Recording - December 2020 - 52

REVIEW

Avid Pro Tools | Carbon Interface
This new ethernet Pro Tools interface goes native!
REVIEW BY ALEX HAWLEY

t's been a busy year for Avid, especially in the hardware department. Earlier
this year, Avid launched MTRX Studio, an impressive DigiLink interface
with DAD preamps/converters, Dante audio, and Atmos compatibility. In
recent memory, Avid (and Digidesign) have focused hardware efforts (like
MTRX Studio) towards HD and HD Native integrations, requiring users to
buy and install an Avid PCIe card (or thunderbolt box for HD Native) to run
Pro Tools HD software (now Pro Tools | Ultimate). That model has shifted in
recent years, as dedicated Pro Tools hardware is no longer required to run
Pro Tools Ultimate software. Even still, nearly all Avid hardware currently
available relies on this PCIe card-based system, furthering the investment
for newcomers to join the ecosystem.
Avid Pro Tools | Carbon Interface, is a departure from this category. Not
only is it aimed squarely at music production, it has an AVB interface and
it connects to your computer over ethernet. This is a significant paradigm
shift in the current Avid hardware lineup; the last native interfaces that I
can recall date back to the early 2000s, with the 00 (Firewire) and MBox
series (USB). Carbon is a powerful interface that integrates seamlessly
with Pro Tools using the new Hybrid Engine, built-in HDX DSP chips, and
flexible I/O. It brings an HDX style workflow to all users of Pro Tools.

Ins and Outs

Carbon looks nearly identical to MTRX
Studio-a sleek black 1U rack unit with
eye-catching multi-colored LEDs on display. Unlike MTRX Studio, Carbon is built
entirely by Avid, including its newly designed microphone preamps and converters. It features 25 inputs and 34 outputs,
32-bit processing throughout, a built-in
talkback mic, and four independently
controllable headphone outputs.
Inputs comprise eight XLR/TRS combo jacks on the back panel and two
S/MUX compatible ADAT optical ins and
outs. A unique Carbon feature is variable input impedance on channels 5-8;
there are three settings available that
range from 1kΩ to 50kΩ, providing the
ability to better match impedance with
a specific microphone, or experiment in
changing the mic's tonality. In general,
52 RECORDING December 2020

higher impedance values yield brighter
tonality, while lower impedances sound
darker. The Z button on the front toggles
this setting and displays different colors
for the different impedances.
The front panel features two 1/4" instrument inputs, which auto-detect when a plug
is inserted. These include a variable impedance circuit as well, with five settings that
range from 1MΩ (for passive instruments)
down to 23kΩ (to alter the tonality, or better suit certain pedals and instruments).
In addition to the eight combo jacks,
the back panel also includes two D-Sub
connections. The first supplies eight line
inputs in place of the combo jacks (for
patch bay integration). The second D-Sub
hosts eight line outputs, which is in addition to the balanced TRS main monitor
outputs and ADAT optical outputs. The
first four outputs of the D-Sub can also be

used as additional monitor outputs, with
the ability to switch between three different monitor pairs on the front panel.
The final eight outputs come in the form
of four 1/4" headphone outputs on the
front panel, which can be independently
fed within Pro Tools. The remainder of
the back panel includes word clock I/O,
a 1/4" footswitch jack for triggering the
talkback mic, two ethernet ports, and an
IEC power connection.

Hardware and Software

Carbon is loaded with eight of the
same HDX DSP chips as found in HDX
interfaces (for reference, HDX interfaces
have 18 chips). While it may not pack
quite the same power, Avid maximizes its
available DSP with a creative Pro Tools
integration called Hybrid Engine. I tested
Hybrid Engine on a beta version of PT

Recording - December 2020

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