RME HDSPe Madi

ARTISTS

Mixing, mastering and recording using RME's HDSPe MADI card

Since 2010, I have trusted RME interfaces at Arimaka Studios because of their impeccable digital solutions that are rock solid and great sounding.

The PCI Express card consequently uses all advantages of the MADI format, the professionals' multi-Channel audio interface, offering 64 channels of 24-bit audio at a sample rate of up to 48 kHz, 32 channels at up to 96 kHz and 16 channels at up to 192 kHz. Transmission is done via a single line, either coaxial with BNC plugs or by fiber cable. In both cases more than 100 m cable length can be achieved.

Compared with the HDSP MADI (Standard PCI version), the express card offers some new features: Support of higher sample rates than 96 kHz, more features in TotalMix (phase and internal loopback per channel, +6 dB gain for the hardware outputs), and the direct support of the Time Code Option. HDSPe MADI provides even lower latencies, making the card the perfect partner for live recording and live mixing applications. The analog monitor output is equipped with the low-latency converter technology of the ADI-8 QS, thus guaranteeing stunning SNR and THD values too.

HDSPe MADI is fully compatible to all devices with MADI interface. In combination with the ADI-648 an 8 x ADAT optical PC interface is realized, unbeatable in price and performance. With the ADI-6432 a bidirectional AES/EBU frontend with 64 channels is available.

On a powerful PC/Mac three HDSPe MADI can be used in a combination, providing 192 inputs and 192 outputs on a single workstation simultaneously.

Features

HDSPe MADI offers full support for 56 and 64 channel modes and double and single wire technology (96k frame) for 96 kHz. Full 64 channel support can also be found in the hardware mixer TotalMix FX. All 64 inputs and 64 playback channels can be routed and mixed to 64 physical outputs completely freely, which translates to a 8192 channel mixer. With that, HDSPe MADI offers the most powerful router/mixer ever implemented on a PCI card, and allows much more than a usage as pure computer I/O unit:

MADI optical patchbay and router

MADI coaxial/optical or vice versa converter and splitter

MADI redistributor, patchbay and router

TotalMix can be completely remote controlled via MIDI. Furthermore, the hardware delivers RMS and peak level meters for full control over 192 audio channels at minimal CPU load.

While most MADI-based devices require an additional word clock or AES line, the Hammerfall DSP MADI (like the ADI-648) uses SteadyClock(TM) to extract the reference clock at lowest jitter directly from the MADI signal, making long-distance connections even more convenient. As usual with RME, HDSPe MADI offers further sensible features. For instance an analog 24-bit/96 kHz line/headphone output with 116 dB dynamic range for direct control of all input and output signals.

The included expansion board carries word clock I/O (BNC) and MIDI I/O. The word clock input is galvanically isolated via transformer and operates on both single and double speed signals automatically. MIDI I/O offers two completely independent MIDI inputs and outputs via breakout cable (4 DIN sockets). A virtual MIDI port allows for a direct transmission of MIDI data over MADI.

RME uses a configuration memory for the most important settings of the card. Instead of operating in a default mode on computer power-up until loading the driver, HDSPe MADI activates the last used sample rate, master/slave configuration and MADI format immediately when switched on. This eliminates disturbing noises and clock network problems during power-up or re-boot of the computer.

Included software:

DIGICheck for Windows: Spectral Analyser, professional level meter for 2, 8, or 64 channels, Vector Audio Scope, various other audio analysis tools. Drivers: Windows 2000/XP/Vista/64 (full ASIO multi-client operation of WDM, GSIF 2.0 and ASIO 2.0), Mac OS X Intel (Core Audio and Core MIDI). Thanks to RME's flash update technology, future firmware improvements, adjustments, and bugfixes can be installed easily at any time.

SPECS

HDSPe MADI

• 1-Lane PCI Express Endpoint device (no PCI Express to PCI Bridge), revision 1.1.
• 2.5 Gbps line speed
• Packet-based full-duplex communication (up to 500 MB/s transfer rate)
• All settings changeable in real-time
• Automatic and intelligent master/slave clock control
• Sync sources: MADI coaxial, MADI optical, word clock, internal
• Varipitch: by input signal or word clock
• Sample rates: 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz, 192 kHz, variable (Sync/word clock)
• Sample rate range: MADI: 32 kHz - 96 kHz, word clock: 27 kHz - 200 kHz
• Jitter: < 1 ns, internal and all inputs
• Jitter sensitivity: PLL operates even at 100 ns Jitter without problems
• Comes with DIGICheck: the ultimate measurement, analysis and test tool
• Input MADI optical, MADI coaxial (BNC), 2 x MIDI, word clock (BNC)
• Output MADI optical, MADI coaxial (BNC), 2 x MIDI, word clock (BNC), stereo analog line/phones
• Input word clock: BNC, Signal Adaptation Circuit (functional from 1.2 Vpp input signal), switchable termination
• Output word clock: BNC, low-impedance driver stage, 4 Vpp into 75 Ohms, short-circuit-proof
• MIDI input and output: via four 5-pin DIN jacks