ASIO 32 channel limit?

First time out testing Resolve Free. I cannot get it to send audio to any ASIO channel above 32 on my RME Madiface XT interface. All 198 output channels are patch-able, but audio only comes out of 1-32.

I am wondering if this is a bug or a limitation in Free? As Studio has Dolby Atmos (my ultimate target), 32 ch I/O would be too limiting.

The only detailed feature comparison I can find is from v15.

Any input appreciated, thanks.

Resolve 17.4.3 / Win 10 Pro 21H2.

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but just like in Nuendo the built-in native Atmos renderer doesn't need 128 channels of physical i/o, the rendering is done internally. So if you see a limit of 32 channels of i/o it won't stop you from native Atmos.

Hi Mattias

Quite right, however I really need to monitor the binaural output (which is not yet available on Windows) as well as 7.1.4, so am using an external renderer with an old MADI equipped Mac I had lying around.

At any rate, I currently have my speaker outputs above CH 32 on the main host which is why I ran in to the suspected limit.

Thanks

Ah, sorry, I thought you meant the native renderer.

Studio is also limited to 32 channels. Yep it's really annoying and limiting!

BMD appears to limit to 32 inputs also, even though you expose 128 inputs to Davinci Resolve. What's really odd, is DR is aware you've got 128 inputs coming into it, and even lets you patch 128 inputs, yet outside of Davinci Resolve, the ASIO interface is only allowed to connect to 32 of them. Here i've set JackRouter to create 128 channels coming out of Bitwig Studio but as you can see, Resolve stops at 32 despite clearly knowing I want 128 as it even names them JackRouter all the way to 128 lol! I spent best part of a week trying to get this working for Dolby atmos work and gave up, assuming if you want 128 channels, even if only virtual in the box ones, you have to buy physical Fairlight gear, even though you'll never actually use it for actual audio!

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OK Wow, that would be a deal killer to me. I know ASIO was just added in 17.3 (great), but it's crucial information if 32 CH limit is a policy or a passing wrinkle.

It's also counter intuitive having a channel limit and offering external Atmos renderer capability - makes no sense.

@Dwaine Maggart, @Peter Chamberlain - could you please comment?

It's currently quite similar to Pro Tools (which just upped limit from 32 to 64). The program shows you all the channels, you can patch them, but no audio flows, and no msgs to let you know. Also, it will only use the first 32 CH.

The BM CC-2 and expander MADI cards are quite reasonably priced and compelling, but as I understand do not have ASIO drivers which locks you into Resolve to use them.

Thanks

Yep, it is a bit. I'm simply waiting to see what else might come out for Windows. Nuendo will probably be be your best bet for Windows Atmos work, it has a theoretical unlimited in x out same as Bitwig Studio.
Remember, from Windows, you can't use a Mac to run the Dolby Atmos Production Suite, it only works over Core Audio, This means you would have to invest in Dolby Atmos Mastering Suite and a separate PC.

If you are interested in emulating Dolby Atmos binauralin Davinci Resolve, I have spent some time emulating it recently and have got surprisingly close. The following video shows it running and A/B ing to a real Dolby Atmos Binaural Render of the same audio.

Hi Sam

Thanks for your reply. I actually have an old Mac lying around with a MADI card so with DAPS on that I can get up to 63 (one for LTC) inputs to Atmos which for my music mixing is enough initially to get going.

I think you are right about Nuendo though. Also Reapers developer's are showing interest in Atmos. Yet there is something refreshing about Resolve/Fairlight I do like, may the development proceed at pace.
* I do hope BM can provide an answer about the 32 CH thing though *

It's been interesting learning about DA over the last couple of weeks - but there is quite a bit of subtle mis-information out there. Dolby's own Learning site is the best resource including for DAW's, but is more work to ingest than watching YT videos of course

Thanks for the link to yours by the way. It does sound pretty close. It seems like it could be a viable path for binaural monitoring on the PC.

It will be interesting to whats released this year for sure.

cheers
Simon

Ahh, right you are, think I was assuming both machines had to be core audio, but of course, that would only apply if you wanted to run DAPS and the DAW on the same machine.
Supposedly Dolby are aware/working on a Windows solution to this binaural monitoring limitation, although they flatly said to me when I enquired originally, DAPS will never be available for Windows, which I assume is because Windows has no Core Audio alternative, although WASAPI is basically the same kernal bypassing protocol to get audio direct from application to interface without touching the OS. I'm certainly able to happily route 128 channels of audio about my laptop or network with JackRouter either ASIO or WASAPI without any issues, but clearly there's something in what they say.

Just bumping this as the topic churn is quite high.

Can the devs comment on if this limit is a policy or a temporary wrinkle?

Thanks

I think it's simply about hardware sales sadly. I can see no reason why you'd need to restrict ASIO inputs unless there was an upgrade path to go from 64 to 128 etc. As the free & paid version has 32 channel limit, yet Fairlight hardware claims upto 1000 channels, I think it's purely about hardware sales.

Happy to report I got some very efficient support from Warwick Morris at BM Australasian support.

"Blackmagic have confirmed this is a bug with Resolve at the moment. They will fix it in a future update. There's should be no limit in the ASIO channel count in both free and Studio versions."

Just to repeat, I'm currently on Resolve Free 17.4.3 / Win 10 Pro 21H2 x64.

cheers

Cool, I opened a support ticket today for it, so would be fantastic if it gets increased!

I heard back from Blackmagic Support. For those interested, it sounds like the developers are aware, but there's no timeframe for a fix, so just need to keep an eye on the updates I guess and see if a channel increase materializes.

Fairlight Patch Input/Output is still broken in 17.4.4 update. All channels of the audio interface are recognised by Fairlight, all channels are patchable, but audio is only coming through on the first 1-32 channels, not 33-64 even though patched to a track.

Is there any timeline for this being resolved? It's just not practical in a modern studio to be forced to use the first 32 channels of your I/O by an application. At least allow any channel number to be patched upto a total of 32 channels if Blackmagic wants to limit DaVinci Resolves I/O to 32 channels only.

I don't believe they want to limit it, they said it was a bug and they will fix it. Anyway thanks for testing latest.

Sorry, I wasn't meaning they actively want to limit it in such a way for limits sake, just that they might want/need to limit it for reasons of performance / ASIO architecture until they can resolve it and so a solution for us a bit stuck would be to allow 32 patches to be made to any I/O destiantion for the time being.

Anyone know if this bug is addressed in 18 beta. Unfortunately 18 has completely broken ASIO I/O for me, I can no longer get Davinci to see any ASIO I/O so impossible to test.

Can confirm 18 beta now includes 64 ASIO channels instead of 32. 128 would be better for Atmos studios who might be patching through 128 I/O, but it's at least got us a bit more I/O flexibility now. Thank you Blackmagic!

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Can confirm 18 beta now includes 64 ASIO channels instead of 32. 128 would be better for Atmos studios who might be patching through 128 I/O, but it's at least got us a bit more I/O flexibility now. Thank you Blackmagic!

Any update to this issue? ASIO still limited to the first 64 ch? I don't have it installed just now, but would again if they can stretch it to 128.

Disappointed to see some time later in 18.6 that ASIO channels are still silent above ch 64. They should not be select-able if you can't use them. But of course, all interface channels should be usable.