safe Mode Constraints
View screen operations that cannot be executed in Safe mode are detailed in the table below.
Caution: When Safe mode is active, Snapshots can still be recalled, which can
potentially overwrite current plug-in assignments and cause audio artifacts during live a performance.
View Screen SAFE Mode Constraint
•Plug-in REMOVE, MOVE, and COPY/PASTE modifiers are hidden
INSERTS
GAINS •Stereo LINK/UNLINK buttons are hidden
DELAY GROUPS
CHANNEL
SETTINGS • Sample Rate, Clock Source, and MADI Channels cannot be modified INFO BAR •Clock Source cannot be modified
•Empty plug-in inserts are hidden
•ASSIGN mode is disabled
•Latency compensation engine cannot be modified (existing settings persist)
•Delay Group buttons are hidden (existing groups persist)
•Channel ASSIGN tab is hidden
•Plug-ins cannot be added or removed
•Channel PRESETS tab is hidden (when in Channel Strip mode)
•New Channel Strip presets cannot be added or removed
Snapshot Display
The Snapshot Display shows the filename of the Active Snapshot.
A Snapshot is a complete Realtime Rack configuration file, containing all parameter values within the application. Snapshots are typically used for total session recall. Snapshots can also be recalled directly within the Soundcraft Vi console via Ethernet.
Italic Snapshot Name
Whenever the active snapshot is modified from its last saved state, the Snapshot name is displayed in italics, as shown at right.
Tip: Type Command+S at any time to save the current state of the existing Snap­shot to disk (overwriting the existing file; note this operation cannot be undone), or type Shift+Command+S to save the Snapshot as a new disk file.
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 4: Realtime Rack Application 57
Soundcraft CUE Name
When a Snapshot is loaded remotely from a Sound­craft Vi Console (via Ethernet), the Active Snapshot is overwritten. When this occurs, [SOUNDCRAFT CUE] is displayed, as shown at right.
Caution: When a Snapshot CUE is loaded from a Soundcraft Vi Console, the Active
Snapshot is overwritten, any unsaved changes are lost, and audio artifacts could occur.
Clock Display
The Clock Display has three functions: It shows the currently se­lected clock source, facilitates selection of a different clock source, and indicates when the selected clock source signal is not detect­ed.
Clock Source Menu
Realtime Rack can synchronize to external MADI clock, external word clock, or Internal clock. To select a clock source, click any­where in the clock display area to view the clock source pop-up menu (shown at right), then select a clock source from the menu.
Tip: The clock source can also be specified in View Menu>Settings>Hardware Tab>CLOCK SOURCE.
In typical use, Realtime Rack should be set to MADI clock (the default value) for syn­chronization with the digital audio from/to the Soundcraft Vi console.
Note: The Clock Source cannot be modified in SAFE mode.
No External Clock
If the Clock Source setting in not set to Internal and the external clock signal cannot be detected and/or resolved, then the text in the Clock Display display flashes RED (shown at right) until a valid clock is detected and/or an alternate clock source is selected. If this occurs, verify con­nections and external device settings.
Important: Only one device in a digital audio system can be the master clock
source. The Realtime Rack clock setting, and the sample rate, must match the MADI device settings or audio artifacts could occur.
No Hardware Detected
If the Realtime Rack hardware unit(s) is not properly connected and/or the software is not properly installed, the clock source will display OFFLINE as shown at right.
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 4: Realtime Rack Application 58
Tempo Display
This area displays the tempo value of the Active Snapshot in BPM (beats per minute) and facilitates selection of a different tempo.
The tempo value is used by time-based UAD plug-ins (such as delays and echos) that are set to use their Tempo Sync features. For details about how to use UAD plug-ins with this feature, see “Tempo Sync” on page 138.
The Tempo value is stored within the Snapshot; therefore each Snapshot can contain a unique tempo. The available tempo range is from 1.00 BPM to 999.00 BPM. The de­fault tempo of a new Snapshot is 120 BPM.
Changing tempo values within the tempo dialog
The tempo can be changed within the tempo dialog by entering a text value or using the tap tempo feature.
To view the tempo dialog (shown at right), click anywhere in the Tempo Display within the Info Bar.
Tip: To leave the tempo unchanged after entering an (unwanted) value in the dialog, press the ESC key or click Cancel with the mouse.
Text Entry
1. Open the tempo dialog by clicking the tempo display in the Info Bar
2. Type a numeric tempo value
3. Press Return or Enter, or click OK with the mouse.
Tap Tempo: QWERTY keyboard
1. Open the tempo dialog by clicking the tempo display in the Info Bar
2. Press the Tab key once to focus the TAP button (yellow outline)
3. Press the “t” key at least four times to establish the tempo
4. Press Return or Enter.
Tap Tempo: Mouse
1. Open the tempo dialog by clicking the tempo display in the Info Bar
2. With the mouse, click the TAP button at least four times to establish the tempo
3. Click the OK button.
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Changing tempo values via MIDI
Tap tempo can be used to set a new tempo from incoming MIDI that are received via the Mac OS X operating system. This method requires any external MIDI hardware and/or MIDI software that is recognized by Audio MIDI Setup (which is Mac OS X’s MIDI routing utility application (located in /Applications/Utilities).
About external MIDI tap tempo control
• Audio MIDI Setup must be configured before Realtime Rack is launched. After it is properly configured, Audio MIDI Setup does not need to remain open.
• MIDI note values or MIDI controller values can be used as the data source.
• Realtime Rack cannot synchronize the tempo to incoming MIDI beat clock.
MIDI configuration/setup
1. Before Realtime Rack is opened, verify the MIDI output device and/or MIDI soft­ware is configured properly and active in Audio MIDI Setup.
2. In the View Menu>Settings>MIDI Tab (page 116), set the values for MIDI DE­VICE, MIDI CHANNEL, DATA TYPE, and DATA VALUE to match the transmitted MIDI data.
3. Transmit the MIDI note or controller (as specified in the previous step) at least four times to establish the tempo. The Tempo Display is RED during this period.
4. After a new tempo value is established, the new tempo is used and the Tempo Display changes back to BLACK. Simply retransmit the MIDI data to apply further tempo updates.
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 4: Realtime Rack Application 60
Resource Display
UAD plug-in loads are shown in the Resource Display at the far right of the Info Bar. These three meters (DSP, PGM, and MEM) provide important visual feedback in realtime, by helping to determine which plug-ins to load if available UAD resources are limited.
Program Memory Meter
DSP Meter Memory Meter
The Resource Display within the Info Bar
The Resource Display mirrors the meters within the UAD Meter & Control Panel applica­tion. The details provided in this section is a subset of more complete explanations that are available in “Chapter 5: UAD Meter & Control Panel” beginning on page 121.
UAD Resource Loads
The green bar graph of each meter, and its percentage, represent the amount of the re­source that is currently used. 100% is the maximum possible load.
Averaged Loads
The load for each meter represents the average for all UAD devices in use. For example, if one Realtime Rack hardware unit is installed, the DSP load is an average of the four SHARC DSP processors in the unit. If two units are installed, then the loads of all eight processors are averaged.
Channel Loads
All UAD plug-ins in a single channel must fit on a single DSP. Therefore it is possible to get a “plug-in was unable to load” message when attempting load a plug-in or in a chan­nel that does not have enough UAD resources, even if the Resource Display indicates enough overall resources are available.
Static Loads
Realtime Rack uses UAD DSP and memory for its internal DSP mixer, therefore the meters will indicate loads (when the hardware is connected) even if UAD plug-ins are not loaded.
Individual Device Loads
The loads of individual devices in a multi-unit setup, and the individual DSP loads within a single unit) can be viewed in the System Information panel within the UAD Meter & Control Panel application.
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 4: Realtime Rack Application 61
UAD Plug-Ins Loads
The amount of UAD resources used by UAD plug-ins vary with each individual plug-in; more complex algorithms require more resources.
The amount of DSP used by each individual UAD plug-in is available in the UAD in­stance count chart. The chart can help determine which to plug-ins to assign with avail­able resources. The chart is published online at:
• www.uaudio.com/support/uad/compatibility/instance-chart.html
DSP
The DSP meter displays the amount of digital signal processing resources that are be­ing used by Realtime Rack. DSP is the primary hardware resource that powers the UAD Powered Plug-In algorithms.
Note: When UAD plug-ins are disabled, DSP requirements are decreased EXCEPT when the plug-in is disabled using the Power control within the plug-in interface.
Program
This resource shows how much program memory (PGM) is in use. Program memory is an on-chip memory that is specific to the SHARC processor(s) and is used for certain UAD plug-in resources.
Each unique UAD plug-in uses a bit of program memory. If many different plug-ins are loaded simultaneously, it is possible for this resource to run out before a DSP overload occurs. This point is considered and factored in by automatic load balancing routines.
Memory
The Memory (MEM) meters indicate the amount of Realtime Rack hardware RAM that is currently in use.
Memory is used for echo, delay lines, reverb, and similar spatial processing. When UAD plug-ins are disabled but not unloaded, memory requirements are not decreased. In this case, the memory remains loaded so that reverb tails and delay lines are not cut off when the plug-in is disabled.
Realtime Rack Manual Chapter 4: Realtime Rack Application 62

