The Other Cliff - B.J. at Metric Halo

henryrobinett

henryrobinett

Fractal Fanatic
I have another company that reminds me so much of Fractal Audio. It's a small audio company called Metric Halo. Their genius is B.J. Buchalter. People here often get excited about Cliff offering free updates and say there's no other company that gives so much. Yeah, except for Metric Halo. Not taking anything away from Cliff! I'm just very excited because they're doing it again. I can't talk too much about it but years ago B.J. made a promise and stated their mandate of "future proof." I bought my first MIO about 2005. I've since bought 5 more. I have 4 ULN-8s and a ULN-2. I sold the 2882+DSP to fund a ULN-8. What they do is continually update the software for free, of course, but mainly they UPDATE THE HARDWARE. Coming will be the 3rd hardware revision. They send you a kit and instructions. There's a new back panel, front panel and motherboard and other boards. Coming soon with be another complete revision, at a fraction of the cost. You could send it in to have them install it, but it costs more. And it's relatively easy, even for novices.

It would be as if the Standard Ultra could become the Axe Fx II which could then be updated to Axe Fx II mk2, and then the III. I'm truly amazed. This is already the best audio interface on the planet, and they're keeping the standard by taking care of their loyal customers.

Maybe Cliff could look at adopting this . . . ? :)
 
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Another very happy Metric Halo owner here, I have a ULN-8 that I simply adore, it's the centre piece of my studio and live rig in conjunction with the Axe II.
And B.J.Buchalter is a very clever, diven and hard working man, just like Cliff @ Fractal - both absolutely on top of their game and on top of their "competitors" in every way.
I haven't meet anybody that bettered these two companies with regards to updates and in fact their products are the only two tech/computer products I've ever bought that keeps getting better and better with age - normally it's a fast train to Obsoleteville from the day you buy a tech product.
I'm very proud to use both these guys products.
Henry you have me very interested with these hardware updates for MH, an obvious one will be Thunderport connectivity, but I bet BJ has more than that up his sleeve. Look forward to the announcement.
 
Metric-Halo is an awesome company. I met BJ, Joe and Dan (no longer there) at their headquarters in NY and I liked these guys so much that pre-ordered the 2882+DSP and happily waited for it to ship.

I wound up going to breakfast with Dan at a nearby diner, and did my best to try and get a job with them!
 
Much more than that. He's looked and found thunderbolt wanting. So he's created something else - something NEW with existing technology. He's done something that has been done before, like Cliff. Better than Thunderbolt and firewire. AS I understand it firewire will still be there. I think. Hell, I don't know yet.
 
I remember Dan. He's the one who got me on board. I was an early adopter. I bought the 2882 a year before it shipped. Same with the ULN-2! Ground floor.
 
henryrobinett said:
I remember Dan. He's the one who got me on board. I was an early adopter. I bought the 2882 a year before it shipped. Same with the ULN-2! Ground floor.
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Same here, ULN-2 and ULN-8.

I like the idea of future proofing the Axe product line, but that may require a redesign. BJ and Joe had that intent from the very beginning. I've suggested here about the Axe III having expansion capability.
 
Yes. I've suggested it too. The ULN-8 upgrades also included expanded DSP. It's daunting to upgrade a unit by plunking down another $2,500, as opposed to $150 or so. Or even $300. Makes a huge difference. And for a small company it saves them all the back work.
 
Still got my original ULN-2+DSP....got the unit from my former company (Clair Bros. Audio) as a gift when I left the company back in 2007. I use the interface in my measurement system together with a digital spectrum analyzer and for mobile recording....great piece of gear and super low latency with low CPU consumption on my MacBook Pro 17" (from 2009).
 
My 12 year old 2882 will soon be brand new again!

When the 2D upgrade came out I took my mixing board out of my live rig. That was a great upgrade.
This time I should be able to drop all the outboard processing boxes for my live vocals.

Exciting times. New CLR's, soon to be new 2882, and new AxeFx firmware.
 
I'm still trying to wrap my head around what is included with this latest MIO hardware upgrade. There's so much included!

I may have missed it but any idea of the cost of this upgrade? It applies to EVERY box they have ever shipped!
 
