eMotion LV1 Tutorial 5.2: Show Window – Matching Sessions and Inventory

In the previous video, you learned how to use the Sessions page to save and load eMotion LV1 mixer sessions and templates. This video explains how changes in mixer configuration and system inventory affect loading and saving mixer sessions.

MIXER CONFIGURATION sets the eMotion LV1 engine. It determines the size of the mixer and its internal paths.

If the session you’re loading has the same number of channels as the current mixer configuration, the session should load without structural problems.

But if you try to load a 64-channel session to a 32-channel configuration, then the last 32 channels can’t fit into the mixer.

If your eMotion LV1 license permits, increase the mixer configuration to 64 channels, re-load the session, and everything will be fine.

If you can’t increase the mixer configuration, then all of the routing and channel parameters that can’t be supported by the current mixer will be removed permanently when you next save.

You may want to do a Save As of the original session before you load it to a smaller mixer.

But if you forget, a History file is created each time you change the configuration. So there’s always a way to revert to the original session.

SYSTEM INVENTORY refers to the specific devices—hardware and software—that are assigned to your eMotion LV1. System Inventory is independent of the mixer configuration.

Each time a device is assigned in the System Inventory, its device type and settings are logged, slot by slot. This inventory is stored with the mixer system.

When a session loads, it looks for precisely the same devices that were used to build it. If that’s what it finds, it loads invisibly: patching and device settings are set.

But if the inventory in the device racks does not match what the session is expecting, you’ll be prompted to decide how to match the I/O needs of the session with the available devices. There are two options: Current and Session.

Select Session if you want to load the session and keep its original inventory and patching, even if this results in unavailable devices in the device racks and blank sections in the patch.

Since the Patch is a reflection of the I/O inventory, the I/O channels of unavailable devices are not accessible. The structure of the patching is intact, but patches made from unavailable devices are red.

If you can find and allocate the missing I/O devices, you can recreate the original session and maintain its patching.

When Current is selected, the new session tries to load into the existing I/O inventory. On a slot-by-slot basis, the mixer will attempt to provide the session with the I/O channels it needs.

Patches will be created based on the current inventory. The resulting patching will probably be different than that of the original session, and some patches may not be possible.

When one model of I/O is replaced by another model, I/O preamp parameters cannot be loaded.

Even if the inventory that’s needed by the session uses the same models of I/O devices as does the current inventory, you may be prompted that there is a mismatch.

Let’s say you create a session with four I/O devices, and then go to a venue that has the same four models of devices—but not the same units. When the session loads, it is looking for precisely the same devices.

Since the actual units are not the same on the two systems, you will be prompted to choose between Session or Current.

Choose Current and the session will load completely.

When a session loads, it requests the clock master I/O device to supply a certain sample rate. Once that is done, the slave devices will lock to the master and the session will get the sample rate it wants. But, if the network clock master is itself locked to an external clock source, then you’ll probably need to change the sample rate of that device. Or, you may have to run the session at a different sample rate. This will probably be fine. But if your original session is filled with DSP-heavy plugins, and you move to a much higher sample rate, you may need to remove some plugins or move to the DSP optimized mode.

Watch lesson 1.4 to learn more about how eMotion LV1 handles sample rate.

In this tutorial, you’ve learned what happens when you load a session into a mixer configuration that’s smaller than the session calls for. You’ve also learned about your options when the device inventory doesn’t match the session.

In this tutorial, you learned how to use the Sessions page to save and load sessions and templates.

The next video is about scenes: Mixer snapshots that are used to recall specific settings.

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