Inserts View

Inserts View displays an overview of the current state of all inserts within all channels within the Current Bank. An insert is a single slot, within a single channel, where UAD plug-ins are instantiated.
This view is where plug-ins can be very rapidly disabled, moved, removed, copied, and isolated using the Inserts Options. All Inserts View functions are detailed in this section.
Inserts Option
Buttons
Channel
Column
Disabled Insert
(red/italic)
Active Insert
(light gray)
Inactive Insert
(blue/italic)
Empty
Insert Slot
(+)
Channel
Insert
Slots
Channel
Output Meters

Current Bank Channels

Above: The main elements within Inserts View
Inserts View is one of the three Bank Views. If Inserts View is active then a non-Bank View (Channel, Snapshots, or Settings) is activated, single-clicking the input meters in the Meter Bridge will return to Inserts View.
Current Bank Channels
Inserts View displays all channels in the Current Bank. The Current Bank is defined by, and navigated with, the blue Bank Bar within the Meter Bridge.
Tip: To change the active bank channels, focus the Bank Bar via the Tab key then use the left/right arrow keys, or drag the Bank Bar with the mouse.
Bank Size
The total number of channels displayed concurrently in the active bank is a preference specified in View Menu>Settings>Display Tab>BANK SIZE.
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Channel Column

The channel column provides an overview of the plug-in state of a single channel, and all channels in the bank are displayed con­currently. All UAD plug-ins loaded in the channel are displayed here, along with an output meter for the channel.
Note: The number of displayed channel columns is defined by the bank size setting in Settings View.
Insert Slots
The insert slots indicate the current status of each plug-in, and provide a shortcut to Channel View, where the individual plug­ins are manipulated. Up to eight slots are available within each channel to facilitate serial signal processing.
Tip: Click anywhere in any empty column space to jump to Channel View for assigning and editing plug-ins in the slot.
Channel Signal Flow
Audio signals in a channel flow through the inserts serially from top to bottom. Therefore, if more than one plug-in is inserted in a channel, the location of a plug-in within the inserts can impact the sound of the channel. Inserts can be re-ordered in Channels
View to change the serial processing order.
State Indication
Populated insert slots contain a thumbnail image of the UAD plug-in that is loaded in the slot. The state of loaded plug-ins within each insert slot can be determined by the background color of the slot, as follows:
Active (light gray) – The plug-in is active and processing audio.
Inactive (dark blue) – The plug-in has been disabled by the
power button in Channel View, and the plug-in name is italicized (the EMT 140 slot at right indicates this state).
Channel column with
populated insert slots
Note: Disabling a plug-in via the power control within its GUI interface (versus the Power button in Channel View) does not change the background color or italicize the name.
Disabled (red) – The plug-in is disabled because there is not enough UAD resources, it is unlicensed and the demo has expired, and/or the UAD authorization needs updating. The plug-in name is also italicized. The EP-34 slot at right indicates this state.
Empty (+) – The slot is not populated with a plug-in. Click the”+” symbol to switch to Channel View and insert a plug-in into the slot.
Tip: Click anywhere in any empty column space to insert a plug-in at that location.
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Output Meter – This meter displays the signal level at the output of the channel (after all plug-in processing in the channel).

Inserts Options Overview

The Inserts Options (in the Main Column, below the View Menu) en­able various operations to be performed on the plug-ins displayed within Inserts View.
The option operations are accomplished by selecting an option to latch the function, executing the operation(s) using Modifiers, then exiting the latched function.
Option Latch
When an Inserts Option button is activated, the button flashes blue, indicating that the function is latched and ready to be executed.
Option Unlatch
The latched option is unlatched (the button stops flashing blue) when:
• Any option button is activated (same or different)
The Inserts
Options buttons
• A different View screen is activated
• No operations are executed during the Timeout Length
Timeout Length
When an option is latched, it is automatically unlatched (times out) after the Timeout Length to prevent inadvertent modifications. The Timeout Length is a preference set in View Menu>Settings>Display Tab>TIMEOUT LENGTH. The default Timeout Length is six seconds.
Modifiers
Modifiers are icons superimposed on various elements when an option is latched. Modi­fiers are used to execute the operations. The specific modifiers that appear, and where they are located, depend upon the specific option that is latched.
Inserts modifiers are superimposed on insert slots, and smaller column modifiers are su­perimposed on the Channel Select buttons within the Channels Bar, as shown in the next screenshot.
Modifier Swipe Shortcuts
Modifier functions can be executed extremely rapidly across many channels and/or insert slots in the current bank using the swipe shortcuts. When an Insert Option is latched, click+hold the mouse, then drag vertically and/or horizontally across channels and/or inserts to perform the function on all inserts that are swiped.
Tip: The Modifier swipe shortcuts are (by far) the fastest way to perform the same function on multiple inserts (for example, as compared to equivalent functions in Channel View).
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Inserts View showing the modifiers that appear when the move option is latched. Swipe
across channels and/or insert slots to rapidly perform the function on many inserts.

