Routing audio from applications around your PC
The following is the transcript of the video below.
This is Jim from slick audio again. It is July 3rd tomorrow being a holiday we are closed on the fourth and the fifth and of course the weekend right after that. So, it’s a long weekend for Slick Audio guys. Routing audio, routing very general overview I mean very this is the thousand-foot overview folks. Maybe even the 10,000-foot overview and we’re going to be drilling down into this. I’m going to be drilling down into this a lot more in a lot more detail going forward and it’s going to be predicated upon the questions that you all ask. And if you don’t ask questions and you won’t hear any more about it.
What is Audio Routing? Audio Routing routes or moves audio from programs to different audio devices.
Audio Router Tutorial
So, the first thing obviously is there are some groups that I like to categorize this in and the first group is for the people that are not new to – audio they were analog guys patch bays, etc. And are having confusion I’m trying to be nice to you know there’s a confusion of making that switch from analog to digital. And having physical reality and virtual routing so physical routing the cables are playing in a patch bay versus the digital routing term or area realm. Whatever so that that’s kind of category one. And I’ll just say this quickly about it is not difficult as long as you keep in mind that it’s not analog. But it is very similar to so think of it as analog routing on steroids you can do way more. You know think of Y cables that are not just no why but you can go into a three-way or four-way or almost infinite levels of splits. And I’m saying almost there are limitations to it and it’s just some really cool stuff so that that’s category one. So, if anybody wants to know more about that be specific to talk to me about the type of interfaces. And if you don’t have a clue then that’s OK too. You know let me know if that’s a topic that you want me to really start to drill down on.
Audio Routing Interfaces
Area number two is for the noobs that are have never touched any kind of audio before. So just general obviously we’re not going to talk about analog routing. We’re gonna talk about digital routing and when I mean digital routing specifically it is specific to your interface. And obviously, I don’t have every inner detail and everyone’s interface in the world here. So, everyone’s going to be a little bit different. Focus Right has or handles there’s different than RME. Which are different than PreSonus for channels it’s slightly different in blah blah blah and you know Antelope Audio etc.? So that this could go on and on that this could go on Ad infinitum Ad nauseam. If you will you know for those of us who do this for a known for those of us who do this for a living. So, but still, if you understand the concepts of the one you can grasp the concepts of all the others. That doesn’t mean that one can’t do more than the other you know it might some might do less than the other. I mean cost is a lot to do with it and sometimes it doesn’t. But so that’s really topic number two topics.
Audio Noobs or IT for Audio
Number three or the third group I like to break it into the people who have never dealt with audio over Ethernet. Kind of a difference it is routing in the same sense but we’re routing over Ethernet network so there are networking concepts as IT networking concepts that you absolutely positively must grasp before you’re ever going to understand routing audio. IT people IT folks typically have a far better grasp and quicker grasp of that even if they’ve never touched audio in their life. Because they understand routing and when we’ve seen I’ve seen the opposite way so you know don’t get pissed off at me for this comment. But I’m going to make it anyway it’s typical for me to see audio folks getting into audio routing. Now and then pretending to be network experts F off you’re not you may think you are simply not. You are touching the most basic routing in the IT industry so do not think that you are a routing expert. There are experts which know firewalls, these are experts and I know most of you going to say no we don’t think we are. Which is great but the few of you that do. And I’ve seen a couple of very cocky ones and you’re just your job you’re fooling yourself. I do not want to insult anybody but audio guys you really want to learn this. You need to really dive deep and understand Ethernet a lot and not that it’s super difficult it’s not. It’s just there’s a lot of memorization and if you want to be able to diagnose quickly, you’re going to have to work with general networking. First and then start to do audio over Ethernet and there’s a reason why I’m saying that but not what this video is for that so you know I happen to be an IT this is my 36th year in IT. Feel sorry for me now by the way, if you want to send a condolence card. (the IT guys understand this). I’m okay with that. But you know it doesn’t make me an all-knowing expert either 36 years in this industry and I still don’t consider myself to be a super-duper expert. There are guys out there that do just switches all day every day. That’s all they’ve done for their whole life they’re freaking experts on switching. So, you really have to take all the stuff with a grain of salt. You know and what I’m saying even with the grain of salt I would love to say that you know that you know you can learn this in five days you know in three quick lessons for the low price of $9.99. You know it’s not going to happen don’t expect it to that doesn’t mean that you can’t learn it you absolutely can you can become proficient you can become know expert but with enough you know time resources and energy and if you’re willing to put it in.
Audio Over Ethernet
So, of those three groups so we have the audio over Ethernet you know camp which obviously can get it’s gonna get really deep really fast and it’s gonna be very technical. We have the interface routing and then we have a section for all for noobs and then we have I’m working backward now and then we have the folks that are switching and understand and need to understand audio routing from an analog perspective. In other words, they’ve never done you know worked on a DAW (digital audio workstation). They’ve only ever worked on tape decks be digital tape decks or you know two-inch tape. I’ve worked on it all does it make me an expert on all three, but I’ve worked on it all I’ve recorded on it all over the years that I’ve been playing. So, I can at least give some I think very good help and pointer and tips to those of you who are in need of such tips.
Slick Audio for Audio Routing Questions
I’m gonna cut the video at this point this was the general overview. So, if you have specific questions please email them to us at [email protected] or [email protected] yes we have www.slickaudio.com now if you’ve noticed our new website by the way. If you have visited it goes www.slickaudio.com is the new standard if you will.
But we can and will entertain the various questions and try to round them up and categorize them get them into the three categories. Sort of in general buckets and then break it down and do some more videos for you. To help you understand so it’d be a little bit more to the point you know. By helping you get what you need as opposed to me just saying boilerplate. Well is it done to move on which is what you’re gonna find on most sites so I’d rather answer your specific questions if I possibly can that doesn’t mean that I’m going to be able to get all the questions answered? But again, I will do my best so everybody has a very safe and happy 4th of July. For those who are here in the States if you are not here in the States come on down and join us and have a safe and happy 4th of July with this and but now have a great weekend and safe weekend and I will talk to you all next weekend and I will talk to you all next week. Cheers, I’m vacationing for a couple of days.
