Mini Converter SDI to HDMI 6G: send an audio pair to a mixing console

Identify the pair that needs to reach the console

Identify the SDI source model, including the HyperDeck model if one is used, and the audio content carried on each pair. Choose a converter by the required outputs and documented functions; a similar-looking unit does not establish the same channel capacity or routing.

To prepare the test, record the number of sources, the pair for each source and its destination. If you need more than two simultaneous analog channels from one signal, this model’s L/R outputs alone do not meet that requirement. Check an alternative unit’s functions in its own manual and confirm availability with the supplier.

The controls cited here come from the Blackmagic Converters manual, July 2024, pp. 34–38, in the Mini Converter SDI to HDMI 6G section. Record the actual unit’s identification and firmware to confirm that you are using the documentation for the correct model.

Analog output: switch 8 and separate L/R connectors

On page 35, switch 8 OFF selects balanced analog audio; ON selects digital AES/EBU. The L - ANALOG or AES/EBU connector changes function with that mode. Page 34 also identifies R - ANALOG as the right analog output. These are 1/4-inch connectors: a balanced channel output is not a stereo headphone output.

Save the original mode and check the console input and cabling against the exact equipment models. To test two analog channels, prepare separate paths for L and R. An adapter with the right connector shape does not confirm that the destination accepts the signal type. Once the console model is known, check its pinout and accepted level before choosing the cable.

If there is a picture but the expected audio is missing, first verify that the source carries audio on the selected pair. Then check the mode, L/R paths and receiving-device settings. Run these tests off air, with monitoring controlled by the audio lead. Changing gain before identifying the signal can obscure a routing problem.

Select the pair with switches 4, 3 and 2

The table on page 36 combines switches 4, 3 and 2 to select one of eight pairs. The table below preserves that reading order. For analog channels 1/2, the manufacturer’s example also sets switch 8 OFF. For 3/4, leave 4 and 3 OFF and set 2 ON.

Use a channel-identification signal and record what each console input receives. If it receives silence or unexpected content, check the source assignment before trying another pair. A pair with no voice is not necessarily empty: it may carry another language, clip audio or a different mix.

The description of switches 4/3/2 on page 35 covers HDMI, analog and AES/EBU output. Check the HDMI receiver after changing the pair too. That procedure does not document independent pair selection for each destination of the kind described in the MD-HX guide.

Selecting another pair does not swap Center/LFE or create a stereo mix

If Center and LFE arrive in the wrong order, identify their assignment at the source and at each destination. A correction made in an external matrix does not establish that the Mini Converter SDI to HDMI 6G has a channel-swap control.

Selecting 3/4 in the table takes that pair from the SDI signal. The cited sections do not document a control for swapping the two channels or downmixing 5.1 to L/R.

Identify each channel at the source and observe where it arrives. Keep separate records of the file, analog monitoring and HDMI playback. If the order differs, those records help locate the stage that needs checking.

If the job requires mixing several channels or reordering them individually, verify that function in the selected processor before finalizing the signal path.

Output Levels: check gain after confirming the signal path

On page 38, the manual shows the Audio tab in Converters Setup and the Output Levels menu. It allows gain adjustment per channel or linked sliders using the link icon. The reset button returns levels to 0 dB. Save the values and link state before testing a change. Here, 0 dB is the documented gain setting; it does not confirm an appropriate level at the console.

If one channel is quieter, first compare its content, mode, cable and input. Once those are confirmed, test the gain adjustment and observe both channels at the receiving device. Recheck the actual event content. The levels display alone does not prove that the selected pair carries the correct mix.

Record the source, destination, application and version alongside the gain value being tested. Note the unit’s firmware and visible controls so the comparison can be repeated.

Record each source and check every destination

Complete the blank Mini Converter 6G audio worksheet. Identify the SDI source, pair, mode, connectors and console inputs. ALT SDI IN is documented as an optional redundant input on page 34; it is not treated here as a second independently mixed or extracted audio source.

Test each source: channel identification, actual content, the planned pair change and restoration of the agreed settings. Record what L, R and HDMI received, and save evidence of each comparison. Mark anything not tested as pending and assign someone to check it.

Once the correct content arrives, if picture and voice appear out of sync, follow the comparison of analog output and TV playback. For a remote guest’s monitoring, also see the hybrid panel guide. These checks come after identifying which audio reaches each destination.

To coordinate the setup with GLMedia, use the worksheet to describe your video processing and distribution and sound system requirements. Identify who provides each signal and who checks each destination. The inquiry form does not accept attachments; summarize the confirmed details and agree on how to share the worksheet afterward.