Inserts Option Descriptions

The functions of each Insert Option are detailed below. The descriptions and screenshots are applicable when the option button is latched (blue).
Note: All UAD plug-ins within a single channel must fit on a single DSP. Therefore it is possible to get a “plug-in was unable to load” message when attempting to move or paste a plug-in or channel strip to a channel that does not have enough UAD resources, even if the Resource Display indicates enough overall resources are available.
Most Inserts Options are only available in EDIT mode. The Power and Isolate options are available in SAFE mode.
Important: Insert Option operations cannot be undone.
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Power
The Power option deactivates an individual plug-in within a single insert slot. When deactivated, the plug­in no longer uses UAD DSP resources. Click the modi­fier to change the power state.
When Power is latched, deactivated plug-ins are in­dicated by a red modifier, and active plug-ins have a green modifier.
Caution: Because this function unloads and loads the plug-in from the DSP, audio
artifacts can occur if the power state is changed while audio is being processed by the plug-in. To disable individual plug-in processing without audio artifacts, use the power control within the plug-in interface in Channel View instead (however, the interface control method does not reduce DSP loads).
Remove
The Remove option permanently deletes the plug-in from the insert slot. When Remove is latched, click the modifier to delete the plug-in.
Important: If the plug-in settings are modified and
unsaved in a preset, the modified settings are lost with this function (Remove cannot be undone).
Caution: Because this function unloads the plug-in from the DSP, audio artifacts
can occur if a plug-in is removed while audio is being processed by the plug-in.
Move
The Move option is used to move an individual plug-in (and its active settings) from one insert slot to another insert slot in any channel within the Current Bank.
Move can also be used to move a complete channel strip (all plug-ins in the channel column) from one channel to another channel within the Current Bank.
Move Individual Plug-In
When Move is latched, drag any insert modifier to move the plug-in to another slot. If a plug-in exists in the destination slot, the existing plug-in is bumped to a different slot within the same channel.
Move Channel Strip within same bank
When Move is latched, drag any column modifier to another channel to move the all plug-ins in the source column to the destination column.
Caution: If plug-ins exist in the destination channel, all existing plug-ins in the
destination channel are deleted. Move operations cannot be undone.
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Copy
The Copy option is used to duplicate an individual plug-in or complete channel strip, and their active set­tings.
Copy can be performed from one insert slot to another insert slot (on the same or a different channel), or from one channel to another channel, within the Current Bank.
Note: To copy settings to a channel that is not within the current bank, use the channels presets function available within Channel View.
Copy is a two step process. First the insert or channel strip is copied, then the copied data is pasted to the destination insert or channel.
Tip: After copying, the copied modifier remains superimposed on the source ele­ment, as an indicator of the data that resides in the copy/paste buffer.
Paste
After any insert or channel strip is copied, the Copy button changes to Paste. To paste the copied data, click any insert slot and the copied data is placed in the destination. The copied data can be pasted to multiple destinations as long as the paste option remains latched.
Caution: If plug-in or channel strip exists in the paste destination(s), existing
plug-ins or channel strips in the destination(s) are deleted. Paste operations can­not be undone.
Copy Individual Plug-In
When Copy is latched, click any insert modifier to copy the plug-in, then click one or more destinations while the paste button is latched.
Copy Channel Strip
When Copy is latched, click any column modifier to copy the channel strip, then click one or more bank channel select buttons while the paste button is latched.
Note: When copying channel strips, the channel’s input and output gain settings are also copied/pasted to maintain consistent signal levels.
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Isolate
Isolate prevents a channel’s active settings from being modified when a Snapshot (a Re­altime Rack configuration file) is loaded.
Isolate is typically used to prevent channel adjustments made during a live performance from being overwritten by Snapshot changes.
When Isolate is latched, click any column modifier to isolate the channel. Click again to de-isolate the channel.
When a channel is isolated, the text “[ISO]” appears beneath the bank channel name in the Meter Bridge.
Tip: Channel isolations can also be set in Gains View.
The Isolate modifiers and text indication
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Gains View

Gains
Option
Buttons
Link & Unlink
Buttons
Current Bank Channels
Channel
Column
Gain
Faders
Gain
Elements
(faders+others)
Linked
Channel
(stereo)
Unlinked
Channel
(mono)
Gains View displays input/output gain level controls, and signal input/output level me­ters, for all channels within the Current Bank. Channels can also be stereo linked and unlinked in this view.
Refer to the illustration below for all Gains View functions detailed in this section.
The main elements within Gains view

Bank View

Gains View is one of the three Bank Views. If Gains View is active then a non-Bank View (Channel, Snapshots, or Settings) is activated, single-clicking the input meters in the Meter Bridge will return to Gains View.
Channel Column
The channel column can display input channels, output channels, or both input and out­put channels, depending on the Gains Option that is specified.
Bank Channels
Like all Bank Views, the number of channel columns displayed in Gains View is defined by the Current Bank, which can be changed by moving the blue Bank Bar in the Chan­nels Bar.
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Gain Elements

Each input and output channel has its own set of gain controls and indicators. Refer to the illustration below for descriptions of the elements that follow.
I/O
Type
Display
Fader
Handle
Link
Button
Unlinked
Channel
(mono)
Channel Number & Name
The gain elements
Linked
Channel
(stereo)
Gain
Value
Display
Gain Fader
&
Level Meter
Unlink
Button
I/O Type
The IN or OUT text is a label that indicates whether the gain controls are for an input channel or an output channel. Each row of gain controls is always of the same. If the BOTH option is active, input gain controls are above the output controls.
Gain Value
This field displays the current gain setting in dB, with one-tenth dB resolution. The value is changed by moving the fader handle.
Gain Fader
The gain faders are used to set the gain of the I/O channels. Drag the fader handle to change the gain value.
The available gain range for all I/O gain faders is from –INF dB to 12 dB. The default value is 0 dB (unity gain).
Tip: Option+click any gain fader (or anywhere within a channel column) to set its gain to 0 dB. This operation cannot be undone.
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Input Faders
The input faders adjust the level of the MADI signal before plug-in processing.
Tip: By adjusting the input gain, different sonics can be obtained with UAD plug­in emulations that have (desirable) non-linear input distortion characteristics.
Output Faders
The output faders adjust the level of the MADI signal after plug-in processing. Output ad­justments are convenient to compensate for overall level changes that may occur within a plug-in or channel strip.
Fader Handle
Gain values are adjusted with this control. Click+drag the handle down to lower the gain, or up to increase the gain.
Level Meter
The digital signal level of the channel is represented here in green, using standard digital peak metering. The top of the meter range indicates 0 dBFS (digital full scale). The top bar glows RED when 0 dBFS is exceeded (when digital clipping has occurred).
Note: The fader handles are superimposed on the level meters. Therefore, the signal may appear above the handle position.
Input Meters
The input meters are pre-fader. The incoming MADI channel’s signal level is displayed.
Output Meters
The output meters display the MADI channel’s output level after plug-in processing but before the output fader (post plug-ins, pre-fader).
Channel Number & Name
The channel number and name is displayed here. If no channel name has been entered, only the channel number is displayed (the channel number cannot be modified).
Tip: Channels are named in Channel View by clicking the channel’s number/name box within the Main Column, then entering a name in the name field that appears.
Link/Unlink
Two adjacent channels can be combined into a stereo pair. When channels are linked, any control adjustments will affect both channels of the stereo signal identically.
Note: The link and unlink cannot be performed in SAFE mode. The link/unlink buttons are hidden when SAFE mode is active.
Tip: Channels can also be linked/unlinked in Channel View by clicking the chan­nel’s number/name box within the main column.
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Activating Link
Stereo pairs are created by clicking the LINK button between two adjacent channels.
Caution: When Link is activated, all channel and plug-in settings in the right
channel are overwritten by the plug-ins and gains in the left channel. This opera­tion cannot be undone.
When Link is activated:
• The LINK button text changes to UNLINK
• One set of controls is available for the stereo channel
• All current control settings of the left channel are copied to the right channel
• All inserted plug-ins in the left channel are converted to stereo (parameter values
are retained)
• The level meter changes to a stereo level meter
Link Deactivation
The stereo pair is separated back into individual channels by clicking the UNLINK but­ton. When LINK is deactivated, all current control settings and inserted plug-ins for the stereo channel are copied to both resulting mono channels.
Link Constraint
Odd-numbered channels can only be linked to the next even-numbered channel (for ex­ample, channel 1 can be linked to channel 2, but channel 2 cannot be linked to channel
3).

