• Registered: 2011-04-25
  • Posts: 42

Topic: Adding second DSP AES-32

Hello,

I have a DSP AES-32 attached to my PC's Gigabyte GA-X588A-UD3R motherboard that works flawlessly with my Lynx Aurora 16.

Bravo!

I would like to add another AES-32 to go along with another Aurora 16.

Do I go to the dealer to get support regarding the AES-32's, can I get it here in this forum, or is there a link that will show me the process of how to link both AES 32's for my specific motherboard?

Please let me know.

Thank you!

Frank

Cubase 6 64 bit, Windows 7, RME AES HDSP-32, Lynx Aurora 16. Bricasti M7, API 2500, etc.
  • Jeff
  • Jeff
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Re: Adding second DSP AES-32

No special instructions, really. Just install the card, both will show up as a single ASIO device. If you use external clock, there is nothing else to do. If the current card is the master clock, connect the Sync Out port to the Sync In port on the new card, with the included ribbon cable.

Regards,
Jeff Petersen
Synthax Inc.

Jeff's Website

3 Reply by Swurveman (edited by Swurveman 2013-09-10 20:14:47)

  • Registered: 2011-04-25
  • Posts: 42

Re: Adding second DSP AES-32

Jeff wrote:

No special instructions, really. Just install the card, both will show up as a single ASIO device. If you use external clock, there is nothing else to do. If the current card is the master clock, connect the Sync Out port to the Sync In port on the new card, with the included ribbon cable.

Thanks for your reply Jeff.

I did not install the original card. So, I have additional questions.

1. The current card is connected to a PCI slot labelled "PCI", while the expansion board doesn't appear to be connected to any slot, but is fastened by a screw. The card and expansion are connected by a ribbon cable. My motherboard does not have another same sized  slot labelled "PCI". It has two larger PCI slots, labelled  "PCIEX16_1" and  "PCIEX16_2". Will the card install  in one of these slots and work just as it did on the slot labelled "PCI"?

Thanks for your support.

Frank

Cubase 6 64 bit, Windows 7, RME AES HDSP-32, Lynx Aurora 16. Bricasti M7, API 2500, etc.
  • Jeff
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Re: Adding second DSP AES-32

No. PCI is the older slot format, PCIe is the current format. These are not compatible, a PCI card cannot be used in a PCIe slot.

If you buy the HDSPe AES card (PCIe) rather than the HDSP AES-32 card (PCI) then it will work in your computer, along with the older PCI card.

Regards,
Jeff Petersen
Synthax Inc.

Jeff's Website

  • Registered: 2011-04-25
  • Posts: 42

Re: Adding second DSP AES-32

Jeff wrote:

No. PCI is the older slot format, PCIe is the current format. These are not compatible, a PCI card cannot be used in a PCIe slot.

If you buy the HDSPe AES card (PCIe) rather than the HDSP AES-32 card (PCI) then it will work in your computer, along with the older PCI card.

Thanks Jeff.

So, I simply purchase the this http://www.rme-audio.de/en_products_hdspe_aes.php, put it in the PCIe slot and I'm good to go. Correct?

Cubase 6 64 bit, Windows 7, RME AES HDSP-32, Lynx Aurora 16. Bricasti M7, API 2500, etc.
  • Jeff
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Re: Adding second DSP AES-32

Yes, as long as your motherboard is working as expected, there is no issue with the two cards together.

Regards,
Jeff Petersen
Synthax Inc.

Jeff's Website

  • Registered: 2011-04-25
  • Posts: 42

Re: Adding second DSP AES-32

Jeff wrote:

Yes, as long as your motherboard is working as expected, there is no issue with the two cards together.

Thank you.

Is there something I should understand regarding your caveat of "working as expected"?

I am currently running Cubase 6 and Wavelab 8 with my RME PCI card/Aurora 16, along with a UAD-2 PCI(e) card and Waves 64 bit plugins on a Windows 7 Pro 64 bit PC with no problems. Does that qualify as "working as expected"?

Cubase 6 64 bit, Windows 7, RME AES HDSP-32, Lynx Aurora 16. Bricasti M7, API 2500, etc.
  • Jeff
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Re: Adding second DSP AES-32

Yes, I think so. Usually if there is trouble, it's the PCI slot. The PCIe slot should work perfectly in a reasonably modern motherboard.

Regards,
Jeff Petersen
Synthax Inc.

Jeff's Website

9 Reply by Swurveman (edited by Swurveman 2013-09-11 22:04:13)

  • Registered: 2011-04-25
  • Posts: 42

Re: Adding second DSP AES-32

Jeff wrote:

Yes, I think so. Usually if there is trouble, it's the PCI slot. The PCIe slot should work perfectly in a reasonably modern motherboard.

Thanks Jeff. That's what everybody from RME is telling me.

However, I was just told this  by a dealer:

there are some potential issues with having a PCI and a PCIe card on the same machine, and the clocking on this can get a little hairy (hence the internal connection).  The PCIe card does come with the internal ribbon cable (connects 2 x AES cards together), and you only use the cable IF you have the first AES card as the primary clock (as apposed to the first Aurora).

Do you know what he is getting at?

He seems to imply that the internal connection of the RME card and the expansion board makes clocking "hairy", but I have this internal ribbon connection between my PCI AES-32 and the expansion board and my clocking is never hairy. Will the addition of a second card and a connected expansion board, this time PCIe, make clocking hairy? I did not get that impression from your previous posts. So, I am confused. Or, the dealer is.

I am not using any external word clock connections from my RME PCI AES 32 to my Aurora 16 and am using the Aurora 16 as my Internal Clock. It was my intention to use my current Aurora 16 as Master to a  Slave Aurora 16, connecting the Word Clock OUT of the first one to the Word Clock IN of the second Aurora with a 75 Ohm Mogami Word Clock Lead. Is this an uncommon clocking connection?

Thanks for your thoughts.

Frank

Cubase 6 64 bit, Windows 7, RME AES HDSP-32, Lynx Aurora 16. Bricasti M7, API 2500, etc.
  • Jeff
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Re: Adding second DSP AES-32

Probably, the dealer wants you to buy 2 PCIe cards smile Which would make some sense, as your next computer definitely won't have an old PCI slot.

Otherwise, not sure what he is driving at. The internal sync connection is no different from any other sync scenario.

Regards,
Jeff Petersen
Synthax Inc.

Jeff's Website

  • Registered: 2011-04-25
  • Posts: 42

Re: Adding second DSP AES-32

Jeff wrote:

Probably, the dealer wants you to buy 2 PCIe cards smile Which would make some sense, as your next computer definitely won't have an old PCI slot.

Otherwise, not sure what he is driving at. The internal sync connection is no different from any other sync scenario.

Yeah, he said in a perfect world I would sell my existing PCI AES Card and buy 2 x PCIe style cards. 

He also said neither his dealership or RME would guarantee that the PCI/PCIe combination would work.

Cubase 6 64 bit, Windows 7, RME AES HDSP-32, Lynx Aurora 16. Bricasti M7, API 2500, etc.
  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
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Re: Adding second DSP AES-32

PCI and PCIe will work fine in principle (provided no issues of an individual mainboard), there is no reason to worry. There are no issues that would affect clocking in particular.

Obviously, nothing can be 100% "guaranteed" fore every possible hardware environment, but there is no reason to avoid combining PCI and PCIe.



Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website