Matrox MX02 LE with Max…yay or nay

[Steve Oakley]

right. the MAX card works as advertised, and the quality of its output is very good. I’ve been getting 4X-6X faster then RT on a 8 core box. if you are working on a laptop, obviously it would be even faster provided you can keep it fed with video fast enough 🙂

the drivers have been really solid as well and matrox as been really good about pushing out regular updates adding new features.

Steve Oakley
DP • Editor • VFX Artist
http://www.practicali.com

[Steve Cornell]

Hi Steve,

I followed a thread about Final Cut share errors when trying to create a BluRay. I”m having the same issue with the share function. My project is 1hr 30 minutes. I cycle between 2 different errors..

(1) Final Cut quit unexpectedly
(2) Error; not enough memory

I’m on a dual Quad Core Mac Pro 10GB Memory. You mentioned using the Matrox card. Can you describe the workflow for this ?

FCP-> Export Quicktime ? Then what ?

“you know you could of paid for a compressHD card in the first couple of shows. just export QT from FCP using the Matrox H.264 and directly export the files… done. hours and hours saved. ”

[Jason Brown]

You should use the function – Send to Compressor … if you are on v7 it works in the background and you don’t have to create any intermediate files…and you can continue to edit on the same sequence you are making a transcode of.

[Steve Cornell]

In compressor, I used the BluRay setting and the quality of the burned BluRayDVD was terrible. There was plenty of artifacts and the image quality didn’t match my 1080 in the timeline.

here’s my attempted workflow:

FCP -> Export QT Movie (Current Settings, Audio + Video, DVD Studio Pro Markers even though I’m not going to use DVDSP)

Compressor ->drag/drop QT movie and choose create BluRay. I hit submit. I did not burn in compressor.

Toast 10 -> opened .ac3 and the .h264 to create a bluRay. The quality on the BluRay DVD was awful.

[Petros Kolyvas]

Accord to Matrox it works with Telestream’s Episode as well as Apple’s Compressor.

There is no intuitive interface, not even the nipple. It’s all learned. – Bruce Ediger

[Petros Kolyvas]

Just to be clear (and I’m new here so bear with me) balanced audio allows for long cable runs, not higher quality audio by default (although it can also add increased noise/interference rejection but not defacto); and there are several types of balanced audio paths as well, some better than others.

No one likes a know-it-all, so sorry about that. I just think manufacturers love selling things with marketing rhetoric and features that result in statements like “balanced audio sounds great” when balancing has little to do with sounding great.

Also, since we’re here and I’m an on-the-fence MXO2 owner, the audio features are lacking. There’s no way to set the reference level, and very poor Core Audio support on the Mac. A few forum posts on the Matrox support forum show that this hasn’t changed with the new 2.0 release (yet.)

Audio is actually very poorly implemented on the MXO2 in general (with or without MAX) and needs major work. Now, I haven’t used competing products from AJA or BlackMagic, but was dismayed by the lack of usable audio features for inputs and outputs described by Matrox as “Professional audio…”

If I had to do it all over again I’d get a Compress HD and a BlackMagic or AJA card for video I/O.

I’m not trying to be too negative here. But I can’t playback 720p24 or 1080p24 ProRes video through the MXO2’s audio output without it having stutter. Video looks great, don’t get me wrong. However I had to switch over to a RME audio interface (which thankfully I had) to get proper audio out. There are lots of people on the Matrox forum noting their return to the internal audio interfaces (built-in) of their Macs.

But, what might be an issue for some may not be an issue for others, so don’t let this post dissuade you. If I had one piece of advice it would be to try it before you commit or find a reputable dealer with some kind of return policy who can also provide you with an alternative card in the case the one you’re trying isn’t right for you.

The Matrox product line has lots of strengths. Do they outweigh any weaknesses? Only an individual end user can decide for him or herself.

—
There is no intuitive interface, not even the nipple. It’s all learned. – Bruce Ediger

[Shane Ross]

[Petros Kolyvas] ” There’s no way to set the reference level,”

I’m sorry, being a video guy…but what do you mean by that? How do you do that with a VIDEO capture/output card? I don’t see how to do that with AJA or Decklink either. If you find out if they do, please share. because if ALL of them are lacking this, perhaps it isn’t something that us video professionals need in a video capture card. I certainly don’t.

You seem to come from a very heavy audio background, and are looking at this VIDEO capture card, and others, as lacking in audio areas. THEY DO….because they are meant for video. But they all have pro audio interfaces…SDI embedded, AES/EBU…XLR. Not as many as a pro audio person would want, but again, these are video cards.

[Petros Kolyvas] “Audio is actually very poorly implemented on the MXO2 in general (with or without MAX) and needs major work. “

Please back up the statement with an explaination on how it is poorly implemented? Because for my needs, as an online editor who outputs broadcast masters with 8-16 channels of audio, this card, and the Kona 3, do what I am required to deliver.