Gains Options

The Gains Options (in the Main Column, below the View Menu) enable various views to be changed, and operations to be performed, on the channels displayed within Gains View.
View Options
The Inputs, Outputs, and Both options change the I/O channels that are displayed. They do not use latching or modifiers.
Note: One of the view options is always active, including when a latched option is being performed.
Latched Options
The Default and Isolate option operations are accomplished by select­ing the option to latch the function, executing the operation(s), then exiting the function.
The Gains
Options buttons
These latched options use the same methodology as Inserts View. For complete details about latched operations, see “Option Latch” on page 65.
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Inputs
When the Inputs option is active (when the button is blue), only the input gains are dis­played. This option enables increased resolution of the gain faders and level meters by increasing the vertical space devoted to the input channels (versus the Both option).
Outputs
When the Outputs option is active (when the button is blue), only the output gains are displayed.
Tip: The Inputs and Outputs view options enable increased resolution of the gain faders and level meters by increasing the vertical size of these elements.
Both
This view option displays all input and output gains in the Current Bank. The vertical size of the gain faders is reduced in this view.
Default
This option facilitates the ability to quickly set one or more displayed gain levels to 0 dB (unity gain). When the Default button is latched, click any gain fader (or anywhere within a channel column) to set its gain to 0 dB.
Note that gain values can be returned to 0 dB without using the Default option. To set a gain value to 0 dB within any screen in Gains View or Channel View, option+click any gain fader.
Important: Gain changes using either of these methods cannot be undone.
Isolate
Isolate prevents a channel’s active settings from being modi­fied when a Snapshot (a Real­time Rack configuration file) is loaded.
Isolate is typically used to pre­vent channel adjustments made during a live performance from being overwritten by Snapshot changes.
When Isolate is latched, click any column modifier to isolate the channel. Click again to de­isolate the channel.
When a channel is isolated, the text “[ISO]” appears beneath the bank channel name in the Channels Bar.
Tip: Channel isolations can also be set in Inserts View.
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Delay Groups View

Delay
Group
Options
Output Meters
Current Bank Channels
Channel
Column
Samples
Display
Active
Delay Group
Display
Active
Delay Group
(all blue buttons)
Delay
Group
Buttons
Inactive
Delay Group
(all gray buttons)
Delay Groups are latency compensation tools used to maintain phase alignment across multiple channels when upsampled UAD plug-ins are used in Realtime Rack.
Refer to the illustration below for element descriptions in this section.
The elements within Delay Groups View

Bank View

Delay Groups View is one of the three Bank Views. If Delay Groups View is active then a non-Bank View (Channel, Snapshots, or Settings) is activated, single-clicking the input meters in the Meter Bridge will return to Delay Groups View.
Channel Column
The elements displayed in the Channel Column is the same for all channels in the Cur­rent Bank, and varies depending on the currently selected Delay Group Option.
Bank Channels
Like all Bank Views, the number of channel columns displayed in Delay Groups View is defined by the Current Bank, which can be changed by moving the thin blue Bank Bar within the Channels Bar.
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Delay Groups Overview

Upsampled UAD plug-ins
Some UAD plug-ins are upsampled, meaning their internal sample rate is increased to achieve sonic design goals. When upsampled UAD plug-ins are loaded in Realtime Rack, additional latency delay is induced in the channel(s) using the plug-in(s).
Although the delay added by each upsampled UAD plug-in is negligible (typically be­tween 0-140 samples, depending on the plug-in and sample rate), this extra delay can affect output phase coherency.
For example, if two microphones are used on an acoustic source (such as a drum kit) and an upsampled plug-in is used on one of the mic channels but not the other, the phase of the two mic channels will no longer be aligned.
Note: For the list of upsampled UAD plug-ins and their specific latency values, see the “Upsampling Values Table” on page 81.
How Delay Groups work
Delay Groups automatically add small amounts of delay to each channel in the group that are not delayed by upsampled plug-ins, so all channels in the group are still phase aligned. In other words, all channels in the Delay Group are delayed by the same amount.
Note that the amount of delay added by the Delay Group engine is automatic. Only the minimum amount of delay actually required to compensate the channel(s) is dynami­cally applied, maintaining the lowest possible latency required for phase alignment at all times.
Up to 16 unique Delay Groups can be configured. For specific instructions, see “Config-
uring Delay Groups” on page 79.
When To Use Delay Groups
Delay Groups are required to maintain channel phase alignment only when both of these conditions are met:
1. Multiple Realtime Rack channels are used for a single source (such as a drum kit using multiple microphones), and
2. Any of those source channels contain upsampled UAD plug-ins.
Latency compensation using Delay Groups is not needed for any these conditions (when phase coherency is not imperative):
• When upsampled plug-ins are not used on the same source
• When upsampled plug-ins are used on different sources
System Latency
Overall system throughput latency with Realtime Rack is 73 samples when no plug-ins are assigned (and also through non-upsampled plug-ins).
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Delay Groups Options

The Delay Groups Options (in the Main Column, below the View Menu) change which Delay Group buttons are displayed and changes the amount of delay compensation that is available.
Delay Group Button Selectors
These buttons determine which Delay Group buttons are displayed in the main screen area. Click these option buttons to display a different set of Delay Group buttons.
The number of buttons that appear here, and their labels (1–8, 9–16, etc), depend on the vertical resolution (pixel count) of the computer’s display.
Higher resolution displays can show more Delay Group buttons simultaneously, therefore fewer Delay Group buttons are shown in the Main Column in this case. With lower resolu­tion displays, less space is available for the Delay Group buttons, so more Main Column buttons are available to switch between them.
Compensation Menu
This drop menu determines the maximum compensation delay, in samples, that is avail­able for each channel. Click the menu and select any value to change the setting.
The Delay Groups
Options
Compensation Values
The available Compensation values are listed in the table below.
Delay Group Compensation Values
Setting Name Maximum Available Delay
Per Channel (samples)
OFF (Default) 0
SHORT 100
MEDIUM 200
LONG 1000
UAD Resource Usage
Use these guidelines when selecting values from the Compensation Menu:
• Off – When set to OFF, the delay compensation engine is disabled and the Delay Group buttons are hidden.
• DSP – Delay Groups use a small percentage of DSP resources. To maximize DSP resource availability for UAD plug-ins, only use Delay Groups when necessary.
• Memory – Longer Compensation values use more Memory resources. To maximize Memory resource availability for UAD plug-ins, only the smallest value required. Although UAD Memory resources are typically not constrained, it is possible if many time-based plug-ins (reverbs and delays) are active.
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Delay Compensation Exceeded
If the maximum available delay compensation amount is exceeded on a channel when inserting an upsampled plug-in, a notification dialog appears. To maintain phase align­ment if this occurs, either increase the Compensation Menu value or reduce upsampled plug-ins usage on the channel.