I have not heard about the cost, only that BJ said it will be affordable. I keep saying $19.95! But somehow I think it'll be more than that.
 
I make a living with fractal and metric halo. Both companies rock, and btw, both units have shark processors.

The MH card/panel upgrade model is very smart, something fractal could do if they wanted.

The latest MH voodoo is amazing 1024x1024 mixing at 196k w 1 sample delay...just by plugging in new card and panel.
 
rickbarclay said:
Dayam! It says on the MH website that around 1976, BJ studied graduate level computer engineering at Syracuse--at age 11! Dayam!
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Like I said, he's a clever guy :)

I have been extremely busy with work, so I hadn't paid any attention to the MH mail list, but I've just read through the description of the new updates - hot damn, that is very serious stuff we are talking about.
To say that I'm excited would be a gross understatement.
 
henryrobinett said:
Much more than that. He's looked and found thunderbolt wanting. So he's created something else - something NEW with existing technology. He's done something that has been done before, like Cliff. Better than Thunderbolt and firewire. AS I understand it firewire will still be there. I think. Hell, I don't know yet.
Click to expand...

Firewire will not be carried over with the new hardware update according to BJ's mail description
 
solo-act said:
The latest MH voodoo is amazing 1024x1024 mixing at 196k w 1 sample delay...just by plugging in new card and panel.
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This is a little misleading. It's 24in/24out @ 192k with 1 sample delay + whatever is incurred by USB (~1-1.5ms). The 1024x1024 @ all sample rates (including 192k) with 1 sample delay is the routing matrix. They tout that number to show that the IO capability is practically limitless (for pro audio work of course not telco...) but it still means that the actual IO on each unit will be limited. The USB2 connection will be limited to 96in + 96out @ 48k. That's by no means bad though! Single MADI cards only do 64in + 64out @ 48k so this is quite an achievement over USB2. Also, latency is cumulative on the new metric halo interfaces. So if you had two boxes each with io, the delay will be 4 samples from input on 1 box to an output on another.

In any event, it is all very promising. If they price it right, it will be great for pro setups with a modest amount of actual IO. Other solutions in this realm are awkward at the moment and force you to over purchase a system to obtain the correct IO with a substantial amount of vendor lock-in. Metric Halo's system will be proprietary but it sounds like they will have the proper IO choices including MADI which is the current "winning" standard. I'm excited for this tech for the redundancy capabilities (e.g. connecting multiple devices each with USB2 computers each recording and/or playing back at the same time). Sounds like overkill but this system could effectively eliminate live show failures without a great deal of expense (well, as long as you accept that a basic IO unit is probably going to be around 4k like the ULN-8).
 
henryrobinett said:
I have another company that reminds me so much of Fractal Audio. It's a small audio company called Metric Halo. Their genius is B.J. Buchalter. What they do is continually update the software for free, of course, but mainly they UPDATE THE HARDWARE.

It would be as if the Standard Ultra could become the Axe Fx II which could then be updated to Axe Fx II mk2, and then the III. I'm truly amazed. This is already the best audio interface on the planet, and they're keeping the standard by taking care of their loyal customers.

Maybe Cliff could look at adopting this . . . ? :)
Click to expand...

I concur. Cliff might not see this though; I think he blocked me in 2013.

Metric Halo is like the SpaceX of hardware. Why throw out a perfectly good analog system and accompanying ports, enclosure and power? Just re-use it and upgrade the digital system with removable processor and digital ports. Sexy!!

Original 2004-ish Metric Halo ULN-2 system with a later piggyback upgrade board called "2D"
45748636932_66a175d602_z.jpg


Out with the old digital
45748636822_39a3fd6a50_z.jpg


In with the new - note processor is on removable card
45748636682_49f414d3b1_z.jpg


And last piece - modular digital I/O card. Next to it is communications: word clock, the new MH link ethernet system, and a little USBc port.
45748636612_abcb02da57_b.jpg
 
Yes!! I've upgraded from the original to +dsp, then to 2d, then to the latest 3d. If I can open the boxes up and switch out circuit boards, anybody can! Amazing.
 
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