RME HDSP AES-32 PCI Soundcard

Full Description

The cards main board contains word clock I/O and a 25-pin D-sub connector, providing four AES inputs and four AES outputs via standard digital breakout cable (Tascam pinout). The word clock input is galvanically isolated via transformer and operates on Single, Double and Quad Speed signals automatically. The expansion board adds audio channels 9-16 and a connector for a MIDI breakout cable with two MIDI I/Os (four 5-pin DIN connectors). It does not require a PCI slot.

The AES-32's remarkable features include

• Support for 192 kHz at full channel count
• Native support for Double and Quad Wire transfer
• Direct conversion between these formats
• SteadyClock for highest jitter suppression and clock regeneration
• Intuitive and clearly laid-out user interface
• TotalMix 512 channel mixer with 42 bit internal resolution
• 48 level meter Peak/RMS, hardware-computed

Thanks to the DSP-based TotalMix mixer, all 16 inputs and 16 playback channels can be routed and mixed to 16 physical outputs freely, offering extraordinary monitoring capabilities. Up to 8 fully independent stereo submixes can be created. Routings can be copied and pasted, faders ganged and grouped, which, along with the amazing matrix window, turns the AES-32 into a powerful and easy-to-use redistributor, patchbay, router, converter, and splitter. The hardware-based mixer is fully MIDI-controllable. Furthermore, the DSP hardware calculates RMS and peak level meters for all 48 audio channels, with no measurable CPU load.

The Time Code Option of the HDSP 9632 can also be used with the AES-32 to sync to LTC and video. Thanks to SteadyClock(TM), the TCO not only extracts absolute positions from these signals, but also a very clean low-jitter word clock.

The card's most important settings are stored on the card itself. Rather than operating in a default mode from the moment the conputer is switched on until the driver is loaded, the card will immediately activate the last used sampling rate, master/slave configuration and AES format, thus eliminating any startup noise or problems in the clock network, both at system start and reboot.

An optional 19" breakout box is also available. Its innovative design features XLR I/Os that can be accessed from the front or rear in a rack, according to the user's choice. BOB-32 provides D-sub connectors with Tascam and Yamaha pinout, therefore can be used with other devices as digital rack breakout box as well.

Included software

• HDSP Meter Bridge - Scalable level meter with Peak- and RMS calculation in hardware
• DIGICheck for Windows - Spectral Analyser, professional level meter for 2, 8, or 16 channels, Vector Audio Scope, various other audio analysis tools.
• Drivers
  • Windows 2000/XP (full ASIO multi-client operation of MME, GSIF 2.0 and ASIO 2.0)
  • Mac OS X (Core Audio and Core MIDI)

Connectivity

• 16 input channels/ 16 output channels
• 8 x AES/EBU I/O
• 2 x MIDI I/O
• Word Clock I/O
• RME Remote
• TotalMix
• Optional HDSP TCO
• Optional BOB-32