Apogee Announces Single Wire 96kHz Upgrade For PSX-100 and Rosetta Converters



The PSX-100 (Click on either image for a close-up)

July 27, 1999 -- Leading digital audio converter manufacturer Apogee Electronics Corporation has announced firmware upgrades for their popular Rosetta 96 and PSX-100 converters which support the new AES "single wire/double speed" interface for high sample rates in addition to the existing "double wide" specification, making the units compatible with the vast majority of AES devices utilizing 88.2/96 kHz sample rates.

The Rosetta 96 and PSX-100 converters currently interface high sample rate (88.2/96 kHz) digital audio signals via two AES connectors (so-called "double-wide" mode). Channels 1 and 2 carry the left and right signals respectively with each channel functioning at half the active sampling rate (i.e., for a 96kHz stereo signal, each side clocks at 48 kHz). This implementation is compatible with many other companies' devices including Nagra-D and Genex recorders, and SADiE digital audio workstations.

The latest firmware release provides the additional capability to handle stereo 88.2 or 96 kHz signals via a single cable (so-called "double-fast" or "single-wire" mode). In this mode, the stereo signals are interleaved in a similar way to the normal AES implementation for 44.1 and 48 kHz, but at twice the speed. The upgrade makes the Rosetta 96 and the PSX-100 compatible with the high sample rate functionality of other manufacturers' products including TC Electronic and Weiss processors, and many computer digital I/O cards, while retaining the existing "double-wide" interface capability. A rear-panel DIP switch is used to select the AES interface mode.

Owners of the Rosetta 96 and PSX-100 can request an upgrade EPROM by sending an email to "upgrade@apogeedigital.com", quoting the model and "Double-Fast upgrade" in the subject field, and their name, address, phone number, serial number and dealer name in the body of the message. The EPROM upgrade will be shipped from Apogee (or from the local distributor if outside North America) free of charge. Products must be registered to qualify - owners who have not registered their product can do so by filling in the registration card or visiting www.apogeedigital.com/support/registration/ before applying for the upgrade. The EPROM should be installed by an Apogee dealer or qualified technician.

For more information, visit the Apogee web site at www.apogeedigital.com.