Delay Groups Elements

Refer to the illustration on page 75 for descriptions in this section.
Active Delay Group Display
The Delay Group that the channel currently belongs to is always displayed here. If the channel is not contained within any Delay Group, “Off” is dis­played here and the channel is not delay compensated.
A Delay Group number is displayed here by clicking one of the channel’s numbered Delay Group buttons below the display.
Note: A channel cannot belong to more than one Delay Group.
Delay Group Buttons
There are 16 numbered Delay Group buttons and one OFF button for each channel. Each Delay Group button represents one of the 16 available Delay Groups.
Note: All Delay Group buttons are hidden when the Com­pensation Menu value is set to OFF.
To add a channel to any Delay Group, click the numbered Delay Group button in the Channel Column. The button is highlighted in blue and the number is reflected in the Active Delay Group display at the top of the channel column.
Note that unless the display monitor has a very high vertical resolution (pixel count), all Delay Group buttons for an individual channel are not displayed concurrently. To view the Delay Group buttons that are not currently visible, use the Delay Group Option buttons in the Main Column.
Samples Display
The Samples display shows the sum of all extra samples (the total latency delay amount) incurred by all upsampled plug-ins inserted in the channel. If a channel is contained within a Delay Group, all channels within the same Delay Group will display the same value, confirming the Delay Group chan­nels are phase aligned.
Note: The Samples Display only shows delay added by upsampled plug-ins. They do not reflect the overall system throughput delay of 73 samples that is inherent on all Realtime Rack channels.
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Output Meter
The Output Meter displays the MADI channel’s output level after plug-in pro­cessing but before the output fader (post plug-ins, pre-fader).
The channel number and name are also displayed here. The channel name’s proximity to the Samples display facilitates confirmation that related channels are being delay compensated by the same amount.
Configuring Delay Groups
To setup one or more Delay Groups, follow these instructions:
1. Determine if phase alignment is required for two or more channels. Typically, only channels used for the same source need to be phase aligned. For background information, see “When To Use Delay Groups” on page 76.
2. Make note of which channels require phase alignment (for example, all the chan­nel numbers/names used for the drum kit microphones).
3. Enable the delay compensation engine by setting the Compensation Menu to any value except OFF (off is the default value).
4. Display the Delay Group buttons for the Delay Group to be used by clicking any View Option button in the Main Column. This step is necessary only if the Delay Groups displayed by default are already in use.
5. Add all noted channels to the same Delay Group by clicking the same numbered Delay Group button for each noted channel. The selected buttons are highlighted in blue, and all selected buttons must all be in the same row.
Tip: To rapidly add multiple channels to the same Delay Group, click+hold any Delay Group button, then swipe horizontally across multiple channels.
6. Confirm all the noted channels are in the same Delay Group via the Active Delay Group display at the top of each channel’s column. The display must show the same Delay Group value for all the noted channels.
7. Confirm all the noted channels are being compensated equally via the Samples display at the bottom of each channel’s column. The display must show the same Samples number for all the noted channels (the Samples value is automatically calculated). If necessary, increase the Compensation Menu value.
Delay Group configuration for the noted channels is complete. Repeat if necessary for another set of channels using a different Delay Group number.
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Delay Groups Example

The screenshot below shows an example of a properly configured Delay Group. The TOM and OH channels are assigned to the same Delay Group (Delay Group #1 in this exam­ple), and the Samples value is identical for both channels. Note that the Bass channel is not in the Delay Group.
Typical Delay Group implementation.
Channels in the Delay Group have the same SAMPLES value.
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Upsampling Values Table

The table below lists the additional latency values, in samples, produced by upsampled UAD plug-ins.
Sample Rate (kHz)
Upsampled UAD Plug-In 44.1 48 88.2 96
Precision Limiter 64 69 129 140 API 550 A
API Vision Console Channel Strip Neve 33609 Fairchild Tube Limiter Collection FATSO Jr./Sr. Massive Passive Moog Filter Pultec EQP-1A Pultec MEQ-5 Studer A800 UA 1176 Limiter Collection UA 610-B Tube Preamp
Precision Maximizer 67 67 67 67 API 560
Teletronix LA-2A Leveler Collection Helios Type 69
Harrison 32C Neve 1073, 1081, 31102 Precision EQ Pultec EQP-1A Legacy Pultec-Pro Legacy Pultec HLF-3C SSL E Channel Strip Trident A-Range
Little Labs IBP 32 32 14 14 Lexicon 224* (see note) 84 79 90 97 EMT 250* (see note) 75 11 85 24 MXR Flanger/Doubler 31 31 0 0
55 55 55 55
56 56 56 56
31 31 13 13
Upsampled UAD plug-ins with additional sample latencies
*Lexicon 224 & EMT 250 Note
The EMT 250 and Lexicon 224 anti-aliasing filters for their A/D and D/A conversion are not linear-phase filters; therefore the emulations do not have a latency that is the same at all frequencies. Thus, we cannot report to the delay compensation engines a delay that is correct for all frequencies. The reported values are good at low frequencies, but become off at high frequencies.
For example, when the EMT 250 plug-in is in Delay program mode and set with zero delay time and pre­delay values, the plug-in output will not be completely cancelled when mixing with flipped phase against an unprocessed track; high frequencies will leak through. However, the latency through the dry side of the wet/dry mix, and the latency when the plug-in is bypassed via the EMT 250 Power switch, do not have this issue and will be fully compensated by the Reatime Rack software.
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Channel View

Channel View displays the plug-ins, channel strips, I/O gains, and other settings within a single channel. Channel View is used to assign and edit UAD plug-ins and manage plug­ins preset settings.
The channel that is currently being viewed can be navigated with the Channel Bar. The currently selected channel is highlighted in blue in the Channel Bar.
Typical appearance in Channel View. In this screenshot, Single view is active and the
plug-in tab is selected so the plug-in interface parameters can be adjusted.

Navigating to Channel View

Channel View can be entered using any of these methods.
• Choose Channel View from the View Menu
• Click any Channel Select button in the Channel Bar
• Double-click any channel in the Meter Bridge
• Click any insert slot in Inserts View
• Click any insert plate in Universe View
Tip: When Channel View is entered using any of the above methods (except via View Menu), the channel is automatically selected and ready for editing.

Selecting Channels within Channel View

In Channel View, the currently selected channel is displayed. To select any channel for viewing, editing, and/or assigning the plug-ins inserted the channel from within Channel View:
1. Bring the channel into the Current Bank by navigating with the thin blue Bank Bar
2. Click any Channel Select button in the Channel Bar to select the channel.
Shortcut: Double-click any Input Meter in the Meter Bridge to enter Channel view and select that channel for editing.
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Two View Modes: Single View & Channel Strip View

Channel View has two fundamental modes of operation: Single view mode and Channel Strip view mode. Single mode facilitates the viewing, editing, and management of in-
dividual plug-ins within a channel, while Channel Strip mode facilitates the concurrent viewing, editing, and management of all serially stacked plug-ins within a channel.
View Mode Elements
The screen elements and functions in Channel View depend on the active view mode, and the current selections within the active mode. Some elements and functions are common to both view modes. All elements are detailed later in this section.
Switching View Modes
To enter Channel Strip view, click the CHANNEL STRIP button at the bottom of the Main Column. The button is highlighted blue when Channel Strip view is active. Click the but­ton again, or click any Insert Button, to return to Single view.
Common Elements
Some elements that appear, and the functions that can be performed, are common to both Single and Channel Strip view modes. The elements common to both views are the Main Column, Channel I/O Gains, PLUG-IN Tab, and the PRESET Tab.
The common elements are described briefly in the table below.
Element Description
Channel Name Button
Insert Buttons
Channel Strip Button
PLUG-IN(S) Tab
Supporting Tabs
Channel I/O Gains
Displays the current channel’s NAME field. Click the button to create a custom name for the channel.
These represent the channel’s eight available insert slots. Shows the name of current­ly loaded channel plug-ins (if any). Switches between the inserts for editing inserts.
Toggles the channel between Single view and Channel Strip view modes. Facilitates the viewing and editing of multiple plug-in interfaces concurrently.
Displays the plug-in interface so sonic parameters can be edited. Depending on the view mode (Single or Channel Strip), different supporting tabs are available.
In Single view, PRESETS and ASSIGN tabs are available for selecting presets and plug-ins. In Channel Strip view, the CHANNEL PRESETS tab is available.
Input/output gain faders and level meters are available for convenient gain staging. These are the same controls available in Gains View.
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Channel View Options