[Petros Kolyvas] “Now, I haven’t used competing products from AJA or BlackMagic, but was dismayed by the lack of usable audio features for inputs and outputs described by Matrox as “Professional audio…””

Please do research them and see if they have what you deem as professional audio. They all might lack what you are looking for.

[Petros Kolyvas] ” But I can’t playback 720p24 or 1080p24 ProRes video through the MXO2’s audio output without it having stutter. “

Really? Audio or video stutter? I have no issues.

Shane

GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def

[Petros Kolyvas]

Here are just a few examples of what I’m talking about:
Audio capture problems (FCP, Soundtrack, etc.)
Audio monitor problems with new 1.9 driver
MXO2 MAX on MBP 2.6 Audio Hick-ups

My qualms with the MXO2 series’ audio shortcomings are known quantities. These are simply the most recent threads.

These cards are in use by many small outfits who need their units to do as much as possible.

For example, some need to work in applications like Soundtrack Pro – it’s currently a no-go with the MXO2 series. To do so requires “working” Core Audio drivers. Since Core Audio (buggy core audio) was only released at driver 1.9 (and apparently doesn’t work any better in today’s release of 2.0)… you can’t use the MXO to monitor audio when working on sound in Sound Track Pro.

I don’t use STP but many editors these days are forced to use it for lots of small jobs on which they’re expected to do everything from edit to motion graphics to sound. If the card can’t do that they should at least know beforehand since it’s not clear from Matrox marketing material. Additionally, Matrox have been slow to fix Core Audio issues since Core Audio wasn’t part of the MXO2’s original (advertised) feature set and caught them with their proverbial pants down when users realized they needed another interface to work with all the apps of Final Cut Studio.

Again, all it means is that the card can’t do everything; sure, no biggie but it should be made clear to those considering it as their only interface, that’s all.

Black Magic and AJA both have working Core Audio support as far as I know.

Having said that it should be clear, reading some of the threads above from the MXO2 forum, that some folk, not all, are having such issues. I happen to be one of them. Others, for whatever reason may not. Matrox has not been able to pin down these issues definitely.

As for reference level:

I had a look at some AJA manuals and there’s a dedicated audio reference level support in the IoHD, though limited. Knowing audio reference levels helps interconnect audio gear (and video gear) properly.

—
There is no intuitive interface, not even the nipple. It’s all learned. – Bruce Ediger

[Petros Kolyvas]

I wrote a long post referencing many posts on the Matrox support forums indicating my audio qualms are not exclusively my own. You can read it here.

The jist of it was that a) reference levels are important. Googling audio reference levels will invariably pull up some good material essential for understanding equipment interconnection in the broadcast world.

More importantly b) If the device is to be used by the modern small-shop/solo editor (the one who is expected to do everything from edit to motion graphics to sound) they need to be aware that Core Audio support for MXO2 series is broken. That means no reliable Sound Track Pro usage, you would need a separate audio interface for that at the moment. That could make or break a deal for some people who need one device to work with Final Cut Studio in a stable and reliable fashion.

We were lucky that the machine on which the MXO2 went also had a multi-channel audio interface.

The Matrox forums are awash with new complaints that the recent 2.0 release did nothing to fix this. That’s poorly implemented audio if you ask me.

And, to be clear, they’re video and audio I/O interfaces. That second part should work properly. At the moment it doesn’t.

These issues are real. If they don’t apply to you, great! However potential customers should know about them before they jump on board. That’s all I was saying.

—
There is no intuitive interface, not even the nipple. It’s all learned. – Bruce Ediger

[Gino Kalkanoglu]

Petros is pretty right about the issue. I recently got Matrox Mini MAX. You also need to export a movie file and dump it in compressor in order for MAX technology to work its magic. If you send your sequence to compressor directly from Final Cut, it won’t work_unless If I am doing something wrong_

I wish it would work with Sorenson 6 H.264 Engine. Check out Sorenson’s website to see who are using their product. I wish Sorenson would come up with something look like an El Gato usb stick device to do some serious H.264 encoding. In my opinion, big boys gotta make money with their pristine looking content before the dude with sub $1000 DSLR go out and open up his on TV station_
Well, price the Sorenson Squeeze Stick (SSS_Drive_see I have a name for you all too) around $499 and sell like 100k unit. It would be sweet. You can also put a wireless/bluetooth on the SSS to shoot it to directly Sorenson 360 website and make little more on cloud computing.
Matrox is a nice box though.

Is Sorenson hiring a project manager ?

Mac 3.2Ghz 20TB Macbook pro Pnyrn 2.5 4GB 10TB 2009 LOWA Award 1st place Broadcast Sportsman’s Paradise