Exchange of metadata between a live sound mixing console and a digital audio workstation
A system for transferring metadata between an audio mixing console and a digital audio workstation connected by an audio link and a computer network. The audio mixing console and the digital audio system implement an Ethernet-based communication protocol for sending messages between them over the network connection, the messages including metadata specifying a plurality of settings on the audio mixing console corresponding to audio information received by the audio mixing console during a live performance. The audio information is sent to the digital audio system over the high bandwidth connection. The high bandwidth connection can also be used to transfer the metadata. The transfer of metadata between the console and the digital audio workstation facilitates new digital audio archiving, virtual live mixing, and virtual soundcheck workflows.
1. A system for processing digital audio, the system comprising:
an audio mixing console;
a digital audio workstation;
a high bandwidth connection between the audio mixing console and the digital audio workstation for transferring audio information; and
a network connection between the audio mixing console and the digital audio workstation;
wherein the audio mixing console and the digital audio workstation implement a communication protocol for sending messages between the audio mixing console and the digital audio workstation over the network connection, the messages including metadata specifying a value for each of a plurality of settings on the audio mixing console, wherein each value defines a state of the corresponding setting that was used to mix audio information received by the audio mixing console during a live performance;
wherein the received audio information is sent to the digital audio workstation over the high bandwidth connection and the received metadata is sent to the digital audio workstation over the network connection, and the audio information and metadata are stored by the digital audio workstation;
wherein the received audio information and the metadata is retrieved from the digital audio workstation storage and sent to the audio mixing console; and
wherein the audio mixing console is used to edit the metadata such that an edited value of at least one of the settings differs from a corresponding value of the setting that was used to mix audio information received by the audio mixing console during a live performance.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the audio mixing console is used to edit the metadata in a venue that is different from a venue in which the live performance took place.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the audio mixing console enables an operator to capture a set of values for the plurality of settings used to mix received audio information corresponding to a selected program element of the live performance, and wherein the captured set of values is sent to the digital audio workstation, the digital audio workstation associating the captured set of values with a temporal location within the audio information.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the digital audio workstation enables an operator to select the temporal location within the received audio information, and cause the digital audio workstation to transfer the captured set of values to the audio mixing console, and wherein, in response to receiving the captured set of values, the audio mixing console adjusts values of the plurality of settings to correspond to the captured set of values.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the audio mixing console enables the operator to request over the computer network the audio information from the digital audio workstation corresponding to the selected program event, and receive over the high bandwidth connection the audio information corresponding to the selected program event, and wherein the mixing console automatically adjusts the values of the plurality of settings to correspond to the captured set of values.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the audio information represents a temporal sequence of audio samples, and wherein the metadata specifies a value of each of the plurality of settings corresponding to each of the audio samples.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of settings includes settings of faders on the audio mixing console.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of settings includes a list of plug-in modules used to process the audio information on the audio mixing console.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of settings includes settings of one or more of the plug-in modules.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the communication protocol is an Ethernet protocol.
11. A system for processing digital audio, the system comprising:
an audio mixing console;
a digital audio workstation; and
a high bandwidth connection between the audio mixing console and the digital audio workstation,
wherein the audio mixing console and the digital audio workstation implement a communication protocol for transferring over the high bandwidth connection audio information received by the audio mixing console during a live performance, and wherein metadata specifying values of a plurality of settings of the audio mixing console that were used to mix the received audio information is transferred over the high bandwidth connection in association with the received audio information;
wherein the received audio information and metadata is sent to the digital audio workstation and is stored by the digital audio workstation;
wherein the received audio information and the metadata is retrieved from the digital audio workstation storage and sent to the audio mixing console; and
wherein the audio mixing console is used to edit the metadata such that an edited value of at least one of the settings differs from a corresponding value of the setting that was used to mix audio information received by the audio mixing console during a live performance.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the high bandwidth connection is at least one of a FireWire connection and a USB connection.
13. A system for processing digital audio, the system comprising:
an audio mixing console;
a digital audio workstation;
a high bandwidth connection between the audio mixing console and the digital audio workstation for transferring audio information; and
a network connection between the audio mixing console and the digital audio workstation;
wherein the audio mixing console and the digital audio workstation implement a communication protocol for sending messages between the audio mixing console and the digital audio workstation over the network connection, the messages including metadata specifying a value for each of a plurality of settings on the audio mixing console, wherein each value defines a state of the corresponding setting that was used to mix audio information received by the audio mixing console during a live performance;
wherein the audio mixing console enables an operator to capture a set of values for the plurality of settings used to mix audio information corresponding to a selected program element of the live performance, and wherein the captured set of values is sent to the digital audio workstation, the digital audio workstation associating the captured set of values with a temporal location within the audio information and storing the audio information and the captured set of values; and
wherein the audio mixing console enables the operator to request and receive the audio information from the digital audio workstation corresponding to the selected program event to cause the mixing console to automatically adjust the values of the plurality of settings to correspond to the captured set of values; and
wherein an operator of the audio mixing console is able use the audio mixing console to override the automatically adjusted values of the plurality of settings to alter a value of at least one of the settings that was used to mix audio information received by the audio mixing console during the live performance.