PRESETS
Tab
ASSIGN
Tab
PLUG-IN
Tab Selected Channel
(blue)
Power
Button
ZOOM
Slider
Channels
Bar
In Channel View, the View Options in the Main Column is identical in both Single and Channel Strip view modes. The options in Channel View are the Channel Name button, the Insert buttons, and the Chan­nel Strip button.
Channel Name Button
The Channel Name button is located directly beneath the View Menu in the Main Column. It displays the name of the channel selected in the Channel Bar. The Channel Name appears alongside the MADI channel number.
When the Channel Name button is clicked, the button is highlighted in blue, and the NAME field and LINK (UNLINK) button appears to the right of the Main Column so the channel can be named or stereo linked/unlined.
Note: The MADI channel number cannot be modified.
Channel Name Field
To change the channel name, click the Channel Name button to display the NAME field. Type a new value in the NAME field, then type Return (or Enter) or click any­where outside the field.
At right: Changing the channel name. To see the NAME field and LINK (UNLINK)
button, click the Channel Name button.
Channel
Name
Button
Selected
Insert (blue)
Insert
Buttons
Channel
Strip
Button
Tip: The NAME field remains visible when other Channel Select buttons in the Channel Bar are clicked so other channels can be quickly renamed.
Channel Link/Unlink
To stereo link or unlink a channel(s) the channel name, click the Channel Name button to display the LINK button (or UNLINK button, if the channels are already stereo linked). Click the Link/Unlink button to change the link state. For specific details about link/un­link behavior, see “Link/Unlink” on page 72.
Important: Link/Unlink can cause significant audio changes and can only be per-
formed in EDIT mode.
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Insert Buttons

The Insert Buttons are located in the Main Column. Each Insert Button represents one of the eight insert slots for available for UAD plug-in processing within a single channel.
Populated inserts contain the plug-in name and empty inserts con­tain the plus “+” symbol.
Note: In SAFE mode, all plus “+” symbols are hidden and plug­ins cannot be assigned to the channel.
Insert Button Behavior
Insert buttons can be controlled with the mouse or the keyboard, as described below.
Click
Clicking an Insert button with the mouse selects the insert. The insert is selected when its button is highlighted in blue.
If if the insert already contains a plug-in when its button is clicked, its interface is displayed in the PLUG-IN tab so the plug-in param­eters can be modified.
If the insert does not already contain a plug-in (any button with the plus “+” symbol), the ASSIGN tab is displayed so a plug-in can be loaded into the insert.
If Channel Strip view is active (if the CHANNEL STRIP button is highlighted blue), the channel is switched to Single view and the buttons behave as described above.
Focus
In Single view, if an Insert button has focus (when the button is selected and its button is highlighted in blue) and the Return or Enter key is typed, the PRESETS tab is selected so plug-in settings files can be navigated and loaded from disk.
In Channel Strip view, if the channel strip has focus (when the CHANNEL STRIP button is highlighted in blue and the FOCUS outline is around the Insert and Channel Strip but­tons) and the Return or Enter key is typed, the PRESETS tab is selected so channel strip settings files can be navigated and loaded from disk.
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Channel Signal Flow
Audio signals in a channel flow through the inserts serially from top to bottom. Therefore, if more than one plug-in is inserted in a channel, the location of a plug-in within the inserts can impact the sound of the channel.
Insert Reordering
Inserts can be reordered to change the location of a plug­in within the channel signal flow. For example, its possible to move an EQ to be located before or after a compressor to change the processed sound.
To reorder the inserts, click, hold, and drag any Insert Button up or down with the mouse. Existing assignments are automatically reordered as needed to accommodate the change. Inserts can be reordered in Single view and Channel Strip view.
Note: This operation can only be performed in EDIT mode.
Insert State Indications
The color of each button, as well as italic plug-in names, indicate of the current state of each insert. The possible states are shown at right and described below.
Selected (light blue) – The plug-in is active and processing audio, and the insert is selected for editing. The PULTEC EQP-1A insert button at right indicates this state.
Active (light gray) – The plug-in is active and processing audio. The TELETRONIX LA-2A GRAY insert button at right indicates this state.
Inactive (dark blue) – The plug-in has been disabled by the power button in Channel View, and the plug-in name is italicized, and the plug-in displays a Status Bar in the PLUG-IN Tab. The EMT 250 insert button at right indicates this state.
Note: Disabling a plug-in via the power control within the plug­in interface (versus the power button in Channel View) does not change the background color nor italicize the name.
Disabled (red) – The plug-in is disabled because there is not enough UAD resources, it is unlicensed and the demo has expired, and/or the UAD authorization needs updating. The plug-in name is also italicized and the plug­in displays a Status Bar in the PLUG-IN Tab. The MANLEY MASSIVE PASSIVE insert button in the screenshot indicates this state.
Italic Name – The plug-in is not processing audio because it is either inactive or dis- abled.
Empty (+) – The insert is not populated with a plug-in. Click the plus ”+” symbol to as­sign a plug-in into the slot.
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Note: The plus “+” symbol on all Insert buttons is hidden in SAFE mode.
Channel Strip Button
The Channel Strip button is used to enter Channel Strip view. Chan­nel Strip view combines all plug-ins in a channel into a single view for convenient editing and settings management.
Activating Channel Strip View
To enter Channel Strip view, click the CHANNEL STRIP button at the bottom of the Main Column. To exit Channel Strip view and en­ter Single view, click the CHANNEL STRIP button again to change it to gray, or click any Insert button.
Remove Plug-In Shortcut
Plug-ins can also be from inserts in using the shortcut on the Inserts buttons. This operation cannot be performed in SAFE mode.
Tip: Plug-in removal operations in Inserts View can be much quicker, especially when removing numerous plug-ins.
To use the shortcut:
1. Click+hold on any Insert button containing a plug-in
2. Drag to the left to reveal the Remove modifier icon
3. Click the Remove icon to delete the plug-in from the insert.
To cancel the operation, click anywhere else in the Insert Buttons area (anywhere except the Remove icon).

Channel I/O Gains

Input and output gain faders and signal level meters are displayed within all screens in Channel View, between the Inserts Buttons and the Tab displays. The Channel I/O Gains are used to adjust view and adjust input and output levels for individual channels.
The channel I/O fader and meter functionality is exactly the same as in Gains View, where the I/O gain controls are displayed concurrently for all channels. For details about these controls, see “Gain Elements” on page 71.
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PLUG-IN Tab

