RME Presents New Products at MusikMesse

The ADI-8 PRO Front Panel
(Click for a close-up)

The ADI-8 PRO Rear Panel
(Click for a close-up)

The ADI-96 PRO Front Panel
(Click for a close-up)

The ADI-96 PRO Rear Panel
(Click for a close-up)

January 8, 1999 -- The german company RME showed several new products on the Frankfurt Musik Messe. To complete the well known range of DIGI96 digital audio cards two new models were shown. The new DIGI96/8 PAD equals the DIGI96/8 PRO, a 2/8 channel 24 bit/96 kHz SPDIF/ADAT digital interface card which includes a 20 bit/96 kHz analog output. The new PAD adds a 20 bit/96 kHz analog input, and includes the new Enhanced Zero Latency Monitoring, which allows to listen to the incoming signal without the need to lock on it. With this monitoring not only in clock mode master is possible, but even when the sample rates at input and output are not identical. This new technique also allows the card to serve as SPDIF to ADAT converter and ADAT to SPDIF converter.

Project Hammerfall breaks down the performance barrier. This new hardware can be thought of as ASIO, Steinberg's proprietary driver interface, poured into hardware. The result is 0 (zero)% CPU load when transferring up to 52 tracks. But even when not using ASIO, the newly designed zero waitstate PCI busmaster interface reaches top transfer rates of up to 130 MB/s for record and playback. An additional 96 kB burst FIFO avoids drop outs caused by other PCI bus devices. The card includes three ADAT ports, word clock I/O, coaxial SPDIF I/O and an ADAT Sync input. It is supposed to be shipped in april including Windows ASIO drivers.

The ADI-8 PRO is a professional 8 channel analog to digital and digital to analog converter with ADAT and TDIF ports. It uses expensive 24 bit converters with more than 110 dB dynamic range, includes Bit Split operation for recording 24 bit on two 16 bit machines, Bit Combine operation, several choices for an ideal level adaptation and a digital copy mode, which lets the ADI-8 work as ADAT to TDIF converter and vice versa. In this mode Bit Split and Bit Combine are also available. All analog inputs and outputs are servo balanced. The extensive clock section provides access to digital, word or internal clocks, separately for AD and DA.

The ADI-96 PRO is a professional dual channel line and microphone AD-converter with 24 bit/96 kHz converters. To get rid of usual analog circuits, influencing the pure signal before the AD-conversion, the ADI-96 PRO processes all functions in the digital domain using a Motorola DSP. The DSP provides Low Cut, Expander, Non Linear Compressor, Delay, De-esser and Auto Level Control in 96 kHz/48 bit resolution. The converter uses the Constant Double Speed (CDS) technology to maintain the crystal clear sound of double speed sampling and processing even at normal sample rates around 48 kHz. A serial port (RS232) allows an easy connection to any standard PC. With the Windows software Remote Control the user can change and visualize all parameters and levels.

Manufacturer recommended sales prices: DIGI96/8 PAD 1090 DM, Project Hammerfall 1098 DM, ADI-8 PRO 2298 DM, and ADI-96 PRO 2298 DM.

For more information, visit RME's web site at www.rme-audio.com.