iD48 provides a huge amount of flexibility when it comes to routing audio to its outputs. The System Panel section of the iD mixer app, includes routing matrixes for the Speaker Outputs and Headphones, the Line Outputs, and both Optical Outputs.
The diagram below shows the various output paths that are available on iD48:
Monitor Outputs
The Monitor Outputs Routing Matrix allows you to choose which source is sent to the two pairs of speaker outputs on the rear of iD48 and the two headphone outputs on the front.
Main Mix
This setting will send the Main Mix of the mixer screen to this output. This is the default setting for Speaker outputs 1+2 and both headphone outputs.
Alt Speaker
Selecting ALT Speaker will send the Main Mix to this output, but only when the ALT function is enabled. This allows you to switch back and forth between your main set of speakers and secondary pair to check your mix translation on a variety of speakers
CUE A, B, C, D
The iD software Mixer provides up to 4 CUE mixes alongside the Main Mix, typically this will be used for creating foldback mixes for artists and performers but can also be used to send audio to outboard. Assigning one of the 4 CUEs to an output will send that CUE mix to this output
DAW THRU
DAW THRU allows you to send audio directly from the DAW to a particular output bypassing the software mixer and volume controls. For example, if Outputs 1+2 were set to DAW THRU, you could send audio in the DAW to output channels 1+2 and it would send this audio directly to outputs 1+2 on the iD48 at full volume. This is typically used when sending audio to outboard hardware, or if you are using an external monitor controller to control the volume instead.
Be careful not to select this option if sending audio directly to speakers as it will bypass the volume control and therefore be very loud if you do not have any other kind of volume control.
Line Outputs
The Line output Routing Matrix also contains the Main Mix, ALT Speaker, and CUE Mixes as explained in the ‘Monitor Outputs’ Section. However, DAW THRU has been replaced by DAW Analogue and DAW ADAT.
DAW ANALOGUE
Selecting DAW ANALOGUE will send DAW channels 1-8 to the Line Outputs D-SUB. As with the DAW THRU setting, this bypasses the software mixer and any volume control, sending the signal directly to the outputs at full volume.
This would typically be used when sending audio from your DAW to hardware effects. This is especially true when using Pro Tools, where Insert points have to have the same channel number for both the Send and Return.
For example, If in Pro Tools you were using Insert 1, your send would need to pass via Output Channel 1 and your return would need to pass via Input Channel 1. Typically channel 1 would be assigned to the Monitor Output 1+2, but the DAW Analog Setting allows you to also send this to the Line Output D-Sub which is easier for connecting with outboard equipment.
Please note that Output Channels 1+2 would typically be used as your main monitor output so if you are using these for inserts, you’d have to make other arrangements for your monitor path. Or just skip inserts 1+2 and use Inserts 3-8 instead.
DAW ADAT
Selecting DAW ADAT will send DAW Channels 9-16 to the Line Outputs D-Sub in the same manner as DAW THRU and DAW Analogue, bypassing the mixer at full volume. Channel 9-16 are typically used when sending audio to the first ADAT output but the DAW ADAT option allows you to also send these channels to the Line Output.
Again, this would usually be used when sending audio from your DAW to hardware effects. For example, we could send audio from output channel 9 in the DAW and the DAW ADAT setting would allow us to send this to the first channel of the Line Outputs D-Sub.
Please note that these settings can be done on a per channel basis so it is possible, for example, to have Line Outputs 1+2 set to DAW ADAT, taking signal from DAW channels 9+10, and at the same time have Line Outputs 3+4 set to DAW Analogue, taking the signal from DAW channels 3+4. All the while, Line Outputs 5-8 could be being fed from the Main Mix or CUE Mixes. Basically, the routing matrix allows for very complex setups, if required.
Digital Outputs 1-8 and 9-16
The routing matrix for the Digital Outputs 1-8 and 9-16 is the same as the Monitor Outputs. The only difference is that DAW THRU takes signal from DAW channels 9-16 for the Digital 1-8 outputs, and DAW channels 17-24 for the Digital 9-16 Outputs.
Please also note that at higher sample rates (88.2 or 96kHZ), the total number of digital channels is reduced to 8 due to the way that the ADAT protocol works at these higher sample rates. Therefore at these sample rates, the routine matrix for Digital Outputs 9-16 is not visible.
In addition, if the digital outputs are set to S/PDIF each output can only carat 2 channels, so only the first 2 channels in the routing matrix will be visible.