The PLUG-IN Tab is where the UAD plug-in interface is displayed and plug-in parameters are edited. In Single view, the PLUG-IN Tab displays the plug-in interface of the cur­rently selected Insert Button in the Main Column. In Channel Strip view, the interfaces of all plug-in in the channel are displayed concurrently.
Channel
Name
Button
Selected
Insert (blue)
Insert
Buttons
Channel
Strip
Button
Selected
Channel
(blue)
PLUG-IN
Tab
PRESETS
Tab
ASSIGN
Tab
Power
Button
ZOOM
Slider
Channels
Bar
Channel I/O Gains Plug-In Interface of Selected Insert(s)
Channel View elements when the PLUG-IN tab is active
General Use
For general information about how to use the UAD plug-in interface (such as how to ad­just controls) see “Chapter 6: Using UAD Powered Plug-Ins” beginning on page 134.
Specific Controls
For information about the specific features and controls available within each individual UAD plug-in, see the UAD Plug-Ins Manual.
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Channel Strip View
If Channel Strip view is active, the interfaces all inserted plug-ins in the channel are dis­played in the PLUG-INS tab concurrently. In Channel Strip view, the Tab name is PLUG­INS (plural) to reflect that multiple plug-in interfaces are displayed in Channel Strip view concurrently.
Channel Strip Button
The Channel Strip button is used to enter Channel Strip view. Chan­nel Strip view combines all plug-ins in a channel into a single view for convenient editing and settings management.
Activating Channel Strip View
To enter Channel Strip view, click the CHANNEL STRIP button at the bottom of the Main Column. To exit Channel Strip view and en­ter Single view, click the CHANNEL STRIP button again to change it to gray, or click any Insert button.
Navigation Scroll
If the interfaces of all plug-ins in the channel cannot be contained within the available vertical screen space, vertical and/or horizontal scroll bars appear in the PLUG-INS tab to enable the viewing of all interfaces in the channel strip.
Hidden Functions
In Channel Strip view, the ZOOM slider and plug-in DEACTIVATE button are hidden and cannot be modified.
Channel Strip Variances
Channel Strip view is active when the CHANNEL STRIP button is highlighted in blue. Additionally, the following functions are changed to accommodate Channel Strip view:
• All Insert Buttons are grouped and highlighted in blue
• The plug-in ZOOM slider is hidden
• The plug-in DISABLE button is hidden
• PRESETS and ASSIGN tabs are hidden
• The title of the PLUG-IN tab changes to PLUG-INS
• If the interfaces of all plug-ins in the channel cannot be contained within the
available vertical screen space, vertical scroll bars appear in the PLUG-INS tab to enable the viewing of all interfaces in the channel strip.
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Status Bar
The Status Bar is a horizontal strip below the plug-in interface that appears when there is an exception to the usual operational state of the plug-in. The status bars are described below.
The Status Bar appears beneath the plug-in interface to indicate operating exceptions
• No Status Bar – The plug-in is authorized, active, and processing audio.
• DEMO (days remaining) – The plug-in is active and processing audio, but it is op-
erating in demonstration mode. The number of days remaining in the demo period is displayed in the Status Bar. Demos can be started for each individual plug-ins in View Menu>Settings>PLUG-INS. For related information, see “Demo Mode”
beginning on page 145.
• POWERED OFF – The plug-in has been disabled by the Power Button in Channel View or Inserts View.
Note: Disabling a plug-in via the power control within the plug-in interface (versus the Power button in Channel View) does not display this Status Bar.
• DISABLED – The plug-in is disabled because there is not enough UAD resources, it is unlicensed and the demo has expired, and/or the UAD authorization needs updating.
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Power Button
The Power button deactivates the selected plug-in and reduces UAD resource loads. When a plug-in is deactivated with this button, the button is red and POWERED OFF appears in the Status Bar under the plug-in interface.
The Power button is located between the Tabs and the ZOOM slider in Channel View when the PLUG-IN Tab is active. To disable the currently selected plug-in, click the green Power button. To re-enable the plug-in click, the Power button again.
Zoom Slider
The ZOOM slider increases the size of the currently selected plug-in interface. Zooming enlarges all controls in the interface for enhanced visual feedback and controls manipu­lation.
The Zoom setting is unique for each individual UAD plug-in. The zoom setting for each plug-in is global; the setting is used throughout Channel View wherever the interface ap­pears.
Note: Zoom is unavailable in Channel Strip view.
The Zoom slider
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PRESETS Tab

The PRESETS tab is where UAD plug-in settings are managed after a plug-in is assigned to an Insert. Preset management tasks are performed on the currently selected Insert.
The PRESETS tab displays 3 columns with the currently selected plug-in’s presets, sub-
folders (if applicable), and the FILE menu for creating user-defined presets and folders.
Presets Defined
A preset is a complete collection of settings for an individual plug-in that is saved as a disk file so the settings can be subsequently recalled. Presets are typically used to save and recall favorite plug-in settings. Thousands of factory presets are installed with the software, or they can be user-created.
Note: Preset files do not contain a channel’s I/O gain values. However, I/O gain values are stored within Snapshots (complete Realtime Rack configuration files).
Preset files have the “.vst” suffix (file suffixes are only visible in the OS X Finder when the “Show all filename extensions” option is checked in the OS X Finder’s Preferences window).
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Factory Presets
Factory presets are plug-in settings created by the plug-in developers for typical use case scenarios. All UAD plug-ins developed by Universal Audio include a batch of factory presets. They can be used as-is, or modified as desired.
All factory presets are read-only; they cannot be overwritten, renamed, deleted, or moved. However, factory presets can be saved under a different name or in a different file location. Factory presets are indicated by a lock icon at the left of a preset icon.
Note: Not all Direct Developer (3rd-party) plug-ins include factory presets.
Presets Folder Location
All factory and user preset files are stored at the following location within the Mac OS X file system:
• Macintosh HD/Library/Application Support/Universal Audio/Presets
Plug-In’s Preset Folder
Inside the presets folder are folders named with the title of each UAD plug-in. Each of these folders contain all factory and user presets for that particular plug-in. This is the plug-in’s preset folder. The contents of this folder is dis­played in the PRESETS column when the PRESETS tab is selected.
Note: User presets can only be saved to the plug-in’s preset folder. Therefore, the plug-in’s preset folder is the starting point, and highest level, for file system navi­gation within the PRESETS tab.
Preset Sub-Folders
Each plug-in’s preset folder can contain a maximum of one nested sub-folder for ad­ditional preset organization capability. This additional folder is the preset sub-folder. The contents of this sub-folder (if any) is displayed in the SUB-FOLDER column when a folder in the PRESETS tab is selected.
Channel Strip Defined
A Channel Strip is a complete collection of plug-ins within a single channel, and all parameter settings within those plug-ins, that is saved as a disk file so the channel strip can be subsequently recalled into the same or a different channel. All Channel Strips are user-created.
Note: Channel Strip files do not contain a channel’s I/O gain values. However, I/O gain values are stored within Snapshots (complete Realtime Rack configuration files).
Channel strip files have the “.uadchannel” suffix. File suffixes are only visible in the OS X Finder when the “Show all filename extensions” option is checked in the OS X Finder’s Preferences window.
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Channel Strip Folder Location
All Channel Strip files are stored at the following location within the Mac OS X file sys­tem:
• Macintosh HD/Library/Application Support/Universal Audio/Presets/Channel Strip
Channel Strip Sub-Folders
The Channel Strip folder may contain a maximum of one nested sub-folder for additional channel strip organization capability. This additional folder is the Channel Strip sub-folder. The contents of this sub-folder (if any) is displayed in the SUB-FOLDER column when a folder in the CHANNEL PRESETS tab is selected in Channel Strip view.
Note: Channel Strip presets can only be saved to the Channel Strip folder. There­fore, the Channel Strip folder is the starting point, and highest level, for file sys­tem navigation within the CHANNEL PRESETS tab.
PRESETS Tab Columns
The PRESETS tab contains three columns: FILE, PRESETS, and SUB-FOLDERS. These columns are used to manage and navigate the preset files.
Note: In Channel Strip view mode, the PRESETS tab is named CHANNEL PRE­SETS.
FILE Column
The FILE column in the PLUG-IN tab contains buttons used to name, save, and perform other file management tasks. Click the button to perform the operation on the currently selected preset or sub-folder.
SAVE
Saves the current modified preset file in place. The preset file must already exist or the button is unavailable (gray). Use the SAVE AS button to perform the initial save operation.
SAVE AS
Creates a new preset file to disk with the plug-in’s current settings. Opens the SAVE PRESET AS file dialog overlay so a new preset name can be entered and saved to a location within the plug-in’s preset folder. A sub-folder can be created within the SAVE PRESET AS dialog.
RENAME
Presents the RENAME PRESET dialog overlay so the currently selected preset can be renamed.
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DELETE
Presents the DELETE PRESET dialog overlay so the currently selected item can be per­manently deleted. This operation cannot be undone.
MOVE
Presents the MOVE dialog overlay so the currently selected item can be moved to another location within the plug-in’s preset folder.
PRESETS Column
When the PRESETS tab is selected, the PRESETS column is visible and all items within the plug-in’s preset folder are dis­played. Actions in the FILE menu can be performed on items selected in the PRE­SETS column.
Click any preset in the PRESETS column to instantly load it, or click a sub-folder (if any) to display presets within the sub-folder in the SUB-FOLDER column.
SUB-FOLDER Column
If the PRESETS column contains one or more folders, selecting the folder will display items in the sub-folder. Actions in the FILE menu can be performed on any item selected in the SUB-FOLDER column.
The SUB-FOLDER column is displayed when a folder in the PRESETS column is selected
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ASSIGN Tab

