MB Eclipse audio input

[Jose Feghali]

I would like to make sure I didn’t miss anything obvious on the issue of Multibridge (well – apparently, *any* decklink device). We did a lot of “due dilligence” here before choosing the Blackmagic Multibridge Eclipse for our system. I read everything I found on BMagic’s website about the machine including all the specs on. On one page dealing with Decklink, Blackmagic states that if my software is capable of running more than 2 channels of audio, then we should be able to do it (please see https://www.blackmagic-design.com/support/detail.asp?techID=28). I have several software capable of running multitrack audio and none of them work with the Eclipse.

Yesterday I got in touch with someone in US tech support – who told me to my amazement that Multibridge’s audio inputs *cannot* be used by any application except a few like premiere. Not only that, but audio cannot be captured alone without a video signal present (which is not quite as serious, AFAIIC).

This seems to say that there are *no* audio drivers for Windows at the present time (MME, WDM or ASIO) except for the 4 ASIO output channels present.

If this is the case, than it is pretty unbelievable to me. I didn’t see or read anywhere any warning or mention of this *very serious* limitation.

Could someone here please confirm that the above is indeed the case and let me know if I missed a warning about this limitation in the literature. I have recommended this product to several colleagues but will have to let them know immediately that it cannot be used as an audio input device with any audio software or digital audio workstation.

Thanks,

Jose Feghali

[Jose Feghali]

Once again, Multibridge Eclipse audio is a mystery…

I know most Eclipse users are doing post-prodcution and have only a need for 48KHz. I am now trying to make it work with Windows Media Encoder, which is something (I think) reasonable to do. Can’t make it work, not even with the analogue inputs – so here are a few questions.

1 – Is there anyone that managed to get BM cards to work with Windows Media Encoder?

2 – I read somewhere else in the forum that BM’s cards are capable of 24 bit. The selection box the driver shows in Windows only displays 16 bits as a choice. Is this correct?

3 – Windows Media Encoder 9 “sees” the Eclipse audio input, but it always appears to crash the program IF used with video at the same time.

4 – The Eclipse brochure states that there can be “real-time” sample rate conversion in the audio inputs. How do I enable this feature? (our audio inputs are generally “CD standard” – 44.1KHz).

5 – Am I correct that the hardware would be able to handle 44.1 KHz but a decision was made to only support 48KHz? If so, I do believe this “limitation” should be clearly mentioned on your website and brochures, even though most of the time 48KHz is “standard” for video.

6 – Would the Eclipse ever be able to handle 96KHz with a driver update?

I would appreciate timely answers to the above.

Many thanks,

Jose Feghali
Artist-in-Residence
Coordinator of Internet Technologies
TCU School of Music

[Jose Feghali]

Still no reply… That is nice…

Could someone give me some pointers as to how to get BM tech support to reply to messages here?

Thanks,

JF