The ASSIGN tab is used to assign (load) plug-ins into empty inserts and reassign (re­place) existing plug-ins that are already assigned in a channel insert. Actions in the AS­SIGN tab are performed on the currently selected insert.
Note: The ASSIGN tab is unavailable in Channel Strip view.
The ASSIGN tab showing typical selections within the Category menu
CATEGORY Buttons
UAD plug-ins that have similar processing functionality are grouped within categories. The CATEGORY buttons in the ASSIGN tab represent these plug-in categories.
Note: Some plug-ins are in multiple categories (when applicable).
Plug-ins are assigned and reassigned by selecting a category button, then choosing a plug-in or preset from the PLUG-IN, PRESETS, or SUB­FOLDER columns that appear when a category is selected.
Making selections
Click a Category button to “drill down” through available selections. Single-click a plug-in to display the PRESETS column (and SUB-FOLD­ER column, if any) columns. Double-click a plug-in to load it with its default settings. For detailed instructions, see “How To Assign Inserts”
on page 97.
PRESETS & SUB-FOLDER Columns
These columns function identically to the same columns in the PRE­SETS tab. For details, see “PRESETS Tab Columns” on page 94.
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Plug-In Categories
Available plug-in categories are listed in the table below.
Note: Some plug-ins are in multiple categories (when applicable).
CATEGORY CONTENTS
NONE
CHANNEL STRIPS Single plug-ins featuring multiple modules, such as EQ and dynamics COMPRESSORS & LIMITERS Dynamics plug-ins DELAY & MODULATION Delay, echo, chorus, modulation, phaser, and doubler plug-ins EQUALIZERS EQ plug-ins GUITAR & BASS Guitar and bass amplifiers and tuners MASTERING Mastering plug-ins REVERBS Digital reverb, analog reverb, and room emulation plug-ins SPECIAL PROCESSING Tape machine, enhancement, transient designer, and phase tools
Indicates that no plug-in is assigned. If a plug-in is already assigned, the button can be used to unload the plug-in.

How To Assign Inserts

Follow these instructions to assign (load), reassign (change), and de-assign (remove) plug-ins from any insert in Channel View.
Note: These operations can only be performed in EDIT mode.
Assign Insert
1. Single-click any empty insert button in any View screen to switch into Channel view and select the insert. The ASSIGN tab and the CATEGORY buttons are dis­played, with NONE as the currently selected category.
2. Single-click any CATEGORY button to select it. The plug-ins within the category are displayed in the PLUG-IN column. Use the vertical scroll bar to view all the plug-ins if necessary.
3. Single-click any plug-in the PLUG-IN column to assign it to the insert. The plug-in is loaded with its default preset, it begins processing audio on the channel, and the PRESETS column (and SUB-FOLDER column, if any) are displayed.
4. If desired, single-click any preset in the PRESETS or SUB-FOLDER columns to load a different preset. Use the vertical scroll bar to view all the presets and/or sub-folders if necessary.
Done. Exit assign mode by pressing enter or clicking a different element. Click the PLUG-IN tab to view the plug-in’s interface and edit its parameters.
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Reassign Insert
1. Single-click any populated insert button in any View screen to switch into Channel view and select the insert. The PLUG-IN tab is selected and the plug-in interface is displayed.
2. Single-click the ASSIGN tab. The CATEGORY button of the current plug-in is se­lected, along with the PRESET column (and SUB-FOLDER column, if any).
3. Single-click any CATEGORY button to select it. The plug-ins within the category are displayed in the PLUG-IN column. Use the vertical scroll bar to view all the plug-ins if necessary.
4. Single-click any plug-in the PLUG-IN column to assign it to the insert. The old plug-in is replaced by the new plug-in with its default preset, and the PRESETS column (and SUB-FOLDER column, if any) are displayed.
5. If desired, single-click any preset in the PRESETS column (or SUB-FOLDER col­umn, if any) to load the preset. Use the vertical scroll bar to view all the presets and/or sub-folders if necessary.
Done. Exit assign mode by pressing enter or clicking a different element. Click the PLUG-IN tab to view the plug-in’s interface and edit parameters.
De-assign Insert
Tip: Plug-in de-assignment in Inserts View via the Remove function can be much quicker, especially when removing numerous plug-ins.
1. Single-click any populated insert button in any View screen to switch into Channel view and select the insert. The PLUG-IN tab is selected and the plug-in interface is displayed.
2. Single-click the ASSIGN tab. The CATEGORY button of the current plug-in is se­lected, along with the PRESET column (and SUB-FOLDER column, if any).
3. Single-click the NONE category button. The plug-in is removed from the insert and UAD resources used by the plug-in are released.
Done. Exit assign mode by pressing enter or clicking a different element.
Tip: Plug-ins can also be de-assigned using the shortcut on the insert buttons (shown at right). For details, see page 87.
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Snapshots View

A Snapshot is complete Realtime Rack configuration file used for total session recall. Snapshots contain all parameter values within the Realtime Rack application.
Snapshots View is a dedicated file management screen for saving, modifying, recalling, importing, and exporting Snapshot files. Snapshots View has the four sections described in the table below.
SNAPSHOTS SECTION DESCRIPTION
Snapshot Options
Folders & Snapshots Columns Displays a list of user-defined folders and Snapshots in two columns.
Recall Panel
Universe View
The options the Main Column contain the various Snapshot file and folder management functions.
Displays the currently loaded Snapshot, the currently primed (selected) snapshot, and the Recall button to load the primed Snapshot.
Displays a high-level view of the currently loaded Snapshot. Colored boxes indicate the presence and status of all plug-ins in all channels.
Snapshot Defined
A snapshot is a complete collection of all settings for the entire active Real­time Rack configuration. “All settings” are all parameter values in all Views, including all plug-in assignments in all channels, the current settings and state (active, disabled, etc) of all assigned plug-ins, and I/O Gain and Delay Group settings for all channels. All Snapshots are user-created.
Snapshots are saved as a disk file so the complete session can be subsequently recalled and/or transferred between systems and operators. Snapshots can be loaded directly from within the Soundcraft Vi console via Ethernet using the Vi CUE functions.
Snapshots files have the “.uadmix” suffix. File suffixes are only visible in the OS X Finder when the “Show all filename extensions” option is checked in the OS X Finder’s Prefer­ences window.
Snapshots Folder Location
All Snapshot files are stored at the following location within the Mac OS X file system:
• Macintosh HD/Users/[account name]/Documents/Universal Audio/Snapshots
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Snapshot Versus System Contents
The table details the information that is stored in a Snapshot file and the differences between a Snapshot and what is stored within the system.
Settings Stored In Snapshots (changed when Snapshot is recalled)
Snapshot name
Snapshot MIDI Program Change number
Snapshot BPM (Tempo)
Session channel-count (16, 32, 48, or 64)
Plug-ins and settings per-channel (includes all parameters and DSP power state)
Input and Output Gain settings per-channel
Stereo Link state per-channel
Delay Group setting per-channel
Settings Stored In System (persist when Snapshot is recalled)
Clock Source setting
Sample Rate setting
MADI process order setting
Device order setting
Channel Name
All screen preferences (as set in the Hardware tab within Settings View)
All MIDI preferences (as set in the MIDI tab within Settings View)
All Plug-Ins preferences (as set in the PLUG-INS tab within Settings View)

Snapshot Key Commands

At any time (not just in Snapshots view), two key commands can be executed for saving the current Snapshot in place (SAVE), or saving the current s\Snapshot as a new Snap­shot (SAVE AS).
Key Command Name Key Command Description
Save Snapshot COMMAND+S Saves the current snapshot in place Save Snapshot As... COMMAND+SHIFT+S Saves the current snapshot as a new snapshot with
a new name and/or location
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